Michael Smith Darts – "Bully Boy" Shot Darts at Diplomatgames

Michael Smith is one of the most famous English darts players of his generation. The man from St Helens, nicknamed "Bully Boy", was considered one of the best players in the world for many years without a major TV title. Again and again, Smith reached finals, and again and again, he had to accept defeats. In 2022, he finally broke this streak at the Grand Slam of Darts – and just a few weeks later, he crowned his career by winning the PDC World Darts Championship 2023.

His World Championship triumph was further immortalized by a moment that is regularly considered one of the most spectacular legs in darts history. In the final against Michael van Gerwen, the Dutchman first missed double 12 for a nine-darter – and immediately afterward, Smith himself completed the perfect leg. Shot describes this sequence as the famous nine-darter within an extraordinary sequence of 22 almost perfect darts.

Since June 2023, Michael Smith has been under contract with Shot Darts. The manufacturer currently lists him with the Michael Smith Achieve Steel Tip 24g as his used setup. The darts are made of 90% tungsten, have a straight, center-balanced barrel, and were specially developed for Smith.

At Diplomatgames, you'll find Michael Smith Darts and matching Bully Boy accessories from Shot. But which darts exactly does Michael Smith play, how many grams does Bully Boy use, why is he called that, and how did a boy from St Helens become a PDC World Champion? Here you can learn more about Michael Smith's career, playing style, equipment, and the man behind the name.

Michael Smith Profile

Name: Michael Smith
Nickname: Bully Boy
Birthday: September 18, 1990
Birthplace: St Helens, England
Nationality: England
Throwing Hand: Right
Playing Darts Since: approx. 2006
PDC: since 2008
Darts Manufacturer: Shot Darts
With Shot Since: June 2023
Previous Manufacturer: Unicorn
Current Official Match Setup according to Shot: Achieve Steel Tip 24g
Tungsten: 90%
PDC World Champion: 2023
Grand Slam of Darts: Winner 2022
World Cup of Darts: Winner 2024 with Luke Humphries
World Matchplay: Finalist 2019
Premier League: Finalist 2018
UK Open: Finalist 2022
PDC World Youth Champion: 2013
Walk-on: "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon.

Who is Michael Smith?

Michael Smith was born on September 18, 1990, in St Helens, between Liverpool and Manchester.

Darts was present in his family early on. Shot reports that both parents played – his mother Sandra even during her pregnancy with Michael. Later, the sport became increasingly important for her son.

However, the path to becoming a professional began with a detour.

As a teenager, Smith first played rugby.

Then an accident changed his sporting direction.

How did Michael Smith start playing darts?

At about 15 years old, Smith fell off his bicycle on the way to school and severely injured his hip.

He had to walk on crutches for a long time and couldn't play rugby.

During this time, he began to throw darts more intensely.

And even on crutches, he already managed his first:

180.

What started as an activity during an injury increasingly developed into a passion.

Smith quickly realized that his talent went far beyond normal pub darts.

Almost a Carpenter – then a Professional Darts Player Instead

After school, Michael Smith initially started an apprenticeship or college course in joinery, meaning carpentry or woodworking.

But darts became more and more important.

Reportedly, he was only one exam away from completion when he decided to go to a darts tournament instead.

Smith later called this decision one of the best of his life.

The career as a craftsman was practically over.

The path to becoming a professional darts player began.

The Early Breakthrough Against Phil Taylor

Smith became known to a large international audience at the PDC World Championship 2014.

There, in the second round, he met:

Phil Taylor.

Taylor was already a 16-time world champion at that time and the dominant figure in darts history.

Smith won anyway with:

4:3.

This victory made it clear what potential Bully Boy had.

But it would still take almost nine more years until his first major title.

World Youth Champion 2013

Even before the victory against Taylor, Smith had won an important youth title.

In 2013, he became:

PDC World Youth Champion.

Thus, he was already one of the greatest English talents early on.

However, the transition from talent to great champion became an unusually long story for Smith, full of final defeats.

Michael Smith – The Man of Lost Finals

For years, Michael Smith was arguably the best player in the world without a major PDC title.

He repeatedly reached finals.

But the title never came.

Among the painful defeats were, among others:

PDC World Championship Final 2019
Premier League Final 2018
World Matchplay Final 2019
Masters Final 2020
UK Open Final 2022
and again the
PDC World Championship Final 2022.

In total, Smith lost his first eight major TV finals.

This increasingly became a mental issue.

The First Major Title – Grand Slam 2022

In November 2022, the moment finally arrived.

At the Grand Slam of Darts, Smith again played his way to the final.

This time he met Nathan Aspinall.

And this time Bully Boy won.

The spell was broken:

Michael Smith was finally a PDC Major Champion.

In retrospect, this success was probably the decisive mental step.

Because only a few weeks later, Smith was in another huge final.

This time it was for the World Championship.

Michael Smith Becomes World Champion 2023

On January 3, 2023, Michael Smith met Michael van Gerwen in the final of the PDC World Championship.

For Smith, it was already his third World Championship final.

In 2019, Van Gerwen had beaten him.

In 2022, Smith had lost to Peter Wright.

On the third attempt, it should finally work.

Smith won the final with:

7:4 in sets

and became for the first time:

PDC World Champion.

Thus, the eternal final loser became within a few months:

Grand Slam Champion.

World Champion.

And subsequently:

World Number 1.

The Legendary Nine-Darter in the World Championship Final

The most famous leg of this final occurred already in the second set.

Michael van Gerwen started practically perfectly.

Smith likewise.

Van Gerwen had after eight perfect darts:

Double 12

for the nine-darter.

He missed.

Smith stepped to the board.

And checked himself:

141.

Nine-darter.

The scene immediately became one of the most famous moments in modern PDC history.

Not only because Smith threw a nine-darter in the World Championship final.

But because both players were simultaneously on their way to a perfect leg.

Michael Smith's Greatest Achievements

His career's most important achievements include:

• PDC World Champion 2023
• Grand Slam of Darts Champion 2022
• World Cup of Darts Champion 2024 with Luke Humphries
• PDC World Championship Finalist 2019 and 2022
• World Matchplay Finalist 2019
• Premier League Finalist 2018
• UK Open Finalist 2022
• European Championship Finalist 2022
• Masters Finalist 2020
• World Series Finals multiple finalist
• PDC World Youth Champion 2013
• numerous Players Championship and European Tour titles
• several nine-darters.

The sheer number of his final appearances alone shows how long Smith has been among the absolute world elite.

World Cup Champion with England 2024

In 2024, another significant title was added.

Michael Smith formed the English team with Luke Humphries at the World Cup of Darts.

In the final, England met Austria.

Smith and Humphries won with:

10:6.

Thus, Smith complemented his individual titles with a major national title.

England won the World Cup again for the first time in years.

What is Michael Smith's Playing Style?

Michael Smith is one of the players with one of the most natural and fluid throws in professional darts.

Shot describes him particularly by his:

explosive scoring power and a fearless rhythm.

That's exactly what you see on stage.

Smith doesn't stand at the oche for minutes.

He picks up his dart.

Aims.

Throws.

The three darts follow one another in a clean rhythm.

When he finds his timing, Bully Boy can produce multiple 140s and 180s in quick succession.

Michael Smith – One of the Strongest Scorers of His Generation

His greatest natural strength is probably his:

Scoring.

Smith can hit Triple 20 with exceptional consistency over long periods.

Especially during his World Championship triumph, this ability was repeatedly evident.

The problem in his earlier career was therefore rarely a lack of scoring.

Often, big matches failed more due to crucial doubles.

With increasing experience, Smith became stronger precisely there.

The Grand Slam victory and the World Championship title were the consequence.

Which Darts Does Michael Smith Play?

Michael Smith currently plays for:

Shot Darts.

The manufacturer clearly states on his official player profile:

Darts Used: Achieve Steel Tip 24gm.

This provides the central answer for your category page:

Michael Smith plays Shot Achieve Steel Darts in 24 grams.

The Achieve darts are made of 90% tungsten and have a straight, center-balanced barrel.

How many grams does Michael Smith play?

Michael Smith currently plays:

24 grams.

This is directly confirmed by his manufacturer Shot.

The 24g Achieve have:

50 mm barrel length
6.6 mm diameter
90% tungsten.

This places Smith pretty much in a classic professional weight range.

24 grams are noticeably heavier than, for example, very light 20g darts, but still far from extremely heavy setups like Ryan Searle's 32 grams.

Which Michael Smith dart is the right one?

For your Diplomatgames category page, I would classify the product family roughly as follows:

Achieve: current match setup specified by Shot, Center Weight, 24g.
Series II: newer premium development with slightly forward-shifted balance.
Tenacious: more front-weighted.
Defiant: technically sophisticated premium signature model.
Precision: cheaper 80% tungsten variant.

This allows a customer to choose based on actual playing characteristics and not just the name Michael Smith.

Michael Smith and Shot Darts

Michael Smith signed with Shot Darts on June 27, 2023.

At that time, he was the reigning World Champion and world number 1.

Shot announced a complete exclusive signature series to be developed and produced in New Zealand directly upon his signing.

This marked a new phase in his equipment career.

Which manufacturer did Michael Smith play for previously?

Before Shot, Michael Smith was closely associated with:

Unicorn Darts

for many years.

With Unicorn, he achieved practically the entire first major part of his career – including the Grand Slam victory and World Championship title.

Only a few months after his World Championship triumph did he switch to Shot.

For your SEO page, therefore, the manufacturer history is important:

Unicorn → Shot Darts since June 2023.

Many fans still search for:

Michael Smith Unicorn Darts.

A current Diplomatgames category can cleanly guide these users to his current Shot products.

Why is Michael Smith called "Bully Boy"?

Here's one of the best nickname stories in darts.

And no:

Bully Boy has nothing to do with Bullseye.

As a teenager, Smith helped out on a farm.

There, young calves had to be marked or ear-tagged.

For one of these animals, Smith had to hold the calf for a long time while a suitable tag was retrieved.

From this story about the young bulls, eventually came:

Bully Boy.

The name stuck.

Today it is one of the most famous brands in professional darts.

From the Farm to His Own Farm

The connection to animals never disappeared.

Smith loves country life.

Shot describes that he now lives with his wife Dagmara and his sons on a farm property in Cheshire and cares for animals and land there.

Thus, the nickname is now almost doubly fitting:

As a teenager, "Bully Boy" originated on a farm.

Years later, the World Champion bought himself a life in the countryside.

Michael Smith Privately – Wife Dagmara

Michael Smith is married to Dagmara Smith.

The couple married in 2019.

Shot describes his family as a particularly important part of his life and motivation.

Dagmara is originally from Poland and herself played darts at a regional level.

Thus, she understands the sport and the associated tournament routine from her own experience.

Does Michael Smith have children?

Yes.

Michael and Dagmara have two sons:

Michael Junior
and
Kasper/Kaspar.

Shot explicitly writes that Smith now also plays for his wife and children.

Family is not just tabloid information for him, but a regularly publicly discussed part of his motivation.

Animals as a Balance to Darts

Smith's life off tour is surprisingly down-to-earth for a World Champion.

The family lives in the countryside and keeps various animals.

Shot mentioned several dogs, among other things; other reports additionally name chickens, roosters, and tortoises.

For Smith, this life is apparently an important counterpoint to the constant travel, hotel routine, and stage pressure of the PDC.

Michael Smith and Rugby

Before darts became his sport, Smith himself played:

Rugby.

His early rugby career largely ended with a hip injury as a teenager.

However, the connection to sports remained.

Smith supports his hometown club, St Helens R.F.C., and is closely linked to his hometown.

This St Helens identity is even reflected in the design of his Shot Darts.

The Health-Challenged Years of 2025 and 2026

After winning the World Championship, Smith's career did not consistently ascend.

2025 proved particularly difficult.

Smith publicly disclosed that he suffered from arthritis in his throwing hand, as well as other shoulder, foot, and ankle problems.

At times, he could barely train normally.

His physical problems massively impacted his results.

Arthritis in the Throwing Hand

For a darts player, arthritis in the right wrist is particularly problematic.

Precisely there, Smith needs:

Mobility, feel, and repeatability.

Sky Sports reported that the pain and swelling increasingly hampered his training. Additionally, a shoulder injury and foot/ankle problems further burdened him.

As a result, Smith significantly dropped in the world rankings.

Ankle Problems

An unusual health problem also emerged.

Smith has excess bone growth or an additional bone area in his ankle, which caused severe discomfort.

Before the 2025/26 World Championship, he received, among other treatments, cortisone injections in his ankle and wrist.

He subsequently stated that he was able to complete longer training sessions for the first time in a long while.

Drop in the World Rankings

The health setback had a massive impact on the rankings.

In 2025, Smith missed qualification for the World Matchplay for the first time in many years.

He also failed to qualify for the World Matchplay in 2026.

As of August 2026, the PDC lists Michael Smith at:

Rank 35 in the world rankings.

For a former world number one, this is an enormous decline.

Michael Smith 2026 – First Signs of a Comeback

Nevertheless, there are clear indications that "Bully Boy" is becoming a threat again.

At Players Championship 11 in April 2026, Smith reached the final.

There he met Beau Greaves.

The match went to the deciding leg.

Greaves ultimately won with:

8:7.

For Greaves, it was a historic first PDC ranking title for a woman.

For Smith, reaching the final was simultaneously a sign that despite his difficult health phase, he could once again go deep into ProTour tournaments.

2025/26 World Championship – Strong Start, Then Early Exit

At the 2025/26 PDC World Championship, Smith started convincingly.

He defeated Lisa Ashton with:

3:0.

However, in the following round, he was surprisingly eliminated by Niels Zonneveld. The PDC described it as one of the great victories in Zonneveld's career.

Thus, Smith's World Championship comeback was shorter than hoped.

Michael Smith – From World Champion to Comeback Candidate

The current situation, in particular, makes his story even more interesting.

2019:

World Championship finalist.

2022:

Again World Championship finalist.

End of 2022:

First major title.

January 2023:

World Champion and World Number One.

2024:

World Cup Champion.

2025:

Injuries, arthritis, and a drop in the rankings.

2026:

Outside the top 32, but showing individual strong results again.

The next big question in his career is therefore:

Can "Bully Boy" return to the top of the world once more?

Buy Michael Smith Darts at Diplomatgames

Do you want to buy Michael Smith darts or try out the former world champion's current setup?

At Diplomatgames, you will find various Michael Smith darts from Shot as well as matching Bully Boy accessories, subject to availability.

Particularly relevant are:

Michael Smith Achieve
Michael Smith Series II
Michael Smith Tenacious
Michael Smith Defiant
Bully Boy Precision.

If you want to stay as close as possible to his currently officially stated match setup, the most important variant is:

Shot Michael Smith Achieve 24g.

The 24g barrel consists of 90% tungsten, measures 50 mm, and has a diameter of 6.6 mm.

Nevertheless, when buying, don't just focus on the player's name.

Compare:

Weight, barrel shape, center of gravity, grip strength, and your own grip position.

Discover the available Michael Smith darts at Diplomatgames now and find out which Bully Boy setup best suits your own throwing style.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Michael Smith

What darts does Michael Smith play with?

Michael Smith currently plays with Shot Michael Smith Achieve Steel Tip Darts. Shot explicitly lists the 24-gram version as his used setup on his official player profile.

How many grams does Michael Smith play with?

Michael Smith plays with 24 grams. His Achieve 24g darts are made of 90% tungsten and have a 50 mm long and 6.6 mm wide barrel.

Which manufacturer does Michael Smith play for?

Michael Smith has been under contract with Shot Darts since June 2023. Previously, he played for Unicorn for many years.

What is Michael Smith's greatest achievement?

His greatest achievement is winning the PDC World Darts Championship 2023. In the final, he defeated Michael van Gerwen and also threw a nine-darter.

How many PDC Majors has Michael Smith won?

His biggest individual titles include especially the Grand Slam of Darts 2022 and the PDC World Championship 2023. In addition, he won the World Cup of Darts 2024 as a team title with England.

Did Michael Smith throw a nine-darter in the World Championship final?

Yes. In the 2023 World Championship final against Michael van Gerwen, Smith threw a spectacular nine-darter, immediately after Van Gerwen himself missed double 12 for the perfect leg.

Why is Michael Smith called "Bully Boy"?

The nickname originated from working on a farm and has to do with young cattle or a calf that Smith had to hold while tagging. It is not derived from "bullseye".

Is Michael Smith married?

Yes. Michael Smith is married to Dagmara Smith. The couple married in 2019 and have two sons.

Does Michael Smith have children?

Yes. Michael and Dagmara Smith have two sons, Michael Junior and Kasper/Kaspar.

Does Michael Smith live on a farm?

Smith lives with his family on a farm property in Cheshire and keeps various animals there. Shot describes this quiet rural life as an important part of his life outside the PDC tour.

What health problems does Michael Smith have?

Smith has publicly spoken about arthritis in his throwing hand, as well as shoulder, foot, and ankle problems. The injuries severely impacted his training and results, particularly in 2025.

Where can you buy Michael Smith darts?

You can buy Michael Smith darts at Diplomatgames. Depending on availability, you will find Shot Achieve, Series II, Tenacious, Defiant, Precision, and matching Bully Boy accessories there.