More Advice On Picking A Set Of Darts

After I published my last post about the "Show Us Your Darts" threads on forums etc and offering up a bit of advice, it got me thinking about my darts and how I potentially made a mistake in picking them.

After much trial and error, particularly struggling with a consistent grip, I finally settled on a set of darts. I had always preferred a a bullet shaped dart, think John Lowe Darts or Andy Fordham Darts but still couldn't quite get it right with either of those darts. I have always preferred a darts weighing 21g or 22g but I found both of those darts slightly too short for me at those weights. For either of those darts to be a bit longer in length meant more weight which was no good.

The other issue was that I was struggling to hold the darts in the exact same place each time. I needed some sort of reference point which the Andy Fordham darts gave because I hold the dart near the rear with my thumb and index finger (forefinger) and these darts have a razor type grip there but again there was the length and weight issue.

I finally settled on a set of Mark Walsh Darts. I chose these because they are bullet shaped but a good few mm's longer. They also had a knurled grip which was pronounced from near the rear to near the front. My thinking was that I could nudge my thumb and index finger up against the knurled grip at the rear and this proved to be correct. I have had these darts since 2011 and I will never switch from them now.

The only problem I do have is that these darts were made by Target when Mark Walsh was a Target sponsored player which of course, if you know your darts, is no longer the case. As a result these have been discontinued and I only have one set. Yes, you should always have at least one spare set of your favourite darts. Unfortunately for me, either these darts were not very popular or they were very popular that nobody wants to part with them because you very rarely see a set pop up on ebay. A few shops still have the stone grip or black version of them but I prefer regular silver tungsten.

So that was a bit of an error on my part should I every lose my set.

If you are serious about darts, one of the best things you can do is have your own set made (I will be getting a custom set of my Mark Walsh darts made) because no matter what happens, you can always give you design to a custom dart manufacturer and get a new set made for you. That way you aren't at the mercy of the branded darts maker who sign players for a few years then discontinue their darts if they leave for another manufacturer etc.

Just a few things there for you to ponder......Happy Darting!!!!