Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has issued a defiant warning to fellow professional Stephen Bunting and other players who have insinuated he is gaining an unfair advantage, bluntly stating that critics should “sort their own game out.”
The simmering tension, centred on Littler’s unique “no-look” dartboard calibration routine, has burst into the open after Littler’s management team confirmed the 19-year-old was aware of comments made by Bunting in a recent interview.
Bunting, the former BDO world champion, suggested last week that Littler’s pre-match practice of turning his back to the board and throwing darts to check treble-20 alignment was “gamesmanship” and could be viewed as “a form of cheating” designed to unsettle opponents. Several other unnamed players on the circuit are understood to have privately echoed similar concerns about the unusual ritual.
Littler, who has taken the sport by storm since his breathtaking run to the World Championship final, has now responded with characteristic coolness but clear steel.
“I’ve done the same routine since I was a kid in my bedroom. It’s about feel and knowing the oche is right for me. Nothing more, nothing less,” Littler said in a statement released exclusively to Darts News.
“If Stephen or anyone else has a problem with how I prepare, that’s their issue. Maybe they should focus less on what I’m doing and more on sorting their own game out before we play. My darts do the talking on the board.”
The comments represent the Nadborny star’s strongest public rebuttal to date and signal a new level of assertiveness from the teenager as he solidifies his position at the sport’s top table.
Darts regulations contain no specific rule against a player’s pre-match practice routine, provided it is conducted within the allotted time. The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is understood to have reviewed the matter following Bunting’s initial comments and found no infringement.
The controversy has divided the darts world. Some veterans have backed Bunting’s right to question anything he perceives as a psychological ploy. “Mind games are part of the sport, but so is calling things out,” said one veteran tour card holder anonymously.
However, Littler has received significant backing from several top names. World Number One Luke Humphries, who beat Littler in the World Championship final, stated: “Luke’s routine is unique to him. It’s part of his process. There’s no advantage; it’s just superstition and preparation. People are looking for things to talk about because of how good he is.”
Former world champion Michael van Gerwen also weighed in on social media, posting: “New things always scare people. Focus on your own throwing.”
The exchange sets the stage for a potentially explosive encounter should Littler and Bunting be drawn together in upcoming tournaments, beginning with this weekend’s UK Open. The war of words has undoubtedly added an extra layer of narrative to the teen phenom’s continued rise—a rise now accompanied by a pointed message to his peers: his methods are not up for debate, and his rivals’ energy is better spent elsewhere.
Stephen Bunting has been contacted for further comment.