Paul Nicholson 26 Gram Onyx Grip Darts Review

For some time now I have been tempted to get these darts. The sheer look of them is enough to make me want to throw them for hours. I had my doubts about the Onyx Grip, to be honest, I didn't even know what it was so I decided to do some reasearch and found out that it offers more grip with a black coating over the dart. That was me sold!

I visited RedDragonDarts.com and the next day when I arrived home from work I was surprised to see them in my postbox in the usual packaging with a case and signature Paul Nicholson flights, great service as usual. The first thing I noticed about these beautiful pieces of Tungsten was that they were HUGE! Well the thin barrel and large stems gave them that impression. Straight to my practice room and the first 3 darts didn't go so smoothly, 26 scored (possibly the score I hate most). Another 3 brought the same result, I noticed the flights were touching my eye on each throw so I changed the stems to small ones and had a go. Bearing in mind I have only scored 180 twice in my short career, hitting one with new equipment was a big ask, but after 2 hours of playing it happened. 

I couldn't beleieve it, they are now actually challenging my Thorntons for number 1 spot on my list of favourite darts.
The Nicholson Darts are weighted and gripped towards the rear which makes for perfect flight. To get  maximum grip from them, holding further back on the dart would be preferable but if this isn't your style, don't worry, the Onyx Grip makes it 'grippy' all over the barrel and it eliminates any slips. The white and green grooves that you can see in the picture offer grip in 3 separate parts of the dart and allow many different styles to use them. Red Dragon rates the grip 4/5 (1= smooth, 5= aggressive).

These darts need to be tried by every darts enthusiast, they are nothing like any dart I have ever thrown and I would highly recommend them. 

Premier League Week 3 Preview

Michael van Gerwen will be looking to continue his phenomenal run of form this Thursday in Liverpool when he faces World Champion Gary Anderson for the second time in a week in the Premier League.

The two met in the final of the German Darts Championship on Sunday and 'Mighty Mike' showed exactly why he is World Number 1 with a 6-2 win and an average of 117.94. He produced some of the most incredible darts seen in recent years and was so dominant that Scotsman Anderson didn't get a dart at a double after the fourth leg despite averaging 103.78.

It will take something extraordinary stop the Dutchman who has won 30/31 matches since his elimination in the World Championships in the Ally Pally, but if anybody can, it will be the current World Champion.

Phil Taylor will take on Stephen Bunting this week in a match that promises big scoring and high checkout percentages. Bookmakers don't give Bunting much of a chance, but I think they might have this one wrong. 'The Bullet' will have the crowd firmly behind him cheering his every dart and after only getting 1 point in his first 2 matches, he will need to get a win this week to climb up the table and away from danger at the bottom. The St Helens man will need to improve on his latest performance in the German Darts Championship where he was demolished 6-0 by eventual winner van Gerwen averaging just 84.27, which I think he will do when he gets up on the big stage in front of his home fans who know exactly what the Big Man is capable of.

'The Power' will be looking to follow up on a 7-2 victory last week against Adrian Lewis where he averaged 108.33. He has averaged 100+ in 18 of his last 19 matches, which dates all the way back to October (93.74 against Terry Jenkins in the Masters being his only sub 100) and he will no doubt keep that record going, the outcome of this match depends on which Bunting shows up.

Peter Wright vs Raymond van Barneveld is a tough match to call. Both have not picked up a point in the opening 2 weeks and have honestly played poor. Wright's constant changing of darts is frustrating. Why doesn't he stick to the same set if he has previously played well with them? Who knows...maybe he just enjoys changing his darts like he changes his look every week? Whatever the reason, for the sake of his performances of late, it needs to stop. I fear that 'Snakebite' could be in danger of an early relegation this year from what i have seen so far.

One thing that winds me up more than Wright's darts changing is Barney's glasses. If he can't see the board then he should wear them. From what I've seen he performs better with them on so I hope to see the specs again this Thursday. The Dutchman's averages reflect his results with just 85.68 in the first week and 91.73 last week, he will need to improve on them to get his first points this week and I expect him to do so and get the points.

James Wade vs Dave Chisnall (Finishing vs Scoring). These two are completely different players and I think they will cancel each other out throughout the match. Dave will leave a double after 12 darts with Wade stepping up to the oche with 121. who wins from this point? 50/50? This is why I'm calling a draw in this one. 'Chizzy' has been on the form of his life and he says that a change of practice routine (only throwing for 2 hours a day instead of 6) is to thank for this.

Adrian Lewis is also playing some incredible darts. His performance last week was a shock considering his form in 2015. He is the only player to get the better of MVG this year on his way to winning a UK Open Qualifier recently. In the first week of the Premier League he averaged 113.8 against Barney and if he plays like that then I can't see anybody beating him. After his win in week 1 when he was interviewed by Wayne Mardle, 'Jackpot' admitted that he is 'lazy' and that Kieth Deller gets the best out of him. He is getting back to the form he showed when winning back-to-back World Championships.
His opponent this week is Kim Huybrechts who's first Premier League campaign has not got off to the best of starts with 2 losses despite averaging 98 in week 1. He needs something to kick-start his campaign but I don't think it will come this week, maybe next Thursday when he faces Chinall.
I think Lewis should win but be sure that 'The Hurricane' won't lie down without a fight and might push the World Number 4 all the way

Thornton 26 Gram Review

Robert Thornton is getting yet another mention on this blog. I'm sure if you have read a few of my other posts, you will have realised that I am a big fan. This post, however, is not about 'The Thorn' himself, but about his darts.

My first 'decent' set of darts were the Unicorn Raymond van Barneveld Super Darts 23 gram from my local Argos store. I noticed myself beginning to throw better with these darts, I loved them, but one Saturday night I decided to bring them to the local pub to show them off, this was a pointless exercise because the bar was far too busy to play and 8-10 beers later the darts were gone. Gutted would be an understatement. 

The next morning, in my fragile state, I went on a hunt for the perfect replacement. A simple Google search threw up a website called RedDragonDarts.com. I had seen this advertised on a few players' clothing before so I gave them a go. I stumbled across Robert Thornton 26 gram and the first feature of this dart that caught my eye was the rough grip that received a 4/5 rating (1= smooth, 5= aggressive) so I decided to go with my instinct and purchased them for a reasonable £25.90.

Two days later they arrived and from that point onward I have never considered throwing another dart. The weight, thin barrel and amazing grip are what keeps me throwing at a good standard and in the past I have struggled maintaining a consistent throw due to an awkward throwing style that consists of using 3 fingers (one being on the stem and another slipping onto the point from time to time) but these feel like they were made just for me. Highly Recommended.

A mention to Red Dragon Darts for their speedy delivery and easy to use website, I have since used them to buy other darting equipment (Flights, stems etc.) and the products have arrived within 3 working days on every purchase, I would also highly recommend them.