Thank you to Paul from Performance Darts for very kindly sending me these soft tip darts as a belated birthday gift and also for review. I have just recently ventured into the world of soft tip darts during the lockdown enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic as a means for playing semi-competitive darts online and with some friends. I also fancied trying something slightly different and it looked like a lot of fun.
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.
Inside the outer packaging you get a hard plastic case that contains the 3 darts with black soft tips in a point protector, a set of inbetween length black nylon stems and a set of striking standard size Performance Darts flights.
I have been a fan of the steel tip PD Extreme darts for quite a few years now and as such the soft tip version was a must try for me. They are available in 20g and 22g in the soft tip model. Today I am reviewing the 22g version. I like a 23g/24g steel tip dart and as such the 22g soft tip version made sense for me.
Weights & Dimensions | Dart 1 | Dart 2 | Dart 3 |
| Barrel Weight | 22.0g | 22.0g | 22.0g |
| Barrel + Soft Tip Weight | 22.4g | 22.4g | 22.4g |
| Fully Setup Dart | 24.2g | 24.2g | 24.2g |
| Dart Length | 43.2mm | 43.2mm | 43.2mm |
| Dart Front Smooth Ring Width | 7mm | 7mm | 7mm |
| Dart Widest Point Width | 7.1mm | 7.1mm | 7.1mm |
| Dart Scallop Width | 6.1mm | 6.1mm | 6.1mm |
The production quality of these darts is simply amazing. Everything was matching up exactly on my scales and callipers.
Darts Grip and Feel
The darts have that classic PD Extreme look, with the slightly tapered, 2 sections of thin mild ring grip at the front of the barrel, followed by a larger smooth section and then into the scalloped micro ringed section. The rear of the barrel has a smooth taper to transition seamlessly to the shaft.
The grip at the front of the barrel is a low-medium level grip, but the thinness of the cuts does provide a decent level of grip, which was pleasantly surprising as I grip more towards the front of the barrel.
The grip within the scallop is a medium level grip, albeit slightly more grippy than the front. The grip is aided by the scallop, giving a perfect reference point for the thumb and an area to propel the dart forward.
Soft tip darts can be swapped around such that the front becomes the back and the back becomes the front, to suit your grip needs making the darts flexible.
Throwing the Darts
The darts are a delight to throw. They fly through the air so smoothly and effortlessly aided by the excellent grip that doesn’t cling to your fingers.
I experimented throwing the darts with my usual grip and also using the rear scallop to see what that offers for those that grip the dart in that section.
The grip at the front section is just nice. I can feel the thin rings providing just enough grip without the dart slipping or having to apply added pressure to my grip.
The grip within the scallop is superb. The micro ringed grip coupled with the scallop produces a grip that is repeatable, consistent and feels lovely.
Conclusion
I really like these darts!
I have thrown the darts mostly using the standard configuration, but as part of this review and because I like the grip within the scallop so much I have swapped them around so that the scallop is now at the front where I grip the dart and this is working so well.
The darts are around 8mm shorter than their steel tip counterparts and for me this took a little getting used to, but then again, the whole soft tip game took some getting used to! After I had spent some time getting used to the new game, the darts and with the barrel swapped around, I have to say that the darts just work.
I cannot recommend these darts highly enough to anyone that is getting into soft tip darts or even wants to give them a try on their steel tip board using a set of conversion points.
The darts are available from many of the top darts retailers that are listed here for a RRP of £29.95.
