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Use your natural advantages


When I was growing, up a very good player who played at our club was also a great badminton player. He had great ability on the volley and he would be able to pick things out the air, especially lob serves on the cross-court drop volley, which most players had no chance of dealing with. As well as this, he also used his body very well to disguise shots from the front. He certainly wasn’t textbook in many areas of his game but he was very effective.

I distinctly remember him going to get some coaching from a coach in the area to help him get into the over 45’s county team now that he had turned 45. The coach, however, focused mainly on improving his technique and making it more effective in a squash sense.

Whilst he looked more graceful on the court, and some of his drives were more accurate, he lost a lot of his edge and effectiveness. He was now a lot easier to play against and actually suddenly very beatable, whereas before he had been able to take lots of points off the very best at the club and in the county leagues even if he wasn’t as good as them.

I think the coach made a mistake here, because although he certainly improved this player’s technique, he actually took away from his game and his natural effectiveness.

I think any individual style which can provide something different should be embraced. I always encourage badminton players to use their volley skills on the squash court, because they see things and are able to do things players who’ve played only squash are unable to do. The same goes for any unique tendencies too. I know several players who played to a good level with very open stances on the forehand. Typically players are encouraged to face the side wall but these players had great deception and speed by playing facing the front wall, which won them a lot of points.

The only question you have to ask yourself is whether the ‘mutation’ or unique style is advantageous to your game and consistent under pressure. If the style breaks down under pressure, it may be something you have to consider changing or you may need to develop a second option that you can use when your normal style isn’t enough. It is also something for coaches to consider as well; perhaps an odd style is more effective in some instances than a traditional style.

For more thoughts on using or avoiding natural aspects of your game, check out our Squash Player Problems posts for fast players, skilled players and tall players. 



Lewes Schools Squash Cup 2017: LOGS, Priory and Downlands

LOGS , Priory & Downlands Schools Tournament 2017

In this years edition of the Lewes Schools Squash Cup, Downlands School from Hassocks were invited to join 2016 holders Priory and LOGS in competing for the trophy.

You can view information about last year’s Lewes Schools Squash Cup here.

The forty players from the three schools were split into three events with players involved in Year 7-9 split into either Division 1 (Priory I and LOGS I) or Division 2 (Priory II, LOGS II & Downlands I) – and the Year 10-11 Event (Priory I, LOGS I & Downlands I).

Year 7-9 – Division I 

The current generation of Priory I players continued their domination with an emphatic and ruthless defeat of LOGS I, dropping only a single game as they stormed to victory. Dan Kavanagh deserves particular credit for taking out LOGS talisman Jacob Stammers, a player ranked higher than him at Lewes Squash Club.

  1. Sam Bebbington bt. Jacob Stammers 2-0
  2. Dan Kavanagh bt. Archie Robinson 2-0
  3. Ben Goode bt. Ted Carr 2-1
  4. Mattias Greenwood bt. Redd Stammers 2-0
  1. Sam Bebbington bt. Archie Robinson 2-0
  2. Dan Kavanagh bt. Jacob Stammers 2-0
  3. Ben Goode bt. Redd Stammers 2-0
  4. Mattias Greenwood bt. Ted Carr 2-0

FINAL RESULT: PRIORY 16-1 LOGS

Year 7-9 – Division II

It was the newcomers Downlands who had the biggest impact in the Year 7-9’s second division, defeating both Priory II and LOGS II to take the division.

Credit must go to LOGS though for fielding the most players in the Year 7-9 event for the third year in a row.

Downlands I vs. LOGS II

  1. Joe Moore bt. Ollie Goodwin 2-0
  2. Oliver Griffin-Morrison bt. Elliott Abbot 2-1
  3. Rosie Lynch bt. Mark Coldbreath 2-0
  4. Sam Burchett bt. Ollie De Laroque 2-0
  5. Nell Garnett bt. Danny Lessacher 2-0

R. Nell Garnett bt. Oliver Catchpole 2-0

R. Sam Burchett bt. Matthew Martin 2-0

Downlands I vs. Priory II

  1. Joe Moore lost. Fin Webster 1-2
  2. Oliver Griffin-Morrison bt. Emma James 2-0
  3. Rosie Lynch bt. Rueben  2-0
  4. Sam Burchett bt. Rufus Howetson 2-0
  5. Nell Garnett bt. Joe Ayers 2-0

LOGS II vs. Priory II

  1. Oliver Goodwin lost. Fin Webster 0-2
  2. Matthew Martin bt. Emma James 2-1
  3. Mark Coldbreath lost. Rueben  1-2
  4. Sterling lost. Rufus Howetson 0-2
  5. Oliver Catchpole lost. Joe Ayers 0-2

R. Sterling lost. Joe Ayers 0-2

R. Danny Lessacher bt. Rufus Howetson 0-2

R. Elliott Abbott lost. Emma James 0-2

R. Ollie De Laroque bt. Rueben 0-2

FINAL RESULT: DOWNLANDS 23, PRIORY 16, LOGS 8

Year 10-11 

With Priory so successful in the Year 7-9 event and Downlands looking strong in Division 2, LOGS needed to make a strong start to the Year 10-11 event. They made a strong start against Downlands with Gabriel Leggo and Alex Nisbett claiming early wins but they were quickly pegged back in the latter matches by Downlands and then Priory.

Priory were able to pull away from both schools with comfortable victories, using the quality players at their disposal including Dom Moorhead and Hal Knox, who have both played frequently for Lewes I Men’s team this season.

LOGS I vs. Downlands I

  1. Dylan Patel lost. Leif Monteith 0-2
  2. Gabriel Leggo bt. Ollie Kemp 2-0
  3. Alex Nisbett bt. Otis McGlennon 2-0

R. Conor lost. Leif Monteith 0-2

Priory I vs. Downlands I

  1. Hal Knox bt.. Leif Monteith 2-0
  2. Malachy Burke bt. Ollie Kemp 2-0
  3. Kars bt. Otis McGlennon 2-0

LOGS I vs. Priory I

  1. Dylan Patel lost. Hal Knox 0-2
  2. Gabriel Leggo lost. Malachy Burke 0-2
  3. Alex Nisbett bt. Kars 2-0

R. Conor lost. Malachy Burke 0-2

R. Drew Wain lost. Dom Moorhead 0-2

R. Drew Wain lost. Hal Knox 0-2

FINAL RESULT: PRIORY 16, LOGS 6, Downlands 4

 

FINAL STANDINGS:

1. PRIORY

2. DOWNLANDS

3. LOGS

 

After winning two of the three events, Priory successfully defended their title. With three of their successful Year 7-9 team still only in Year 8, they could be hard to dislodge next year. It was a welcome addition to have Downlands at the event, with hopes that other schools may also join in 2018.

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

2016 – Priory

2015 – LOGS

Is your length shot coming off the back wall too much?




Allowing your opponent more time and space. 

I posted not too long ago about whether people are actually achieving anything when they try to play a length shot, particularly drives (or rails in US parlance). Continuing with that theme, it’s also vital players monitor their length shots to see if they are coming off the back wall too much.

When the ball bounces off the back wall 

Lots of players overhit their length and allow their opponent a good deal of space and time when the ball comes off the back wall. At worst, the ball should come off the back wall no more than a rackets length, which isn’t as much as it sounds. Even when it is coming off the back wall as much as this though, it allows an opponent increased time to get to the ball, they have to move slightly less and they will also have more room to swing as the ball is no longer trapped in the corner. All of this adds up over the course of a game and leaves your opponent feeling fairly comfortable. Contrast this with making them rush towards the back corner as they know your shot isn’t coming off the back. Firstly, they are rushing, which is physically demanding, especially if repeated. Secondly, because they are rushing, they will tend to have weaker decision making and therefore their shot choices may suffer. Lastly, they are under pressure technically, as they have to find a way to get the ball out of the back with two walls in the way.

Balance between overhitting and under-hitting 

On hot days or with a hot ball it can be tough to find a balance between length and overhitting the ball, as it it is just as easy to under-hit the ball and play a short length as it is to overhit. First and foremost make sure your length shot gets your opponent off the T-Position, which usually means getting the first bounce of your shot behind the serve box. However, be keenly aware of how much your shot is coming off the back wall. Do your best to retain your length whilst making sure the ball is bouncing twice right in or near the back corner. The best way to achieve this is to get your racket above the ball, Amr Shabana style, so that whenever you hit the shot it is going downwards. It might also mean hitting the ball lower or even hitting the ball a touch slower. Usually, accuracy is more important than power when hitting drives, although this is not always the case.

During your next few games, see if your length shots are coming off the back wall a lot and if you can do anything about this.




Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory




Not converting easy chances.

The biggest instance of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in squash is when players dominate a rally and do all of the work to get in a great position, or are gifted a great opportunity, and then become casual and make a mess of what should’ve been the winning shot.

Loose, awkward balls down the middle 

It happens a fair amount when a player is on the T-Position and forces a wild, loose shot towards the middle. Instead of giving this shot the treatment it deserves, lots of players will flail at the ball and throw away the opportunity to attack a loose ball. While these shots are often awkward to deal with, we have to be prepared for them as they often present a fantastic opportunity to attack. If you are struggling with shots that are coming at your body or close to you, try to practice improvising. You can do this simply by working on your racket head speed, which can be as simple as hitting volleys to yourself as fast as you can from very close to the front wall  (see video below). Exercises like this help you develop dexterity with your racket, which is important when the ball is in an awkward position.

Alternatively, you can have a partner play loose cross-courts at you which you aim to drop volley tight to the side wall. Figure of 8’s (see video below) are also a great way of developing speed of racket, feet and thought when done in challenging circumstances.

Always play as if the ball will be returned

Often though, defeat is snatched when the ball isn’t even coming awkwardly at the hitter. Players frequently act as if they have won the rally after their opponent hits a weak shot. This is a terrible attitude to have as you lose the positioning and quality on your shot, and then the movement out of the shot, all of which can cost you dearly. If your opponent has hit a weak shot, it is time to up your game, not relax and put your feet up. Receiving a weak shot should be like the moment a shark smells blood – it should be the moment you go gung-ho. There’s nothing worse than playing a drop shot too high because of casualness, or worse, managing to still play an accurate drop shot but not moving back to the T-Position properly and so being caught out when your opponent scrapes an awful shot back. Always play as if your opponent will return every shot you play, that way you can stay focused.

When you are playing, notice if you are converting and capitalising on the chances you create and the chances you are given. Or does your profligacy hold you back and possibly even cost you a match in which you dominated the majority of the rallies?




Return serves into the four corners!




Claiming the T-Position at the start of the rally. 

A lot of rallies are decided before they’ve really even begun during the serve and return of serve phase.

Most people realise the benefits of volleying an opponent’s serve and most people are able to volley the majority of serves after playing for a while but people don’t always consider what sort of volleys they are playing or where they are hitting the ball too.

Hitting the four corners

It sounds very simple and possibly very boring but most serves should be volleyed into one of the four traditional corners of the court (some have argued for their being eight or more ‘corners’). By volleying the serve into one of these corners, you are forcing your opponent away from the T-Position. When your volley doesn’t reach or go to one of the four corners, it is much easier for your opponent to get to your shot and they will be far more likely to retain the T-Position, which is bad news for you. If you play a loose return or return to the middle, you will likely find yourself under pressure immediately against a stronger player or even that you have lost the rally after the next shot.

Personally, I think the majority of your serve returns should be straight long volleys, as this is the shot that when played well will get you to the T-Position and get your opponent behind you, which is the perfect start to any rally (except for hitting the nick). The cross-court volley and short volley are good return options to use sparingly to catch your opponent out but both need slightly more accuracy or they will sit up nicely for a well placed opponent. The volley lob is a particularly nice option if your opponent plays a high lob serve.

Using boasts or kills

If you go for boasts, kill shots or simply hit an inaccurate shot which ends up anywhere near the middle of the court, you won’t move your opponent away from the T-Position as much. Kills and boasts can be effective returns if you are able to catch your opponent over anticipating and moving to one side of the court very early. This is typically best done on occasion as your opponent won’t be expecting such a shot or if you disguise your intentions well.

Have a good look at your return of serve and see if it is helping you get off to a good start to rallies or if it is actually leaving you vulnerable early in the rally. There are lots of players out there who play well once they get into the rally but often don’t make it that far because their serve or return isn’t of a high enough standard. Don’t be that player – practice and improve your serve and return.