Now when I started playing darts in the mid 70’s, a person would buy a set of darts and use them with the points they came with, and I still do this to this day. I don’t recall players buying darts and changing the points straight away in those days. However, these days, it’s become quite the norm. So my question is, how do you know whether to change points or not? I suppose if you rest a finger on the point of the dart then Storm Points would come into their own, but, apart from that???

This may sound like a silly question, but, seriously I don’t know the answer? I assume that if the dart lands awkward in the board, then this could indicate you need to change to a different length perhaps (or am I barking up the wrong tree here?), but, if this is the case, then how do you know whether to change to shorter, or longer points?

Justin pipe uses long points and his darts land flat but so do taylors with standards so its got to be how you throw them.
I'd assume longer points = flatter landing
Shorter = higher angle
Because the weight at the end would be pushing the point down with long points.
Just a logical theory. Not a definite answer

Big Gun has assembled a team to answer these questions, lets give these guys a chance to get on and give their advice

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I don't believe point length affects the trajectory they hit the board at, because it would be a combination of grip and point length.

John Lowe once explained that the longer points that were brought out by unicorn back in the day were created with the belief that it keeps the dart farther from the board allowing more room for other darts.

Since they they have created a huge variety of points some that grip the board, some that grip your finger, some that are long some that are short.

Currently one of the popular items is the storm point. It is popular because the shank meets seemlessly with the barrel making it more aerodynamic, more attractive and also cuts way back on damaged flights from flat nose darts hitting them

I also heard that longer points would group better than short ones, just like John Lowe had said...which kinda makes sense! I think that if you rest your finger on the point, you may want a different length. And for a lot of guy and gals...they like the style and look....like me...lol...I recently bought over $120 worth of points so I would have the option if needed!!!Love the look of the storm points, but they do not hold up good when it is a tight fit into the barrel. I have broke 7 or 8 storm points in the last couple of months!!! Says they fit all darts...lol..better do a dry fit first before jamming it into your machine!!!!

Thanks for the question Taffy
Changing the points on new darts is purely down to preference you would only change them if you play with longer or shorter points or you want a different colour to match your barells like gold or black. I have a preference for the grooved Target Storm points so I change my points straight away to those but that is just my preference as I rest my finger on the point itself and these give me the control I need. They also are asthetically pleasing on the eye as they give a look of a 1 piece dart as the shank butts against the tip of your dart but that is only with darts with a tapered front, they don't work quite so well with a rounded nosed dart.
As for your other concern a 30mm Target Storm point weighs in at 1.07g where as a standard 26mm point that come fitted to most darts as standard weigh in at 0.86g so there is a bit of difference but I doubt many players would notice the difference in that small amount of weight. If you are happy with the points that come as standard then you should continue with them as there is nothing wrong with them and many players use them. You may need to look at other areas of your game if the darts are landing in the board at a funny angle like your flights or stem length.

Hope this helps but you know where we are should you need any further advice

Stay Special mate & good shootin

I would pretty much back up what Vallyr said in regards to point length its about keeping the barrel further away from the board allowing greater grouping of your darts and i don't think it has anything to do with trajectory or how your darts land.

If you use say a phase 5 dart which is chunky and stick a short point in them then its more difficult to get three in a treble however if you use a longer point them the barrel wont be as close to the board which will allow better grouping.

If your points are too long them you get more play and bump so it could be the case you find your darts dropping out the board a lot more.

Well said Big Gun, I would like to add a quick tip,roll your barrel on a even surface, this can detect if your point is warped, do this regularly because you will be surprised how much they bend or warp. In the past the only time I would have replace my points was if one broke!!

Stems and flights also affect how they land in the board. Justin pipe uses slims and taylor similar

I get it now. To be honest I wasn’t so aware that people changed their points straight away until I became a member of this forum. And that is what started me thinking about it? My darts don’t land awkward in the board with the standard points they come fitted with, and I use fairly thin barrels, so I suppose there’s no need to change the points? I asked the question because it puzzled me? And to be truthful, I was a bit apprehensive about asking the question, because everyone on the forum seemed to change their points straight away, so I felt a bit daft asking…..if you know what I mean?

Anyway, I know the answer now thanks to a great bunch of darts enthusiasts on a great forum…..CHEERS!!!

I've never wondered why but I've just bought a set off lion and they had 38mm mk11 points and 28mm storms. Storms stand up and Mk11's will lie down. Prefer the Mk11's also bcuz they are a heavier dart and fly beautifully! :-)

Taffy, to add one more answer... I changed my points for NO other reason than to save myself from having to change my flights every 4-5 days. The regular point that came with my darts left a ridge right where the point meets the barrel. This ridge would chew away at my flights at an alarming rate. This ridge can also be seen on MANY other darts. I switched to Storm points so I could eliminate that ridge. Just last week I had to switch 1 flight out because it cracked. The flight was 2 months old!!!! I went from having to change them every 4-5 days to changing them every few months. Incredible difference.
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Wow, I see what you mean! Thanks JD.

Longer points get the dart to the board quicker ......