Choosing the right dart weight is the single biggest decision you'll make when buying darts. Get it right and your throw feels effortless. Get it wrong and you'll fight the dart every time you step up to the oche.
So what is the best dart weight to throw? The short answer: 22g to 23g for most players. That's the weight range used by the majority of PDC Tour professionals, and it's the ideal starting point for anyone still finding their game. But the best weight for you depends on your throwing style, grip, and physique.
This guide breaks down every weight range, shows you what the pros throw, and helps you match dart weight to your natural technique. If you want a quick, personalised recommendation, take our dart picker quiz below.
Why Does Dart Weight Matter?
Every gram changes how a dart behaves in flight. Weight affects four things simultaneously:
- Trajectory — heavier darts fly in a flatter, more direct arc. Lighter darts rise higher before dropping.
- Grouping — the barrel diameter changes with weight (at the same tungsten percentage), affecting how tightly your darts cluster in the treble bed.
- Fatigue — throwing a 28g dart for three hours is significantly more tiring than throwing a 21g dart. Over a long match or practice session, fatigue degrades accuracy.
- Forgiveness — heavier darts absorb more imperfections in your release. A slight wobble that sends a 16g dart wide might not affect a 25g dart at all.
Weight doesn't exist in isolation either. It interacts with barrel shape, flight size, and shaft length to create the total feel of the dart. But weight is where it all starts.
Dart Weight Ranges Explained
Light Darts: 16g — 20g
Light darts reward precision. If you have a fast, snappy throw with a quick release, lighter darts will amplify that technique rather than fight against it. They require less force to propel, reducing arm fatigue during long sessions, and their slim barrels (particularly in 90% tungsten or higher) allow tight grouping.
Who should consider light darts?
- Players with a fast, wrist-driven throw
- Players who practise for extended periods and want to reduce fatigue
- Soft tip players (most electronic boards cap at 18g–20g)
- Players who prefer maximum control over forgiveness
The trade-off: Light darts are less forgiving of imperfect releases. They're also more prone to bounce-outs on worn boards and can be affected by drafts in open-window pubs or outdoor settings. Browse our light darts collection.
Medium Darts: 21g — 24g
This is the sweet spot. The 21g–24g range is where the vast majority of professional and amateur players settle, and for good reason. These weights balance control with forgiveness, precision with stability, and nimbleness with board penetration.
Within this range, 23g is the single most popular weight on the PDC Tour, followed closely by 22g. If you're new to darts or unsure what to throw, 23g is the most neutral starting point. Check out our best darts for beginners guide for first-set recommendations.
Who should throw medium weight?
- Beginners still developing their technique
- Players who want the widest range of dart options to choose from
- Anyone upgrading from pub/house darts to their first quality set
- Experienced players who value versatility
Shop by weight: 22g | 23g | 24g
Heavy Darts: 25g — 30g+
Heavy darts suit players with a strong, deliberate throwing action. The extra mass means the dart is less affected by minor release imperfections — it simply has more momentum to maintain its line. Heavy darts also fly in a flatter arc, which some players find easier to replicate consistently.
Michael van Gerwen is the most famous heavy-dart thrower on the PDC Tour, using 25g darts with a powerful, shoulder-driven action. But he's the exception at the top level — most pros opt for lighter setups.
Who should consider heavy darts?
- Players with a strong, deliberate throw and full follow-through
- Players who naturally lob the dart in a high arc
- Those who want maximum forgiveness and stability
- Players who prefer the feel of substance in their hand
The trade-off: Fatigue is the main drawback. Heavy darts demand more effort per throw, and accuracy drops as muscles tire. Barrels are also thicker at the same tungsten percentage, making tight grouping harder. Browse our heavy darts collection or 25g darts.
What Weight Do Professional Players Use?
The data is clear: the top of the professional game clusters tightly around 22g–23g. Here's what the biggest names on tour throw:
| Player | Weight | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Littler | 22g | Target |
| Luke Humphries | 23g | Red Dragon |
| Michael van Gerwen | 25g | Winmau |
| Gerwyn Price | 22g | Red Dragon |
| Nathan Aspinall | 23g | Target |
| Gary Anderson | 23g | Unicorn |
| Peter Wright | 22g | Red Dragon |
| Josh Rock | 23g | Target |
| Rob Cross | 21g | Target |
| Stephen Bunting | 23g | Target |
| Jonny Clayton | 23g | Red Dragon |
| Damon Heta | 22g | Target |
Key takeaway: 22g–23g accounts for 83% of the top PDC players sampled. 23g alone represents 50%. Van Gerwen's 25g is the outlier, not the norm — and it works for him because of his uniquely powerful throwing action.
Don't blindly copy a pro's weight though. Their technique has been refined over decades. Instead, use their choices as confirmation that 22g–23g is a sensible range, then fine-tune from there based on your own throw.
Match Your Weight to Your Throwing Style
Your throwing style is the most reliable indicator of your ideal weight. Here's how to identify yours:
Fast Throwers → 16g–20g
You release quickly with minimal follow-through. Your draw is short — the dart barely travels back before firing forward. Your wrist does most of the work. Lighter darts complement this speed rather than dragging it down.
Balanced Throwers → 21g–24g
Your throw has a smooth, consistent arc with a natural follow-through. Your elbow drives the motion with good wrist snap at release. This is the most common throwing style and the medium weight range matches it perfectly.
Power Throwers → 25g–30g+
You throw with deliberate force, using your shoulder and full arm. Your follow-through is pronounced and the dart travels in a lower, flatter arc. Heavier darts suit this power because they don't overshoot the board under strong force.
The Physics: How Weight Changes Your Dart's Flight
Understanding the basic physics helps explain why weight matters so much:
Momentum = Mass x Velocity. A heavier dart carries more momentum at the same speed, which means it's less easily deflected by air resistance, other darts in the board, or imperfections in your release. This is why heavier darts feel more "stable" in flight.
But there's a catch: to maintain the same velocity with a heavier dart, you need to apply more force. Over hundreds of throws, that extra effort compounds into fatigue. And fatigued muscles produce inconsistent throws.
The ideal weight is the heaviest dart you can throw consistently without tiring. For most people, that's somewhere in the 21g–24g range.
How Weight Relates to Tungsten Percentage
Weight and barrel thickness are linked by the tungsten percentage of the dart. Tungsten is one of the densest metals available, which is why it's used in premium darts — you get more weight in a slimmer barrel.
Consider a 23g dart:
- Brass (low-cost): Very thick barrel. Difficult to group tightly in the treble bed.
- 80% tungsten: Noticeably slimmer than brass, good mid-range option.
- 90% tungsten: Slim barrel, the standard for serious players.
- 95% tungsten: Very slim, allows the tightest grouping at 23g.
If you want a heavier dart without sacrificing barrel slimness, move to a higher tungsten percentage. Our guide on 90% vs 95% tungsten covers this in detail.
How to Find Your Ideal Weight: A Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Start at 23g
Unless your throwing style strongly suggests otherwise, begin with 23g. It's the most popular weight on the professional tour for a reason — it's the best balance of control, forgiveness, and feel for the widest range of throwing styles.
Step 2: Throw 100 Darts and Observe
After a few practice sessions, pay attention to patterns in where your darts land:
- Consistently hitting below your target? The darts might be too heavy — they're dropping before reaching the right height. Try 21g–22g.
- Consistently hitting above your target? You're overpowering the weight. Try 24g–25g to add ballast that absorbs some of your force.
- Darts landing flat or tail-up? This is usually a release issue rather than weight. See our accuracy tips guide.
- Arm aching after 30 minutes? Drop 1–2g. Endurance matters, especially in league matches.
Step 3: Adjust by 1g at a Time
Don't jump from 22g to 26g. Move in 1g increments and commit to each weight for at least a week of regular practice. Your muscle memory needs time to recalibrate — judging a new weight after 10 throws is meaningless.
Step 4: Consider Your Full Setup
Dart weight doesn't exist in isolation. Longer shafts and larger flights add rear drag, which has a similar stabilising effect to adding weight. A 22g dart with standard flights and medium shafts will feel very different to the same barrel with slim flights and short shafts. Experiment with the full setup, not just the barrel weight.
Weight for Soft Tip vs Steel Tip Darts
If you play on an electronic soft tip board, weight limits apply. Most electronic boards cap at 18g–20g maximum to protect the plastic segments. Always check your board's specifications.
For steel tip boards, there's no upper weight limit. Quality bristle boards handle any weight without issue. That said, heavier darts (27g+) do wear boards faster and can cause deeper impact marks in the sisal.
Common Myths About Dart Weight
"Heavier darts stick in the board better"
Partially true, but misleading. Board penetration is primarily determined by point sharpness and throwing technique, not barrel weight. A well-thrown 20g dart with sharp points will stick far more reliably than a poorly thrown 28g dart with dull ones.
"Beginners should start heavy for more forgiveness"
Heavier darts are more forgiving of release imperfections, but they also tire you out faster — and fatigue causes far more missed darts than a slightly imperfect release. For beginners, the mid-range (22g–24g) offers enough forgiveness without the fatigue penalty.
"You should use the same weight as your favourite pro"
Professional players have spent years (often decades) refining their technique around a specific weight. Their choice reflects their unique biomechanics, not a universal truth. Use pro weights as a guide to what's popular, not as a prescription.
Take the ArrowHeadz Dart Picker Quiz
Still not sure which weight is right for you? Our dart picker quiz analyses your throwing style, experience level, and preferences to recommend the perfect weight and dart setup. It takes less than two minutes.
Maintaining Your Darts
Once you've found your ideal weight, keep your darts performing their best. Grip texture degrades over time as oils and dirt build up on the barrel. Our complete guide to cleaning your darts covers everything you need to know about barrel maintenance.
Looking for a quality case to protect your investment? Check out our dart cases collection or read our best dart cases UK guide.
The Bottom Line
The best dart weight for most players is 22g–24g. If you're new to darts, start at 23g. If you have a fast throw, try 21g–22g. If you throw with power and follow-through, try 24g–25g.
Don't overthink it. The perfect weight is the one that lets you throw consistently for an hour without your arm tiring and your darts landing where you want them. Everything else is fine-tuning.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What weight darts should a beginner use?
Start with 22g–24g darts, ideally 23g. This weight range is the most forgiving and offers the widest selection of darts to choose from. Once you've developed your technique over a few months, you can fine-tune up or down by 1g at a time. See our beginner's guide for specific recommendations.
What weight darts does Luke Littler throw?
Luke Littler throws 22g Target darts. Read more about his setup in our Luke Littler darts breakdown.
Is 23g or 24g better?
23g is the most popular single weight on the PDC Tour, but 24g is equally valid. The difference is subtle — 24g offers marginally more stability and forgiveness, while 23g is slightly more nimble. If you have a faster throw, lean toward 23g. If you prefer more substance in your hand, try 24g.
Can you change dart weight without buying new darts?
You can make small adjustments. Adding heavier points (longer or thicker) adds 1–3g to the front of the dart. Switching to metal shafts adds weight to the rear. These changes affect balance as well as total weight, so experiment carefully.
Do heavier darts damage the dartboard more?
Slightly. Heavier darts create deeper impact marks in the sisal fibres, which can wear a board faster over time. However, the difference is marginal with quality bristle dartboards. Point sharpness and how hard you throw matter more than barrel weight. Rotate your board regularly regardless of what weight you throw.
What's the heaviest dart weight allowed in competition?
In PDC, BDO, and WDF-sanctioned events, the maximum dart weight is 50g and the maximum length is 30.5cm. In practice, nobody throws anywhere near 50g — the heaviest you'll see on tour is around 26g–28g.
Should I use the same weight for practice and matches?
Always. Practising with one weight and playing with another defeats the purpose of building muscle memory. Your practice darts and match darts should be identical — same weight, same barrel, same setup.
