Why Do My Dart Flights Keep Coming Out?

why do my dart flights keep coming out

Whether you are a relative newcomer to this game of skill or even a seasoned veteran, from time to time you might experience an unpleasant enigma. For some reason, your dart flights are falling out. So, why does this happen?

With plastic stems, this is generally standard wear and tear from frequent use that is causing the flights to simply fall off. With metal stems, this is far less likely to occur, but even these can get damaged over time, significantly reducing the grip that normally holds your flights safely in place.

Today we’re going to explore your flights in a little more depth so that you’ll know a little more about their purpose, how to fix them when they are failing, and what you can do as preventative-maintenance to help keep flight failure at a minimum. Without further ado, let’s fix a firm-focus on your flights!

Do Dart Flights Make a Difference?

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Oh yes, your flights are quite vital to proper flight, and the size of your flights can also make a huge difference in what you can do. While there are a number of specialized flights that you can choose from, the most basic thing to consider is the difference between smaller and larger flights.

Smaller flights mean that your dart will meet less air resistance and move lightly and quickly… though the caveat is that you’ll have less angles to employ for a successful attack. Larger flights are going to have more of a drag coefficient, but will require less force to throw and allow you stick a heavier dart with a bit more ease.

In general, shorter flights are great for plastic tip of lighter alloy darts, while larger flights are better for heavier, steel-tipped darts. Lighter are a better fit for precision throws and large flights are superior for ‘lobbing’ styles. You’ll have to experiment a little to see what you like the most and you should definitely try some of the more specialized flights… the results can be outstanding.

We recommend using Harrows Carbon Dart Flights for maximum performance and durability.

How to Keep Dart Flights From Falling Off

There are a number of things that you can do to extend the stability and overall life of your flights, so we’ve gathered some of the best recommendations to use for maximizing their lifespan and efficiency. Choose one, more, or all of these and you’ll be enjoying your favorite flights for a good, long time.

Stem Rings

Stem rings are simple discs or springs of metal which are designed to attach your flights more firmly to your darts. They are easy to install and offer a great way to affix your flights and some even offer a little better grip in the bargain.

Flight Protectors

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Flight Protectors are another option that you might consider and they are designed to ensure that your flights are spread evenly and thus will perform with more aerodynamic grace. It just so happens that they increase the hold on your flights in the bargain, so this is a useful way to make your darts more accurate, aerodynamic, and structurally stable.

To check the current price and availability of Target Darts Flight Protectors, click here to view them on Amazon.

Consider Steel Darts

Plastic darts are light, and easily replaced, but you really should consider making the move to metal darts. Some metal darts are quite light and a real pleasure to play with. Steel-tipped darts have a good lifespan to them as well, since you can easily re-sharpen them.

This helps to ensure that your throws are more likely to find and fix to their targets rather than bouncing away and requiring a second throw. The more bounce outs you have, the more chances you will damage your dart flights.

Change Out Your Flights Frequently to Extend Their Life

Experiment with different flights and when you’ve found your favorites, why not stock up on them? If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing darts tournaments, you’ll notice that the pros tend to frequently change out their flights during the course of the competition.

This helps to ensure that you get more predictable throws while reducing the wear and tear on your flights considerably. Yes, it will cost you a little more at first to stock up on flights, but if you change them regularly, you’ll have a tighter game and you’ll get a lot more life out of your flights.

Bottom line, it’s cheaper in the long run and improves your accuracy.  

Why Do My Darts Not Fly Straight?

Most commonly this has less to do with the flights and more to do with form and your throw. For instance, if you grip the dart way too tightly you can end up with a less accurate throw. Alternately, a loose grip can make it go high. Sometimes an improperly timed release can results in your fingers lightly brushing on the flights and this can cause inaccuracy as well.

To rule out flight issues, first try swapping out the flights to see if this corrects the issue.

How Do I Fix My Darts Flight?

If swapping out the flights doesn’t help, pay close attention to how they are affixing. Even the slightest angling can be a sign of stem damage and you might just have to replace the dart. If the darts are new, however, then consider their size.

If you’ve just purchased steel-tipped darts, for instance, but only have smaller flights, then you might try some larger flights to see if you get more stable aerodynamics. You also want to pay attention to the overall stiffness of the flights.

Quality flights should be fairly stiff and they look and perform quite a lot better than the cheaper ones. Finally, check the flights that you are using for chips and cracks. These are sometimes easy to overlook, but they can have a noticeable impact on the accuracy of your throws. If you find any, it’s time to replace the flights and this should fi the issue.

Final Thoughts

In this article we’ve explored the importance of form in the function of your flights and as you can see, these are a vital part of your darts. With a little experimentation you can find the perfect flights to compliment your playing style and if you love the game, you should definitely consider moving to metal darts for their stability and longevity of play.

Beyond this, with a little preventative maintenance and modification you can extend and increase flight stability. Consider stems and flight protectors as an option and pay close attention to how tightly you screw-in those flights. You want to ensure that they are secure but easily changeable as-needed.

Finally, swap out your flights frequently. You can stock up on your favorites so that you get the heft and feel that you are used to and by rotating them out you’ll extend their life considerably. All that you will have left to do is practice, practice, practice!

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