Phil his boots

Taylor: 2009 targets

I've just paid half a million for a new house and I want my money back! So I'm going to win my money back for that at the Premier League.

Phil Taylor
Quotes of the week

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Premier League play-offs
P Taylor v M King & R v Barneveld v J Wade
Followed by final
Monday May 25, 6pm
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Phil Taylor has put his house on being successful this year, and with his current form you could do worse than backing him to win all of the major darting prizes this season.

'The Power' spoke to skysports.com amidst his preparations for the Premier League play-offs on Bank Holiday Monday at Wembley - live on Sky Sports.

The 14-time world champion has won all four previous editions of the Premier League and topped the table again to set-up a semi-final with Mervyn King, and a possible final against Raymond van Barneveld or James Wade.

Although the huge favourite to continue his Premier League domination, Taylor is taking everything in his stride in the build-up.

"You don't get too excited early on, you just prepare yourself for the games," he told skysports.com. "But come Sunday night I'll start getting the butterflies again ahead of the tournament."

Down payment

Part of Taylor's preparations have involved a house move, and he is keen to lay down a big down payment by banking the winner's cheque from the Premier League.

"I've just paid half a million for a new house and I want my money back! So I'm going to win my some of my money back for that at the Premier League.

"We've been moving into this new house, and I've been doing a hell of a lot of work doing that, and then doing a lot of practice too, nothing too strenuous just ticking over

"I've got a new practice room overlooking a golf course, when I'm practising I can look out of the window onto the course - it's beautiful."

For those that are familiar with him, it's clear to see that Taylor is far more at ease with himself after battling back from a lean spell to grab his 14th world title in January.

The man from Stoke readily admits that winning that world title again has taken a weight off his shoulders - and has unleashed a fabulous run of form this year that even Taylor has not produced before in his career.

Pressure

"It takes a lot of pressure off when you kick in with the big one (World Championship) and that helped me, I knew I could do it then.

"Last year when I was losing I was listening to people talking about me, and thinking if my career was over, but then I went back to the practise board and put it right - it was the only thing I could do.

"Enjoying it is the key for me now, and practising properly, not overdoing it or underdoing it - it's all about experience and knowing how to prepare for the big tournaments."

Taylor is not getting any younger, but it is his new preparation routine, scaling down on money-spinning exhibitions and gearing his practise towards the big tournaments, that could see him scoop all the big prizes this year.

"I've been playing well, I hardly do very many exhibitions at all now, and I could win everything this year - that's my aim.

"It'll be very difficult, you've got to be 100 percent all the time to win every major tournament, but I've got a chance, if I play like I can and keep performing week in and week out then I will win every one.

"There's a lot of good players around though, so I've had to raise the bar again, you need to average about 108-110 now to win a big tournament, but I'm aiming to average 115-120 all the time."

After proving almost unbeatable so far in 2009, if Taylor can remain consistent and inch up another notch, then he could well be paying off his new house, and a few others, sooner than he thinks.

Phil Taylor was talking when promoting the new PDC World Championship Darts 2009 video game from Oxygen Games, which is available from 29th May at all good game retailers on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. For more information visit: www.dartsvideogame.com