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Pro Tips

Hot for Squash

The summer is finally upon us and everyone around you is hanging up their rackets in exchange for the golf clubs and tennis rackets. Finding regular tough opposition in the summer can become more effort than playing the game itself, so what could you do this summer by yourself to improve your game?

The summer is an ideal time to work on areas of your game that you know are weaknesses. There are less tournaments and competitive play to be found in the summer months, so this is the best time to introduce new ideas into your game.

If you don't know what your major weaknesses are then go to your squash pro and ask them to play a game with you, from this, they will be able to assess areas in your game that you can work on over the summer. If the coach picks up on some technical issues that would help your stroke, then it might be good idea to take a series of lessons so that the changes appear in your game as quickly as possible with less risk of new bad habits creeping in.

Your may find that your coach considers your tactical play to be your biggest problem, playing conditioned games or practicing drill exercises either with your coach or a playing partner, will be the best way for you to become familiar with the new tactics in your game. If you going to practice with a partner and not your coach, ask your coach which exercises you should be doing.

There is one other big area of the game that can and should be worked on over the summer. FITNESS!!

The summer months is the period when all pro squash players take to the running track, roads and the hills to build up base fitness. It is also a good time to be working on weight training and biking for leg strength. This is not the sort of training that helps you to the same extent during the squash season however, as endurance training can slow down your quick muscle twitch reflexes, which are important for speed on the squash court. So this endurance and strength based training is always done before the season starts. Ask your squash pro or a fitness instructor for an idea of a program to suit your needs.

So don't leave your rackets to gather dust this summer, use the quiet time at your club to take advantage of your pro's wisdom to help you help yourself!

Counterstrategy - Change a Losing Game Plan

Strategy and tactics play a great role in squash as you go up the ladder. Players often discuss different opponents-their strengths and weaknesses at leagues and tournaments. However, all too often, players do not change a losing strategy. All of us encounter opponents whose particular style frustrates us-be it the power player, the touch wizard or the big bugger who's always in the way. In this article for the Illinois Squash Racquets Association, I thought I'd answer some of the more common questions I'm frequently asked about strategy and tactics.

A good volleyer is always frustrating to play against. What should I do?

Play tight and straight. Hit wide on the crosscourt. If you have the ability, hit low and hard and accurate. If not, hit high and soft. Remember that you won't be able to stop the volleys outright, but reducing their frequency will still change the tempo and rhythm of the game.

My opponent hits a slow pace and is very accurate with her lop and drops. What can I do to counteract this?

Be patient. Try and play at medium pace, but with emphasis on a sudden hard drive, forcing her out of her rhythm. She may hang back on the drops. A quick counter drop can exploit this. Volley the lobs when possible, but don't force the ball (trying to hit hard from a difficult position). Advance players may be able to play hard and fast. If you are able and can retain accuracy, go for it!

What strategy will work against someone with great touch to the front of the court?

You must concentrate on the back of the court. Wait until he's hanging back a bit before taking him short with a boast or drop. A quick counter drop may be very effective, especially if he attacks too soon out of frustration from your good length. Good pace to the back of the court will then give your opponent less time to react and more chance of giving up an error.

My opponent is very fit, fast and gets everything back. How is it possible to put the ball away?

Accept the fact that most attacking shots will come back into play despite trying to 'put-it-away'. You are playing a mileage (attrition) game. He may indeed have 8 or 10 squash miles in him, so dig in mentally. Try holding the shot whenever possible-especially in attacking situations-so that you break his rhythm and delay his response time. It won't matter how fast he can run when he's dashing to the front after you've held the ball and hit it to the back right.

A final note:

Rarely is a player strong in all aspects of the game. Exploit their weaker side-backhand or forehand. When attempting to turn a losing game around, always built from length.

Good luck and take lessons from your local pro!

Graham and Kelly are two top players who train with Mike Way in Toronto. Mike Way may be reached at 416-922-3665.

Tournament Etiquette

Playing in tournaments is great fun! You get the challenge of competition, some great exercise, perhaps a tee shirt and an opportunity to make some new friends and watch some squash.

A squash tournament doesn't just happen. It takes a lot of planning and hard work on the part of tournament directors, club pros and committees. You can help these hard working people and enjoy your tournament experience more if you take a little time and follow these guidelines:

• Complete the entry form and return it with your payment before the deadline. If a tournament staff person has been kind enough t call you to invite you to play, take the time to return the call promptly and give a definite answer as to whether or not you can play.
• Make sure you know when the tournament starts and finishes. Avoid making schedule requests, but if you absolutely have to, make them well in advance to the tournament director.
• Don't over schedule your time during the weekend of the tournament. When you sign up, it should be your priority for that weekend.
• Remember that you have signed up to play the tournament!
• If you haven't head from the tournament director by the dare before it starts, call for your match time. Players are ultimately responsible for their match times.
• If you're going to compete in tournaments, then I strongly urge you to join the Illinois Squash Racquets Association. They support the game and help organize and promote a variety of events! Plus, your tournament results will be reported for both ranking and rating status.
• Arrive at least 30 minutes in advance of your match and proceed directly to the registration table and check-in. Have your payment ready if you didn't pay in advance.
• Read the tournament information that is given to you at the check in table.
• Know the rules of squash. It's your obligation to know the rules well enough to referee a match at your own level.
• Volunteer! It's easy and fun to do and tournament directors always need help.
• Read your draws. Be responsible for your match times and consolation matches.
• Have fun! Respect the referee's decision even if you believe them to be incorrect. You should always respect them.

The Drop Shot in the Front Court

As you improve your squash game and play better opponents, you will undoubtedly find it harder to hit outright winners. A fast opponent with good movement will cover most of your best shots (except those that are dead nicks!)

In order to win rallies, it becomes necessary to beat your opponent with a combination of shots that move your opponent up and down the court and gradually out of position, enabling you to hit a winner to the open court. The ability to hit a drop in the front court is key in building up the combinations to move your opponent out of position.

The drop shot is the most effective way of bringing your opponent forward because, when played correctly, the ball will quickly bounce twice, forcing your opponent to move quickly. The drop shot can also make it easy to direct the ball to the corners. The other option to move your opponent to the front is playing a shot off the side wall nearest your (a trickle boast) or the side wall furthest from you (a reverse angle). Although the trickle boast and reverse angle can be good shots when used sparingly, they are likely to put you in trouble if used as the primary method of bringing your opponent forward to the front court. They allow your opponent more time, because hitting off the side wall means the ball will the longer to bounce twice, and these shots often (especially with a trickle boast) do not end up in a front corner, thus allowing your opponent more options with his or her next shot.

You should be looking to hit a drop shot any time you are not rushed and are well balanced in the front court. In particular, the drop shot is appropriated after your opponent has been forced to boast out of the back corner or after your opponent has a weak drop shot. Many people warn against re-dropping an opponent's drop; however, it is not always a bad thing, especially if your opponent's drop is poor and he or she is back pedaling quickly, in anticipation of a hard drive to the back corner.

At the beginning of a match, it is best to establish a strong basic game built on drives hit deep into the back court. As the match develops, begin to increase the number of drop shots you play at the front of the court to posh your opponent forward more often. This strategy is good for a couple of reasons. Early in the match, your opponent will be fresher and will move up to your drop shots with greater ease. By starting off mainly hitting drives, to the back, you will keep your opponent on his or her heels, perhaps even standing a little too far behind the T. Now, when you hit a drop shot, it is likely to be more effective, especially as the match continues and your opponent begins to tire.

As you prepare for a drop shot it is important to avoid giving any signal to your opponent that the shot is coming. Make sure that you prepare your racket early and that you keep your racket up on the backswing in a similar manner as for the drive. As with all shots, you should be timing your last step to the ball to be on your front foot just before you begin your stroke.

As you execute the drop shot, you should be bending your front knee so you get as low to the ground as possible without losing your balance. The lower your head is when you play the shot, the more control you will have. You should swing in a similar manner as to the drive, except the swing should be slower to take the pace off the shot. You should keep your wrist firm and push through the ball.

Your follow through should be much shorter than your drive, with your racket face ending more in the direction in which you want the ball to go, rather than bringing the racket face up toward your front shoulder. The shorter follow through should enable you to push off your front foot quicker, thus enabling you to position yourself to cover your opponent's replay.

The drop shot should be played with a slightly open racket face (i.e. the racket face should be pointing slightly upward) in order to put some slice on the shot. The slice will help to slow the pace of the shot down and will help the ball die after it has hit the front wall. Always think about the shot as a way of working your opponent forward rather than hitting an outright winner (although hopefully it will turn out to be a winner on some occasions!) Although you should obviously avoid hitting the shot so high on the front wall that you set your opponent up for a winner, the shot should also not be so low on the front wall that you risk hitting the tin. Normally, aiming about two to four inches above the tin will be optimal. If possible, all your drop shots should be either angled, so that after they hit the front wall the ball rebounds toward the side wall nick, or hit so that after hitting the front wall the ball hugs the side wall.

Once you have completed the shot and are backing out of the front corner, make sure that you are watching the ball and your opponent carefully. Always expect your opponent to be able to make a good return, but hopefully, if your drop shot was good enough, your opponent will be at full stretch to return the shot. This will reduce his or her options. More than likely, from a stretched position at the front of the court, your opponent will be forced to either re-drop you or hit a cross court. You should be looking to step quickly and hit a cross court off your opponent's drop, or to hit a straight volley to the back, off your opponent's cross court. Either way, your opponent will be out of position and scrambling to the opposite back corner to try to stay in the rally!

Phil, author of Squash: Steps to Success, originally wrote this piece for Squash Magazine in 1998. He currently has hung up his pro racquet in exchange for the three-piece-suited-world of banking! Vice President of the Illinois Squash Racquets Association, he may be reached via e-mail at yarrow@mediaone.net.