Michael van Gerwen has never been short of darts with his name on them. Winmau’s latest launch might be the most complete yet, though, with four separate sets covering everyone from the wide-eyed beginner to the collector who wants every last piece of MVG memorabilia.
AJ and Dave, hosts of the DW supported podcast ‘Around The Boards’, have been getting hands on, or at least eyes-on, with the range following its release. Here’s the rundown.
MVG TS: Back to where it began
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Step up to tungsten and you reach the MVG TS, which looks back to his first Winmau dart. It’s available in 21g, 23g and 25g, with a 90% tungsten barrel, a grey shot blast finish, a centrally weighted parallel profile, and the same length, diameter and grip positions as the original.
The nicest touch is the three rear grip rings, one for each of his world titles. Winmau’s 28mm smooth silver switch point is exclusive to this set, which means a snapped point can be swapped in seconds, and the stems are black Vecta.
At £54.99, the pair reckon it’s the strongest career-story set in the range.
MVG TS-Pro: As close as it gets
The TS-Pro, also 90% tungsten, is billed as the nearest thing to what Michael throws on stage right now. Rather than reinventing the profile, Winmau has remachined the Astrogrip to sharpen the contact points where his fingers sit, with the exposed silver making the machined sections clearly visible.
Dave got his engineer cap on and went into some detail on why this matters. The barrel is machined, coated, then machined again in the grip areas so the coating doesn’t clog the grooves. The set also moves to the Fusion 2 Integrated flight system, merging flight and stem into one piece.
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Both reckon all-in-ones last longer and sit more stable, and see them as the future even if plenty of players still prefer the traditional two-piece.
The TS-Pro arrive in 23g, 24g and 25g grams and come in at £74.99
MVG W-Max: The statement piece
At the top sits the W-Max, a refinement of a previous dart, the EVO X. Finished in deep onyx to match his new playing shirt and comes in 22g, 23g and 24g. It uses multidirectional milling rather than a standard ring grip. A 24-karat gold accent adds the flourishing touch.
It also includes two sets of 28mm switch points (smooth silver and black) plus Fusion 2 Integrated flights that don the MVG logo. The £89.99 isn;t cheap, but with tungsten prices and the machining involved, AJ considers it fair for the quality. Neither had thrown it yet, though the grip looked promising, and in their words, this is a set for anyone who likes a grippy dart.
Each set also includes a bonus, a month’s free subscription to Autodarts.
MVG Brass: The first step on the darts ladder
The range starts at £19.99 with a 21g brass set, aimed squarely at youngsters, newcomers and anyone curious enough to want a go after seeing Michael on the TV.
AJ was not expecting much from the brass, but was pleasantly surprised. A charcoal finish keeps them away from the old-fashioned brass look, and they come with black points, MVG standard flights and black stems. They carry the Astrogrip pattern found on the tungsten sets.
The pair were particularly keen on the 21g weight. Heavy enough to give a young thrower something to feel, light enough to stay controllable, putting them a clear step above the throwaway sets that often come bundled with a board.
The verdict
Whether you’re picking up your first set, chasing Michael’s exact on-stage specification or building a shelf of collector’s pieces, there’s a barrel here for you. It’s also a reminder of how far the MVG range has come since his early days with the brand.
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The full MVG range is available from Winmau and their stockists.
Images: Winmau
