Swimming superstar Grant Hackett signalled today that breaking his 1,500m world record would be a priority at the upcoming world championships in Melbourne.

With his recovery from shoulder surgery - which sidelined him from the Commonwealth Games - complete, Hackett says his best is yet to come, and he's confident of unleashing it when he takes on the world at Rod Laver Arena in March.

Hackett set his freakish 14min 34.56sec world mark five years ago at the worlds in Japan.

And making up for lost time was on the Queenslander's mind today, as he declared himself mentally freshened and physically ready to raise the bar following his long stint out of the pool.

"My 1,500 (world record) time I did back in 2001 and I think I'm a much better swimmer now," Hackett said.

"It's a matter of putting it together on the day.

"I enjoy it, I'm passionate about it and I really feel within myself that I haven't seen my best performances.

"I haven't seen my fastest 200 or 400 or 800 or 1,500 times - I feel I can improve."

Hackett made his competitive return at the Australian shortcourse titles in Hobart in August, setting times not far off his best.

The 26-year-old set the fastest 400m time in the world this year, then clocked the second quickest time ever for the shortcourse 1,500m.

"Based on my results at Australian shortcourse, my preparation wasn't too wonderful but I was still able to get up and produce good times," he said.

"I might have to go near my world record the way the competition's improving in the 1,500m freestyle.

"People are coming up all the time and the depth's better than I've ever seen it before."

Hackett's 1,500m kill at the worlds is likely to be a far easier one than he lets on.

But even then he is taking no chances and is cutting back his usually gruelling worlds program.

He will ditch the individual 200m freestyle for Melbourne, swimming the event at the national trials only with an eye to being part of the men's 4x200m relay team.

"I've dropped the 200m freestyle as an individual and I think that's going to allow me to be a bit more capable than I was in Montreal (at the 2005 worlds) to get a personal best time over the 1,500."

Hackett will also attempt the 400m and 800m.

As Hackett today inspected the Rod Laver Arena, where a drop-in Olympic-sized pool will be installed for the world championships, tickets went on sale for the event.

Nearly 20,000 tickets had been sold by 4pm for the upcoming FINA world championships, which encompass open water swimming, synchronised swimming, diving and water polo as well as swimming.