Phil Taylor is the most decorated player in darts history. Nicknamed The Power, he won 16 world championships, 16 World Matchplay titles and a record 87 major titles, and nobody has come close since. This guide covers Phil Taylor's career stats, his televised nine-darters, the finals worth rewatching, where the nickname came from and what he did after retiring, with sources linked for every number.
Who is Phil Taylor: the man with more world titles than anyone
Taylor was born on 13 August 1960 in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and worked in a ceramics factory before taking darts seriously in his mid-twenties. His world title count is 16: 2 BDO (1990, 1992) and 14 PDC (eight straight from 1995 to 2002, then 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013). The first one came in 1990, beating his own mentor Eric Bristow 6-1 in the final. In total he reached 21 world finals, another record.
Phil Taylor career stats at a glance
World titles only tell part of the story. The numbers below come from Phil Taylor's Wikipedia page, and the Matchplay, Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Premier League counts match DartsNews' retirement report.
| Event | Record |
|---|---|
| World Championship | 16 titles (2 BDO + 14 PDC) |
| World Championship finals | 21 |
| World Matchplay | 16 |
| World Grand Prix | 11 |
| Premier League | 6 |
| Grand Slam of Darts | 6 |
| UK Open | 5 |
| European Championship | 4 |
| Players Championship Finals | 3 |
| Professional titles | 214 (including a record 87 majors) |
| Televised nine-darters | 11 (22 overall) |
How many nine-darters did Phil Taylor hit? 11 on TV
A nine-darter is darts' perfect game: 501 checked out in the minimum nine darts. Taylor hit 11 on television. The first was on 1 August 2002, in a World Matchplay quarter-final against Chris Mason, the first nine-darter ever broadcast live on British TV, worth a £100,000 bonus. The wildest came in the 2010 Premier League final at Wembley Arena, where he hit two nine-darters (legs 2 and 15) in the same match against James Wade and won 10-8, the first time anyone had done it twice in one match. Oddly, he never hit one at the World Championship. Full list on Wikipedia's nine-dart finish page; we cover the backstory in our history of the nine-darter.
Where "The Power" came from
The nickname has nothing to do with his throw. During the 1995 World Matchplay, Sky Sports producer Peter Judge told him he needed a catchier name, and reportedly he'd just stepped on the CD case for Snap!'s "The Power," which settled it. Before that, as Eric Bristow's protégé, he was "The Crafty Potter." More stories like this in our darts nicknames guide.
Spotted by a five-time world champion
Taylor's way in was five-time world champion Eric Bristow. In 1985 he watched Bristow play an exhibition at a pub, then started practising at Bristow's own bar, the "Crafty Cockney." Bristow reportedly lent him the money to turn pro. Five years later the student beat the teacher in a world final. For a taste of Bristow's era, read about the 1989 Wilson vs Bristow final.
Phil Taylor's greatest finals, won and lost
- 1995 to 2002, eight PDC world titles in a row: almost nobody gave him a real game in a final.
- 2007 world final: Taylor led 3-0 and lost 7-6 to Raymond van Barneveld, one of the best finals ever. See van Barneveld vs Taylor 2007.
- 2015 world final: Gary Anderson won 7-6 for his first world title. See Anderson vs Taylor 2015.
- 2018 world final: his last PDC World Championship, against debutant Rob Cross, who had turned pro only 11 months earlier. Taylor lost 2-7 (2018 PDC World Championship). Cross's side of it is in our Rob Cross story.
- 2018 SUPER DARTS final: Japan's Haruki Muramatsu beat the freshly retired Taylor. See our Haruki Muramatsu profile.
After retirement: the 2022 World Seniors comeback
After leaving the PDC in 2018, Taylor came back in 2022 on the new World Seniors Darts Tour. He reached the quarter-finals of the World Seniors Championship in 2022 and 2023, and made the final of the first World Seniors Matchplay in Hull in July 2022, losing 12-10 to Robert Thornton (DartsNews). In November 2023 he announced 2024 would be his final season, and he went out in the first round of the 2024 World Seniors Championship.
What darts does Phil Taylor use? Target
Taylor has been with Target Darts since 2014, with his own "Power" signature range, and Wikipedia lists his setup as a 26g Target signature dart. That's on the heavy side for most players, so don't just copy it; find a weight and grip that feel right for you. If you want to compare barrel shapes and weights, browse the barrels section of AI DARTS' own darts shop.
FAQ
How many world titles did Phil Taylor win?
16. Two BDO (1990, 1992) and 14 PDC (1995 to 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013), still the all-time record.
How many nine-darters has Phil Taylor hit?
11 on television and 22 overall. His first televised one came against Chris Mason at the 2002 World Matchplay, and he hit two in the 2010 Premier League final.
Why is Phil Taylor called The Power?
A Sky Sports producer suggested a nickname in 1995, and he reportedly picked it after stepping on the CD case of Snap!'s "The Power."
Is Phil Taylor still playing?
No. He left the PDC in 2018, played the World Seniors tour from 2022 to 2024, and announced in 2023 that 2024 would be his last competitive year.
What darts does Phil Taylor use?
Target Darts Phil Taylor signature darts, listed on Wikipedia at 26g.
For the player who defined the next era, read our Michael van Gerwen profile, or meet more of Europe's best in our European steel-tip players guide. Ceramics factory worker to the most decorated player in darts: this game doesn't care where you started. Want to try it yourself? AI DARTS soft-tip boards run 24 hours, menu here. No pressure if you're not great yet, just come throw a few.