Heavy Or Light Darts – Which is Better?

There is no straightforward answer to the question: are heavy or light darts better?

The type of darts you play with is solely down to personal preference. Most darts players will start with one weight of dart and will gradually change the weight they play with as they practice more and their skills build.

You’ll almost always find professionals playing with light darts and beginners playing with heavy darts. But this isn’t a hard and fast rule that you must follow.

So, let’s find out more about heavy and light darts and how to choose the best-weight dart for your needs.

What Weight of Darts Do Pros Use?

Darts typically weigh between 16 g and 50 g. But it is possible to get darts that weigh outside of this range. Stephen Bunting, for example, plays with 12 g darts, although this isn’t the norm for most professional darts players.

Let’s take a look at the weight of darts some pros use:

• Michael Van Gerwen – 21.5 g
• Phil Taylor – 26 g
• Peter Wright – 22 g or 24 g
• Gerwyn Price – 24 g
• Jonny Clayton – 20 g
• Ryan Searle – 32 g

Why Do Pros Use Lighter Darts?

Have you ever watched a televised game of darts and wondered how the pros get their darts to fly through the air so swiftly?

It’s because they almost always use lighter darts. Ricky Evans is so quick using lighter darts that he can throw all three darts with accuracy in 3 to 5 seconds. He’s even been known to score 180 in just over 2 seconds.

Most pros also use lighter darts because they are easier to throw with accuracy, so the chance of them scoring well is greater.

What is the Most Popular Dart Weight?

Most professional dart players use darts weighing between 16 g and 30 g.

Red Dragon Darts says that the weight of the darts they sell the most of are 22 g, 24 g, and 26 g.

The most common dart weight seen at the PDC is 22 g.

Are Heavier Darts More Stable?

Yes, heavier darts tend to be more stable. The weight of heavy darts helps them to fly straight through the air. This makes it easier for players to hit the number they’re aiming for.

Lighter darts tend to drop mid-flight, causing players to miss the section on the board they want their darts to land in.

What Weight Are Heavy Darts?

Heavy darts are darts that weigh 26 g or above.

What Weight Are Light Darts?

Light darts are any darts that weigh 25 g or below. Darts weighing less than 20 g are described as being very light.

What’s the Best Weight of Darts for a Beginner?

Beginners are usually advised to try heavier darts when they first start playing darts. Darts weighing between 25 g and 27 g are good weights to start with.

Heavy darts are recommended for players starting up because they are easier to get into the dartboard.

However, some beginners find lighter darts are better for them. As a beginner, your focus is more likely to be on getting your stance and throwing technique spot on rather than your accuracy when hitting the board. Throwing a lighter dart is easier on the wrist in these cases.

There isn’t one dart weight that suits all beginners. The best thing you can do is try out a variety of different weights and stick with the one you feel most comfortable using.

How to Choose the Right Weight of Darts

The right weight of darts depends on your throwing technique. Forceful throwers are usually best off using lighter darts whereas relaxed throwers often find heavier darts better.

You also need to find out how the weight is loaded into the darts. Lighter darts usually have an equal distribution of weight. Heavier darts will be back-weighted, front-loaded, or weighted evenly.

How the weight of the darts is loaded can make a big difference to how you play. It’s definitely worth trying them out before buying to see which weight load suits you the best.

What Are the Advantages of Using Heavy Darts?

As you can see, most professional dart players don’t tend to play with heavy darts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t advantages to using them. Here are some of the ways you’ll benefit from playing with heavy darts:

• Better control
• Fly straighter
• Easier to throw
• Good option for beginners to get to grips with.
• Fewer bounce-outs due to the additional weight.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using Heavy Darts?

There are lots of benefits of using heavy darts, but you need to weigh them up against the disadvantages, which include:

• Less stable flight path
• Thicker – this may make it more difficult to get the rest of your darts in your desired part of the board.
• Slower

What Are the Advantages of Using Light Darts?

Here are the advantages of choosing to play with light darts:

• Faster than heavy darts
• More stable flight path
• Slimmer than heavy darts, so darts tend to group on the board better.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using Light Darts?

• Harder to throw
• More force is needed to hit the board
• High bounce-out rate

There’s a lot to think about when deciding whether heavy or light darts are better. It’s impossible to know how you’ll get on with heavy or light darts without trying them out first, which is why we strongly suggest testing various weights before making your final decision.

And remember that once you have chosen, it’s natural to progress and move onto different weights of darts as your skills and passion for the game develop.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Taylor_(darts_player)
https://indoorgamebunker.com/what-darts-does-jonny-clayton-use/
https://decentdarts.com/are-heavy-or-light-darts-better/