Flights and shafts work as a pair, and pairing them well is where a setup really comes together. The flight creates the drag; the shaft decides how far behind the barrel that drag sits. A large flight on a long shaft gives maximum lift at the tail, while a slim flight on a short shaft keeps the dart fast and flat.

If you are testing a new flight shape, hold the shaft steady for a few sessions first — otherwise two things have moved and neither result means anything.

Matched systems are here where flights thread or lock into their own shafts rather than pushing in, along with moulded all-in-one units that do away with the joint altogether. Between them they cover the most common interruption in a match: a flight working loose mid-leg.