How To Play Darts Like Luke Littler?
The Nuke The Nuke’ continues to tear up record books until 2024, claiming his first Premier League Play-Offs as well as multiple ProTour titles during his debut season on the pro circuit. The Nuke’s success has led to a lot of darts players and fans both old and new looking to emulate his style of play to try to see if it will work for them as well. This blog Darts Corner is going to explore all the elements which influence his style, such as the darts he is using as well as how he holds the dart, his routine for practicing as well as his attitude towards the oche, and more to give you a clear idea of the best way to be playing just like Luke Littler.
The Element of Individuality
This blog will concentrate on more depth about Luke Littler’s particular style of playing and his grip on the dart, it’s essential to recognize that every player is unique, and it’s not a straightforward scenario of a single style fitting all. The most important aspect of throwing the dart is how you grip it with your hands and is known as the grip. it is worthwhile to experiment with different grips in order to figure out the best one for you.
All players will play around with their grips and their equipment, such as Littler who tried out his own approach in the 2024 Premier League season. In the Newcastle stage of the tour Sky Sports pundit and commentator Wayne Mardle commented about how the youngster altered his throwing technique: “He’s changed the way that he’s thrown all through his career. It’s his decision and I believe it didn’t have any bearing on the outcome. The kid can play any whatever the ball is thrown.”
Which kind of darts do Luke use?
How many darts will Luke employ? In 2024, the PDC World Darts Championship finalist Luke Littler plays his trademark darts manufactured by Target. There are four major components of darts which are: the point, barrel shaft, flight and point. Take a look at The anatomy Of A Dart’ blog for a more detailed analysis of each part of the dart as well as its distinctive functions that it could give players.
Littler’s darts are designed to satisfy his own individual requirements, such as the precise quantity of grip that he likes on his barrels as well as how long the barrel while he has experimented with his set-up by adding larger points, as well as a single shaft and flight system to these darts. Darts are available in different weights like 22g and 24g as well as his preference for match weights of 23g.
“The Nuke The Nuke’ prefers an extended point (45mm) in his darts in order to maximize his scoring potential. If a dart with an extended point is placed on the board, it will cover only a small portion of what is being targeted which means there’s more space for two or three darts into the same area and score the higher scores. Littler also utilizes an all-in-one shaft and flight system for his darts instead of the usual separate shaft and flight system which are connected by the player prior to play. All-in-one means that the shaft and flight will not split during games and the more durable materials used ensures they are more durable and last longer for players.
Dart Weight
Luke Littler is using the 23g dart, that is among the most well-known dart weights available on the market. Many of Littler’s peers in the PDC circuit use the same size of dart, such as Dirk van Duijvenbode, Damon Heta and Gerwyn Price. When you are deciding on the weight of darts you want to use, there’s no correct or incorrect answer.
The players will frequently alter the weight of the darts they play to achieve a higher level of their game. Prior to taking part in the 2023 World Matchplay, Ryan Searle switched from 32g to a 34g dart. Stephen Bunting’s improvement in his form during 2023 was made possible by adjusting his darts’ weight of 12g, to an 18g. Take a look at our “How to Choose the best Darts weight’ blog for more information on the different darts weights and how they affect the way you play.
Barrel Material
Darts Luke Littler uses are made from 90% tungsten, an extremely popular material that is used by a variety of players with different capabilities. Famous players like Gary Anderson, Dave Chisnall and Michael Smith also prefer an tungsten dart made of 90. Tungsten is a very heavy and dense substance, which means that the dart’s barrel can be made extremely thin, while maintaining the weight required.
A smaller dart is an ideal choice for players because it can be smaller in the dartboard, and makes it easier to put the darts into one for example, the triple 20. Check out our Darts Barrels and materials’ guide to find out more about the different materials used in the making of dart barrels, and how they influence your game.
Flight Shape
Luke Littler plays Luke Littler’s Shape flight (also called a No. 6 flight) using darts. These flights are of a similar form like the Standard flight that is the most frequently used flight, but differ in that they are slightly slanted sides.
This minor change helps the darts move faster in the air. It could be a good option for players who use regular flights, but want to change the angle that their darts are placed on the board. For more details on the different flights of darts available, take a look at our How To Choose A darts flight’ blog.
Shaft Length
Twenty-23 PDC world champion in youth Luke Littler chooses an all-in-one shaft and flight to make his darts. Littler opts for a length of 26mm, which provides his darts with the ideal balance and is also on the smaller part of the spectrum.
Also known as a stem the shafts used by players when they play darts will affect how they move through the air. It can also affect the distance of the dart, which can impact the angle that the dart will land on the board. The flight and shaft configuration Littler utilizes also means that Littler doesn’t have to worry about flights coming out from his darts while playing since the shaft and flight are made of the same material and won’t separate.
Point Length
Luke Littler prefers to use much longer points when he plays his darts, which are approximately 45mm. However, the most frequently used lengths for point by players are within between the 32mm and 36mm range. The theory of the teenager that explains the reason for using larger points is that if the dart is placed on the board, there is more room for him to organize his darts.
A smaller point means that the dart’s barrel will be closer to surface of the dartboard however a longer point will create an even greater gap between the barrel and the surface. This minor tweak to Littler’s set-up assists him in getting to scoring the game, since there is more of the Treble segment to aim for with his third and second dart.
What exactly is Luke Littler’s method to make his darts?
The method by which Luke Littler throws his darts as do many other players is constantly evolving. There are a lot of nuances when throwing darts. A player may not use the same method or motion from the moment they pick up a dart until the time they end their career. A few players try various aspects of their throw, including how they hold the dart, as well as the speed the throw.
In the 2024 Premier League Darts season, darts fans were able to see Littler has adapted his throwing style. Sky Sports pundit and commentator Wayne Mardle commented on the teenager’s minor tweak to his throw.He remarked, “Luke now brings the dart back and puts it up before throwing. The throw is now not a single move, which gives him a little bit of time to maneuver across the board, and possibly allow him to take that tiny amount of time to go from sixty to double 10, and not feel that he needs to stop because he’s running. Perhaps you thought it was a weak point and would like to fix it right immediately.”
Littler has a natural throw, moving the dart back to his body and then with a forward motion, release the dart by flicking the wrist. The video of “The Nuke’ throwing the magnetized dartboard when he was a toddler, and parts of his throwing technique present in the video can be seen. He is wearing both eyes fixed on the target, and his arm is extended when he throws every dart.
Check out our “How to Throw a Dart’ guide for all the details you require about the fundamentals for dart throws.
How Luke Littler holds his dart
How do you grip the dart in the same way as Luke Littler? Luke Littler prefers an all-four-finger grip for his darts. He uses four fingers (thumb middle, index and rings fingers) to hold the dart. It’s a style of grip utilized by numerous players, from pros to novices, because it gives players an additional amount of control over how the dart moves to the board.
Littler places his index and thumb on the back of the barrel and in front of the shaft. He places his middle finger placed on the side of the barrel. the dart’s point rests on the ring finger of his. It’s a style of grip particular to him, but it might be something you test out during your next session of practice to see if it is effective for you.
Go to the ‘The Best Darts for Every Grip Types’ blog for a more detailed look at the various dart grips and how they function for specific playing styles.
Keep cool on the Oche
One of Luke’s greatest assets, besides his natural talent, is his attitude that allows him to stay cool when he’s on the Oche. The professional darts tournament is a stressful environment where players battle for large prizes and frequently in front of raucous crowds at large arenas. But Littler displays a level of calmness that is beyond his years, and seldom lets his emotions get the better of him.
“The Nuke” tries to maintain a high degree of focus throughout matches and avoid letting his emotions overtake him which he learned throughout his journey through the finals of 2024’s PDC World Darts Championship. In the lead up to his match against Luke Humphries in the final the player stated: “I’ve just got to remain focused throughout the game. I learned that when I faced Andrew Gilding (in the second round). After I had a 2-0 lead, I let my emotions go and then returned after the break but fell in three sets. (third) set with a score of 3-0. Therefore, from the moment on, if I have to play 2 or 3 sets without a break, I’ll be calm and composed, as this isn’t the end of the road.”
Extraordinary memory of muscle
Improved darts requires consistent practice to improve your muscle memory. Over time your accuracy and precision will improve. Although he’s still an teen, Luke Littler has been throwing darts since an infant and has spent a lot of time honeing his technique. Look over our “How to practice Darts’ blog for useful tips on how to improve your darting ability.
Littler’s ability to rapidly count his scores is a different kind of muscle memory and his ability to use mental math as a benefit to his game, as he can quickly navigate across a board to the precise targets he wants. When he spoke to BBC Sport, he said: “I was terrible at maths by myself. It’s all in how long you play, the faster you learn about checkouts, scoring, and then finishing and laying down your shots, and you’re aware of the best way to play. The more you play, the faster you become accustomed to it.”
Try to be as creative as Luke Littler!
The term “generational talent” has been used to describe Luke Littler. already, he’s establishing his own legacy in the sport of darts. The youngest darts player to compete during the PDC World Darts Championship final The Nuke has continued to smash the record books by putting together an amazing first season of the Premier League, finishing top of the table and claiming in the playoffs held at The O2 in front of 14,000 supporters.
The unique ways that Littler plays darts might not be applicable to all players however, imitating his style and finding out what you like is a great method to test your own style. Playing around with your darts and also how you throw them and grip them is your only chance to figure out what works best for every player.
Have you caught that darts bug? Explore the full selection of darts with a steel tip in Darts Corner and see if you can find your game right now!
