Optimum Performance Darts Review

Posted: 03.07.17 in Darts Product Reviews category

The Rev - Adrian Underwood road tested the Optimum's! This is what he thought!

Introduction

I have to confess that before getting the Optimums in the post I’d been eager to get my hands on them and have a proper chuck for a good few weeks.  Playing on the British Disabled Darts Road to Winmau Tour along with the designer of these darts- David “The Phantom” Gill meant that I’d already caught a glimpse of his prototypes, I’d noted the improvement in his game and so expected great things of them. So, would my expectations be met?

Description

In the by now familiar DPC packaging you get three barrels, manufactured in the UK as the blurb states. Weight wise my set are all just about within 0.1 gram of each other at between 23.93g and 24.01g. You also get three medium two tone stems and some reasonable two tone flights which look to be about 100 microns. The barrels as you can see from the pictures are a beautiful torpedo shape a little reminiscent of Phil Taylors Gen 3 Target darts and the Target Darryl Fitton’s.

The darts which look to be well manufactured are fitted with standard silver points which are plenty good enough to keep. These fit into a nose cone into which is cut some fairly deep micro grip (ideal for resting a second or third finger on if you’re a rear gripper). Next, some nice ring grip heads towards the centre of the dart before the barrel narrows towards the rear with micro grip being added to the ring grip to give the same dual grip as you see on The DPCs excellent Dual Grip darts. Lastly at the rear is a short smooth section with the DPC logo laser etched on to it.  All in all these darts do look the business.

In action

Of course, the performance of a set of darts is always the most important factor. For me they need to fit into the hand nicely, be grippy enough to control well but also release smoothly without sticking in the hand. Overall they must engender in me confidence right from the start that soon with enough practice I’m going to be regularly hitting tons and finishing well. These darts, unlike so many others I’ve tried, fulfilled all those criteria.

Straight out of the box with the supplied set up I initially struggled to get my grip right on the Optimums, simply because I’m used to straight barreled darts. However, after five minutes of experimentation I was throwing them nicely. Like all the DPC darts I’ve tried and used, the Optimums are well balanced and fly pretty straight, depending of course on the thrower. The dual grip section at the rear provides superb control but allows perfect release every time so that the darts follow the line of your follow through. They are gippy but certainly not extreme. I’d say about level 4. Anyway, within the first ten minutes of testing them I managed two 180s and a fifteen dart practice leg. For me, as a distinctly average player these are great results.

The best thing for me about the Optimums is that right from the start I felt confident with them. This meant that after I’d only played with them for a few days I took them to a league game (My form has been poor of recent so “what the heck” I thought “I might as well”). I can’t say that it was my best result of the season but close. I won both doubles and singles, hitting a 180, a 100 and a couple of nice finishes along the way.

Conclusion

The Optimums are yet another great set of highly functional darts From the Darts Performance Centre. I would imagine they would suit almost any player looking for consistency and the accuracy to finish well, which of course we’re all doing. I think that they would especially suit middle and rear grippers. The women players in my team who both throw 24g Lorraine Winstanley darts thought that the Optimums would work really well for them and other team members felt that they were like the Gen 3 Taylor darts without the hefty price tag and the pixel grip which some find annoying.

I have one criticism of the Optimums which actually in a way is a positive too. Grouping with these darts is so easy that mine are already looking a little battered after a week and a half. If I adopt these darts long term, I’ll definitely need to buy some spare sets to change them every two or three months.

However, when everything is considered I think it would be well worth it.

DPC: The Optimum Darts are in 22g and 24g and cost £24.95 from the DPC shop!