In September 2019, Target Darts presented the Swiss Point technology: a patented locking system that uses a taper and hex. Although inter-changeable points are not a new idea, this system puts a new spin on the concept.

There are four major benefits of the Swiss Point system:

The points will never loosen

The taper goes in and snugs up inside the barrel, so i does not loosen. It’s a technology that has been proven successful in other sports. Target Darts is the first to implement this system in the dart industry.

The Perfect Backup

The Swiss Point system is the perfect backup solution for broken points. You have the ability to change your points on the fly! Not only can you customize your points according to the board you are playing on, but it offers a real solution to the problem of broken steel points. Should you encounter a broken point, you can quickly fix the problem with a back up set of Swiss Points.

Save You Board

Change your board-change your points. Protect your home board by using the less aggressive smooth points. Then for league or tournament play, where you absolutely need your darts to stick, switch to grip edged points for optimal performance.

Save money and time.

The Swiss Point system offers a quick, inexpensive and easy way to replace broken points. You only have the cost of the points-no labor. Plus you replace them on the spot. The points have a groove which was placed purposefully as a break point. If the point snaps-it should fail at this spot, which is located far enough from the barrel to allow the wrench to grab the hex. The goal is to prevent points from shearing off at the barrel. Therefore eliminating the problem of expensive point pullers and figuring out how to replace a broken point on your own or finding a professional to do it for you.

To Summarize

Target Darts’ Swiss Point technology is the perfect locking system where the steel point will never come loose. Point options can assist in prolonging the life of your favorite bristle board. Changing a broken point with this system is a no-hassle, quick and user-friendly experience. We are sure to see an expanded line of Swiss Point dart styles as the technology becomes more popular. Currently, Target Darts offers four barrel models featuring the Swiss Point technology in various weights.

The Phil Taylor Power 9-Five Generation 6 with swiss point technology is available in 22 and 24 grams.

Learn more

Target Swiss Point, Phil Taylor Power 9 Five Gen 6 Dart

The Swiss Point dart series SP 1, 2 and 3 are available in assorted weights of 21 to 26 grams.

Learn more

The unique Swiss points are available in three styles: Smooth, Firepoint and Diamond etched. All are available in black or silver in two lengths 26 or 30 mm per style.

The Swiss Point tool is included in all Swiss Point dart packages, but is also sold separately.

Learn More

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019

Stacey Pace – The Raven

A-ZDarts Sponsored player Stacey Pace blowing the camera a kiss with friends

Stacey Pace – The Raven

25 Years

Stacey Pace has been playing darts competitively for over 25 years. Beginning in NYC at a little bar with her mentor and still very dear friend Bruce Kei. After working hard at perfecting her form and out’s, she entered her first tournament – the New York Open. Taking several top 4’s including one in singles. Having performed so well in her first tournament, she never looked back and was completely hooked on the game!

Stacey Pace holding the bullshooter women's AA 501 Doubles check for $1,400

Advocate For Darts

Stacey Pace, a huge advocate for women’s darts, is a great Ambassador for our sport. She always plays to win, but accepts defeat with humility and uses that as an opportunity to grow her game. Most importantly she has made lifelong friends through this game that makes her feel blessed daily. She is proud to be a member of the Kryptonite Girls, a hand-picked group of women who compete and promote women’s darts as role models and Ambassadors.

Stacey’s Player Jerseys

Whats the future hold?

Stacey’s goals are to attend more competitions internationally, with the added benefit of collecting friends and growing her dart family.

Stacey Pace is currently sponsored by Magic Wear Sports Apparel, 8 Flight, and Magic Darts. Her dart preference is her Colonial signature black Stacey Pace barrel, 8 flight flight and shaft, and the 180 Re-flex steel point version C.

Stacey Pace Signature Colonial Line

The Setup

PERSONAL	DARTS	OTHER SPONSORS
Nickname: The Raven	Barrel: Signature Colonial Barrel	Magic Wear Sports Apparel
Date of Birth: 02-21-65	Shaft: 8 Flight Shafts	8 Flight
Current City: Denver, CO	Flight: 8 Flight Dart Flights
Dominant Hand: Left	Tip: Re-Flex Points version C

October 2, 2019October 8, 2019

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat

This October, we want to TREAT our customers in our Trick or Treat event!! When you find this Jack-o-Bunny on our site, be sure to click on it and add your treat to your cart.

Our Jack-o-Bunny will be located somewhere on our website. HINT: Look for unique pages. Also note – it will not be in the same place all the time. Plus, it won’t be located on a specific product page, but it could be in a specific category. So be on the look out!

Things to know for the Trick or Treat event: Limit 1 per order. Any quantity above 1 will charge you $5 per item. If you find that you have more than 1, please edit your cart and click “Remove”. You can add this free item for each order you submit. There is no minimum purchase requirement, but you must purchase at least one item to get the free Treat. Your free Treat can vary from order to order and/or week to week. So do not expect your Treats to be the same the entire month!

Additionally, You can now find some spook-tastic items by typing “Halloween” into the search bar.

Happy Halloween! Have fun Trick or Treating!

September 8, 2019September 22, 2019

When Stoke ruled the Darting World

Dart Player Ian White poised and ready to throw his steel tip dart

Darts World Wide player Ian white on the verge of throwing a dart — *Ian White, carrying the flag for Stoke’s darts legacy*

In this article we are going to take a look at darts worldwide. We will be focusing on Stoke England and the legacy that is there.

On the surface Stoke, or Stoke on Trent to give it its full title, is very much like any other working class town in England. It has a football team, a glorious but now fading industrial past and a fierce pride in its own identity. However, for the latter part of the last century – and the first decade of this one – Stoke was famous for something else. It was without doubt the darts capital of the world.

The Town

In its present form, Stoke is a relative newcomer on the landscape, formed from the amalgamation of six towns in North Staffordshire as recently as 1910. Its history dates all the way back to the 7th century, however.

Located roughly equidistant (50 miles give or take) between the industrial giants of Birmingham and Manchester, Stoke and the surrounding regions became synonymous with fine pottery. It is where world famous companies such as Royal Doulton and Wedgwood were formed and based, and the area is still known as The Potteries today.

In 2016, the population of Stoke stood at a little over 260,000. There are no exact numbers, but a high proportion of that 260,000 will probably be darts fans or players. Many of the numerous pubs don’t simply have a dartboard or dart team, some have as many have six, seven or more darts teams. As a consequence, it has been a long time since a player from the Potteries was not among the leading names to win the PDC World Championship.

The Power

It is hard to talk about Stoke – and indeed equally difficult to discuss darts – without Phil “The Power” Taylor being front and centre of that discussion. His record is remarkable and in all probability will not just never be bettered or even equalled, but no one will come close.

Phil Taylor holding up his 15th world wide matchplay title trophy — Taylor’s 15th World Matchplay title in Blackpool

Born in 1960 in Stoke, Taylor went on to win 214 dart tournaments, 85 of them being major titles – a record. He won the Worldwide Darts Championships 16 times, another record. Between 1994 and 2007 Taylor appeared in every single World Championship final (a record), winning 8 consecutive ones between 1995 and 2002 – yes, you guessed it another record. The list goes on and on. Taylor was also one of the 16 players who broke away from the British Darts Organisation (BDO) in 1993 to form the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation).

Those he Inspired

It is hard to underestimate the effect such a star in the sport had on the what is a small close knit community. It is little wonder the sport is now a part of the town’s identity, and many others have stepped up and taken the baton Taylor held aloft for so long.

Adrian Lewis was a friend and practice partner of Taylor, and won the World Championships in 2011 and 2012. The second of those was against Andy Hamilton – another Stokie. Talk to people in the know in the pubs and clubs around town and there are many more waiting to move up to elite level and join local thrower Ian White, who is currently ranked in the world top ten.

Phil Taylor holding grocery bags — *Life after a darts superstar*

Where it all Began

Interestingly, Stoke’s love affair with darts did not start with Phil Taylor. For that we have to go back further in time, to one of the sport’s most charismatic figures.

Despite being known as “The Crafty Cockney”, darts legend and winner of 5 World Championships between 1980 and 1986, Eric Bristow moved to North Staffordshire in 1979. Coincidentally or not, that was the same year that the venue for the World Championships moved to a venue in Stoke. In Taylor’s autobiography he talks about how instrumental Bristow’s move to the area was for him and the town as a whole, “It was almost like Jesus relocating from the Holy Land to Milton Keynes.”

Whatever happens in the future, Stoke on Trent will always have that period in its history when it was the capital of the darts world. It’s extremely unlikely that any other British town or city will come close to matching its monopoly on the worldwide darts game. If this has inspired you to pick up that tungsten, we have articles and advice from Taylor himself, and other aids to improve your game.

August 28, 2019September 18, 2019

Live! ADL Spring League Finales

2019 Action Dart League Spring Finals at the nugget casino in sparks nevada

Reporting on the Action Dart League Spring finals in Sparks, Nevada: Held this past weekend and what a fun event!! Well directed and lots of players in attendance. We set up our on-site store, streamed dart matches and met some great players! In case you were unable to attend, we have added some recordings below. If you participated in the fall 2019 Action Dart League and want to submit a picture, please contact us.

1st Elite Doubles
Mike Yaksitch & Billy Dryden
2nd Elite Doubles
Chad Wise & Dustin Flanary

1st C Doubles
Dan Brinser & Matt Brinser
2nd C Doubles
Michael Ross & Tiffany Gromer

1st 14 Cap
Tito Sandoval & Mike Hinman
2nd 14 Cap
Roger Williams & Wendy Knowles
1st 20 Cap
Maka & Jocquina Batula
2nd 20 Cap
John Summer & Richard Tiger

1st BB Doubles
Kenny Buchmiller & Cody Stoke
2nd BB Doubles
Tiki Tod Bauer & Kodie Ray

Below are more photos of 1st and 2nd place winners.

August 17, 2019September 18, 2019

8-Flight, Used by Champions

8-flight banner showing the locking system for the flight and the shaft

July 28, 2019September 20, 2019

Shot! The Bandit and Bandit Duro

Back in 1992, Shot darts revolutionized steel tip dartboards with the first bladed bristle board. Today they’re updating their original recipe for success. As a result of years of player experience and manufacturing knowledge Shot came up with two different versions of the Bandit so you can select the best board that fits your throw, environment, and gear.

The segments use brighter eco-friendly inks, tested under multiple lighting systems, making the board bright and visible without being harsh or distracting. The steel number ring was updated as well. While the numbers themselves are still white, the outer ring is now black giving more contrast and making it easier to see and focus on the numbers. The number ring is a clip on-clip off system for ease of rotating the board.

Both the Bandit and Bandit Duro are made with premium self-healing African sisal conditioned for high durability. Shot continues to use the finest razor wire which is approximately 50% thinner than other boards and 100% staple free. Meaning larger play area, virtually no bounce-outs, and higher scores. It’s for these reasons that the Bandit is the board of choice for the Championship Dart Circuit (CDC).

Both boards come with a tape measure, U-Bracket, foam wedges, and a cardboard stabilizer. The puck style mounting bracket makes for quick and easy installation and rotation. The innovative cardboard backing and foam wedges are used for stabilization and sound dampening – making the Bandit and Bandit Duro the quietest steel-tip boards on the market.

So the big question is which board should you choose? Shot wants you to carefully select your board the way you would select your darts; get something that fits you. Consider your throw, your environment, and your gear when selecting a board.

The Bandit is made with medium packed sisal and would endure well in humid environments where the sisal may expand and relax. This would be my recommendation for anywhere NOT temperature controlled like a garage or outside. It might last longer if you avoid textured grooved points which pull out the sisal.

The Bandit Duro is made with hard packed sisal and should do well in temperature controlled climates. It proves to respond better to aggressive textured points that can pull out sisal.

Much like Shot branded darts, the new Bandit and Bandit Duro are a balanced blend between years of manufacturing knowledge, player experience, and innovative technologies.

Click the links below to see the products on A-ZDarts

Bandit | Bandit Duro

July 28, 2019September 18, 2019

Cornhole: Family Fun Gone Pro!

Magic Wear Cornhole Court at the Taste of Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce Event
Magic Wear Cornhole at the Taste of Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce Event

Cornhole, as a professional sport, is on the rise. Previously known as a fun backyard, and tailgating party game; cornhole can now be viewed on ESPN as a headlining sport. Before figuring out how Cornhole found its way on to one of the largest media networks in the US; which begs the question what is Cornhole?

A game of precision and accuracy more than anything, sometimes called “Soft Horseshoes”, the object of Cornhole is similar to horseshoes only replace the Iron post with a hole in a board and the horseshoes with beanbags. Boards are placed 27 feet apart, players stand in a “Pitcher’s Box”, a 4 foot by 3 foot box at either end of the court from there bags are thrown at the board on the opposing side of the court. A bag on the board is worth 1 point while a bag tossed slid or knocked into the whole is worth 2 points. The game is played until a player, in singles, or team, in doubles, reaches or exceeds 21 points.

Typically finding a home at summer backyard barbecues and tailgating events, the casual family game gone pro has found a new home on ESPN. Cornhole has actually been airing on ESPN for a couple of years now debuting in 2016 on ESPN3. The sport got a spot on ESPN2 the following year. Then by with some luck, and surely some shrewd negotiations The ACL Pro Invitational on the 4th of July in 2018 was the headline sports event Viewed by 500,000 people. This week the ACL can be found holding their 4th National Tournament of the year in Uncasville, Connecticut. This event can be viewed live on ESPN; Thursday, The 4th of July, on ESPN2 and Friday, July 5th, 2019, on ESPN and ESPN2.

Fisher Bissett, righBranson McCannon, at the ACL National College Cornhole Championships on Dec. 30, 2018. by Lauren Petracca at Post and Courier
Fisher Bissett, right, and Samanetha Richardson, left at the ACLNational College Cornhole Championships on Dec. 30, 2018. by Lauren Petracca at Post and Courier

We’ve joined in on all the fun too. At the Taste of Fair Oaks- a local Chamber of Commerce event- we set up cornhole boards and held challenges for awesome prizes, such as a special event jersey, made by our sister company Magic Wear and an electronic dartboard. A local woodworker made our custom hardwood cornhole boards for the event and they turned out beautifully. The event was a blast and it was awesome to bring strangers together for a family fun backyard game. The boards are now for sale in our retail store and we carry extra bags in an array of colors. We plan to set up the boards at our upcoming 30th Anniversary bash, August 9th and 10th. If you happen to be in the area drop by for some family fun and prizes!

July 28, 2019September 20, 2019

How To Put On ORings: O-Rings? Oh My!

Are you tightening your shaft after every throw? Ever wish there was something that can help with this problem? Well I’m here to tell you there is! And it’s beautiful little things called an o-rings. In this article we will be showing you several methods on how to put an oring on your darts.

O-rings are small rubber rings that is placed in that open area above the threads and below the body of the shaft. When the shaft is tightened into the barrel, it basically acts as a seal (or gasket) between the thread and barrel. Hence, eliminating movement, some vibration and the issue of over-tightening your shaft. You only need to screw the shaft and barrel together-no need to wrench down with an o’ring. Something to note-it was common knowledge when putting metal to metal (like aluminum shafts to tungsten barrel) you would always need an o’ring. However, with the harder plastic and various hard materials shafts are made of now, most manufactures recommend using o’rings on these shafts as well. Keep in mind, by wrenching your shaft tight in your barrel, you run a greater risk of the shaft snapping at the barrel if your dart were to hit the ground.

O’rings are so useful but putting them on can be a challenge. It’s a lot like threading a needle except the needle is floppy and the yarn is stiff. I polled the crew here at Magic Darts and below are some methods of how we put on o’rings:

The Tuck n Roll – The tuck n roll method revolves around placing the o’ring onto the thread at an angle so that one side of the o’ring is above the first few threads. Once there, hold it into position with your finger. With the other hand stretch the loose side of the ring by pushing it to loop it over the shaft. Once it sits on the threads, simply roll it down over the threads to the shaft base.

The Knit n Roll – The knit and roll shares many of the base principals as the Tuck n Roll except instead of using your second hand you use the point of a dart. After the ring is held in position on one side of the shaft, place a dart point in the center of the o’ring and stretch the ring over the threads using the point. Once your ring has caught onto the threads, pull your point out and roll over the threads to the base of the shaft.

The Back Slide – The final method on how to put on an oring is the backslide. In this method you apply the ring from the other direction. Your shaft must be naked, meaning your flight and any stem rings have to be removed. Place the o’ring over the flight end of the shaft and roll it down the entire length of the shaft to its resting place at that empty section above the threads. This method we found to be the easiest however it does have its drawbacks: the o’ring can stretch or might tear and get caught in any cuts or grooves in the shaft. It’s trial and error if this method will work for you.

The Tool – If you find the methods above too challenging, we have a solution. After all, those little round suckers can be hard to manage! There are nifty tools available that look like bowling pins and are hollow on the bottom. Whit the tool you do not need to learn how to put on an oring, the tool does it for you! Simply place the hollowed bottom over the threads of the shaft, put the o’ring on the top of the tool and slide to the bottom of the tool. Once there, pull the tool back a little and slide the ring off into the empty resting space of the shaft. This is hands down the simplest method, and the one we recommend. There are different versions of tools on the market, even a handy one that is re-loadable;meaning you can store your o’rings on the tool ready to use when needed.

Gomu System – There is an alternative to o rings that accomplishes the same task and that is the Gomu by L style. It is another system that does not require you to know how to put on an oring. The Gomu shaft tightening system has three “Caps” that you place the thread from the shaft into. Then while the cap is over the shaft threads, you screw the shaft into the barrel of the dart. This system is fast and easy but one thing we have noticed is the seal becomes broken if you unscrew the shaft, where as with o rings you generally can unscrew and re screw multiple times without having to replace it.

6 pack Oring
Shot’s O-ring Tool
Target’s O-ring Tool
Lstyle Gomu

Below you can find links to the different o-ring products we offer.

6 Pack O-Rings | 12 Pack m3 O-Rings

Shot’s O-Ring Tool | Targets O-Ring Tool

L Style Gomu

July 27, 2019August 10, 2019

Website Navigation – Mastering The Wish List

A-ZDarts website navigation episode on using the wishlist

In this article we will discuss the wish list feature on the website. We think you will find the wish list to be a useful tool when shopping with a-zdarts.com.

What is a wish list?

A wish list is a collection of desired products that are saved on account signifying interest without immediate intent to purchase. That’s great… but what does that mean exactly? Basically, you add items you are interested in and save this list for convenience. There is no pressure or timeline to purchase. You can make multiple wish lists and save them under different names. Reason for this would be-if you are looking at five or six different darts and want to think on them and make a purchase on payday-save these models on a wish list to revisit at the time you want to purchase. Same with accessories like flights and shafts.

Where is the wish list?

You will find the wish list section once you click on the “My Account” tab. In order to access this page, you must have an account. If you do not have an account, you can create one here: https://www.a-zdarts.com/wish-list.html? After you log in, locate the Account tab (Tap triple horizontal bar in top left if mobile, or account button next to cart for desktop). Once inside the account section locate the button labeled “View wish list”.

How to create a wish list?

Once you are on the wish list page, you will see a “Create a wish list” button and a field for previously created wish lists. (If this is your first list, you will have no saved wish lists). Now click the “Create a wish list” button. On the next page you will see three fields, Title, Notes, and Public checkbox. In the Title box enter the name you want to call your wish list. For example, you may want to call one Darts (for any darts you have been thinking about purchasing) or Birthday list (for items you want to receive as a birthday present). The Notes box allows you to add extra information about your wish list. The checkbox Public-check only if you want someone else to view your wish list. Leave this field unchecked when you want your wish list to be visible only to you. Next click the “Save” button and you have created a wish list! Next, just add product to your wish list. To add product to your wishlist, go to an item and click into the details page. There you will see the quantity, red add to cart button and a button to the right “Add to wish list”. Select the quantity you want on this item and click the “Add to Wish List” button. Your item will automatically add to your newly created wishlist.

Tips on using the wish list feature

A short cut for adding product to your wish list would be to add all items to your cart (including desired quantities) then click the “edit cart” button. Once on this page you can select the “Move all to wish list” button. However, this will only move these items to a wish list you have already created. So if this is a new wish list you want to create-you must go through the steps in the Account tab/Wish list to create first.

Public Checkbox: A great feature of the wish list is you can make your list public and share with friends and family. Be sure to check the “Public” box and give them the list name. They can go to the site and click “wish list”. In the “Find a wish list” field, they will type your wish list name and then search. On the next page they click your list name. The following page will show your items from which they can add to their basket for their purchase. They will not need to create an account to purchase from your wish list.

We hope you found this article helpful. Please leave feedback if we might have missed anything!

A-Z Darts Blog

Posts

Steel Tip Game Changer: Target Swiss Point

There are four major benefits of the Swiss Point system:

The points will never loosen

The Perfect Backup

Save You Board

Save money and time.

To Summarize

The Phil Taylor Power 9-Five Generation 6 with swiss point technology is available in 22 and 24 grams.

The Swiss Point dart series SP 1, 2 and 3 are available in assorted weights of 21 to 26 grams.

The unique Swiss points are available in three styles: Smooth, Firepoint and Diamond etched. All are available in black or silver in two lengths 26 or 30 mm per style.

Smooth

Firepoint

Diamond

The Swiss Point tool is included in all Swiss Point dart packages, but is also sold separately.

Stacey Pace – The Raven

Stacey Pace – The Raven

25 Years

Advocate For Darts

Stacey’s Player Jerseys

Whats the future hold?

Stacey Pace Signature Colonial Line

The Setup

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat

When Stoke ruled the Darting World

Live! ADL Spring League Finales

8-Flight, Used by Champions

Shot! The Bandit and Bandit Duro

Cornhole: Family Fun Gone Pro!

How To Put On ORings: O-Rings? Oh My!

Website Navigation – Mastering The Wish List

What is a wish list?

Where is the wish list?

How to create a wish list?

Tips on using the wish list feature