a squash encyclopedia

A learners encyclopedia of squash shots

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Nice simple explanation of the game for n00bs.

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Running from demons

My favourite part of squash is the psychology, fundamentally it is a battle between you and yourself. Where this goes wrong is when you are playing with people who have real internal demons they are battling. When these player come on court and start to show their adverse side, merely complain of a strain or injury that you must exude yourself as you need to stretch. Humbly step off the court, with as little interaction as possible. Tolerate the silence as they will feel their behaviour via the silence. Engaging in a game is not healthy for them, not is it for you.

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Is it time the PSA brought in a timeout rule? Fit example each player is allowed 2x timeouts per game? Timeouts can be used on having the floor cleaned, tieing their shoes, changing their racquet, etc. Ah, I hear you saying "but what about when a player truly runs out of timeouts and a string breaks (or sooner other real occurrence of which the referee is obligated to officiate")”? A simple answer: both players may agree to use a shared (non charging) timeout. In this way, the other player has an obligation to assure for the other players health and safety. This rule would encourage the gentle competitive spirit of this fierce game.

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Squash is a game which reflects the reality of modern "information-technology" workers, whose social-emotional interactions with one another are the primary reason for so many points having to be restarted (fail iterations).

David F. Flanders

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Solo drills I've been working on, of recent.

Rallying the ball back and forth parallel to the horizontal centre court service line, to improve holding until the last moment before the second bounce, to play the ball. Also, the figue 8 volley corner drill. This reminds me as a kid practicing basketball dribbling between your legs. Arguably achieving the same kind of finite calibration to activate your kinesthetic neurons.

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Devastating rallies! Gawad vs Tuominen.

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Squash is a game of chess-like attrition; if, you were playing two chess matches simultaneously while playing a full length football match.

David F Flanders

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Exemplary stretch lunge shot, let alone the recovery!

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Mathews utilising the backhand loft to get the ball out of the reach of Elshorbagy’s offense.

a.) hips towards glass

b.) simple elbow swing

c.) hit the ball in the right upper hand quadrant of the racquet.

d.) aim for 3/4 up the wall.

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[PICTURE] Massaro developing the cat-like spring from her colleague Nicole David?

Did Massaro just level up as a player?!  Cat-like (Gautier-esque) spring from the ‘T’; marathon stamina (Mathews-esque), and; power-grace lunge (Elshorbagy-esque)!  Hope Laura is getting paid as much as the men for putting so much hard work into her game.

Nota Bena. As an amateur of this sport, it is often the women’s matches I enjoy watching more; perhaps, because they go longer and show more of the psychological stress of this game as it progresses into an extreme endurance sport?

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Mathews with another off the serve volley smash nick.

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The off the serve volley smash corner nick, the only way Ashour can.

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Case study on Nick Mathew’s forward hitting lunge. 

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More shots at super-stretch by El Tayeb.

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Cability to hit a shot at full stretch, bounce off your front knee/thigh and pop right back up onto the ‘T’.