I feel its a detriment to your game. That is once you have found the dart for you. I'm guilty as hell. Am now throwing 25gm Barney Phase 2a hybrids. That said switching if to improve your feel is good. However we all know its not the darts most of the time.
Barney is a great example: constantly changing his set up over the years I believe hurt the great man.

If you feel its bad for your game why do you do it?

I have tried a lot of darts but always go back to my comfy set !!! i thought i was destined for a small chunky dart ( hamiltons) but i like a long dart with a short stem i like my wade 20gs but i also like my phase 2 taylors 24gs

I never switch

I do it cuz I caught the bug from grip! No I keep trying to throw a lighter dart and it just doesn't work for me. All the darts I have thrown except for Phase 6's are basically the same dart. Straight barrel with level 5 grip. The Phase 2a Barny's are ringed and though not as severe a grip has plenty.

Its a funny old game really. if you buy a 22g chizzy darts and then switch to a 22g anderson darts!! there is no point because they are the same dart really !!

different if you go from a straight barrel to a bomb shape dart

Hey Larry, at least you keep the same general barrel design. I go from a Lewis to a Lowe style, then maybe a Manley dart all at the same practice session!! If anyone out there can show me how to stop this insanity, I am ready to listen.

We all have our preferred weight and barrel shape, and we tend to stick to it. But every now and then we have a day when we couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo, so we have a chuck with a heavier, or lighter set, and just like magic we start hitting those trebles again. However, sometime later we hit the same problem (no pun intended), so we change back, or change to yet another set. I say just stick to the set your used to, because if you’ve played well with them before, then the fault is not with the darts, the fault lies with the over analytical species of mankind known as ‘Dart Players’.

That said, I’ve chopped and changed over the years myself, but, I always come back to long straight barrels, 22g in weight. I first started out with 22g Durro Darts (Bristows), and today I use Target 22g Tony O’Shea Darts, which is all but the identical darts really. I’ve even changed to other 22g straight barrelled darts, which as Lion pointed out, is silly really…..but hey…..I’m a dart Player…..what else would you expect.

Yeah all me darts like I said are straight barrel (except for the phase 6's, Wifey has Hammy's) . Its the weight thing mainly. I can throw 23-26gm darts but prefer the 25-26 ones really. I keep trying the lighter darts but always return to the heavier ones.

Try a set of Stephen Bunting darts and that will turn you off lighter darts forever, and you'll save a fortune.

I think there are a couple of places where people go wrong with switching darts. One, as has been alluded to already is that they base it on spurious relative comparisons of accuracy and that they make the change because they are convinced (or want to believe) that the new dart is somehow better and they go out and get a set of Target Cheese Graters or whatever the latest popular thing is.
The question that should be asked, in my mind is not what is so great about the new dart, but what is it about your old dart you like and dont like? (This should be based on feel and comfort and not performance)
Once you have done that you can look for a dart that addresses your specific concerns.

Other than that, stop blaming your dart for how ya throw!

Barney is the example of why not, while taylor is the example of why. Discuss

Nuckers wrote:

Hey Larry, at least you keep the same general barrel design. I go from a Lewis to a Lowe style, then maybe a Manley dart all at the same practice session!! If anyone out there can show me how to stop this insanity, I am ready to listen.

Super Glue.

Super Glue!!!! That's the ticket!!! Gotta check to see if Puredarts sells it....

I have a magic box that has in it around 15 sets of darts that vary in weight from 15g to 38g and what I do sometimes to prove a point to players who say they have lost form with their darts or just can't throw with them anymore is this: I set up 3 darts of 3 different weights and shape with 3 different size amd material stems and 3 totally dfferent flights and they throw for an hour with them. The first 10 mins they are all over the place but after that they start to get 2 in the 20 then all 3 and the the odd treble goes in. They start to adjust to the darts and because they are so far from their usual set up they feel the pressure is off. Now by rights if you can adjust to 3 darts that are so far from what you would normally throw how the heck can you tell me you cant throw 3 the same weight and length with the same flights. It is all in your head and most people can actually throw any dart reasonably well if you play at a decent level but the little tweaks just add a little more consistency to your game. So the next time you have a dip in form try this for yourseld with a few differnt sets you have at home and I bet you within 15 mins you are throwing reasonably straight.
I have shocked so many people with this and they are astounded how quickly they adapt their throw to suit the darts and thats how it should stay, you are in control don't let the darts control you , because when you do you will always be fighting a losing battle in your own head and we all know what that's like taking it on to the oche.

Hello I can't even throw "reasonably" but can still take any dart and throw just as well with them within minutes. I completely agree with kevin

Big Gun wrote:

I have a magic box that has in it around 15 sets of darts that vary in weight from 15g to 38g and what I do sometimes to prove a point to players who say they have lost form with their darts or just can't throw with them anymore is this: I set up 3 darts of 3 different weights and shape with 3 different size amd material stems and 3 totally dfferent flights and they throw for an hour with them. The first 10 mins they are all over the place but after that they start to get 2 in the 20 then all 3 and the the odd treble goes in. They start to adjust to the darts and because they are so far from their usual set up they feel the pressure is off. Now by rights if you can adjust to 3 darts that are so far from what you would normally throw how the heck can you tell me you cant throw 3 the same weight and length with the same flights. It is all in your head and most people can actually throw any dart reasonably well if you play at a decent level but the little tweaks just add a little more consistency to your game. So the next time you have a dip in form try this for yourseld with a few differnt sets you have at home and I bet you within 15 mins you are throwing reasonably straight.
I have shocked so many people with this and they are astounded how quickly they adapt their throw to suit the darts and thats how it should stay, you are in control don't let the darts control you , because when you do you will always be fighting a losing battle in your own head and we all know what that's like taking it on to the oche.

You know it's funny, but my wife and I tried this on a lark. I ended up using the thinnest dart as my 'finishing dart' . Hmmn.. wonder how it would work playing with three different darts all the time?

Taffy wrote:

Try a set of Stephen Bunting darts and that will turn you off lighter darts forever, and you'll save a fortune.

I have to agree. Not a fan of them. Bulky dart for being so light.

I do want a set of the ones he's playing with now though.

elven darts makes buntings 12.5g ones

big gun made a good point. whenever you alter your setup, your focus shifts entirely to what you're throwing with as opposed to what you're throwing at.

thus can give the illusion of throwing better w/ different darts once you've adjusted (which doesn't take long).