Luke Littler in agreement with Ronnie O’Sullivan as he delivers clear verdict
In the world of precision sports, the debate over which feat demands greater skill—a nine-dart finish in darts or a 147 break in snooker—has persisted among enthusiasts. Recently, teenage darts prodigy Luke Littler and snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan have both weighed in, aligning in their perspectives.
Luke Littler, who celebrated his 18th birthday on January 21, 2025, has already made significant strides in the darts arena, notably defeating Michael van Gerwen to clinch the PDC World Darts Championship title earlier this month. Despite his prowess, Littler acknowledges the complexity of achieving a 147 break in snooker. He remarked, “I think it has to be a 147… It’s really hard. I’d say a 147 is a lot harder.”
This sentiment mirrors the views of Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time snooker world champion renowned for his record 15 maximum breaks. When discussing the topic with darts icon Raymond van Barneveld, O’Sullivan stated, “The 147 must be harder, I think… Maybe the 147 might be slightly harder, just because it’s 36 shots and you’ve got only nine to do. We have to do four times the amount of work that you do.”
Statistically, there have been 210 recognized maximum breaks in snooker, compared to 96 televised nine-dart finishes. Both achievements have become more frequent in recent years, reflecting the rising standards in both sports.
Beyond this technical discussion, O’Sullivan has also offered personal advice to Littler, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with a strong support system. Drawing from his own experiences as a young snooker sensation, O’Sullivan suggested that Littler find a mentor akin to Sir Alex Ferguson to help navigate the challenges of early fame. He reflected, “I think if I had my time again, I’d probably take the Hendry route and just be always around an Alex Ferguson type figure… So, just keep your feet on the ground if you can and just keep good people around.”
As Littler’s career progresses, the shared insights from both himself and O’Sullivan offer a fascinating glimpse into the parallels between darts and snooker, highlighting the mutual respect and understanding between athletes of different disciplines.
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