Thank you to Paul from Performance Darts for very kindly sending me these beautiful looking darts for review. The darts have been designed by Jon Hayllor and fit seamlessly into the Performance Dart brand and line-up with their combination of ring grip and signature Performance Darts micro grip.
These darts come in 22g and 24g, are 90% tungsten and have 5 different grip sections on the barrel. I will be reviewing the 24g barrel.
The darts come in the usual Performance Darts clamshell style packaging with the nicely designed paper inserts including the detail on the Performance Darts range and principles on the rear insert. I notice on the rear details that 2020 will bring around the 10th anniversary of the first Performance Darts, congratulations!
Inside the outer packaging you get a hard plastic case that contains the 3 darts in a point protector, a set of in-between length black nylon stems and a set of striking standard size Performance Darts flights. The darts come fitted with 26mm (protruding) plain silver points as standard.
The darts have a traditional style about them, but with the Performance Darts touch of the micro grip. I especially like how the PD logo looks in the rear micro grip section! With grip going right from the very front of the barrel to the rear this is set to be a dart that will suit a huge range of players.
From front to rear we have a tapered bull nose with 1 plain ring, this leads us into the first main grip section of the barrel, which is made up of 3 micro-gripped rings, where the 3rd ring is slightly larger than the first 2. Following this we have 3 plain tungsten rings. The 3rd grip section on the barrel is 1 large micro-gripped ring, which is sized perfectly to fit on a thumb. The penultimate section is 2 plain tungsten rings of varying sizes and the final section is tapered down to match up perfectly with the stem, is microgripped and has the PD logo laser-engraved.
Overall a very stylish barrel with plenty of reference points to allow you to get your grip in the same place every throw.
The grip level of the dart is around a medium level, with the micro-gripped sections offering more grip than the plain tungsten sections without being aggressive. I would be a fan of the micro-grip on the Performance Darts as I feel that it offers a nice level of grip, but doesn’t snag on the fingers upon release. These Relentless darts provide a very nice mix between plain rings and micro-gripped rings to allow you to find a grip position that suits your throw.
The darts are advertised as 24g so let’s see what they weigh when put on the scales.
All absolutely the same at 23.9g – perfect weight matching.
The darts measure at 48mm long and a uniform diameter of 6.8mm. They are drilled out on the rear around 11mm.
The first thing I noticed about the darts when I picked them up to throw them was how well balanced they feel. They seem slide into the fingers and find their place within the grip without having to put any thought into it. After this it is simply a case of projecting the dart to the target – if only it was this easy! I grip the dart towards the front of the barrel with the majority of my grip on the 3rd micro-gripped ring and using the first plain tungsten section as a reference point.
The quality of the darts and the machining that has gone into them to produce the grip pattern is truly excellent. I wouldn’t say that these darts have a tapered nose, but the ever so slightly tapered bull nose does allow the darts to slide past each other, prevent deflections and sit tightly packed in the board.
In conclusion, I always look forward to a Performance Darts launch as I know I am going to be presented with a quality and interesting dart to get to grips with and once again they have hit the spot with the Relentless darts. They have an understated elegance about them that is not flash and showy like a lot of modern darts, but rather has a traditional style that you can’t help but like and admire.
I feel like these darts will suit a lot of players with the grip they offer, the dimensions that they come in at and should be given a try. You can get your hands on these from 9th March 2020 and as always with a Performance Darts release keep your eyes peeled on their social media accounts for competitions and offers