Darts for Beginner
For most beginners, steel tip darts weighing 22–24 g are an excellent starting point. Look for darts with an 80–90% tungsten barrel, a straight barrel profile and a medium grip. Soft tip darts are a great alternative if you prefer an electronic dartboard – especially for families, children, casual games or automatic scoring. This complete beginner’s guide explains how to choose the right darts and dartboard for your game.
Steel Tip or Soft Tip Darts?
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Steel tip darts: The standard choice for traditional sisal or bristle dartboards. Steel tip darts offer excellent control, the classic darts feel and are used in most competitive darts. The standard throwing distance is approximately 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in). They are ideal for home use and players who want to develop their game. The main disadvantages are the sharp points and the need for manual scoring.
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Soft tip darts: Designed for electronic dartboards. They are a popular choice for families, parties and casual play, with automatic scoring and a wide range of game modes. The throwing distance is commonly around 2.44 m (8 ft), depending on the dartboard and rules. Soft tip darts typically weigh 16–20 g, although the permitted weight varies by dartboard and rules. Soft tips can break more often than steel points, but replacement tips are inexpensive and easy to fit.
Our recommendation for most beginners: Start with steel tip darts if you want to learn traditional darts and potentially progress to competitive play. If you mainly want casual games, automatic scoring or a family-friendly setup, soft tip darts are an excellent alternative. Some dart sets can even be converted between steel and soft tip.
What Dart Weight Is Best for Beginners?
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Steel tip darts: 22–24 g is a very good starting range, with 23 g being a popular all-round choice. Many players, including professionals, use darts in this weight range. Lighter darts (under 21 g) can require a cleaner, more precise throw, while heavier darts (25 g and above) can feel more stable but may become tiring during longer sessions.
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Soft tip darts: 16–18 g is a good starting point, although 20 g is also common depending on the dartboard and rules. Lighter darts around 14–16 g are often supplied with home electronic dartboards.
There is no single best dart weight for everyone. Your throwing style, grip and personal preference all make a difference. The best approach is to try a few different weights and choose the darts that feel natural and give you a consistent flight. Many popular dart sets are available in several weights.
Which Dart Barrel Shape Is Best?
For beginners, a straight barrel is one of the easiest shapes to get started with. A parallel barrel provides a neutral profile and gives you plenty of flexibility when finding your preferred grip position. Slightly tapered or specially shaped barrels can be explored later as you learn more about your throwing style.
A typical beginner-friendly dart barrel is around 48–55 mm long. More important than the exact length is finding a grip that feels secure without being too aggressive. A medium grip with rings or light knurling is a versatile choice for beginners.
How Much Tungsten Should Darts Have?
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Brass or alloy darts: An affordable way to get started, often costing less than €20–25. Brass barrels are larger in diameter than tungsten barrels of the same weight, which can make tight grouping more difficult. They are a good option if you simply want to try darts before making a larger investment.
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80–90% tungsten darts: An excellent choice for most players. Tungsten has a higher density than brass, allowing manufacturers to produce slimmer barrels without reducing the weight. Slimmer barrels make it easier to group darts closely together and give the darts a more refined feel. Around 90% tungsten offers an excellent balance of price, performance and durability.
Higher tungsten percentages, such as 95% or more, can produce slightly slimmer barrels, but the practical difference is relatively small for most beginners. Affordable tungsten darts are widely available from around €30–50 and can be a worthwhile investment from the start.
Which Dart Flights Should Beginners Use?
Standard flights (often called No. 2 flights) are an excellent starting point. Their larger surface area provides plenty of stability and produces a predictable flight, making them particularly forgiving for beginners.
Once you become more comfortable with your throw, you can experiment with slimmer flights and other shapes to fine-tune the flight characteristics of your darts. Durable polymer or nylon flights are a practical choice, while thicker flights can offer improved durability. Keep a few spare sets handy, as flights are a normal consumable part of your darts setup.
Which Dart Shafts Should Beginners Use?
Medium-length nylon shafts are a reliable all-round choice for beginners. They are affordable, lightweight and forgiving, and provide a good starting point for developing a consistent throw.
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Short shafts: Can encourage a steeper flight angle and may make the dart sit more upright in the board.
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Medium shafts: A versatile starting point for most players.
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Long shafts: Can provide additional stability and influence the balance and flight of the dart.
Aluminium and carbon shafts are available if you want additional durability, but nylon shafts are more than adequate when starting out. Make sure you choose the correct thread – 2BA is common for soft tip darts, while steel tip darts use the standard shaft/barrel connection.
What Is the Best Dartboard for Beginners?
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Steel tip darts: Choose a quality sisal or bristle dartboard with a thin blade-style wire system. Blade-style construction reduces the amount of wire on the playing surface and can help reduce bounce-outs. The Winmau Blade 6 is a popular example, with comparable boards available from brands such as Target, Unicorn and Mission. A good-quality dartboard can provide years of enjoyable practice and is generally a better long-term choice than an inexpensive round-wire board. Solid entry-level boards typically start at around €50–90.
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Soft tip darts: Choose a compatible electronic dartboard with automatic scoring. Electronic boards are particularly convenient for beginners, families and groups because the scoring is handled automatically and many models offer a wide selection of games.
Install your dartboard correctly and follow the relevant official measurements. For steel tip darts, the bullseye should be approximately 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) above the floor, with an oche distance of 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in). A dartboard surround helps protect the wall from stray darts, while a dart mat protects the floor and marks the throwing line.
What Other Dart Equipment Do I Need?
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Spare flights, shafts and replacement points or soft tips.
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A dart case or wallet to protect and carry your darts.
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Optional accessories such as a dartboard surround, dart mat and dartboard lighting.
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A scoring app such as DartCounter if you are using a traditional steel tip board.
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For a simple setup, a complete darts set with darts and a dartboard is often enough. A budget of around €50–150 can provide solid equipment for beginners.
Common Beginner Darts Mistakes
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Throwing too hard: Focus on a smooth, controlled throw rather than trying to generate maximum power. A dart should be thrown smoothly, not forced towards the board.
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Holding the dart too tightly: Keep your grip relaxed and consistent. Start around the balance point of the barrel and adjust as you learn what works for you.
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Changing your stance constantly: Establish a consistent stance and throwing position. Keep your weight slightly forward, remain balanced and avoid stepping over the oche.
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Not following through: Let your throwing arm extend naturally towards the target after releasing the dart. A relaxed follow-through helps create a consistent throwing motion.
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Changing darts or setups too often: Give yourself time to get used to a particular grip, barrel, shaft and flight combination. Consistency is important when developing muscle memory.
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Using the wrong distance or equipment: Follow the correct measurements for your type of dartboard and make sure your darts are suitable for the board.
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Focusing only on hitting the target: Good practice is about more than simply hitting the board. Work on your stance, grip, release and follow-through while deliberately practising specific segments.
Our Recommended Beginner Darts
Good steel tip darts for beginners (around 22–24 g, 80–90% tungsten):
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Red Dragon Javelin, Rebel and Amberjack series – popular all-round options with good value for money.
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Target Exo, Hydro and similar versatile tungsten darts.
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Winmau models such as the Navigator, Skybolt and similar designs.
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Harrows tungsten sets with a comfortable, well-defined grip.
Affordable brass darts: Unicorn, Harrows Heavy Metal and similar sets under €25 are a good option for players who want to keep the initial investment low.
Soft tip darts: Brass or alloy sets from brands such as Harrows, Target and Red Dragon in the 16–18 g range are a good starting point for electronic dartboards.
When buying darts, choose a specialist darts retailer that can offer advice and, where possible, allows you to try different weights, barrel shapes and grips. Start with a setup that feels comfortable and give yourself time to develop a consistent throw before changing your equipment. As your game develops, you can fine-tune your darts to suit your individual throwing style.
Have fun, practise regularly and enjoy your darts!
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