Luke Littler explains how he is able to score more 180s than his opponents thanks to a genius darts trick.
'The Nuke' has been a revelation ever since bursting onto the professional scene in the 2024 World Darts Championship, reaching the final in a fairytale run before beating beaten by Luke Humphries.
He then avenged the loss to Humphries by beating him in the final of his debut Premier League darts campaign and became the youngest world champion in history aged 17 years and 347 days old earlier this year when he went all the way and defeated Michael van Gerwen 7-3 at Alexandra Palace.
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The new face of the sport, Littler makes darts look easy and is so precise that he could probably score 180 in his sleep. In his world championship triumph, Littler received the Ballon d'Art after scoring 76 180s - the most in the tournament.
However, it turns out that the darts Littler uses are designed to maximise the chances of getting an 180 - with a longer point allowing him to do so.
“It’s pretty simple," he told SPORTbible in an exclusive interview when asked how his darts make it easier to score 180.
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"If you’ve got a smaller point, the board will be soft and they just go right the way through.
“Whereas if you’ve got longer points they’ll just sit up in the board and there’s more room.
“With smaller points they’ll land flat in the board and you’ve got no room.”
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Littler loves going for double ten on the board and does so under the most high-pressure scenarios but he admitted he does found difficulty with treble 20 when it follows a 180 to kick off the leg.
“Obviously you’ve got to hit a double to win the game but for myself, as soon as you hit a 180 to start the leg off - the fans expect the next one to go in and to hit the nine darter," Littler added.
“As soon as you hit the 180, the treble 20 it just looks dead small and if you don’t hit it the crowd start booing you because that’s the level of form we’re playing at.
“The biggest thing is hitting your doubles.”
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The reigning Premier League champion is going strong in this year's tournament, currently topping the leaderboard on 30 points going into night 13 in Birmingham.
But while Littler enjoys the format, he does like the idea of reverting to the old approach which he used to watch growing up.
Littler said: “I’d probably go back to the old format, first to seven - 6-6 draw. A few years back, during COVID, it was first to eight - 7-7 draws. That’s what I’d do. They’re very long nights and us players we know what we’re in for if we get to the final. If we go all the way it’s half ten or eleven - that’s when we would normally finish.
“As a fan watching it years ago, I’d love to play in the old format. Even if you get a draw, it’s still a point but it makes everything a lot more interesting.”
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“I think in a few years they should be getting to it.”
There is a theme with Littler and comebacks. He isn't a stranger to one on the oche and was heavily involved in the reboot of the classic 'Bullseye' game-show on ITV.
But he has also been recruited by Deliveroo, announcing the return of the Best Kebab Award category - where one of 10 restaurants Littler has helped handpick will receive a special golden trophy after the public have their say.
"It's all about bringing the best Kebab awards back," Littler said on his involvement in the campaign.
"I did a lot for my friend's shop, Hot Spot in Warrington but there's loads of other places up and down the country and they're going to fight for the best Kebab award."
Asked about his go-to Kebab order, Littler replied: "Standard really, just doner, lettuce and mayonnaise - none of that garlic mayo or anything like that. Just standard."
With Littler at the forefront of it, darts has a real buzz once again and the prize money for next year's world championship has been doubled by the PDC - who will increase funds across all levels.
There are already so many events which take place within the darts schedule but there has been clamour for a Royal Rumble-style darts spectacle - a 'winner stays on' competition that follows the WWE event with walk-ons and surprise appearance.
Stephen Bunting has already given it his backing and Littler, a boyhood wrestling fan whose Green Light' walk-on song by Pitbull is a nod to his first WrestleMania, is well onboard and has some suggestions on how to make it work.
“I’ve seen the rumours. I’d go for it, one hundred per cent," Littler admitted.
"Maybe it’s the top 64 in the world or the 96 tour card holders - randomise whenever you come out.
“Yeah, why not? I think it would be interesting. Obviously in wrestling once you’re gone, you’re gone and that’s probably the same but for darts maybe we do first to one or first to two legs to make it a bit quicker."
Deliveroo has recruited British darts sensation Luke Littler to reintroduce one of the most iconic award categories back into the collection for its 2025 Restaurant Awards - the newly-named Luke Littler x Deliveroo Best Kebab Award. Voting is open now and closes on the 9th May at deliveroorestaurantawards.com.
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts, World Darts Championship, Spotlight
Josh Lawless