Luke Littler has been able to gain a 'secret' advantage over his opponents in his matches during the World Darts Championship, a body language expert has claimed.
The 16-year-old has embarked on a historic run to the final, beating the likes of Raymond van Barneveld, Brendan Dolan and Rob Cross.
His 6-2 win over Cross secured his spot in the final, where he will take on Luke Humphries in front of a packed-out crowd at Alexandra Palace.
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Littler has already guaranteed himself £200,000 in prize money and a spot in the world's top 32, and will earn £500,000 and become world number nine with victory over 'Cool Hand Luke'.
One key factor behind his victories has been his confidence and apparent fearlessness on stage, with Littler already showcasing traits that only the top stars of the sport can develop.
According to body language expert Darren Stanton, Littler has been able to develop a little-spotted area to his game that has helped him make marginal gains.
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Speaking to Stocklytics.com, Stanton explained: "In terms of body language he is very confident, and when he addresses the crowd he almost makes a gesture with his hands in the way musicians do, to sing louder or clap louder, so he's a real showman.
"His opponent flashes what we call contempt, a microexpression, and you'll see as the guy is walking towards the stage, his expression goes to what we call a bilateral smile, and in psychology he's displaying what we call contempt."
On Littler's 'air pump' celebration, which he performed against Dolan in the quarter final, Stanton added: "The air pump is a triumph of achievement, to say yes I've got it, and that's received by the opponent as contempt.
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"We can see the one-sided smile, that in turn turns to anger. We see the eyebrows come together. His eyes squint and his lips are pierced."
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
Ryan Smart