LUKE HUMPHRIES admits he has “lost that spark” despite NINE major finals in a year.
The World Champion moved into the final day of the Czech Darts Open but was clearly unsettled with his own performance.
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Cool Hand, 29, then revealed he struggled to play in the heat and will make changes next year.
He said: “It’s really hot and I don’t cope well with the heat with my darts.
“I think I’m going to have to adapt next year. I’ve been talking to my supplier Red Dragon so maybe we will go for a bit more grip, longer points. Stuff like that.
“I feel like I can improve from what I’ve been doing, I feel like I’ve lost that spark a little bit.
“I know I played well, 100 average is that right but that first dart at double 20 in the first leg just slipped out of my hand.
“It’s just not normal so maybe I need to adapt and change things. I’m one of those people I don’t like changing a lot but I have to adapt.
“I’m going to add grip, longer point and less barrel and see how it goes because I feel like I’m on the bottom wire quite a lot.
“I want to be back to my fluent best when I’m putting people off the board, not giving them chances.
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“It’s hard to adapt to the heat and that’s just one of my worries but it was a steady performance. It just felt forced, I know there’s another level to me. I’ve got that to prove to win.”
Humphries beat Ritchie Edhouse 6-2 last night and faces Gian van Veen this afternoon as he looks to make the last eight and decisive evening session.
The world No1 is not the only player to make a change recently, with Luke Littler switching darts at the recent Player Championship 27 and 28.
But in Prague returned to his usual arrows, revealing: “There was load of talk about changing my darts so I’ve come here this weekend and made the decision to go back to what I know best. They went well tonight.”
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