Darts icon Phil Taylor was left amazed by Luke Littler’s revelation regarding his minimal practice regimen leading up to defending his £1m World Darts Championships title. Littler aims to achieve the rare feat of retaining the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy, with the tournament commencing on Thursday night and his first-round opponent being Lithuanian Darius Labanauskas.
Despite being only 18 years old and hailing from Warrington, Littler plans to enter the competition with deliberately limited practice, surprising the 16-time world champion Taylor. Taylor, speaking on SunSport’s Flight Club, expressed his disbelief at Littler’s unconventional approach to preparation.
Taylor emphasized the importance of mental preparation for players competing at Ally Pally, stating that the mind is a crucial muscle to train for such high-stakes events. Reflecting on his own career, Taylor highlighted the significance of starting mental readiness early and avoiding over-practicing to ensure peak performance during the intense three-week championship.