For the majority of people, buying new darts seems like a simple and easy thing to do. But for those in the know, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider before choosing the best steel tip darts for your needs. Darts come in an astounding variety of types, including ones made from materials like wood, nickel, brass, silver, tungsten, and so on. Tungsten darts are among the most expensive, but even then you have a wide variety of quality and durability depending on the brand.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at all the different factors that you need to consider to buy the best darts for your use, as well as how to determine the best quality that you can find. To make things even easier for you, we’ve included a handy buying guide as well as a list of the top 10 available options on the market today.
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10 Best Steel Tip Darts: Editor’s Top Picks
Top 12 Best Steel Tip Darts Reviews:
1. Viper Blitz Steel Tip Darts
Specifications
- Brand: Viper
- Barrel Material: 95% tungsten
- Weight: 28 grams
- Tungsten Texture: Knurled barrel with deep grooves and rings
- Shaft Material: Aluminum with locking holes
- Package Details: 6 flights, 6 Viperlock shafts, repair too, and a carry case
Designed with 95% high-quality tungsten, these barrels offer incredible balance and stability. Tungsten is a very dense metal and when mixed with 5% nickel, as is the case here, it creates a slim profile barrel that is obviously superior when matched with a dart that doesn’t contain tungsten.
As previously mentioned, the profile is smaller for the higher-percentage tungsten darts. This allows players to group darts closer which helps to maximize scoring. If you’re serious about the game, then this is a great option to consider.
Intended for use with either bristle dartboards or sisal ones, these darts are ideal for players at the intermediate to advanced levels.
Each of the barrels in this set has a strategically placed knurled band as well as deep grooves that make exceptional gripping points. If you want a set of darts that encourage consistent hand placement, then these lightweight Viper Blitz darts are exactly what you’re looking for.
The locking holes in the dart’s shaft allow a tighter fit to the barrel which improves stability and reduces the need for retightening during play. The quality flights are designed to increase speed. They also help to deliver a consistent flight arc for pinpoint accuracy.
These are arguably the best steel tip darts for the money, and that’s why they are first on our list.
Highlighted Features:
- Rotating shafts reduce bounce-outs
- Shafts locking holes allow a secure fit
- Precision-engineered grip
- High-speed slim dart flights
- Comes with a durable dart case
2. IgnatGames Professional Darts Set
Specifications
- Brand: IgnatGames
- Barrel Material: Brass
- Weight: 18g, 20g, 22g, & 24g
- Barrel Texture: Knurled
- Shaft Material: Aluminum
- Flights: Poly standard and poly slim flights
- Package Details: 16 brass barrels, 12 aluminum shafts with rubber O-rings, dart tools, stylish carry case, a professional e-book goude, and 16 poly standard + 8 poly slim flights
This premium darts set from Ignat Games is ideal for two players. Each of the darts is beautifully designed with luxurious steel tips in the case to help you keep your darts safe at all times. This highly engineered design offers enhanced durability as well as an amazing look and feel of the darts in your hand.
The dark case is unique and stylish. It not only protects the darts against impact, as well as keeping them secure inside, but it also keeps out the dust, moisture, and sun. Although this may not seem like such an important feature for most, for anyone who plays this game on a serious level, you’ll know how important it is to keep your instruments safe.
The cleverly placed darts barrel knurling provides great grip points which in turn help with consistent hand placement. There is no need to constantly tighten these darts thanks to the rubber O-rings.
The set comes with a dart sharpening tool to ensure that your steel tip darts stay in their best condition at all times. For anyone with their eyes set on Pro darts competing, this is an absolute must-have.
Highlighted Features:
- Easy to deposit and carry
- Best accuracy and targeting
- Darts feel and look great
- Comes with two extra flights
- Set includes dart sharpener
3. Bottelsen Hammer Head Darts
Specifications
- Brand: Bottelsen
- Barrel Material: 95% tungsten
- Weight: 23g, 25g, & 27g
- Barrel Texture: Knurled
- Shaft Material: Anodized aluminum with rubber O-rings
- Barrel Diameter: 9/32 inches
- Package Details: 6 extra shafts, 3 darts, dart tool, and a Deluxe Croco case
These darts make it to the third spot on our list of the best steel tip darts for the money because of their excellent balance and grip. They have a very thin profile which makes them the preferred option for a lot of professionals out there. They are great for close groupings as well as cool appearances.
The case that these darts come in is a lot better than the majority found in the market today. In addition to being sturdy and durable, it’s also stylish and visibly high-quality, too. The case is also large enough to accommodate extra shafts, flights, and tools.
If you want a set of darts that will cling to your fingers before releasing perfectly, these are the ideal choice for you. With these darts, you get outstanding value. They are well-crafted and offered at an extremely reasonable price.
Highlighted Features:
- The package comes in a deluxe Croco case
- Anodized aluminum hammerhead shaft
- ‘O’ ring rubbers for enhanced performance
- Great for professional players
4. CC-Exquisite Professional Darts Set
Specifications
- Brand: CC-Exquisite
- Barrel Material: Brass
- Weight: 18g & 22g
- Barrel Texture: Precision machined grip
- Shaft Material: Aluminum with locking holes
- Package Details: 6 brass barrels, 12 aluminum shafts, 12 dimpled flights, a sharpening stone, and a multi-use tool
If you are looking for high-quality darts but you are on a very tight budget, then this is exactly where you should be looking. With this set of darts, you’re going to get the best possible configuration to suit your style. These are customizable darts that make perfect companions for beginners, intermediate, or expert players.
Crafted from the maker’s passion for performance, these darts push the boundaries of the different dart setups that you can create by mixing and matching various barrel weights, shaft lengths, and flight shapes.
This basically means that this set will allow you to experiment and find out which setup is the perfect fit for your unique throwing style. This is actually something that may be necessary if you haven’t been in the game long enough to know for sure what the best trajectory or flight pattern is that’s suited to your style of dart throwing.
With the dart set from CC-Exquisite, you will be able to find out all that information and more. By modifying your darts to match your style of throwing (as opposed to changing the way you throw darts to accommodate whatever dart you’ve chosen to purchase), you set yourself up for future success whether you’re a beginner, intermediate player, or expert player.
Highlighted Features:
- Knurled grip zones ideal for consistent placement
- Very affordable pricing
- Darts multi-use tool included
- The set comes with a sharpening stone
- Shafts have 12 rubber ‘O’ rings installed
5. CueSoul Tungsten Darts
Specifications
- Brand: CUESOUL
- Barrel Material: 95% tungsten
- Weight: 26g, 28g, & 30g
- Barrel Texture: Ringed grooves with 4 knurled grips
- Shaft Material: Anodized aluminum
- Package Details: 6 aluminum shafts, 9 flights (3× lantern-shaped flights, 3× alloy & 3× standard flights), a sharpening tool, multi-use tool, and a Deluxe Case
- Barrel Diameter: 5 mm
This is yet another great offering from a well-known brand. Made from 95% tungsten, the barrel has 11 hand-painted rings that are grooved, and 4 small knurled grips which allow for consistency in hand placement when throwing darts.
The anodized aluminum shaft helps to add to the durability and strength of these darts. Weighing in at 30g, these center-weighted missiles offer a lot more control than most other darts in the same category. The length and diameter of the darts are both specifically designed to help maximize stability and accuracy.
If you are a beginner or intermediate player who seeks a high-quality set of darts that can help to enhance your game, this is one that you should take a look at.
The set comes with six anodized aluminum shafts, a point sharpener, a dart tool, and three standard flights, as well as three alloy flights. All of this comes in a deluxe dart case that will be the envy of all the other players.
Highlighted Features:
- The barrel is made from 95% tungsten
- Darts have 11 hand-painted rings grooved
- 4 Knurled barrel grips in the front
- Center-weighted, 30-gram dart
- Comes with a deluxe dart carry case
6. Target Darts Carrera Titanium
Specifications
- Brand: Target Darts
- Barrel Material: 90% tungsten
- Weight: 23g
- Barrel Texture: Pixel grip
- Shaft Material: Pro Grip Nylon
Although the website does not have a lot to say about these darts, this product speaks for itself. Made from 90% tungsten, these 21g steel tip darts have a pixel grip. The unique nylon shaft offers a pro grip and has a target ring holding flights in place for a much longer period of time.
The shaft and flights that come with this dart set are locked but you can buy any kind of flights you like. These darts are very well made and they fly great. If you’re looking for high-quality high-performance darts with an amazing grip, these will help you improve on your hand placement consistency as well as the accuracy and release of your throw.
These are great for those who play darts on a consistent basis and need reliable, top-notch darts that are also affordable. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert darts thrower, you will find that these darts make for the perfect addition to your arsenal.
Highlighted Features:
- The barrel comes with a lifetime guarantee
- Vision flights and targets Pro grip shaft
- Darts offer a bidirectional grip
- Axial and radial precision-milled cuts
- Revolutionary and stylish design
7. Whimlets Professional Darts Set
Specifications
- Brand: Whimlets
- Barrel Material: Brass
- Weight: 20g
- Shaft Material: Aluminum
- Warranty: 3 years
- Package Details: 6 brass barrels, 12 aluminum shafts, e-book, 12 poly flights, dart tool, sharpener & dart case
These darts are among the most affordably priced products on our list. If you love darts, then treat yourself to this elegantly crafted premium set of darts with metal tips. The masterful engineering of these darts will truly help you to revolutionize your games.
For anyone trying to enhance their throwing skills, this will offer a lot of improvements no matter what skill level you’re at. The set includes six brass barrels that come with steel tips to not only enhance your accuracy by perfecting your grip but also to balance your control and set up for those perfect shots.
The set also includes 12 aluminum shafts which allow you improved impact resistance. The O-rings help to prevent your darts from loosening which means you don’t have to worry about retightening them between games.
As an added bonus, you get a premium carry case so you can take your darts with you everywhere you go while keeping them safe and secure.
Highlighted Features:
- Set includes multipurpose darts tool
- Includes an e-book to teach you more about darts and games
- Premium, stylishly designed carry case
- Comes with a dart sharpener
- High-quality dart construction at an affordable price
8. Harrows Wolfram Dart Set
Specifications
- Brand: Harrows
- Barrel Material: 97% tungsten
- Weight: 21, 22g, 23g, 24g, 25g, & 26g
- Shaft Material: Plastic
- Barrel Texture: Grooved
- Package Details: 3 darts
As you know by now, tungsten darts are among the best darts you can get to improve your game. This is because the material has all the necessary features and characteristics that make for a high-performance dart.
These darts from Harrows brand are made from 97% tungsten and are crafted using a process that includes high-pressure and superfine injection molding to produce a highly uniform atomic structure that offers superior strength as well as a perfectly balanced distribution of weight.
If you are searching for a well-made dart that is offered at competitive prices, this is one you should seriously consider whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate player. Pros will particularly love this design as it has a great balance and grip. It’s important to have a dart that feels good in your hand as this directly impacts your accuracy.
This is undoubtedly among the best steel tip darts that you can find anyway these days and it makes a great choice for anyone looking to improve their game significantly.
Highlighted Features:
- Comes with concentric grooves on the barrel
- Specifically designed to help you control the spin
- Excellent craftsmanship offered at an affordable price
- Set includes three steel tip darts with durable flights and shafts
9. KO 90% Tungsten Darts with Case
Specifications
- Brand: K.O.
- Barrel Material: 90% tungsten
- Weight: 24g
- Barrel Diameter: 6.6mm
- Shaft Material: Anodized aluminum
- Barrel Texture: Knurled
- Package Details: 3 darts and a carry case
These premium 90% steel tip darts offer perfect balance and extreme durability. They are manufactured according to pro-specifications and are ideal for anyone who wants the best darts to enhance their games.
The perfect grip grooves allow you to find your grip easily and they help to ensure that you hold your darts the same way every time – even without looking at the dart. Being able to establish and maintain a grip that is consistent is essential when it comes to improving your accuracy and consistency.
These darts come with a sturdy case that is extremely durable. Even if it’s dropped or stepped on, your darts and flights will be safe from being bent inside the case. With a 30-day money back guarantee offered by the manufacturer, as well as a lifetime guarantee on the barrel, you won’t find better value when it comes to the best steel tip darts on the market today.
Highlighted Features:
- Specially designed grip to enhance the dart’s accuracy
- Grip grooves allow consistency in hand placement
- 90% tungsten darts designed for both professionals and amateurs
- Darts are weighted to industry-leading +/- 0.05g weight tolerance
- Shafts come with a lifetime warranty
10. Pegasus Tungsten Steel Darts Set
Specifications
- Brand: Pegasus
- Barrel Material: 80% tungsten
- Weight: 21g, 22g, 24g, 26g, 28g, & 30g
- Barrel Diameter: 6.6mm
- Shaft Material: Nylon
- Package Details: 3 black & 3 white flights, 3 black & white shafts, 3 tungsten barrels, and a Red Dragon wallet
These darts feel great in your hands and they offer a grip that helps to enhance consistent hand placement. It’s amazing just how much quality this brand managed to pack into such a small price.
The set of three 21g darts is made from 80% tungsten and comes with extra-thick flights. The nylon shafts are well-crafted and offer extreme durability and great performance. If you’re looking for affordable darts that provide great value, then this is a set that you should consider.
These incredible darts are slim and lightweight making them ideal for both beginners and experienced players alike. Combining these darts with aluminum shafts makes the ideal combo. The slim nature of the design allows you to toss the darts together tighter for higher scores.
Highlighted Features:
- Darts are made from 80% tungsten
- The set comes with extra-thick flights
- Black street-art nylon shafts
- Comes with a convenient carry case
- Very affordable pricing
11. Fat Cat Predator 80% Tungsten Steel Tip Darts
Specifications
- Brand: Fat Cat
- Barrel Material: 80% tungsten
- Weight: 23g
- Barrel Texture: Knurled bands with deep grooves and rings
- Shaft Material: Aluminum with locking holes
- Package Details: 3 nylon shafts, 3 flights, dart tools, and a Deluxe Dart Pal Case
If you’re a dart enthusiast eying for a high-quality dart set that won’t leave a dent in your wallet, then the Fat Cat Predator 80%Tungsten Steel Tip Dart Set is exactly what you should be looking.
With this set, you’re going to get an excellent mix of 80% tungsten and 20% nickel on the barrels which means these darts will give you exceptional balance which is a key factor in any championship quality darts.
Other than the materials used, each barrel offers a combination of deep grooves, knurled bands, and rings that work together to improve gripping when throwing the darts. The shafts are also excellent as they feature locking holes that guarantee a tighter fit during assembly.
The flights on their side are perfectly molded with a slim profile to improve aerodynamics when the darts are fired. They also have fierce apex predator graphics that give them a ferocious look.
When it comes to the configuration, these darts can easily be customized to suit your playing style. The package comes with 3 extra flights, 3 flight protectors, and 6 extra shafts that can be customized to make a perfect companion for beginners, intermediates, and professionals.
Highlighted Features:
- Front weighted for easy throwing
- Made of 80% tungsten and 20% nickel
- Slim profile for exceptional balance
- Comes with a dedicated Deluxe Dark travel case
- Offers extra 3 flights and 6 shafts
12. Wolftop Steel Tip Darts – Premium Darts Set with Aluminum Shafts
Specifications
- Brand: Wolftop
- Barrel Material: Brass
- Weight: 22g & 23g
- Barrel Texture: Knurled with deep grooves
- Shaft Material: Anodized aluminum with locking holes
- Package Details: 1 set of darts, 4 extra flights, dart sharpener, and rubber O-rings
If you have young kids aspiring to become professional dart players, this next set is something you shouldn’t neglect. Available with 15 pieces each weighing 18 grams, this darts set is among the best as it offers you a chance to replace the various parts in case you lose or misplace them.
The 15 pieces, which are basically 5 sets, offer some playing dynamics as they come with different graphics that improve your gaming experience.
When it comes to construction, the shafts are constructed from unbreakable aluminum with an anodized finish to make them more durable. The barrels are made from a luxurious brass plated steel with deep grooves and strategically placed knurling to improve gripping and enhance control when throwing.
The shafts are designed with locking holes to enhance proper tightening to the barrels. There are also rubber O’rings on the shafts that provide a tighter fit to prevent the shafts from loosening when the game is in progress.
Lastly, Wolftop has cleverly added a dart-sharpening tool that ensures that every dart’s tip stays in its best condition when playing on both new and used dartboards.
Highlighted Features:
- The 2BA aluminum shafts with an anodized finish are super strong
- Wolftop offers an excellent 100% money-back warranty
- The shafts are made of brass-plated steel
- There’s a dedicated dart sharpener in the package
- The shafts have locking holes and O’rings to prevent loosening
Things to Consider When Buying Steel Tip Darts
When it comes to choosing the best steel tip darts for your needs, we’ve listed some of the factors that you have to consider below. There isn’t one set of darts that is the best for everyone, but there’s a specific set that will be best for you according to the criteria you take into consideration.
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1. Steel Tipped or Soft Tipped
It’s important to determine if you want steel-tipped darts or soft-tipped ones before making your choice. This is obviously a review about steel tip darts, but that doesn’t mean that they are what’s best for everyone. By making this decision first, it cuts your choices in half which helps to make your decision much easier.
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2. Consider Your Budget
This is obviously another big factor whenever you’re making a buying decision. Prices for steel tip darts range from one end of the spectrum to the other. You need to decide on what price makes the most sense for you.
The good news is, we’ve already done most of the research for you, and we’ve rated and reviewed 10 of the best, highest quality, and most affordable steel tip darts that you will find anywhere right now.
So whether you’re looking for decent darts that work great for home use, or you want something of the highest quality for professional play, you’ll be able to find exactly what you need here.
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3. Number of Darts Needed
It’s important to determine how many darts you need before buying a set of darts. For instance, do you want to have enough darts to allow several players to play all at once? On our list of the 12 best steel tip darts, we’ve included some packs that are great when you want to stock your game room with enough darts to allow several people to play simultaneously.
These are great if you’re buying darts for use at home with family and friends. On the other hand, if you are a professional or competitive player who’s just looking for darts that you can use by yourself, it may make more sense to opt for a pack that only has three darts in it.
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4. Barrel and Shaft Material
You have two options with regards to barrel materials, and these are tungsten and brass. If you are on a tight budget, or if you are more of a casual player rather than a professional, then you can probably opt for brass as it is a lot more affordable.
Tungsten material is used a lot by professional players. The darts have varying levels or percentages of tungsten in the barrel with 70 to 90% being the standard values. It’s always better to opt for higher levels of tungsten.
You also get a wide variety of materials to choose from when it comes to the shaft. This includes nylon or plastic, carbon fibers, aluminum, and so on. Of course, some materials are obviously more lightweight and durable than others, so make sure you give this enough consideration before making a decision.
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5. Weight and Balance
This is very much an individual preference, and there’s no right or wrong when it comes to choosing the right weight and balance for your darts. Go with whatever you’re comfortable with.
The best steel tip darts have a range of between 12 and 50g, although it’s very rare to see players who use darts that are above 30g in weight. Keep in mind that soft tip darts are much lighter than steel-tipped ones.
And while we’re on the subject, it’s also important to consider the factor of weight distribution. Again, this comes down to individual preference. But, if you are a beginner, it’s recommended that you opt for front-loaded darts or mid-loaded darts.
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6. Overall Size, Shape, and Style of Flights
The flights are the wings on your darts. It’s very important to choose the right ones as they make a very big difference in how your darts perform. There’s a stunningly wide variety of styles and sizes of flights available. The two common types are standard and slim.
Thanks to their large surface, standard flights stabilize your dart’s path from the time it leaves your hand until the moment it penetrates the dartboard. This is the perfect choice for anyone who has a curved throw.
Slim flights, on the other hand, have a smaller size and are lighter than the standard ones. If you have a fast straight throw, these may be the best alternative for you. These are also the types of dart flights that are typically found on soft-tipped darts.
Another thing to note is that if you’ve already had a chance to try out various grip styles, you may already know what you prefer. If not, keep in mind that dry hands call for a rough grip while soft, well-moisturized hands (such as ladies’ hands) may call for smooth grips that don’t come with a lot of grooves.
A Short History of Darts
You will bear with me when I mention that the game of darts holds a special space in the minds and hearts of most enthusiasts, not forgetting most Londoners. That’s because the game shares an incredible history with the city of London that dates back to several hundreds of years.
Now, this game does have a long history, some of which remain undocumented. This alone has led to immense speculation about the origins of this magnificent game though one thing we’re pretty sure of is that the game originated in England.
Thankfully, following careful analysis and consideration, historians have managed to agree on a few facts. The first one is that the game of darts dates back to around 700 years in the 1300s commonly referred to as the medieval era.
The second fact is that this game was invented by possibly tipsy soldiers who would throw sharp dart-like objects on tree trunks as a way of passing time between campaigns.
Later on, this primitive innovation was taken to another level where arrows, spearheads, and other sharp objects became useful and were hence thrown at upturned covers of wine and beer casks.
This was an excellent technological advancement of the time as the wine casks acted as simulators and an effective way for armature soldiers to sharpen their throwing and shooting skills.
As time progressed, the game of darts advanced from a pastime gig to a competitive game where soldiers would demonstrate their shooting mettle. Also at this time, instead of using the previous upturned wine casks, soldiers started using cross-sectioned tree trunks, which by default offered a competitive edge and a smart way of testing their ability.
As the story goes, the natural radial cracks of the tree trunks served as an inspiration for the template that would later be used to design the cross-sections used in modern dartboards.
From the military, the game of darts grew at an astonishing rate among most civilians of the time. From the nobles, the commoners to the soldiers, the game became surprisingly famous though being disorganized, as there were no set rules yet.
Even King Henry VIII himself received a set of highly decorated darts from his second wife Anne Boleyn (though he later beheaded her in 1536).
Now, during the 19th century, various scoring systems were introduced here and there across Britain with the modern numbering system being invented in 1896 by a carpenter from Lancashire who happened to be a professional dartboard maker. His name was Brian Gamlin.
The ingenious numbering arrangement invented by Gamlin seemed spitefully random. However, the meticulously picked number order proposed by Gamlin gave the game an incredible depth and a tremendous degree of fairness where the incidence of probable luck was dramatically diminished leaving the game purely dependent on skills but not luck or chance.
For instance, the highest score of 20 was placed between 5 and 1 while 17 and 19 were placed between 2 & 3 as well as 7 & 3 respectively. What this meant was that failure to hit a high scoring segment would leave you with a substantial chance of hitting a low-scoring segment.
Now, at the beginning of the 20th century, the game of darts almost died in England due to increased controversy. It was even included in the list of games of chances and was even banned in licensed pubs and classified as against the law.
However, in 1908, a pub owner in Leeds, one Foot Anakin decided to challenge the law by allowing his customers to play the game of darts in his establishment.
What followed was, you guessed it, an arrest and charge in a court of law. However, before the magistrate could announce his final verdict, Annakin challenged the court’s clerk to a game to prove that darts were not a game of chances.
In several rounds, Annakin managed to hit three 20s while the court’s clerk only managed to hit a 7 with one shaft while the rest missed. On seeing that, the magistrate was convinced and had the case dismissed.
From the 1920s, the game of darts continued to gain widespread popularity that led to the formation of the National Darts Association in 1924. In 1954, the National Darts Association of Great Britain was formed and tasked to set up leagues and tournaments both locally and nationally.
Today, the British Darts Organization board has over 70 member countries that participate in the sport. There are even talks to give the sport an Olympic status to make it even more competitive.
How To Throw Darts
The mechanics of throwing darts isn’t as complicated as one might think. However, once you have that down, there’s still a long way to go until you’ve practiced enough to make those movements instinctive.
In this section, we are going to look at the technical aspects of throwing darts. When a dart flies, it travels along a parabolic curve, much the same as a stone that is thrown or a bullet that is fired from a rifle. Depending on how powerfully the dart is thrown, the curve can be either higher or lower.
A good throwing technique ensures that the dart accelerates along this curve once it has left the hand. To achieve this, you have to know how to make the best use of the multipurpose lever system that is the human arm. You need to know how to position and move the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in unison to achieve the perfect throw.
The actual throw has five phases:
- The Aim
- The Backward Move
- Acceleration
- Release
- Follow Through
Aiming involves placing your eyes, darts, and the target in a single line. Once you have the target focused, aim and then take a backward move. Move your arm back, but don’t do it too fast. A lot of beginners fall into the trap of moving their arms backward too fast because they are afraid of losing their aim during the backward movement.
With practice, you’ll be able to control this effortlessly. The next step involves acceleration this also has to be natural and not too fast or done with too much force behind it. From this point on, everything has to be in one smooth movement right up to the follow-through.
The release comes naturally and is usually not a big problem. The lasts part of the process of throwing darts is the follow-through. This is very important in the best way to ensure the right follow-through is to make sure that your hand ends up aiming at your target.
Don’t let your arm fall after the release, but keep it straight and slightly upward position for the moment after your release.
Soft Tip VS Steel Tip Darts
Making a choice between steel tips and the best professional soft tip darts comes down to the type of dartboard that you are playing on. Darts with steel tips are designed primarily for use on bristle dartboards such as the ones used by professionals. These are also the most commonly used types of boards in public areas like bars and so on.
Soft steep darts, on the other hand, are more likely to work best when playing on electronic dartboards. These types of dartboards have grown increasingly popular over the past few years as they offer players the ability to play without any hassle of having to calculate the scores.
The board does all of this for you. In addition to that, it also has a wide variety of other games available which is why so many people have been taken with this type of board.
Soft tip darts are a great way of introducing young ones to the game. They are a lot safer than steel tip darts. They are typically made of plastic and sometimes they contain magnetic tape depending on which board they are made for.
Here is a comparison of the two types of darts to help make your choice easier:
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Steel Tip Darts
These work best on sisal fiber or bristle dartboards. They are available with both fixed points and movable points which makes them very flexible and offers a lot of customization possibilities. For those who don’t have a safe area to play at home, it may be a good idea to avoid steel tip darts if you have kids running around.
These are sharp and unyielding objects that can prove extremely harmful if young children get a hold of them. Of course, it’s a different matter if the darts are for an adult-only games room or a very different environment where adults can play safely.
These are the types of darts you’ll find being used by professional champions all over the world and they work best on all types of hard surface boards.
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Soft Tip Darts
As the name suggests, these darts have a soft tip made from either plastic or rounded nylon point. These types of darts are not sharp enough to cause serious damage or injury, which makes them a great alternative when playing darts with children.
These types of darts are not built to penetrate traditional boards in the way that their steel counterparts do, but they work extremely well when used on magnetic or electronic boards. Soft tip darts typically have two different widths depending on the dart’s barrel size.
How to Sharpen Steel Tip Darts
As long as you own a set of good-quality steel darts, it’s important to have a sharpening stone so that you’re able to keep your darts in the best condition. Just keep in mind that the goal isn’t to have a needle-sharp tip on your darts because if it’s too pointed or too sharp, your darts will often bounce out and even potentially damage wires on your dartboard.
A point that is too sharp will also burr a lot easier and it’ll get caught within your board’s fibers when you’re removing the dart. So instead, what you want to do is to use the sharpening stone to simply around off the point of your dart in order to ensure that it sets firmly when penetrating the bristle fibers of your board.
It will also do a lot less damage to your board’s wires. So remember, your dart needs to have a tip that is pointed but rounded at the end. A properly sharpened dart tip must be free of burrs, not too pointy, and not too blunt either.
It’s also important to remember that even though you buy higher-quality high tungsten alloy darts, they are also going to require just as much maintenance as any of the cheaper brands.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Steel Tip Darts
Q-1: Why Do Some People Coat Steel Tip Darts with Potatoes?
Some professionals keep a potato handy whenever they’re playing darts. Each time before they shoot, they lightly dip the points into the potato. This coats the steel-tipped dart and makes it stick to the board a lot easier. Whether or not there’s any science to back this up is anyone’s guess, but a lot of professionals swear by this method during important games.
Q-2: Is It Better to Get Tungsten Darts Than Other Types of Materials?
Tungsten has gained a reputation as being one of the best materials for darts thanks to its strength and durability. It is the choice material when it comes to the barrels of steel tip darts. Most professional players use darts that have tungsten barrels in all their professional games.
This is something that most people don’t really consider, but darts take a massive amount of punishment throughout their lifespan and that’s why tungsten makes a great option if you use your darts frequently.
Q-3: How Often Should I Care for or Sharpen My Steel Tip Darts?
As previously mentioned, It doesn’t matter how much you spent on your steel tip darts but you will have to give them regular maintenance if you want to keep them performing their best. In addition to ensuring that you sharpen them to just the right shape, you need to have a regular schedule way you take care of your darts to ensure they always fly right.
You will be able to tell how often to sharpen your darts. You will feel when they need sharpening and when they start to get blunt. There aren’t any hard or fast rules here, but one of the best ways to check if your points are in need of sharpening is by running a finger along with the dart point.
It needs to be sharpened if you feel burrs on it. Just remember that you want a more rounded ‘ballpoint pen’ point.
Q-4: Is It Possible to Switch The Steel Tip on My Darts to Soft Tips?
The simple answer is yes you can switch your steel tip to soft tips. But this depends on what type of steel tips are purchased. If you bought a heavy dart, for instance, a 50g model, then it’s obviously not going to be possible to switch over to even the best plastic tip darts as they will be just too heavy.
However, if the darts that you want to switch to being a bit lighter, say in the 20g range, then you’ll be alright to change to soft tips. Also, it’s easy to switch over if you purchased darts that have removable points.
If you didn’t, it might be a challenge to take out the old steel tips and replace them with new soft ones. You might find it a lot easier just to purchase a different set of soft tip darts.
Q-5: Does the Size of Darts Lights Matter?
The flights at the end of your darts come in a very wide variety of designs, colors, shapes, thicknesses, styles, and sizes. Some of the most common shapes include kite shape, standard flight shape, pear-shaped, slim slides, teardrop flights, and arrowhead shapes.
Larger shape flights sport a greater surface area which helps the darts flights to be steady and stable. This is the preferred flight for the majority of people since it guides the dart to a natural arc instead of cutting through the air this essentially reduces warbling and helps to make it a lot easier to throw the dart straight.
Smaller flights are more commonly used by advanced players who have a flat, even throw. These take up a lot less room on the board, which allows for a tighter grouping for those high-scoring darts. This type of flight pairs well with short dark shafts and a front-loaded barrel design.
Q-6: Does the Weight of the Dart Make a Difference in How Well You Throw?
If you’re a beginner, it may be a good idea to start off with a weight of between 24 and 26g. This is a great starting point for a lot of people. Over time, you will be able to settle on a weight that you prefer which might be heavier or lighter than that.
A lot of people assume that heavier darts are easier to throw, but that is not necessarily true. If you throw harder than normal, you may prefer a lighter dart. If you throw lighter than normal, you may need a heavier dart.
This means, for instance, that if you are missing high then it may be a sign that you need to find heavier darts. If you miss low, then get lighter darts. But for most beginners, you’ll find that the middle ground of 24-26 g is the way to go.
Final Verdict
As you’ve seen from our review and buying guide, there are a lot of great options available on the market for you to choose from when it comes to buying darts. If you are in need of a great set of darts, just consider all the factors listed in our buying guide to ensure that you make the right choice for your needs.
Whether you’re a novice player or a well-seasoned pro, the information contained in this guide will help you choose the best steel tip darts set that will take your game to the next level.