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The return of the three wall boast



As I talked about in a previous post, the traditional three-wall boast has been falling out of favour in modern squash, making way for a vicious two-wall boast, which bounces twice before the third side wall and is tricky to retrieve. However, the three-wall boast is now experiencing something of a renaissance in the professional game in a different guise.

Players are still trying to avoid hitting defensive three wall boasts but they are now using the three wall boast as a jarring, time-buying abomination of a shot. Rather than meekly hitting a defensive boast when in a bad position, players are now drilling the boast as hard and high as they can. 

They’re not trying to play a trick shot or attempt a skid-boast (a high fast boast where the ball is played from one back corner of the court with the aim of landing it in the opposite back corner) though but at the same angle they would use for a traditional defensive boast.

The effect it has is that it drives the opponent back. It’s such a headache to deal with coming in hard and high and straight to the middle of the court. Players are usually taken aback by the shot and unsure of how to deal with it, often leading to a weak shot or bad shot choice. Not only does it buy the perpetrator of the shot time but it commonly puts them on the offensive as the other person is shocked.

It’s important you are able to play different variations of common shots in squash. If you play the same boast every time during a squash match, you’ll find yourself becoming predictable. Alternating between aggressive two wall boasts, more subtle trickle boasts and these jarring, hard three wall boasts will give such variation to your game that an opponent will struggle to gain a foothold against you.

Make sure in your practices and matches that you work on different types of boasts and ways of hitting the shot – you’ll be rewarded for it. Who knows, you might even invent a new way of hitting the boast!

Want to know more about how to play a boast?



An overview: The Inner Workings of the PSA World Tour

Robbie discusses prize money on the tour and whether it’s possible to get stranded abroad, what it’s like travelling around the circuit and reveals one of his toughest moments of the tour so far in the shower in British Virgin Islands.

Sea, sand and Sun Stroke in British Virgin Islands: One of the toughest moments so far

Playing on the PSA World Tour can be bizarre at times. Extreme too. I played Jamaican Chris Binnie in the Semi-Finals of the British Virgin Islands Open once. It was Caribbean climate at it’s meanest at 37 degrees outside and the courts were certainly not air conditioned. There was a small fan high on the court which just shifted some of the air around. Add to that the fact it was 11am which was the hottest part of the day. Then there was the humidity. They say you should put on an extra 5 degrees for that sort of humidity, meaning it was effectively 42 degrees of Caribbean heat I was dealing with. I had so many changes of kit prepared and my bottle of electrolyte replacement powder ready to come to my aid. I remember during and between each set of the match how I chugged down litres of water and electrolytes, changed shirts, bandanas, wristbands, shorts, the lot. I even changed my socks between games. By the mid-way of each set I could barely stand let alone chase down the ball to gain the next point.

I went 2-1 down in games but managed to build an 8-4 lead in the fourth game. Having done that though, I could not even return the ball properly anymore. Once that was gone, I inevitably lost the match 3-1 within about 5 minutes. Chris adapted to the climate far better than I did which hugely affected the outcome. Following the match I had to be helped to the changing rooms, I couldn’t walk unaided. I stumbled into the shower and just sat there for 20 minutes unable to move, my own body fighting back. I ended up on my back; I had severe shakes and chest cramps, it was my first and thankfully only experience of heat stroke to date. That was certainly a moment I will never forget and I learned a huge amount about how my body functions that day.

Hospitality on the circuit

With three years of experience on the tour under my belt, things have certainly gotten a lot easier with travelling. I’m lucky to say I could pretty much have a place to stay in every country in the world now either through a direct connection or a friend of a friend at least. I seem to often have a great way of meeting the right people at the right time. Once at events it can be hit and miss as to whether or not the organisers pick me up from the airport. I seem to have had huge luck in the past year with the tournaments I entered where I have had really friendly tournament organisers who have made the whole arriving and departing process smooth.

Prize Money: Could you get stranded abroad?

Prize money from events tend to cover between half and all of my travel expenses for the event depending on size of event and how well I do. My dad and I fully fund my squash career through my dad’s business, which along with my appearance fees from league matches, tournament prize money and small amounts of coaching help to cover any costs the prize money doesn’t stretch too. It is a constant battle making ends meet but it is the only way we can continue. There’s no sponsorship available, although I get rackets, strings and kit from various sources which helps. England Squash & Racketball give support to a select few but that’s near impossible to access unless you are head and shoulders above the rest or are coached by one of the national coaches. There is some politics in every sport and squash is certainly no different. So I will be making my own way in squash and in many ways I’m lucky for that because all of the rewards from any success will feel all the sweeter. It also means I’m completely independent and only have people to answer to people who I want to be involved in my journey as a squash professional.

To read more about Robbie’s career to date and his other blog, click here. 

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Squash in the 2020 Olympics: A great opportunity but can we take it?



Officials are considering putting squash in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Squash in the 2020 Olympics

I don’t want to rain on the parade currently marching through the squash world as Japan shortlists squash as one of their eight candidates for recommendation to IOC. Being in the Olympics would be incredible, absolutely amazing but squash should not be looking at the Olympics as the cure it so desperately needs. An ageing demographic, dwindling participation and courts under threat… Squash does need a major boost but it’s not going to get that by getting accepted into the Olympics alone, not unless it can rise to the occasion.

Being in the Olympics would be a phenomenal opportunity but that is all. All opportunities have to be taken. It would be a massive boost to the perception and the awareness of squash but it won’t arrest the present decline. Even if all our dreams come true and all that we wished for happens and squash is played at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, will things change that much for squash? Sure, people of all ages will be more aware of the sport and there is no doubt we will see more people coming along to try squash. There will undoubtedly be a boost to participation in the short term. However, what will this short term boost do for our sport in the long run?

There are players at every club who hark on about days gone by when there were over four thousand internal league divisions and you had to book three years in advance to get a court and even then you would have to play at 4am on a Monday morning or not play at all. Squash has clearly enjoyed far more popular periods than it is enjoying now and yet these ghosts are not worth anything to us now. Even if inclusion in Tokyo 2020 provides us a return to these glory days, what’s to stop squash facing the participation problems again in 20 years time? How much will this Olympics boost actually help the sport?

That depends on us.

The Olympics would be incredible for the game but it is an opportunity, not a solution to the problem. What good will an influx of eager new players be if there are no structures in place for them to join?

I work in clubs across Sussex and I see new members fall through the cracks at all clubs. At some clubs where they’ve worked hard, it’s only occasional new players who drop out but at others, they disappear all the time. Often, they’ll go along to the club night or open evening and get stuffed by everyone there. Where do they go next? If they’re lucky, they might be able to seek out help from the coach – if there is one. A large number of clubs don’t even have a coach! Of the clubs that do, only a handful have full-time coaches. So will our new player be able to improve his game? Maybe. His wife wants to join or is interested in having a go; is there a ladies session? Is there a club session where extra measures are taken to get women to attend? Maybe she’ll find squash too difficult but likes the sound of racketball. Is there a way she can get involved with that? If they have children, can they join a junior section? Can they play competitively and then progress all the way through the county and regional ranks to the top of the game if they so desire? If clubs can’t provide that, they will be a long way short on cashing in on the riches that the Olympics will offer squash.

What squash needs is more qualified coaches. Not just any old token Level 1 coach but active and knowledgeable coaches. It needs champions too. People who will tell their friends about it and bring them along for a go. Mums who will tell all the other mums in the school playground how much their child enjoys playing squash. Parents who will give up their time to drive junior players to matches and volunteers who will run Racketball Evenings, Junior Tournaments and Ladies Nights.

It also needs far more professional infrastructure and participation programmes. We at The Squash Company are working tirelessly to establish better links with schools and community groups in the areas local to our clubs so that we get more and more people actively aware and involved in squash. Squash also needs better and stronger leadership from its governing body and I hope that England squash’s new commander-in-chief Kier Worth will be able to provide that.

If squash is included in the Olympics, it will offer an incredible opportunity and platform, but will squash be there ready to take advantage of this opportunity? I am an incredibly optimistic person (which it might not seem in this article) but we have a lot of work to do to make sure we are ready for any boost the Olympics might bring. If we do start investing more in coaching, identifying champions and working on improving what squash can offer, we will be in an incredible position to make future Olympic Games should we miss out on Tokyo 2020. Hell, If we start putting all of these practices into place, we might find the IOC are approaching squash!



Do you vary your serve in squash?



Vary your serve to disrupt your opponent’s momentum with your service in squash.

When it comes to practice and training in squash, serves are almost always neglected. Think about it: this is absurd. The serve begins the rally. It is possibly the most important shot in the game; it determines whether you will be on the front foot or the back foot at the start of the rally, which often defines the course of that rally.

The serve is also unique. Unlike any other shot in the game, you can take your time with a serve. You can take a few seconds to pick your spot and line up your shot and that little bit of thinking time can be crucial.

My question to you is do you vary your service? Most players tend to have one serve they favour the majority of the time they serve, usually either a smash serve (a fast, low serve) or a lob serve (slow, high serve).

Whilst serving doesn’t directly provide points in the same way it does in sports like Tennis, we all have experienced a player with a tricky serve that makes life uncomfortable for us. Often it is the older gentleman with the awkward lob serve that seems to just drop in the back corner never to be seen again. Even against these lob serve merchants though, we gradually adapt. We get to the stage where we are able to handle and deal with their serves. We might not like it but we are able to eventually produce efficient returns, unless there is a gulf in playing standard.

No matter how good your serve, if it becomes predictable, people will learn to deal with it. Of course, if you have a great lob service, you should make it the staple of your service game but every now and then, throw in a few smash or body serves just as your opponent is starting to come to grips with the height and pace.

serve-5-min

If you watch your opponent’s positioning as they await your serve, you will notice it is very pragmatic. They will adjust based on your most recent service patterns. If you have been serving high and slow, they may push forward looking to volley it high up or they may drop back looking to take it lower if they have been struggling to cope with the height of the ball.

No matter how good your serve, if it becomes predictable, people will learn to deal with it. Of course, if you have a great lob service, you should make it the staple of your service game but every now and then, throw in a few smash or body serves just as your opponent is starting to come to grips with the height and pace.”

Look for these subtle adjustments and when you spot them, change your serve again to catch your opponent cold. The aim is to keep pulling the rug from under their feet every time they think they are getting a stable footing with your serve. This can keep them perpetually defending with their first shot of the game, which is a massive advantage for you. An old adversary of mine saw me moving too early preparing for a volley return on my forehand and so he used to elect to serve to my forehand first and drill the serve down the middle and it caught me out. It just goes to show you need to consider the angle of your serve based on your opponent’s positioning and vary it accordingly.

It is particularly important you vary your serve against players who look to win points regularly with their serve return. These are typically players with a strong drop volley or nick-shot and are often able to score several points a game with their shot. If you keep varying your serve and use a good dose of all of the three major types of serve – the lob, smash and body (when the serve is played down the middle towards your opponent) – you will severely limit this weapon and frustrate them. It disrupts their rhythm, as a few awkward serves can lead to a few scrappy rallies and cheap points, which can derail an opponent who previously had the momentum.

In the post ‘Which side should you serve to first?’, we discuss another thing you can do to vary your serve, which is serving to different sides to gain an advantage. Give it a go! See what benefits can be had from trying to vary your serve.



Which side should you serve to first?



Should you serve to your opponents backhand? 

Whenever we play squash, we almost always serve to our opponent’s backhands and make a point of doing so. If we see a left-hander, we almost immediately proceed to the left hand service box and begin our service. Is this right though and which side should you serve too?

At a lesser level, players tend to be weaker on their backhand so it makes sense to try and get an easy point by serving to an opponent’s backhand, particularly when playing English Scoring to 9, where you need to be serving to score a point.

I challenge you to think before you automatically plump for serving to your opponent’s backhand.

So at a lower level, serving to the backhand seems a sensible idea. At many levels PAR (Point-A-Rally) scoring is now universal and this diminishes the importance of being the server – though not the importance of the quality of the serve.

Regardless of the scoring system, players still serve to their opponent’s backhand, despite the fact there is no real logic to this at a good playing standard except for custom, as there is less difference between the backhand and forehand of a player. In fact, many players become better at hitting touch shots on their backhand.

With this in mind, I challenge you to think before you automatically plump for serving to your opponent’s backhand. First, consider your own service. Is your service stronger when serving to the backhand side or the forehand side?

I challenge you to think before you automatically plump for serving to your opponent’s backhand.”

Which side should you serve to first
Make sure you consider the pace, angle, height, etc., of your serve based on your opponent’s positioning.

Secondly, what sort of positioning does your opponent take up when waiting for the serve? One player I played regularly thought he saw me moving too early preparing for a volley return on my forehand and so he used to elect to serve to my forehand and drill the serve down the middle, towards my body and it caught me out. Now though, I pretend to drift over as if I’m moving in too quickly, only to shuffle back waiting for his loose serve when he’s not looking!

Make sure you also consider the pace, angle, height, etc., of your serve based on your opponent’s positioning.

Thirdly, consider your opponent’s strengths. Some players attack and volley better on their backhand than their forehand. So why would you serve to their stronger volleying side?

Lastly, consider the mental effect this can have on your opponent. Whenever someone served to my forehand with their opening serve, I was curious and almost lost concentration. ‘Why is he doing that? My forehand is stronger than my backhand… isn’t it?’. ’What has he seen? He must have seen something on my forehand that he thinks he can exploit. What does he know?’. ’Is his serve stronger on that side?’.

Consider your opponent’s strengths. Some players attack and volley better on their backhand than their forehand. So why would you serve to their stronger volleying side?”

It might even lead other dangerous thoughts; ‘Right, my forehand is stronger than my backhand. I’m going to smash this into the nick to show him just how wrong he is to challenge me on this side.’ Whatever the reaction was, it was just that, a reaction. Even if it didn’t show outwardly, I was at least slightly distracted inwardly. It is worth serving from different sides every now and again in a match just to psych-out your opponent. This is particularly effective against players with strong return of serves and players who are reliant on them (the serve & drop volley merchants!). Disrupt their rhythm by keeping them guessing about the serve.

Next time you serve, don’t just head for the same box as always. Think about it. The serve gives you the time unlike any other shot to do just that. You can also read more about service in the post ‘Do you vary your serving?’.