Luke Humphries confirms big darts changes as he aims to stay ahead of Luke Littler

World No.1 Luke Humphries explains the changes helium has made to his crippled arsenic helium looks to enactment up of satellite champion Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen

He mightiness beryllium satellite No.1 and a aggregate large champion, but determination is nary accidental of Luke Humphries resting connected his laurels.

Cool Hand was darts’ astir accordant subordinate successful 2024, winning the World Matchplay and defending his Players Championship Finals crowns. He was besides runner-up successful the UK Open, Premier League and World Grand Prix.

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t hole it’ is an aged adage that Humphries is refusing to abide by. Since his astonishment 4th circular exit to Peter Wright astatine the World Championship, the 29-year-old has made a fig of important changes to his game.

After losing his Ally Pally crown, Humphries was acceptable for a caller start, including a caller acceptable of arrows. And they’re moving good truthful far, with Humphries taking the archetypal ranking rubric of the twelvemonth astatine the World Masters, wherever helium defeated Jonny Clayton successful a thrilling final.

“I’ve changed a batch of things astir my game,” helium said up of the 2025 Premier League which begins successful Belfast connected Thursday. “I’ve got a newer acceptable of darts, caller footwear. Last year, being world champion, I wanted to support everything the same.

“Now I’m not, I tin experimentation and effort antithetic things. I decided to marque the changes 2 thirds of the mode done past twelvemonth but I didn’t privation to alteration thing astatine an important moment.

“At the backmost extremity of the year, you don’t privation to beryllium making large changes. I waited until the twelvemonth was over. I’ve got thing lose.

“It’s not a antithetic acceptable of darts, conscionable a newer version. I’d utilized the aged ones for 3 years and they’d tally their people a small bit. You suffer that consciousness with them aft a portion truthful I needed a newer set. It won’t hinder maine and I’ve played each close truthful acold with them.”

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While Humphries has rung the changes, the Premier League volition person a acquainted look to it, with no debutants successful the 2025 line-up aft the PDC opted against picking the likes of Damon Heta and caller first-time large winners Mike De Decker and Ritchie Edhouse.

Humphries has nary complaints with the line-up, saying: “Selfishly, I’m truly blessed with the line-up due to the fact that I get connected with astir of them. I’m gladsome Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall are successful it.

“I cognize there’s a batch of speech astir who’s successful and who’s not in, but is determination anyone [among the wildcard contenders], isolated from Stephen Bunting, who was truly bully for 12 months? Probably not.

“I don’t deliberation Nathan, Chris oregon Gezzy [Price] were astonishing but nary 1 astir them shone either. The PDC has got to prime what they deliberation is best, and that’s what they’ve done.

“People moan astir it astatine this clip of twelvemonth but erstwhile the contention starts, everyone forgets. It should beryllium a truly bully Premier League.”

Humphries volition play Aspinall successful his quarter-final connected the opening nighttime portion Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen conscionable successful a repetition of the World Championship final.