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Dart Playing Advice & Tips
Q: What do different lengths of stem do? .
A: Ideally a dart should fly in a perfect arc - or at least a predictable one. Different stem lengths alter a darts aerodynamic path. As every player has a unique throwing style, there is no set formula for success - therefore it is required that you experiment with different stem lengths in combination with the various types of flights until you discover a set up which you are happy with.
Q: Whats a 2ba thread and a 1/4 BSF? Whats the difference?
Thread Sizes
Almost all stems on this site are 2BA (and in fact most darts are too) but heres a fuller explanation:
2Ba - The most commonly found thread size. Dart barrels & Stems produced from the late 1970's largely feature this thread
measuring aproximately 4mm wide. All Darts and Stems on our site feature a 2Ba thread unless stated.
1/4 BSF - This wider fitting ( 6mm aprox) is largely found on Darts produced from the 1950's to the mid 1970's, especially Brass 'bombers' . No modern barrels are commercially produced with this thread.
Q: Whats the difference between Nylon and Metal stems?
Generally there are two main types of stem - nylon and metal. Nylon stems do occasionally break and can be a nuisance as the flights can sometimes part company with the stem but we do supply small stem rings to afford a tighter grip on flights. For all that, Nylon stems are durable and we stock many different types. They are also relatively inexpensive.
Metal stems have the advantage of being slimmer, sometimes lighter, and some have locking mechanisms to help grip the flights. Usually made in alloy or titanium, the only slight disadvantages with metal stems are that they can sometimes work loose, even with the predrilled hole for tightening them so we stock small rubber rings to help keep the stems in place. They can also get bent after a heavy impact (ie hitting floor) and its generally impossible to get them truly straight again unless you have a really good eye. However, alloy stems are very popular indeed and have come on a long way in more recent years with more radical and attractive designs including some that induce dart rotation in flight. When you're looking through our catalogue, you might like to take a look at our supaspin stems!
Q: What do different flight shapes do?
A: The flight is there to give 'lift' to a dart. The greater the flights surface area the greater the 'lift'. As with dart stems, there are no absolute rules, as each throwers style is distinctly individual a degree of experimentation is required. In general however, the following guidelines may be useful.
SLIMS: For use with light weight darts, usually no heavier than 22grams, typically used with soft-tip darts.
PEAR & KITE: Generally used with light to medium ( 12gram - 26gram ) weighted darts.
Often used by players whose throw is more 'forceful', relying more on a power throw rather than a floating 'Lob' style
STANDARD & VORTEX: These flights have a larger surface area than those previously mentioned, consequently they have increased 'lift' capabilities, as such they are more suitable for heavier weighted darts. Standard flights are the most commonly used - they are an excellent general flight suitable for most darts regardless of size or weight. We stock experimental dart flights so you can get a good idea of how different flights can influence your game. If you have problems with loose flights during the course of a game, a good remedy is you use stem rings.
Q: Which dart is best for me? weight, size etc....
A: This is a tough (if not impossible) question to answer! As everyone's style is unique to themselves there can be no absolutes. The easiest way to find a set that is suitable for you, is to try other peoples darts out first. This will not only tell you what you want (perhaps a longer barrel, more grip, slightly heavier....), but it will help define what you DO NOT require.
Weight is particularly important - get this wrong and on the whole you'll be wasting your dart throwing time. As a guide, throw a friends darts into the dartboard. If the dart flight kicks up ( the flight is pointing to the ceiling) the dart is generally too light. If the dart flight drops down (the flight is pointing towards the floor) the dart is too heavy - Its a rough guide that usually holds true. Most importantly try to go with you're instincts. If you like a particular dart just because it 'feels' good - excellent! You have made a great discovery. You want a set of darts that sits comfortably in your hand, from there you can experiment with various flight and stem options until you are happy with the set up. The rest is practice! On the whole, men seem to prefer medium to lightweight, ladies - heavier darts. We stock 'addagrams'if you'd like to experiment with slight weight increases. The important thing is to no get too obsessed by the technicalities involved and just practice as much as you can, particularly if you've just made some change or bought a new set of darts.
Q: What are the correct set up dimensions for the board?
Q: Are there any online darts games?
A few yes, although its extremely hard to replicate the real thing, but try these:
Miniclips Darts
Bullseye
Matica Darts
Pissed Darts? (well YOU try!)
Do remember to get your eyes checked regularly too. Many players continue to play with eyesight that may benefit from the use of glasses or contact lenses. For Contact Lenses UK try Cluboptique.com - Club Optique offer a range of discount lenses, coloured lenses and solutions | 
