WAYNE MARDLE is looking to use 2007 as a stepping-stone to haul himself back up the PDC Order of Merit.
Mardle has slipped down to ninth in the world rankings following a disappointing 2006, and missed out on a Premier League place for the first time this year.
However, he reached his first final for almost a year at the Blue Square UK Open Southern Regional Final last weekend, and is hoping to continue that form throughout this year.
"It's been a year and, with the way I played in the final, you wouldn't have known I'd been gone for a year," said Mardle.
"I'm happy but I've got to build on that now and play with the confidence I am showing at the moment.
"I beat Adrian Lewis, then James Wade and Roland Scholten on Saturday.
"Then, on another day, I've beaten Mervyn King and Vincent van der Voort, so I didn't have what you would call an easy route, and then I had to play Phil in the final!
"I took my chances but against Phil I missed a dart to win the first set, and after that he was gone.
"I tried to stick in, and was leaving finishes after 12 darts, but it wasn't enough because of the amount of pressure he put me under.
"I'm happy to reach the final but not happy to lose, so I've got to work on that."
Mardle has been following the opening weeks of this year's Holsten Premier League Darts from the comfort of his Romford home, but is hoping to be back in the event in 2008.
"I've been watching it but I believe this year I needed to get better to get back in it," he said.
"When I was in it for the last two years, I was the whipping boy, useless.
"I know that I am 80 percent better than that and should be up there qualifying for the last four all the time.
"I wasn't, I was rubbish and I am hoping to use this year as a stepping stone towards 2008.
"Even though I have played darts for 22 years, it's still a learning curve."
Mardle has made one slight modification to his game recently, moving from traditional, standard-shaped flights to a pear-shaped set.
"I believe it's coming together with them now," he adds. "Normally, you throw at a certain pace, but now I can throw harder or softer judging by how I feel and pear-shaped flights allow me to do that.
"Standard flights don't and I had to throw at a certain speed but, now, I can adjust and it's coming to fruition.
"I hope it can help me get back up the Order of Merit."