Darts and snooker fans and players alike have long debated over who has it tougher
Don't Miss
Most Read
Trending on GB News
Luke Littler has weighed in on the debate between snooker's 147 break and darts' nine-dart finish on his 18th birthday, siding with seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.
The teenage darts sensation, who recently claimed victory over Michael van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace, believes achieving a maximum break in snooker requires more skill than a perfect leg in darts.
The discussion has long divided fans of both sports, with Littler becoming the latest high-profile figure to favour snooker's ultimate achievement.
"I think it has to be a 147," Littler told Sport. "I don't know the rules of snooker. What is it?
Luke Littler
"You pot a red ball, you pot a coloured ball, and you just go over and over again. It's really hard. I'd say a 147 is a lot harder."
A maximum break requires a player to successfully pot 36 consecutive balls, alternating between red and black before clearing the colours.
O'Sullivan echoed these sentiments when questioned by darts legend Raymond van Barneveld in 2023.
"The 147 must be harder, I think," O'Sullivan said.
"I think what you guys do on a dartboard and the way you make it look so easy is just unbelievable, so total respect to you guys."
The snooker champion elaborated: "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."
Statistics support the frequency of both achievements, with 210 recognised maximum breaks in snooker compared to 96 televised nine-dart finishes.
Luke Littler has already hit a nine-darter - doing so at last year's Bahrain Masters and Belgian Open
PA
Both sports have seen a dramatic increase in perfect performances in recent years.
The 1980s witnessed just eight 147 breaks in snooker, while 55 have been achieved since 2020.
Similarly in darts, only two nine-dart finishes were recorded between 1984 and 2001, yet 42 have been televised in this decade alone.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
Ronnie O'Sullivan has made 15 maximums - more than any other professional player
PA
Littler's perspective carries particular weight given his own mastery of the nine-dart finish.
The teenage star has already demonstrated his prowess by achieving perfect legs at both the Bahrain Masters and Belgian Open last year.
His success continued into the World Championship, where he witnessed two other players accomplish nine-dart finishes during the tournament.
This first-hand experience with darts' highest achievement makes his endorsement of snooker's 147 as the greater feat especially noteworthy.
You may like