PHIL TAYLOR claimed his second victory of the Betway Premier League Darts season with a 7-5 defeat of Dave Chisnall in Nottingham on Thursday, as Peter Wright continued his unbeaten start to the campaign against Simon Whitlock.

Taylor has found himself in the unusual position of being inside the Premier League's bottom two after losing four of his opening five games, but kick-started his campaign by seeing off Chisnall.

The six-time Premier League Darts champion hit a 122 finish for a 12-darter as he established an early 3-1 cushion, before Chisnall hit back to level with a key 14-darter.

However, the World Grand Prix finalist could never edge ahead, as Taylor defied two 180s in a crucial 11th leg to move 6-5 up before punishing his opponent for missing the bull to grab a draw in the deciding leg by finishing double 16 for a 14-darter.

The win sees Taylor draw level with Chisnall on four points in the table, only one behind Robert Thornton and Wes Newton ahead of the final three weeks before Judgement Night,where the league's bottom two players are relegated.

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Tungsten is also very durable, so a high-density tungsten dart resists wear and the grip will last much longer. On softer metal darts, the grooves and rough knurling may wear down fairly quickly from skin acid, friction, and hitting other darts.

The billets that tungsten darts are made from consist of a variety of metals, including tungsten.  To manufacture the blanks for machining tungsten darts, tungsten powder and other metals are blended and bonded by heat and pressure, resulting in a "sintered" material that we refer to as Nickel-Tungsten (or Copper-Tungsten, etc.)  Common materials include tungsten, nickel, copper, and iron.  The exact mix of materials varies considerably from one company to another, based on their requirements for density, cost, and ease of machining.

Tungsten darts cost more for several reasons:  The metal is expensive, and since it is very dense, tungsten requires more effort to fabricate into darts.

There are 4 general categories of Tungsten darts.

1.   50% to 70% Tungsten- $15 to $50 (commonly sold at discount stores)
2.   80% Tungsten - $25-$75 (popular with new league players)
3.    90% Tungsten- $50-$200 (high density, will hold up well, feel better to throw.)
4.    95% to 98% Tungsten - $100 - $200 (high density, thinner, resist wear, feel better to throw. However, slightly more likely to break.)

Discount outlets often sell low-density Tungsten darts without specifying the percentage of Tungsten content, but just say "Tungsten Darts". Such darts are often cheap Chinese imports of poor quality. Look for the percentage of tungsten on the packaging, a higher number means that the dart is more dense, and generally better quality.

Tungsten prices have gone up in recent years, raising the price of quality darts sets. However, in order to offer "bargain" prices, many sporting good stores & discount outlets now sell cheap "Tungsten Darts" that actually contain only a tiny trace of tungsten in them. Many of these cheap sets are about the same density as brass (or less), but cost quite a bit more. Always look for the percentage of tungsten on the package, and buy from a reliable vendor.

There are also a small number of Copper-Tungsten darts available. This is a much softer material, with about 70% Tungsten content. They are generally less expensive than Nickel-Tungsten darts. Some darters, especially old-timers, like the grip of these darts as the metal surface develops microscopic pits after they have been thrown for awhile.  Copper tungsten darts have become much less common in recent years, with Nickel/Tungsten darts becoming the primary type of high-density darts.

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Shafts serve to hold the flights away from the center of mass of the dart barrel.  The shaft acts as a lever to make the flight more effective at resisting sideways motion.  A longer shaft will produce about the same effect as a larger flight.  There are a plethora of different shaft designs, but all serve essentially this same purpose.
SHAFTS - Plastic
Inexpensive, and available in many colors, but break fairly easily. Good shafts until you start throwing tight groups and breaking lots of shafts. Materials are usually polycarbonate or nylon, some have replaceable tops for greater longevity. Priced from $1 to $3.

Shafts - Composite
Composite type shafts, like the Alamo or Quiver, have plastic bases that thread into the dart, combined with aluminum or other metal alloy tops that hold the flight. These are excellent shafts, quite durable, and will not vibrate loose as easily as solid aluminum shafts. Generally available with replaceable tops for economy and convenience. Most styles priced at $2 to $6.

Shafts - Solid Aluminum
More rigid and durable than Plastic or Composite Shafts, in many colorful styles, some with decorative engraved stripes, flutes, or spirals. May tend to vibrate loose, especially on heavy darts. When used with thick flights, such as Dimplex or Nylon, the slots may need to be pried open slightly, with a dart tool or knife blade. Will normally bend instead of breaking when hit; just straighten for more use. Priced from $2 to $6.

Note: Aluminum shafts often vibrate loose when playing, so rubber O-ring lock washers are highly recommended. This only occurs when there is a metal-to-metal contact, so plastic shafts do not normally need the lock washers.

Shafts - Spinning
A variety of shaft styles are now available, that allow the flight to turn out of the way when struck by another dart. Spinning shafts do nothing to improve the flight of the dart through the air, but they do allow tighter groups by letting the flights align with each other. Also, these shaft will greatly reduce torn flights and "rovin-hooded" shafts. Priced from $2 to $12.

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Like Brass, this is a fairly dense (heavy) metal, is relatively inexpensive, and is easy to machine. However, Nickel/Silver is harder and therefore more durable, which prevents the machined grip from wearing away as rapidly. Otherwise, similar to Brass Darts, and popular with budget-minded beginning darters. (Note: There is no actual Silver content; this Nickel and Tin alloy is often used for the moving parts of silver jewelry and for trophies.)
5.Tungsten Darts
Tungsten is an extremely dense metal, heavier than lead for the same size item.  Tungsten darts are considerably more dense than Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts.

Higher density materials result in  darts with smaller diameter, better "feel", and tighter possible groups on the dart-board. Tungsten is also very durable, so the machined grip will not wear down as rapidly as on Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts.

For darters, having all of the dart's mass concentrated between the fingertips greatly enhances control of the dart.

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