It has been an exciting year so far for darts, largely due to the ‘Luke Littler effect’, which has resulted in more people watching darts, wanting to play darts and signing up to local clubs and leagues. When 16-year old Luke Littler reached the PDC World Championship final back in January, it motivated all of us to not give up on our dreams. It brought lapsed players out of hiding, encouraged young people to take up a new hobby and injected the enthusiasm darts players needed to keep practising. If the darts events of the first half of 2024 have inspired you to aim for your first bullseye, we’ve compiled some helpful information to get you started, with everything you’ll need from the Double Top Darts shop.
Dartboard
A dartboard should probably be the top priority on your dart shop list, but not before you learn a little about the types of board available. Bristle, or sisal boards, are the most common type as they allow you to play with steel tip darts. This type of board will also be familiar if you have ever played darts in a pub or club. Electronic boards are also available for use with soft tip darts. This type of board comes with lots of small holes in the board surface to catch the darts and sensors behind each segment to accurately keep score.
When buying a dartboard you’ll want to consider whether you’ll be hanging it on the wall or mounting it in a darts cabinet. You’ll also want to consider a surround to protect the wall area around the board. Follow our guidance on how to set up your dartboard and how to look after it.
Darts
If you’ve already bought a board then you’ll know whether you need steel tip or soft tip darts, so the next question is what weight of darts do you need? Though darts come in a wide range of weights from 12 to 50 grams, most players will be best accommodated in the 16-26 gram range. A heavier dart is generally better for beginners as it will be more forgiving as you gain confidence and technique. Lighter darts need a more controlled and experienced throw.
Once you’ve thought about weight, you’ll also need to consider the best dart shaft length. Medium or intermediate length shafts are generally recommended for beginners as they help you to achieve more stability. You’ll also have the choice of standard or narrow shafts and will find that they are made from various materials including aluminium, nylon and carbon fibre - all of which have their own advantages.
Dart Flights
You can’t visit a darts shop and leave without at least one set of brightly coloured dart flights! With so many styles to choose from, it might be your most difficult purchasing decision but it’s a good idea to find out more about the shapes and styles of flights before you get mesmerised by their designs. From standard to slim, kite to pear and moulded flights - where does a beginner begin? Here, with our helpful blog on how the different types of flight affect your throwing style.
Darts Oche
Whether you want to measure and mark a line on the floor with tape or choose a darts mat with an oche clearly marked, it’s important to know the proper distance from which you are allowed to throw darts at your board. For steel tip darts the oche should be 2.37 metres from the board and for soft tip darts it should be 2.44 metres.
Clothing
It’s only natural that once you perfect your game, and want to start playing competitively, that you look the part. Darts shirts are a great way to showcase your personality and can also be very useful when you are playing as part of a team. Whilst not a necessary purchase for a beginner, a darts shirt can definitely help improve your accuracy by providing the perfect balance of comfort and movement and allowing you to focus unhindered on your throw. If you’re looking to add a shirt to your list, then our darts shop has a huge range, including personalised shirts that you can add your name, nickname, team name or slogan to.
Accessories
So you’ve chosen a board, set of darts and flights and have measured your oche line. What’s next? There are a huge range of accessories available to help improve your game, most of which you will gravitate towards once you get a feel for your own throwing style. These accessories range from cases and wallets to protect your darts on the move, replacement points and repointing tools to maintain precision and ensure your darts stay in the board, and waxes and chalk to help improve your grip.
For everything else that we haven’t mentioned, just visit the Double Top Darts Shop homepage and start your quest for everything a beginner needs.