Does Flight Shape Matter?

The purpose of a dart flight is to provide drag (not lift); its job is to keep the tail tracking the point while the dart fights the good fight against gravity on its way to the board. Smooth, ribbed, dimpled or otherwise, they all do the same thing with slight variations.

Try throwing a dart without them and you'll understand better. Heavier darts usually need larger surface area flights, commonly known as "standards." Lighter darts with less mass can be thrown with smaller area flights, commonly known as coal-crackers or "speed flights." Speed flights have smaller wings, which can help promote tighter groupings and decrease the chances of another dart striking the previous simply by the fact that there is less surface area to hit.