Luke Humphries reckons his new shoes can help heal heal the heartbreak of losing his World darts title
Cool Hand returns to action in the Bahrain Masters for the first time since the crown was ripped off his head at the Ally Pally.
Humphries has responded to the quarter-final loss to Peter Wright by making key tweaks in both clobber and equipment to improve in 2025 as he aims to cement his place as World No.1
He said: “I’ve had a good break since the Worlds. Obviously, a little bit of a heartbreak there, but now I’m looking forward to getting back and, hopefully, trying to start off the 2025 season in a good way.
“I kind of just accepted it straight away. I think that I had masses of pressure on my shoulders. It’s always hard when you’re the reigning champion to go on and win again.
“I know I didn’t play to the best of my abilities, but I’ve changed a few things this year to put myself in a better situation in the game.
“I’ve changed my darts, new footwear, all these type of things just to put myself in. Give me that little couple of extra percent better.
“Hopefully in 2025, I can regain that form that’s seen me win quite a lot last year and the year before. “
Humphries starts his Bahrain Masters bid against local ace Abdulla Saeed having collected a first World Series title six months ago in New Zealand.
He said: “I think that was the one I needed because I’d played in so many World Series events and not made a final.
“I finally did and I thought to myself: I need to go on and win this now and I did.
“That’s the one I did and that will relax me now going into these World Series because I had a monkey on my back a little bit where I couldn’t get over the line of winning the semi-finals.
“Now I’ve done that, I feel much more relaxed in these tournaments and I believe I can go on and win.”