Luke Littler sent a clear message to the likes of Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen after his latest tournament win, saying: “It’s just what I do.”
Tuesday’s victory marked the ninth for the year on the Pro Tour for The Nuke, as the 17-year-old prodigy continued his scorching run of form. Having made an explosive debut at last year’s World Championship where he finished as runner-up and pocketed £200,000, the rising star has transformed from a dark horse into a darting heavyweight.
Should Littler snatch another title this year, he’d manage a feat that only darting legends such as Phil Taylor and Peter Wright – not to mention MVG – have achieved in securing ten in a year. Given his current game, it’s looking more like a question of when, rather than if, he’ll join that elite club.
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Renowned for tweaking his throw to suit his comfort level, Littler revealed that he’s willing to switch it up depending on whether he’s playing on the floor or on stage. “I do change my throw when I’m on the floor,” he told the PDC. “The floor is totally different from the stage, and I’ll just find something comfortable, not change it completely.”
Commentator Dan Dawson prodded about specifics, leading Littler to explain: “Usually, when I bring up the dart, I flick the flight, or it’s just one coming over from the top and downwards. It’s just how I feel on the floor.”
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Littler was also asked about the ease with which he changes technique so easily, to which he replied with a: “It’s just what I do” – a five-word statement that doesn’t bode well for his rivals. PDC number one Humphries is the only player who can say they’ve achieved more this year than Littler – having lifted a world title, the Matchplay crown and the World Cup.
Yet, since their infamous first face-off, it has often been the Premier League-winning teenager who has got the better of Cool Hand – who fell 6-2 in Wigan to Littler and his tweaked throw.
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It’s not just Humphries feeling the heat; even Van Gerwen is clutching at straws trying to pin down Littler. Although he had some past success in the Premier League and knocked the young prodigy out of the Matchplay last July at the first time of asking, there was nothing he could do in Amsterdam at the weekend.
On his journey to securing his eighth title at the World Series Finals, Littler dominated Van Gerwen with an 11-4 victory in the semi-final, boasting an impressive average of 107 to MVG’s 99.
Even world number two Michael Smith, who was also defeated by Littler with the same scoreline in the final, has struggled to compete against the young talent recently, having lost their last four head-to-head matches.