"If somebody had asked me that six years ago, I'd have probably laughed them off" – Luke Woodhouse sets his sights on maiden PDC ranking title

Luke Woodhouse has worked his way up in recent years to become a steady top-32 player. A quick glance at his career might suggest his breakthrough came late, but a closer look reveals a player who built his path step by step, with ups and downs along the way.

In a candid conversation on referee Huw Ware’s Tops & Tales podcast, Woodhouse reflects on his long road to the top, the mental battles of life on the Pro Tour, and why belief has been the biggest factor in his rise. It is the story of a player who never took the fastest route — but arguably the most sustainable one.

One thing stands out immediately: Woodhouse won a Challenge Tour event back in 2013, yet had to wait until 2018 to secure his PDC Tour Card via Q-School. Five years is a long time, especially for someone who had already shown he could win.

Looking back, Woodhouse admits his focus wasn’t fully on darts during that period. “Not really. I still played and I still tried to play in all the Challenge Tours and stuff like that. But at the time I was still playing football and cricket and I was trying to do a bit of everything and not 100 per cent focus on darts.”

A key turning point came in 2017. On the European Tour, Woodhouse lost to an emerging Rob Cross — the same year Cross won his tour card and went on to lift the 2018 World Championship. “I remember watching the game back and my action was really low and sort of down. I remember going back and thinking, if you really want to improve, you’ve got to get your action higher and work on your technique.”

That defeat triggered a deeper realisation. “It was that moment as well where I thought, to get better and to get more consistent, I’ve got to make some changes.”

From that point on, Woodhouse committed to refining his technique — fewer variables, a higher elbow, and a more repeatable action. The improvement has been visible, and intentional. “I think my improvement has been down to a lot of me working on my technique and my actual game, rather than just not being able to kick on once I won that Challenge Tour years ago.”

Unlike players who burst straight into the top 16, Woodhouse has built his career in gradual instalments. That has given him a different perspective on the Pro Tour.

“In the early days, I used to get sort of starstruck,” he admits. “You go into the room and Van Gerwen’s there, Gary Anderson’s there, and my favourite player to watch was Adrian Lewis. You look at the draw and think, ‘I’ve got Gary Anderson first round,’ and you’re hoping you can just give a good account of yourself.”

That mindset has changed completely. “Now I’m looking at it going, it doesn’t matter who I draw. If I play well, I can win. I’m there to show what I can do, not to be put off by playing a big name.”

Life on the Pro Tour brings relentless pressure, particularly for players fighting to qualify for majors or retain their tour card. Woodhouse remembers how consuming that pressure could be. “You’d constantly look all year knowing how many spots you were outside qualifying for the World Championships. Then you know you’ve got six Pro Tours left, and every time you lose first round you’re thinking, ‘I’ve only got four more.’”

That way of thinking often added unnecessary weight. “So you’re putting yourself under some unneeded pressure. You go to a Pro Tour, you lose first round, you get no money on your ranking, and it can snowball.”

Despite that, Woodhouse says he avoided truly deep lows, helped by strong support around him. “I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been with the same management team, Darting Promotions, since I’ve been a professional. My wife’s very supportive and I’ve got a very supportive family. If I have got a bit frustrated or low, I’ve got people to pick me up.”

On the standard of today’s game, Woodhouse partly agrees with Gary Anderson’s recent comments. “I’m not sure the actual top standard has got any better,” he says. “I just think there’s more people that can do that now.”

The depth, he believes, is the real difference. “Anyone in the top 32 now — maybe even top 40 or 50 — can throw 100-plus averages.”

He points to the World Championship run of Justin Hood as evidence. “Nobody would have imagined the run he had. It just shows that anybody can play like that now.”

For Woodhouse, the biggest gains have come mentally. “I think it is more a mental thing. Belief is a massive part of the game. I’d say mentality is probably 60 to 70 per cent of it.”

Everyone can throw, he says — the difference lies elsewhere. “It is your belief and the way you approach the game. You’re going to lose a lot more games than you win.”

Advice from former player Pete Stilgo has stayed with him throughout his career. “He said, ‘Don’t let your highs get you too high and don’t let your lows get you too low. Try and stay level-headed as much as possible.’”

Fans have also noticed a change in Woodhouse’s body language. The visible frustration and head-shaking that once followed missed darts has largely disappeared. “My wife used to say all the time, ‘You need to stop shaking your head.’ She said I was costing myself games through negative thinking and negative body demeanour.”

Since addressing that, results have followed. “Especially in the last 18 months, it’s made a big difference. Since I’ve calmed down and not got too irate at myself, my performances have improved.”

His advice to young players is simple but powerful. “You’ve got to learn to lose well. You’re going to lose so many more games than you win — it’s just a fact.”

The key is perspective. “Try and take good experiences and positive feedback from every game you play, even if you lose. Always work on the positives.”

Now established inside the world’s top 32 and feeling like a true PDC professional, Woodhouse knows his path has been unconventional — but it has made him stronger. The slow build, the setbacks, and the belief earned along the way may yet take him further still.

"If I can get somewhere in and around the top 16 in the world, if somebody had asked me that six years ago, I'd have probably laughed them off going, no, it never happened." he said on his next goal with a ProTour in his sights.