Phil Taylor has given Luke Littler some striking yet telling advice for major tournaments: stay hungry and avoid takeaways. The sixteen-time world champion spoke candidly about a conversation he had last year with Littler’s mother in the run-up to the World Championship, where a whopping £1 million in prize money was at stake.
Taylor, who dominated the sport for decades and won a record number of majors, emphasises that discipline off the stage was an essential part of his success. According to “The Power”, the difference often lay in the details. "I used to try everything, everything for thinking. One thing that amazed me was how other sportspeople did it. I loved listening to people like Michael Jordan, how he did it, and others, just picking up little things from everywhere," said Taylor on Double Tops. "One of the things I’d do was take a mattress topper with me to the hotel, the same as my bed at home. So I’m not sleeping on a different bed, I’ve got my own setup. My own pillow as well."
"When you’re playing in the World Championship for a million pounds, you don’t leave anything to chance. I actually said to Luke’s mum last year, “You’re playing for a million quid, don’t eat out of hotels, don’t have takeaways. Cook your own food in your room.” That’s what I used to do. I’d cook in the room. Lamb chops were a nightmare because they’d smoke the place out!" Taylor added. He revealed he got the idea from a bodybuilder who used to compete, noting that bodybuilders never risk eating out because of food poisoning. "If they got ill, they could lose a huge amount of muscle, and it might take years to get it back. And for me, it could cost you the World Championship," he continued. "There’s always a chance of food poisoning when you eat out, so I’d go to the supermarket and keep it simple, meat, eggs, maybe a bit of bread, and something for when you get back to the hotel late at night. That way you’re not eating junk food."
Taylor also adopted a gladiator mindset, never eating before matches. "This might sound weird, but I got it from watching documentaries, Roman soldiers and gladiators never went into battle on a full stomach. Then I heard Georges St-Pierre talking about it. His nutritionist said, “Would you rather fight a full lion or a hungry lion?” You’d rather fight the full one. So the idea is, you go into battle hungry. If you’ve ever fasted, you know what it’s like, you can smell a chip shop miles away. You’re switched on." He believes being a bit hungry is the key to success. "That’s probably the key to success, being a bit hungry. If you’re playing for a million pounds, don’t risk anything. Do everything perfectly. I even had a van so I could take things like an air fryer, or a little camping stove and frying pan. If I got back at 11 o’clock at night and I was hungry, I’d cook a steak and a couple of eggs, protein, nice and simple."
Taylor admitted that while in battle on the oche, he didn't really have those cravings due to adrenaline. "I wasn’t starving because the adrenaline was going, but in your mind you’re thinking, “I want to win this quick so I can get something to eat.” Either that or I’d know I had a nice bit of steak back in the fridge. I’d even empty the hotel fridge and put my own food in there."
