Gigantic is a Technical Term
It seems that every few decades in the dart industry we see things cycle. And that if given enough time what once has faded is surely to recover in one form or another. At one point in dart time, a “long” shaft was desired by many for the thought that a longer dart would provide a potential for better grouping. It seemed over the years that thought began to fade and was replaced by shorter shafts for stability. Darts became shorter and by soft tip norm the flights became smaller. Lately I have seen a return of the longer darts.
Fit Flight has a number system for example that numbers #1 to #8 what do we call them? We have….
- Mini
- Super Short
- Short
- In-between
- Medium
“Well…. 6… that must be called a long… well, what do we do with 7 & 8???
I know,7 will be extra-long
ok, I like it… what about 8.
8???… I know… GIGANTIC!!!!
Why not Colossal or behemoth?
That’s 9 and 10 if they make it one day 😊 “…
A longer dart when thrown should promote the thought of an arrow. Fast and straight, you must have the power in the throw to keep it stable. If the dart slows down or is thrown at an arch, it can create the dreaded “wobble”. Typically, a longer set up is intended for someone taller or who has more of a direct shot. Often, this same person if playing soft tip can be found using slim or speed flights depending on the desired “drag” for stability. A shorter dart inversely related encourages more the thought of throwing a rock or being strapped to a parachute. Slower and with finesse, the weight of the barrel is more reactive to the physical drag of the flight as said before. Typically, a slower or possibly shorter thrower is seen with shorter shafts and bigger flights for increased “drag” and stability.
On another related topic, A larger flight creates more drag and thus more stability in the back. Instead of darts flying like a rainbow, larger flights will provide someone with a more finesse throwing style a more level flight to the dartboard. Although many will say you sacrifice your dart grouping using a larger flight, I believe a spinning shaft almost eliminates this issue. Also in my mind, if your dart is unstable in flight then you are already sacrificing too much.
What are your thoughts?