"He would be standing there and farting on the oche doing all sorts": Adrian Lewis opens up about Phil Taylor’s tactical mind games on stage

Adrian Lewis has offered a striking glimpse into the psychological battles that played a constant role on the PDC circuit for years. The two-time world champion revealed that none other than Phil Taylor, widely regarded as the greatest darts player of all time, was notorious for his mind games during matches. According to Lewis, “The Power” sometimes went remarkably far to knock opponents out of their rhythm.

In an interview, Lewis spoke candidly about his experiences with Taylor, against whom he contested many major matches on the biggest stage. Although Taylor is best known for his unparalleled resume and iron focus, it turns out he also looked for ways beyond the scoreboard to unsettle his opponents.

“He would be standing there and farting on the oche doing all sorts," Lewis said bluntly. “Oh God he is awful for it! For instance your darts case would go missing. It’s like hold on a minute. He would do loads of things.” 

According to Lewis, these weren’t isolated incidents, but part of a broader form of mental warfare for which Taylor was known. The mind games also played out in full view of the crowd, with thousands of fans in the arena and millions watching on TV at home. Yet Taylor seemed completely unfazed by that.

Lewis, like Taylor from Stoke-on-Trent, admits he didn’t always have the calm and mental stability to completely ignore such tactics. While some players shut everything out and focus solely on their own game, Lewis visibly struggled more with that.

“I do bite when I shouldn’t bite," he admitted. "I don’t think I’ve always had as stable a mind as I should have." At the same time, he also puts his reaction into perspective. “Sometimes I just laugh it off.”

What especially set Lewis apart from many other PDC players was his direct approach. While others choose to voice their frustrations only after a match, Lewis was someone who addressed issues immediately, regardless of the moment or the circumstances.

"I’m one of those people where some of the PDC lads say, ‘Why didn’t you wait until after to tell them?’" Lewis explains. “But what’s the point? If someone does something that’s out of order, I’d rather say it right away, while we’re up there.”

According to Lewis, it doesn’t matter whether a packed arena is watching or the cameras are rolling. “I don’t care if millions are watching. I’ll just say: ‘Listen, I don’t like this. Stop it.’ We might as well address it there and then, instead of backstage.”

Lewis’s remarks shed an interesting light on the psychological side of elite sport within darts. Although the game can seem simple to outsiders, concentration, rhythm, and mental resilience play a huge role at the highest level. Small disruptions can have big consequences for performance, especially during long and intense matches.

Phil Taylor has never spoken extensively about these specific allegations himself, but it fits the image of a player who did everything to win. For Lewis, the confrontations with Taylor were therefore not only sporting duels, but also mental battles.