By Chris Walker, World No. 12
www.chris.walker.net
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 This month as I am in Melbourne, Australia, with the England team at the World Team Championships, I thought I would talk to a few of the players and pick their brains for some tips on how to improve your game. I asked Mark Chaloner (England), Paul Johnson (England), Lee Beachill (England), and John White (Scotland) the simple question, “What advice would you give a club player to improve their game?” Here is what they said:
Lee Beachill
“I would advise them to see a coach and get a good basic technique, join a team or league at their club to get regular games. But be persistent (i.e., don’t just join for a month, keep working on the coach’s advice and keep playing. Get at least one solo session per week for half an hour to think about what the coach has said and to work on your technique.”
John White
“Try to fix up games and occasionally play opponents better than you. Practice the basic routines weekly to gain confidence and then transfer that confidence into match situations. Be willing to accept advice from better players and/or your coach and at least try out the advice in a game situation to see if it suits your game.”
Paul Johnson
“Try to watch good players and learn from them. Sign up for some coaching lessons and spend time on court alone practicing what you have been told.
Don’t hit the ball aimlessly; use targets on the court where you want to hit the ball consistently—this will normally be tight on the walls and in the corners of the court. Spend short amounts of time on each theme—Quality not Quantity.”
Mark Chaloner
“Try to get in front of your opponent during match play. This is achieved by hitting a good quality length—keeping your opponent in the back corners. When successful in this tactic you will force your opponent to play a weaker shot on which you can look to apply more pressure—taking the ball earlier and looking for the volley, hence giving you the front of the court to attack.
On the day of a match, before you play, have a practice for 15 minutes to help improve your timing, get used to the feel of the court and the bounce of the ball, etc.”
The Changing Game
Question: Chris, why does the PSA play on a 17-inch tin when everybody else plays on a 19-inch tin?
Answer: Good question, and one that raises several thoughts. Since I started playing squash, the game and tactics of the game have changed along with new technologies introduced.
With the introduction of graphite racquets, and wooden racquets becoming obsolete, players have been able to retrieve more balls using a ‘flick of the wrist’ and get out of trouble when under pressure from virtually anywhere on the court.
This has also meant that the game is now played at a faster pace than ever before. Volleying becomes easier because you are able to maneuver the light graphite/titanium/boron racquet a lot quicker into position to hit the ball, and you can get more power with a shorter swing. Players are now able to get the racquet speed of a swing up to a much higher velocity because of the weight; hence, hitting the ball harder and with more deception using the wrist has become an integral part of the game at the top level.
To compensate for these advancements, the Professional Squash Association (PSA) introduced the lower tin. Now, at all top international tournaments, the professionals play on a 17-inch high tin, as opposed to the standard 19-inch tin that you would find on most of the squash courts of the world.
A lower tin has effectively made the court bigger and more difficult to cover—in effect trying to counter the advantage of the lighter racquets. But it has also encouraged professionals to attack the front of the court more, and they most definitely get a dividend for doing so. Often the matches you see on a lower tin are noticeably more exciting and played at a faster pace than those on a higher tin because it is a lot harder to finish off a rally and hit a winner with a higher tin.
I would agree with the connoisseur of the game that the lower tin takes away some of the tactics of the game that were in play in the ’70s, but I would retort that the game has changed with the technology available and now a new set of puzzles have been thrown at the players. Look at any sport and they have all advanced in one way or another because of more competition, technology, or the financial rewards. The only constant is change.
Dress it up in any way you like, but the bottom line is squash is still a beautiful and challenging mental and physical game of tactics, wit, skill, speed, and endurance.
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