Flight Protectors for Darts: What, Why, and How Do You Use Them

Flights are known to be easy to break when the darts are frequently used. That’s why flight protectors exist. Besides the mission to protect, it also has other benefits.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the pros and cons and show you how to use flight protectors for darts.

What Is a Dart Flight Protector?

A dart flight protector is a small piece/cap that slots onto the end of a dart flight. It’s normally made of plastic or metal to minimize the damage caused to dart flights.

How Do You Use Dart Flight Protectors?

You put a flight protector on a dart to protect the flight. The process to do so is surprisingly easy:

• Take a dart with a flight in place.
• Spread the wings evenly (normally at an angle of 90 degrees).
• Slide the slots of a flight protector down to the back of the wings until they go down all the way.
• Put the dart aside and continue the same process with the others.

Very simple, right?

What Are the Benefits of Using Flight Protectors for Darts?

There are two main advantages that flight protectors are well-known for. These are also reasons why many players buy them.

The first one is protecting the back of darts and flights. There are many cases where a dart that is already on the board gets hit by another dart (by the way, this is called a robin hood shot or just a robin hood). A protector will prevent this, hence, increasing the lifespan of your darts.

Not to mention the cost of flight protectors is quite low. They are very affordable and easy to use as we’ve shown you in the steps above.

The second major benefit is stability. With a flight protector in place, the standard four wings will be kept spread evenly at a 90-degree angle from each other. This prevents bad shots by throwing darts with unevenly-spread wings and stabilizes the dart’s movement during flight. This also keeps the flights in good condition when they’re not in use.

What Are the Drawbacks of Using Flight Protector for Darts?

The first downside of flight protectors is they’re adding weight to the darts. Since flight protectors are very light, the added weight may not be big. But it can still affect the way you grip and throw darts. In professional competitions where every small detail matters, this may be a big factor to consider.

Another disadvantage is flight protectors may increase the chances of darts bouncing out. Without them, other darts would skim past the flight of the existing dart on the board. But now, chances are they will hit the protector and bounce out.

Also, dart flight protectors are quite small. Once they fall, it’s really hard for you to find them back.

Do Pro Players Use Flight Protectors for Darts?

When comparing the pros and cons in a professional competition context, it seems like the latter outweighs the former. So, unfortunately, the majority of pro players are not in the favor of using dart flight protectors for their professional games.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean others should use flight protectors for their darts. In the majority of cases where people casually practice to improve or play for fun, these protectors can become very helpful in terms of keeping darts in good condition.

Conclusion

Dart flight protectors offer many practical benefits, including protection for the back and stabilizing the movement. How to use flight protectors for darts is also very easy and they are cheap. So, if you’re planning to practice or play casual games regularly, consider buying some of them for your darts.