Luke Humphries is one of the most dominant darts players right now. His game looks calm and controlled, and that simplicity is exactly what makes him so effective. His throwing technique, equipment choices and mental approach work perfectly together. In this blog, you will learn how Humphries throws darts, why he makes certain choices and what you can apply to your own game.
Luke Humphries stands tight to the oche with his front foot straight, similar to Gary Anderson. He leans slightly forward to get as close to the dartboard as possible, but never so far that it becomes uncomfortable. This reduces the distance to the board and provides extra control, without creating tension in the body.
What stands out is that Humphries does not throw his darts from his eyeline. The reason for this is his equipment. He uses one of the longest darts on the professional circuit, which makes a traditional eyeline throw impractical. Instead, he pulls the dart back to the side of his face and releases it from there in one smooth motion towards the board. This is clearly visible in the video.
His grip plays an important role in this technique. Humphries holds the dart relatively far back, at the end of the barrel and partly on the beginning of the shaft. Everything about his throw is focused on staying relaxed. As soon as you tense up, the darts will fly in all directions.
The darts Luke Humphries uses are far from standard. Early in his career, he threw with the old darts of Simon Whitlock, the same set Whitlock used in the World Championship final against Phil Taylor. Humphries liked those darts so much that he worked together with Red Dragon to develop a similar dart, with a few targeted adjustments.
This resulted in the Luke Humphries TX1, a torpedo style barrel with a clear front weight, which provides extra stability. A unique detail in his setup is the use of 65 mm shafts. That is exceptionally long. Humphries once saw this with another player, tried it himself and noticed that his average increased significantly. Since then, this has remained a fixed part of his dart setup.
Here as well, he does not choose something because it is trendy, but because it works for his throw.
According to Humphries, dealing with pressure mainly comes down to experience. You do not learn to win big matches by throwing harder, but by sticking to your routine. The same stance, the same preparation, even when the pressure is high. That is what makes him mentally strong.
His way of training fits perfectly with this mindset. Humphries strongly believes in “meaningful practice”. This means training with full focus and intention. Not just throwing three darts without thinking, but staying aware. If you throw a bad first dart, you do not automatically throw the other two straight after. First you think, reset, and then continue.
An important and often underestimated part of his development is his physical transformation. In the past, he often reached the last 32 or last 16, mainly because he became tired. That changed after he lost weight. During the UK Open, he played the quarterfinal, semifinal and final all in one day. Humphries has said himself that he would never have managed that physically without improving his fitness. From that moment on, he continued to work consciously on his health, with visible results on stage.
If you want to see exactly how his grip, throw and release look, make sure to watch the accompanying YouTube video. Luke Humphries shows that real consistency is created when technique, equipment, mental calm and physical fitness come together perfectly.
