“I’ve broken free from feeling stuck” – Luke Humphries explains dart and fitness overhaul behind his new-season form

A new set of darts, different flights, a tighter routine and a conscious shift in how he looks after himself. That was the thread running through Luke Humphries’ post-match reflections after his opening win at the PDC Winmau World Masters, and it framed the performance on stage as part of something bigger than a single result.

On the board, the numbers were emphatic. Humphries averaged 104.13 against Dave Chisnall’s 86.75, hit seven 180s, nine 140-plus scores and finished 7 from 20 on the doubles. Yet the match still began with a set he felt he should never have lost. That was where he began when he spoke afterwards.

“The first set was a strange one because I felt like I scored really well, got myself into pot position to win it and then the double five sort of threw me for some weird reason. I don’t think any of the doubles were really that close and I ruined that set with missed darts, but kind of did what I do, stayed on it and the scoring was really good. So I suppose the takeaway from the game was the scoring was top notch with the new darts.”

That phrase "new darts" opened the door to everything else he wanted to explain.

Humphries knows most people would not notice the difference. “Honestly, a lot of people probably looked at my setup there and would have gone, well, what’s different, but for someone like me, yeah, it’s got different darts. It’s the same style, exactly the same I usually threw last year. A different set, though. Got the switch points in now, so I can change it when I need to. And they’re a different flight. They’re not the same design, different micron, but they’re different. Yeah, they are different.”

The change came quickly after Saudi. “I put them in my darts after Saudi. I had six days with them. I just seen them in the drawer and I was like, let me just try and see what happens this time. And I was scoring really well with them. So I thought maybe I’ll just try them and see how they go, one step at a time. Obviously, I want to get the design that’s to do with me, but I thought, let’s go with the same design but different fly, and yeah, they worked well. I’ve been practising really well. There’s no excuse to not go up and play well on the stage as well.”

He admitted there is still a slight disconnect between what he throws and how he sees himself. “Sometimes it’s a little bit like my brand is not the same. It’s like I’m using a really sort of average dart that no one really would look at and think looks beautiful. Points, obviously, for me I like to have that change because sometimes mine breaks, so it’s nice to be able to change. But the flights, they mean nothing to me, but they also mean a lot to me because they help me.”

Then the key line. “It’s nice that I’ve been able to break free from that choke hold they got on me from having the same flights all the time. Once I get used to the same design, then maybe I can swap over to something different.”

Humphries’ own description of his game matched the pattern of the match. “The scoring element is always something that’s pretty decent in my game. It’s always the doubles and the below 120 that affects me sometimes. It did in the first set, but after that, I relaxed a little bit more into the game, and yeah, the scoring was fantastic. Doubles just need to sharpen up a little bit more.”

Once he settled, two successive 11-dart legs broke the contest open. Even a missed bull for a 170 did not shift control because Chisnall was rarely arriving at a finish first.

“With a new setup and all those type of things, sometimes you feel scoring’s easy. The doubles are the ones that really can make the difference when you’re playing with something new. So maybe I need to up the practice on that.”

The darts are only part of the changes he described. “Since the Worlds I’ve been on more of a fitness diet. Not to lose weight, but to keep myself healthy. I felt like sometimes I let myself go a little bit. You don’t exercise as much, you don’t eat as healthy as much, and even though I kept my natural weight, my body wasn’t healthy. So I’ve been trying to keep myself really healthy, and yeah, I feel good. Healthy body, healthy mind.”

He framed it as small choices. “It’s just about making little choices. Don’t eat bad after a night, have something better for yourself. It’s not huge sacrifices, it’s just looking after yourself and trying to keep the energy levels there, exercising a bit more and eating a bit healthier.”

The effect has been noticeable. “In the last six or seven days, my body feels really good. I feel like I’m back to where I was four years ago.”

He did not present himself as setting a template. “I don’t think I set the tone, but maybe I inspired a few people to think about health and exercise. That little added extra five percent can really help, especially when you get older, and you can’t get away with things like you used to.”

Psychology, he said, is not part of this. “I’ve not really been doing anything psychologically. It’s more about getting my body feeling good. When you feel that, your mind feels healthy.”

He pinpointed the moment it began. “January the 2nd this year. Before that, you’re eating all right, but you’re just maintaining. I wanted to be more energetic. I could last the whole night, go to 2 a.m. and not let it affect me. Just little changes. That’s all it’s about.”

That thinking extends to how he will approach the calendar.

“I’ll definitely play the Wigan ones. I think there’s ten. I’ll play them and maybe a couple others, depending how I feel. I can’t commit to full-time on the Players Championships anymore, but I do still enjoy them. Some of it’s really tough. You could be away ten days, home for two, then away for another seven.”

Humphries also reflected on returning as holder.

“It’s always great to be a defending champion. I had great fond memories of this tournament last year. But it’s a cutthroat one. If you’re missing doubles like I did in that first set, it can be a hard night. It’s a little bit like panic. If you lose that first leg in the next set, you feel like you can’t make a mistake. I managed to find my scoring form in the end there and that really helped me out.”

Next comes Luke Woodhouse. “He’s not someone I’m scared to play, but he’s not the type of player you want to draw first game either. He’s obviously playing really well. If I miss doubles like I did in that first set, he’ll beat me. If I’m not missing doubles, it’ll be tough for him.”

Humphries’ performance against Chisnall reflected the exact balance he described. The scoring with the new setup was strong enough to dominate the match statistically. The doubles were loose enough to cost him a set he felt he should have won.

Different darts. Different flights. Different habits.

And, in his own words, a feeling of having broken free.