Soft-tips are definitely coming to your area sooner or later and you might want to consider buying a set or two.

Speaking of that. Our main sponsor Pure Darts has a massive selection of soft tips on clearance.

http://www.puredarts.co.uk/buy-sale-darts-and-flights-online/

Can I ask - Is there any reasoning behind the soft tip darts being lighter than Steel? Is that just to protect the board more by not having heavier weights thrown at them?

Also, does the soft tip alter the balance of the dart as I presume it makes it lighter on the nose and therefore alters the balance?

I will let JD answer this one mate.

STOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP!

I cant afford to buy all the soft tip AND Steel Tip too, c'mon please stop it!

Why choose one over the other though?

davidsproull wrote:

Why choose one over the other though?

not saying that, just have both types is all.

I don't get around to the bars much (except where my league plays). I've only seen one soft tip board in the area. I wouldn't mind taking a shot at it, but when I checked out the Dartslive site, they claim to have no boards in Texas at all (yet).

Anybody know how to find out if there are good soft tip boards in my area?

From what I've heard, (not much experience with soft tip myself, but have friends at the highest level) it does change the balance somewhat. That's why some throwers opt to shoot with the light carbon hard points to replicate their soft tip darts. This is more common with the guys that primarily throw soft tip.

Can you put screw on steel points onto soft tip darts??

Yeah you get steel points for them. Don't know how much they change the balance though

chrisbamb wrote:

Can I ask - Is there any reasoning behind the soft tip darts being lighter than Steel? Is that just to protect the board more by not having heavier weights thrown at them?

Also, does the soft tip alter the balance of the dart as I presume it makes it lighter on the nose and therefore alters the balance?

Soft tips being lighter has always been to protect the board. All the boards up until now have been made with a hard plastic face. The segments would break if a heavier dart was used.

Along came Dartslive. They have designed a face that has a more flexible nylon face. Believe it or not, the weight limit for Dartslive events is 25 grams! That will make the game more desirable for MANY steel tip players now. No longer is weight an issue.

As far as the balance, it's really hard to say and harder to notice with soft tip. The dart enters the board the same for everyone. As Robbie mentioned earlier, the angle of the dart is fairly generic with soft tip darts. The point enters the hole in the face of the board and sticks out straight. So it's hard to figure out what the dart is doing in the air, as the landing is the same pretty much all of the time.

with the dartslive in the bars could for example, Winmau in NY play vs me from the uk on the machines?

Sp wrote:

with the dartslive in the bars could for example, Winmau in NY play vs me from the uk on the machines?

Yes. Dartslive use a card that tracks all of your stats and allows you to play people across the globe. They also have built in webcams.

I use soft tip barrels for my steel tip game. I use a conversion point from dartswarehouse that is about the same weight as a normal steel tip point (I havent weighed them to check though.)

I am throwing some of the best darts of my life with these darts. What has helped me is that I have always thrown a dart under 20g.

Just lately, I have been switching between my usual darts and the set of 22g whitlocks and I dont notice any difference in throwing either set. The only thing I notice is that the shape of both sets is different.

One big thing I have noticed between my conversion points and regular points is the way they grip in the board. My conversion points kill normal points for stickiness. I have not had to rough them up at all.

Jimbo21 wrote:

I use soft tip barrels for my steel tip game. I use a conversion point from dartswarehouse that is about the same weight as a normal steel tip point (I havent weighed them to check though.)

I am throwing some of the best darts of my life with these darts. What has helped me is that I have always thrown a dart under 20g.

Just lately, I have been switching between my usual darts and the set of 22g whitlocks and I dont notice any difference in throwing either set. The only thing I notice is that the shape of both sets is different.

One big thing I have noticed between my conversion points and regular points is the way they grip in the board. My conversion points kill normal points for stickiness. I have not had to rough them up at all.

All ya need for both steel and soft is Lip Points! No need to switch. I play in steel tip tournaments with softtips. I carry a set of conversions just in case; but have not needed the points yet!

I only get to play soft tip at home so I dont mind swapping my points.

Jake, how long do those Lippoint points last when you hit wires? I tend to hit a lot of wires.

I tend to hit a lot of wires myself. I think the soft tips actually do a better job of flexing/deflecting around them. They seem to hold up rather well; last longer than they do playing on a soft tip board.

None the less not an issue or large cost to make a quick swap it one chips.

They arent the carbon ones are they? or are they the normal plastic tips?

Jimbo21 wrote:

They arent the carbon ones are they? or are they the normal plastic tips?

Nope just normal plastic $5 for 50 plastic Lippoints.

Ok, thats what I use for myself for soft tip. Have cheaper tips for everyone else. 100 for $6.60. lol

jake8380 wrote:

Sp wrote:

with the dartslive in the bars could for example, Winmau in NY play vs me from the uk on the machines?

Yes. Dartslive use a card that tracks all of your stats and allows you to play people across the globe. They also have built in webcams.

to me that is an exciting prospect

Lip points??

As a complete soft-tip novice could anyone post up an example of these please?

would be great if they had home versions you could hook up to the internet and play anyone anywhere !!!

Sp wrote:

Lip points??

As a complete soft-tip novice could anyone post up an example of these please?

Something similar to this mate.

http://www.puredarts.co.uk/accessories-for-soft-tip-darts/sta-28-harrows-h-tips-2ba-100-pieces.html

Jimbo21 wrote:

Sp wrote:

Lip points??

As a complete soft-tip novice could anyone post up an example of these please?

Something similar to this mate.

http://www.puredarts.co.uk/accessories-for-soft-tip-darts/sta-28-harrows-h-tips-2ba-100-pieces.html

Jimbo, Not those at all.

Here are Lip Points:

http://www.vegadarts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=51_110_52

Much different and much better quality; albeit more expensive but still super cheap.

Sorry Jake, got mixed up between maker and style.

I have found that my Lippoints last a lot longer than the cheap ones I bought in bulk.

The Lippoints seem to be a softer nylon making them more flexible and less prone to breaking.

Jimbo21 wrote:

Sorry Jake, got mixed up between maker and style.

I have found that my Lippoints last a lot longer than the cheap ones I bought in bulk.

The Lippoints seem to be a softer nylon making them more flexible and less prone to breaking.

Figured as much brother. Odd, for me LipPoints seem stiffer while remaining very strong and longer lasting than other points.

Anyhow give them a go. Take your conversion points off and play with the LipPoints and let me know how it works out for you on a steel tip board.

I have used them on a blade 4 board and on a formula board, just not sure how they will go on my puma board. It is tightly packed.

Bet they do fine on the Puma board. Let me know.