Steel-Tip vs Soft-Tip Darts — Setup & Distance Differences | Oche

The two formats of darts — steel-tip and soft-tip — share the same board layout and the same 1.73 m bullseye height, but they differ in throwing distance, board type and dart weight. Knowing which you’re setting up for decides where your oche goes.

Throwing distance

This is the one measurement that changes. Steel-tip is thrown from 2.37 m (7 ft 9¼ in), while soft-tip is thrown from 2.44 m (8 ft) — about 7 cm further back. The board hangs at the same height for both.

Board and points

Steel-tip darts have a fixed metal point and are thrown at a sisal (bristle) board — the self-healing surface used in professional play. Soft-tip darts have a flexible plastic point and are thrown at an electronic board dotted with holes, which detects the dart and scores automatically.

Never mix them: a steel point will wreck an electronic board, and a soft point won’t hold in bristle. Match the dart to the board.

Weight

Steel-tip darts run heavier — typically 18–26 g, with a regulation maximum of 50 g under WDF/PDC rules. Soft-tip darts are lighter, usually 16–20 g, to keep the plastic point from snapping on impact.

Which to choose

If you want automatic scoring and a board that’s safe around the house, go soft-tip. If you want the traditional game that the pros play — and the path into competitive darts — go steel-tip on a bristle board.