I'm sure this has been talked about before, but I haven't seen it.
The angle soft tip darts stay in the board can be better or worse for certain styles. The type of throw where the flight kicks up has proved so successful in the PDC with the likes of Wade, Lewis, Anderson, Whitlock, etc. In soft tip, you lose that. I think that gives an advantage to the more straight shooters like a Taylor or Barney.
I've also seem some soft tip players play steel tip and it's wild to see their dart land because they're used to it being straightened out by the board.
Just what I've noticed being a steel tip player. Any thoughts?

Good post Robbie,
I feel that soft tip players who have little experience with steel tips are at a big disadvantage really. One the scoring area is smaller and the other is just what you mentioned. Notice I did say little or no experience.

I agree. The angle of the dart can really confuse players that are used to having their darts stand up a bit. I've always thought this was a slight advantage with me. I throw a very straight, flat dart in steel tip and that carries over for soft tip.
I find it funny when hard core steel tip players talk about the size of the targets and how easy the game is. What they don't consider is the angle of their dart might change and make it more difficult for them then they think.
Great topic. Thanks for bringing it up. Many don't even give this a thought.

Hmm so with my throw been a bit of a loopy one, does that mean I will need to alter if I play soft tip?

getagrip wrote:

Hmm so with my throw been a bit of a loopy one, does that mean I will need to alter if I play soft tip?

Not sure Grip. You can still have a loopy throw, but when the dart sticks in the board it will be straight and flat. With bristle boards the angle of the dart can vary quite bit. Not so much with soft tip.

However, a loopy throw might get a few more bounce outs than most. If you notice while watching Dartslive or any other soft tip event, the majority of players use a slim flight. Helps increase speed and works better with lighter darts.

Wouldn't it be an advantage to loop your darts into the treble and have them sticking straight out from the board?

I can see how a straight flat throw will be better for the soft tip board, Mensur Suliwhatsit was a good soft tip player I think and his throw is a little strange to me. I wonder if that is from his soft tip days?

Watch the clip of Laurence Ilagan throwing steel tip that JD posted yesterday. His darts land dead flat in the steel tip board, just as it does in soft tip and doesnt faze him at all.

I worked quite consciously to get my dart to stick straight out of the board. It took a while to find a setup that did it with my throw (x-short stem and standard kite with my 25g Barney Phantoms), but now when I flick one (or the air conditioning is on) and it lands off-kilter, I find it quite distracting.

The only thing about soft tip that I think might bother me is how the darts "wobble" for a moment when they hit the board. While watching tournaments, I find myself almost screaming in my head "Run! That dart's going to fall out!".

I'll have to give them a go. Just have to find a board somewhere.