When and how did darts begin?

It is believed that darts as a sport evolved from many forms whether it be martial arts, archery etc, the first dartboard was probably a tree!!! It was played in the 1800s and it was around the 1900's that rules for darts began to settle and layout of boards etc were standardised.

Today's darts is played around the world and is a great game to enjoy by all. It is fun but also assists with mental agility, hand eye coordination and arithmetic . It is relatively low cost to set up and does not require a huge fields so is attractive to many.

Dart weight

Choosing which weight of dart to use can be tricky and is again trial and error. Basically a heavier dart will suit a more relaxed throw, while a lighter dart would suit some one who wants to put more effort in. Often ladies will choose a heavier dart to get more power but this is not always the case.

Steel tip darts, range from 18gm to 32gm. Most common weights are 23gm steel tip and the 24gm steel tip, these are a recommended starting weight for beginners.

Soft or steel tip?

What are the differences between soft and steel tip?

Soft tip darts have flexible plastic tips (soft tips) and are thrown at a plastic board with molded holes in it, which accept and hold the point of the dart. These darts are most commonly used on electronic machines, which score automatically.

Steel tip darts are traditional darts with metal points most commonly thrown at a bristle dartboard.
  

Which darts are the best to buy?

Choosing the right darts for you can take a bit of trial and error. The best dart for you may also change over time as your improve. Here are some tips for choosing the right dart for you.

As a general rule of thumb is if you have long fingers you would probably favour a long dart, small fingers a smaller dart.

Replacement Points

Replacement points are available from us in black or silver. These are available in various lengths and we can change your existing points while you wait if required. More time may be required if your points have never been changed before.

Long or Short Shafts?

Using different length shafts and dart fights will change the way the dart fly’s. There isn't a best shaft or flight to use as this is personal preference.   If you are a watcher of darts and new to the game you will notice all darters will have their own preference in shaft length and type, plastic, metal, aluminium and  nylon.

As a guide short shafts tend to move the center of gravity of the dart towards the front end of the barrel. For good throwing most dart throwers hold their darts at this point so if you hold your darts at the front end of the barrel the short shafts might be best suited to your throw. Long shaft will effectively move the center of gravity of the dart towards the back, so if you throw your darts holding them at the back of the dart a long shaft my suit you better than short shafts. 

Steel tip vs Soft tip Darts?

The two most popular versions of darts are:

Steel tip darts- traditional darts with metal points most commonly thrown at a bristle dartboard.

Soft tip darts- the most recent arrival on the dart scene. These darts have flexible plastic tips (hence soft tips) and are thrown at a plastic board with molded holes in it, which accept and hold the point of the dart. These darts are most commonly used on electronic machines, which score automatically.

How to hold a Dart?

Beginners often ask, "What's the right way to hold a dart?" There is no 'right' way. This is a very personal thing, which cannot be dictated by someone else. You can hold a dart like a pen, with the first finger over the barrel and second finger under the barrel. You can hold it with the first two fingers over the barrel and the third finger steadying the point, or you can hold it with all four fingers on the dart. One thing is certain: it's the leverage of the thumb that transmits the throwing force to the dart. That force is accentuated by the rotation of your forearm swing of your hand over the wrist joint. Your fingers serve to hold the dart to the power source (your thumb) and coordinate the release. Your fingers do not provide the power but are responsible for the smooth launch of the dart. Remember, your thumb contributes the power; your fingers promote accuracy.

Slim Tungsten Darts

Tungsten darts come in a huge variety to suit the home player through to the club champion. 

These darts are not pure tungsten but rather tungsten / nickel alloy and will range in percentage of tungsten anywhere from 70% to 97%.

As tungsten is a heavier metal than brass, this allows a slimmer barrel to be constructed, which can be up to half the size of brass, to optimize the highest scoring potential. Therefore the higher the percentage of tungsten the slimmer the dart will be. 

Brass Darts

Brass is a soft material which makes it easy to manufacture to shape and work with.

Brass darts are ideal for home or novice player as the initial cost is low and the thick barrels are suited to practice basic throwing techniques.

There is may be big variance in the barrel design, shape, grip and length throughout our brass range.

501 and 301

 Most professional matches are "501 up".  This is the simplest of dart games.  Each player starts with a score of 501 and takes turns to throw 3 darts.  The score for each turn is calculated and deducted from the players total.  Bullseye scores 50, the outer ring scores 25 and a dart in the double or treble ring counts double or treble the segment score.  The objective is to be the first player to reduce the score to exactly zero, the only caveat being that the last dart thrown must land in a double or the bullseye.
If a player reduces the score to 1 or goes below zero, the score is bust, that turn ends immediately and the score is returned to what it was at the start of that turn.  e.g. if a player has 32 to go out and the first dart is a 16, the second is a 15, the player is bust and the score is returned to 32.  So on the last turn, it is not necessary to throw all 3 darts - a player can win with the first or second dart of the turn.
Because a player who misses a targeted double is likely to score the single of that segment, good players attempt to leave themselves with a repeatably bisectable number such as 24 or most ideally 32 - double 16. So for instance, if a player has double 16 left, and hits a 16, he has double 8 left and if he then hits an 8 he has double 4 left and so on - this is advantageous because no extra darts need to be thrown in order to reduce the score to an even number... It so often happens that people reduce their score to 1 (typically while aiming for double 1), some people play a very unofficial rule called "splitting the 11". This rule says that when the score is reduced to 1, instead of going bust, the player must "split the 11" by throwing a dart between the two numbers forming the number 11 on the edge of the board. This is tricky.
301 is played in exactly the same way but players start the game with 301.  Some games require a double to start scoring as well as to finish the game.
When the score goes below 171, professional players know the numbers to aim at order to check out in a single turn with 3 darts. Here is a table of such combinations. Some scores have multiple check out options but in most cases, we only show the best one:
170
  
t20, t20, bull. (Highest checkout possible.)
167
  
t20, t19, bull.
164
  
t20, t18, bull.
(preferable to t19, t19, bull because it doesn't require two darts in one bed and a miss keeps the number even.)
161
  
t20. t17, bull.
160
  
t20, t20, d20.
158
  
t20, t16, bull or
t20, t20, d19
157
  
t20, t19, d20
156
  
t20, t20, d18
155
  
t20, t15, bull or
t20, t19, d19
154
  
t20, t18, d20
153
  
t20, t19, d18
152
  
t20, t20, d16
151
  
t20, t17, d20
150
  
t20, t18, d18
(preferable to bull, bull, bull unless you are in the mood for intimidating your opponent!)
149
  
t20, t19, d16
148
  
t20, t16, d20
( followed by t18, t18, d20)
147
  
t20, t17, d18 or
t19, t18, d18
146
  
t20, t18, d16
(followed by t19, t19, d16).

For all numbers lower than 146, there are at least 3 check-out combinations.

Darts: Basic Rules

Basically, dart games are played between two players or two teams. The teams can be made up of two or more people each. Variations that allow for more than two sides have been devised, but these have not achieved any popularity.

Nine throws are generally allowed for each person as a warm-up before a game begins. Then, to determine which team or person is to take his turn first one dart is thrown by a person from each team. The team with the dart closest to the bull's eye takes the first turn.

Each player throws three darts in his turn. Then the darts are retrieved. If a foot crosses over the line or a person happens to trip over the oche and releases his dart, the throw counts for no points and may not be re-thrown.

Darts must stay on the board for at least five seconds after a player's final throw to count. A throw does not score if it sticks into another dart or if it falls off the board.

Darts making it on the board score in the following manner:

In the wedge: the amount posted on the outer ring.

The double ring (the outer, narrow ring): twice the number hit.

The triple ring (the inner, narrow ring): three times the number hit.

Bulls eye (outer bull): twenty-five points.

Double bulls eye (inner bull): fifty points.

This is the basic method for play and scoring. A wide variety of games and variations are based upon it and will be discussed in the next section.