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Tournament Preparation
A Big Match Looms—How Do You Succeed?
By Jonathon Power
Photo by Squashpics.com
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From a professional point of view, getting prepared for a tournament should be done very systematically. Preparation is based entirely on what level of importance the tournament signifies. I like to categorize them as either a minor tournament or major tournament, and then establish a match-prep plan.
At the outset, you must decide how important the tournament is to you.
Minor Tournament:
If the tournament starts on a Friday, preparation should begin on Monday of that week. Leading up to a minor tournament you want to concentrate more on fitness and hard workouts as opposed to match play. A good way to prepare for a minor tournament is to try playing some condition games rather than regular matches. Condition games are when one player (you) is restricted to playing the ball to one area of the court, therefore giving your opponent the distinct advantage of knowing where the ball is going, which will in turn put more pressure on you and make you work harder. No matter how minor a tournament is you still want to give your muscles enough rest to maximize your match play throughout the weekend, so I would suggest to play your condition games up until Wednesday and give yourself Thursday to rest.
Major Tournament:
A major tournament should be much more detailed in terms of preparation. Monday should be your last day of match play. You should leave enough time to recover from any little injuries that might be bothering you. On Tuesday, I personally like to do a little weight-training to activate all the muscles. It helps me move faster and prevents injury. However, if you are not accustomed to weight-training it can make you very stiff and therefore is not a good idea right before a tournament. I also like to get in a good solid hour of drill practice to keep the feel of the ball. This is important because you always want to go into a tournament with the confidence that you are hitting the ball well. Keep having light hits on Wednesday and Thursday. If Thursday is a travel day, then I feel it is important to get the body moving to alleviate some of the stiffness from the travel with a light hit or 20-minute bike ride upon arrival.
In the 24 hours leading up to the match the two most important things to remember are to sleep and eat well. On the night before the match, just before sleeping I will close my eyes and give myself five minutes to focus entirely on my upcoming match. I usually think about a previous match where I played and concentrated well. It is important to hit some balls before the match, not only to get yourself seeing the ball well but also to relax the nerves. Now you should be ready. One more good meal three hours before the match, a good warm-up and nothing should be able to stop you except a bad referee! ?
Diet: Pre-match I suggest having carbohydrates (a pasta dish is good); during the match have on-hand electrolyte drinks to replenish the body; and post-match, protein is key (I enjoy a steak dinner!).
Drill: Try condition games where the opponent must always hit to one of the four corners of the court and the other player can hit anywhere he/she wants.
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June 2010
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