At 7.15mm for a 21g, Whitlock's barrels are among the broader signature darts available, and that is the whole idea — a wide barrel gives your fingers plenty to sit against and makes the same grip easy to find every throw.

The shot blasted edition is worth handling. Rather than cutting grip into the metal, the entire surface is textured, so there are no raised ridges to wear at your fingertips over a long session and nothing proud enough to catch at release. It is rated 4 out of 5 purely on the friction that generates.

Most of the range uses a scalloped taper, so the barrel dips where your fingers land and narrows towards the rear — two things positioning your hand at once, which is why several sit at just 2 out of 5 on grip.