Darts

In the game of darts, a dart is small pointed missile equipment. There aren't any prescribed form for the dart. They can be manufactured from various materials and have different weight and grip types. Majorly, these are manufactured from brass, silver-nickel and tungsten. 

Parts of Darts

Every dart consists of four parts including -

• Point - The front part of the dart which hits the board is called a point. The points come in two lengths: 32 mm and 41 mm. Sometimes, they are coated or knurled uniformly for a better grip of the players. 
• Barrel - The barrel is the central part of the dart. They come in varied weights and are made from brass, silver-nickel and tungsten. The Brass barrels quite bulky as they are light. Tungsten contains twice the density of brass; thus, a tungsten barrel weighs almost equal, but the diameter could be compromised by 30% from the brass. However, pure tungsten is very brittle. Therefore, an alloy is popularly used between 80 and 95 per cent tungsten, and the remainder is either nickel or iron or copper. Silver-nickel darts have lower density and cost. Barrels are available in three basic shapes: cylindrical, ton, or torpedo.
  • Cylindrical barrels - They are of the same diameter along their entire length. Thus, the shape is long and thin. Their narrowness makes them better for grouping. 
  • Ton-shaped barrels - They are thin at both end and bulge in the middle. The appearance is relatively fatter than the cylindrical barrels of equivalent weight.
  • Torpedo-shaped barrels - They are widest at the pointed end and a little taper towards the rear. This shape adjusts the bulk of the weight. They have a larger diameter. 
• Shaft - It is the part of the dart that connects the barrel to the flight. The shafts have various lengths and balance the dart in the air from bouncing off. The shafts are usually manufactured from plastic, nylon polymers or metals such as aluminium and titanium. 
• Flight - The flight stabilizes the dart. They produce drag preventing the rear of the dart. They are made from plastic, nylon, or foil. The shapes and sizes are in varied range. The three most popular shapes are the standard shape, the kite, and the smaller pear. 

Throwing Techniques

Aiming and throwing dart requires techniques. Here are a few - 

• Gripping the dart - Usually, players pick a dart, position their hands and form a comfortable grip. The most common way to hold the dart is to place the thumb underneath the forefinger with the middle finger while holding. Among all, the pencil grip is also very comfortable and popular. 
• The Stance - The body should be balanced while throwing the line. The simplest way to achieve this is to keep both feet flat and anchored to the floor. It is completely legal to lean over the throw-line
• The Throw - First, focus on the mechanics of the throw. There are thousands of things one throws in a life. Here, it is the same. Don't think about the throw; just concentrate on the target and hit. 

Evolution of Darts 

The game of darts was evolved in the middle European ages. The soldiers played the sport during their military training. They used to throw the missile weapons known as 'dartes' on a wooden board. The earlier darts were manufactured by carving a piece of wood and injected a metal tip. The darts were heavy and couldn't travel long distances. With recent developments, the darts are usually made from a combination of materials. The flights have been developed in a dart to increase their velocity and projectile motion.

The new age darts are sharp and precise enough to strike the dartboard in seconds. A dart is usually 6-8 inches long and has four parts- the point, the barrel/grip, the shaft and the flight. The point is made of brass, tungsten or other suitable materials, the barrel or the grip is a thick cylindrical casing that helps balance the dart and provides grip, the shafts are made of plastics, nylon polymer or metals and can be rigid and flexible and the flight has four tailplanes at 90 degrees to each other and produces drag.