Developing Strategies to Win
by Anthony Ricketts
photo by SquashPics.com
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Even legendary Jahangir Khan worked closely with longtime coach Rahmat Khan to devise strategies that carried him to over 500 consecutive match wins. |
The current climate of squash professionals has arguably never been so fiercely competitive. With every tournament on the Professional Calendar bringing a new winner—what strategies do players adopt in order to try and have the edge?
This in itself is something that coaches and players spend many hours discussing and practicing on court in order to have that extra shot, speed, fitness, mental strength and travel capacity to walk away from the event the championship winner.
As players mature and develop their games, they begin to build confidence in a style of squash which they believe is best suited to their body make-up and attributes with which they have been blessed. For instance, if a player is quick on the court they will develop shots with which they can attack the ball early (perhaps with deception) or, if they are not as naturally quick they will develop their length and accuracy as to not expose themselves on the court.
On the flip side of this, players and coaches may have long term plans to try and develop speed for players not as quick—and better ball control for players lacking accuracy. This is where developing your game is extremely important. Surrounding yourself with people who are going to build on both your attributes and your weaknesses.
Most players take into a match a couple of weapons which they are confident will bring them a few winners every time they step onto court. Whether this is as specific as a volley drop or a forehand drive kill, players will structure a rally in which this shot will present itself for that winning opportunity. For instance if a player’s weapon is the forehand drop, they may try and bring as many opportunities for this shot by either getting a good length on the backhand side (forcing their opponent to have to boast the ball out of the back corner) so they have a forehand drop opportunity, or they may try and develop an opportunity down the forehand side which will make their opponent play a weak (short) forehand length—again giving the opportunity for the forehand drop winner.
However, there are other areas in squash which the general squash community may not consider. The stress of traveling, and lifestyle. How players deal with this is just as important as developing your volley length. At the professional level, a schedule that takes us to all parts of the world, with countless numbers of long haul flights and airport security check-ins, may begin to take its toll and players can lose momentum, focus and desire. This is a serious business in the squash world and how this is managed is a crucial component in squash. The same stresses can befall amateur players too when traveling to out of town tournaments. Whether traveling by car, train or plane, ignoring the impact of such travel before playing can mean the difference between playing well and struggling to get it going.
Taking the time to think through your strategies and developing your squash before stepping onto the practice court will pay off. The next time you are getting ready to play a practice match, think about what you want to achieve first. Then go out and work on it.
Anthony Ricketts is available for clinics in the summer of 2006. For information, send email to apricketts@yahoo.com.au |
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