How to Choose a Barrel

Picking a barrel is particularly difficult if you are unable to try out the dart first. However, once you are very familiar with your grip, it's quite possible to select a barrel from an online store that you are 100% comfortable with.

A barrels attributes can be divided into three categories: Weight-balance, shape, and grip. By understanding how these three categories interact, a player can make better purchases.

1. Weight-Balance: Which weight are you comfortable with? Generally, beginners who play steel-tip select barrels that are a little heavier at first, since they are more forgiving to hitches in the delivery. If you are playing soft-tip, you have less options - the weight being around 18 grams most of the time. Next, do you prefer the weight at the front of the barrel, the middle, or evenly distributed?

Center-loaded - Better for players who grip the barrel in the middle, or slightly behind the center of balance
Front-loaded - Better for players who grip the barrel closer to the tip
Even-loaded - Better for players who place fingers more evenly on the barrel

2. Shape: The shape of the dart is directly related to its weight-balance. The three most common shapes are "straight," "bomb," and "torpedo". Straight barrels are usually even-loaded, Bomb-style barrels are usually front-loaded, and Torpedo-style barrels are usually center-loaded. It is important to note that in addition to a different weight-balance, the shape affects the ways in which a player places his or her fingers:

Straight - Due to its small minimum diameter throughout the entire barrel, straight-style barrels are often better for players who place two or more fingers on top of the barrel, and sometimes less effective for players who use pencil-style grip

Torpedo - Ideal for players who tend to over grip skinny darts since it provides a fatter mid-section to hold

Bomb - Like Torpedo-style, Bomb-style provides a fatter section but is closer to the front of the barrel.

3. Grip - Grip is often what separates a perfect barrel from a generic barrel. There are many styles of grip that provide a range of power - some grips are extremely grippy, while others are smoother for easier release. Just as important as grip are the smooth sections of the barrel. Many manufacturers create smooth sections to remove any impediments that may interfere with the release. The following grip styles are "shark-cuts," "rings," and "razor cuts."

To illustrate, I'll analyze a variety of barrels from the VegaDarts website:

DMC STANDARD Hawk Silver Model

The first thing I notice about this barrel is that it is mostly a standard straight shape, with even weight distribution. Although there is slightly more material removed from the rear of the barrel, it won't affect its balance too much. Next, the main section of grip is a shark-cut style, which provides maximum strength upon the forward-action of a throw, and less grip on the pullback. The smooth section on the middle serves two functions: First, it removes unnecessary grip that the particular player won't use, and it also provides a place to "anchor" the barrel. If the grip continued, a player couldn't easily find the exact place to find the grip every time they step up to the oche. Finally, there is an additional shark-cut on the front of the barrel. This provides an additional anchor point and grip for players who place a finger near the front for extra balance.

Gold Line A-FLOW "TRON"

This is a front-loaded barrel with the entire front section completely smoothed out, besides a sharp angle that connects the mid-section with the front of the barrel. The grip-style begins with ringed cuts and then transitions into subtle shark-style cuts. This barrel is designed for someone who grips in the rear and prefers a less "sticky" grip.

Samurai Fusion RS

The interesting thing about Samurai Fusion RS is that it is both front-loaded and straight due to its use of the lighter titanium for the rear-section. Also note how the grip is an intermediate between ring-cut and shark-cut, which allows more power upon release, but also adds power to the pull-back. In the mid section, the grip changes again, to a wider-shark cut, providing an additional anchor-point and stability.