What Darts Do the Pros Use?

Darts have become so popular that there are world championships held yearly. So far, the sport is just inches away from being recognized on the Olympic stage. If you aspire to make a living out of being a darts player, you can do so by making it to the professional level.

This brings us to the question: what darts do the pros use? Most pro players use darts made of tungsten due to their density, enabling them to exercise control and durability, which can withstand intense collisions. Other factors like the shaft and the fins design can also be considered when choosing the right type of darts.

What Materials Are Darts Made Of?

Darts are classified according to their construction. Some are beginner-friendly while some are convenient for most pro-players. Before we discuss what pro players prefer, we must first tackle the different types of darts which are as follows:

Brass Darts

This type of darts is the least expensive, and due to that, they are entry-level equipment for beginners. Most brass darts are mass-produced and are preferred in bars and pubs due to cost limitations. However, the downside is that they are easily worn out.

Nickel/Silver Darts

Although silver is a costly commodity, there is a minimal amount of it incorporated in this type of darts. That is why nickel/silver darts are relatively affordable and still easy to reproduce. They are also great for beginners.

Tungsten Darts

As mentioned, this type of darts is the most commonly used by professionals. The material can be extremely dense and is highly durable. The higher percentage of tungsten incorporated in the darts, the heavier they can be.

Nickel/Tungsten Darts

Not only nickel works well with silver, but it can also be incorporated in tungsten darts. Although the performance is not as excellent compared to those darts with a higher percentage of tungsten, this is better than the brass and nickel/silver types. This is preferable for casual yet competitive players.

Darts Preferred by Professional Players

Here are some of the darts seen used by the highest-ranking players of PDC or Professional Darts Corporation:

Winmau XQ Max Aspire 80 Percent Tungsten Steel Tip Darts

The Winmau XQ Max Aspire 80 Percent Tungsten Steel Tip dart weighs 23 grams and appears to be pencil-thin. Its barrel is also heavily milled.

This is the dart of choice for Micheal van Gerwen. He is currently ranked as the best darts player in the world.

Red Dragon Snakebite 3 Tungsten Darts

This particular type of dart has a distinct pencil-like shape. It weighs 22 color grams and has an iconic dart coating.

Peter Wright, who is also known as “Snakebite,” prefers this dart not only because of its shape and weight but because of its eye-catching color. He was the World Darts Champion of 2020.

Unicorn Phase 4 2019 Edition 90 Percent Tungsten Darts

The Unicorn Phase 4 dart has a 90% concentration of tungsten. These are quite slender and have decorative grooves along the barrel’s length that make them distinctive.

This is the dart of choice for Gary “The Flying Scotsman” Anderson. He is a two-time world champion, and he is also known for hitting high scores while throwing smoothly.

Target S2017 95 Percent Steel Tip Darts

The Target S2017 95% steel tip dart has a dimpled barrel at the front and standard thin grooves at the back. It is the choice of dart for Raymond van Barneveld who is a one-time PDC champion.

Target Legacy G5 95 Percent Steel Tip Darts

Here’s another Target dart on this list. This particular one weighs 26 grams. It has a distinctive trapezoidal grip which makes it excellent for handling. It is also front-loaded.

This is the dart of choice for Phil “The Power” Taylor. Many regard him as the GOAT of the dart scene because he has participated in 14 consecutive PDC finals and managed to win 8 championships out of those stints.

Target G3 Steel Tip Darts

The Target G3 Steel-tip dart is 90% natural tungsten. It weighs 23 grams and features both precision ringed grip and nano grip, which is why Adrian Lewis highly favors it.

Adrian Lewis is one of The Power’s contemporaries. In the early amateur days, both had the chance to workout together.

Target Voltage Darts Steel Tip

The Target Voltage Darts steel tips are 90% tungsten. Compared to other darts on this list, it has a shorter barrel at only 48 mm, but it features a pro-grip shaft and no.6 flights.

Rob Cross, who currently ranks as 2nd in the PDC league, prefers this particular dart. He seems to like it because of its smooth grip.

Unicorn Purist Phase 2 DNA Tungsten Darts

The Unicorn Purist Phase 2 DNA Tungsten Dart is 52.83 mm in length and 6.05 mm in width. It is 90% tungsten.

James Wade is the professional who is commonly seen using this particular dart. He is one of the few popular and successful darts players who are left-handed. He is also one of the few players who hit a “nine-darter” in both the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts. His choice of darts is the Unicorn Purist Phase 2.

Red Dragon Steel Darts

The Red Dragon Steel Darts are 90% tungsten. It features nitro tech shafts and hardcore flights. It also has a distinct design thanks to its shark fin groove every 5 mm.

Gerwyn Price, who currently ranks as the 3rd best darts player in the world, commonly uses this particular dart. He is also called “The Iceman,” he defeated Gary Anderson in the Grand Slam of Darts in 2018.

Unicorn Maestro Silver Star Darts

The Unicorn Maestro Silver Star Darts has a gripper 3 shaft and engraved unicorn hallmark. It is natural tungsten, and it is 46.99 mm in length and 7.14 in diameter.

It is the dart of choice for Michael Smith, who is a 6 titleholder. He currently ranks 6 in the world’s best dart player ranking.

Conclusion

A lot of pro darts players love to use tungsten darts because they help increase the player’s control on the darts. It is also noticeable that most of their favored darts are within 20 to 25 grams.

Suppose you are inspired to be a professional darts player in the future. In that case, you can start with the affordable yet durable types and work your way upward with the tungsten darts.