Dart Weight to Flatten Trajectory?

[AD18]

I like tinkering with my darts setup and I'm needing some advice. My current setup, that I get the best results from, is a 26gr Unicorn Taylor Phase 5 dart with medium Pro Grip shaft, and standard Vision flight. I can do pretty much all of Flight school A1 with pretty good results. Seldom more that 3 sets at any given number. My 25gr Barney Phase 5's are just a little less accurate, but not much. My throw can be best described as a soft lob. I am pretty content with my results, but I would like to get a flatter trajectory to possibly make my accuracy better on the double and treble beds. To accomplish this I believe I have one of 2 options with my current dart. Throw the dart harder or reduce the size of the flight. If I do either of these my accuracy suffers quickly. Option 3, and what my advice request is based on, is if I reduce the weight of the dart to say a 20 or 22gr dart, rather drastic, with similar barrel design would I see a flatter trajectory with my current throw? Obviously I would have to tinker with shaft/stem/flight config to fine tune. I don't mind spending money on new darts, but if that lighter dart does not flatten things out as I'd like I'll continue to fine tune/practice with my current setup, save my money, and hope for the best. Thanks in advance.

[brenthahn]

Everyone's stroke is different, so it's impossible to say. But for me, the weight of the dart has little or nothing to do with how it lands. It's all setup.

[BigE]

If anything, I see folks with lighter darts throw harder. And a heavy weight falls no faster than a lighter one.

How's your follow through?

[Getagrip]

Unless you can throw a dart like a speeding bullet it will never be that flat. But bigger flights can create more drag and lift so try smaller flights

[Banned]

Hard to give a good answer here. I was watching Phil Taylor play soft tip last night. With some different camera angles I was surprised at how hard he throws. With his small flight the dart got to the board very quick. It looked like very little arc at all.

I agree with what Brent said up there ^^^ weight has very little to do with anything. I think it's more to do with stems and flights.

[Milkysunshine]

Smaller flights slow my darts down less in the air. I throw kites. When I switch to standards, I have to throw harder to get the same in-air trajectory.

Edit: I throw a 20.4 gram dart though... Even a slight breeze can change how it flies.

[brenthahn]

Hard to give a good answer here. I was watching Phil Taylor play soft tip last night. With some different camera angles I was surprised at how hard he throws. With his small flight the dart got to the board very quick. It looked like very little arc at all.

I agree with what Brent said up there ^^^ weight has very little to do with anything. I think it's more to do with stems and flights.

Taylor's stroke is different from a lot of people's. His hand goes from his eye and snaps straight out toward the target on a flat plane, with his elbow snapping up. It's like a Tae Kwon Do punch or boxing jab without the snap-back at the end (good in martial arts, bad it darts). Compared to the fixed-elbow/arcing forearm way that most folks seem to do it, it takes a lot more effort. Does, for me, anyway. But I can see why he does it.

[Banned]

Smaller flights slow my darts down less in the air. I throw kites. When I switch to standards, I have to throw harder to get the same in-air trajectory.

Edit: I throw a 20.4 gram dart though... Even a slight breeze can change how it flies.

I also agree with that. When I put standards on my darts it feels like there's a parachute on the back and I have to throw harder to get the same results. With my superkites they seem to get to the board very quick and with very little effort. And that's with a 18.2 gram barrel.

[AD18]

In regards to my follow through I am content with how it feels to me. As per dart setup stems, as expected, has more to do how the dart lands in respect to the board. The smaller the stem, the more tail down it lands for me. I like either a tweenie or medium for flat to marginally tail up. Flight is another kettle of fish. The standard smooth flight gives me the best stability and least drop over all. If I go up to a Unicorn Big Wing or Big Wing XL the dart has excellent stability, but the added drag causes the dart to drop/hit lower on the board. If I go to a Kite or Fantail I get marginally higher on the board hits (flatter trajectory?), but stability starts to go away. Tried Unicorn DXM and Vision Edge flights and stability goes out the window plus the landed very tail low. The dart does appear to be marginally faster flying with these though. Thus I thought if the barrel was lighter the flight would have less front loaded weight to stabilize and I could go to a smaller flight. Maybe I'm thinking to much? Guess I will continue to fine tune my throw with current setup or practice more with a kite or fantail flight and see what happens. Thanks for responses so far, appreciate it. Both me and my walletGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Getagrip]

because the drag is slowing the dart down. If your throw is slow and loopy like mine it is not so bad to some extent but if you try to throw flatter it will land lower as it has lost speed, the small flights will over come that but its whether or not you can still control the dart as well as with the bigger flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Getagrip]

Try the Sigma flights too Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[AD18]

because the drag is slowing the dart down. If your throw is slow and loopy like mine it is not so bad to some extent but if you try to throw flatter it will land lower as it has lost speed, the small flights will over come that but its whether or not you can still control the dart as well as with the bigger flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

This is kind of what is happening and I've tested a lot. If I throw the dart harder the dart will hit lower on the board but travel very flat. If I throw softer and loopier it moves up the board. Sort of exact opposite of what you would expect. Maybe it is the "lift" of the larger flight...dunnoGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[Getagrip]

because the drag is slowing the dart down. If your throw is slow and loopy like mine it is not so bad to some extent but if you try to throw flatter it will land lower as it has lost speed, the small flights will over come that but its whether or not you can still control the dart as well as with the bigger flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

This is kind of what is happening and I've tested a lot. If I throw the dart harder the dart will hit lower on the board but travel very flat. If I throw softer and loopier it moves up the board. Sort of exact opposite of what you would expect. Maybe it is the "lift" of the larger flight...dunnoGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

It will be a combination of things really and why darts is never so straight forward and we have to experiment and find what suits us best. You should not really try to force a throw hard though, it should happen naturally, it could also be because your throwing harder your moving your arm quicker and releasing the dart later which is why its hitting low. Its never easy is it Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

[AD18]

because the drag is slowing the dart down. If your throw is slow and loopy like mine it is not so bad to some extent but if you try to throw flatter it will land lower as it has lost speed, the small flights will over come that but its whether or not you can still control the dart as well as with the bigger flights Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

This is kind of what is happening and I've tested a lot. If I throw the dart harder the dart will hit lower on the board but travel very flat. If I throw softer and loopier it moves up the board. Sort of exact opposite of what you would expect. Maybe it is the "lift" of the larger flight...dunnoGuests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

It will be a combination of things really and why darts is never so straight forward and we have to experiment and find what suits us best. You should not really try to force a throw hard though, it should happen naturally, it could also be because your throwing harder your moving your arm quicker and releasing the dart later which is why its hitting low. Its never easy is it Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.

Exactly my thoughts. Glad I'm not alone. Trying to figure it all out is both fun and extremely frustrating at the same time.

[Getagrip]

yeah its a good excuse to buy things Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.