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Squash Tips

Squash & Fitness Tips from Club Kelburn

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Squash Tip: Playing a Drop Shot

What are we trying to achieve when we play a drop shot? Well, we are trying to move our opponent and make it difficult for them to return the ball. There are 2 ways we can achieve this. 1. We aim for the nick. Providing it's good, it could be an outright winner. 2. We try to get the ball tight to the sidewall. This is slightly easier for our opponent to reach, but now gives them the problem of trying to control a ball that is stuck to the wall. The down side of the first option is that if we miss the nick, it gives our opponent a ball in the front of the court that can easily be counter attacked. One major factor to consider when deciding which type of drop to hit is where are you hitting it from. A shot hit from close to the sidewall will be easier to stick tight to the wall, and harder to catch the nick. Conversely, a shot struck from nearer the middle of the court will be difficult to glue to the wall, but the angle into the nick is inviting! So remember to choose carefully which drop you are trying to hit, and to have a clear idea what you want the ball to do.

Squash Tip: Hunting Across the Line

As we have written about previously, but with a different slant, squash is all about dominating from the centre of the court. In rugby terms, think about the half court line as the advantage line. You don't ever want to be backing away from this line. A good way to think about holding your ground is to think about hunting the ball across the half court line. Get good length going, and really concentrate on not letting the ball get past you from this position. Look to volley anything you can, across that 'advantage line'. This is the best way to put pressure on your opponents. Try to work them to the front of the court with volley drops and boasts from the half court line, when you are in the middle, and they are behind you. This is the best time to take somebody forward.

Squash Tip: 8 tips on Dropshots

Here are a few things to consider when looking to play a dropshot:

1. Remember it is an attacking shot, so make sure you are well positioned to drop.

2. Dropping from half court is great because it is a long way for the person to go, but make sure they are behind you first.

3. Volley dropping from half court is great for the same reason.

4. Use a small backswing , this will make it easier to control.

5. Use a firm swing through and push the ball in quickly into the corner.

6. At the point of contact press the racket head toward the front wall. This will make it much easier to keep control.

7. Use a fairly flat racket , the more cut you try and put on it the harder it will be to control.

8. When dropping from the front make sure you are well in control of the rally. If you play a loose shot and they are ready for it they will simply just push the ball to the back of the court out of your reach.

Squash Tip: When things are turning to Custard

Say you are one game down and you want to turn things around. Here are some things to try or think about if you are losing. 1. Am I getting him behind me before I attack? 2. Am I making too many errors? 3. Have I worked him around the court enough? 4. Should I slow things down by hitting higher on the front wall, and with less power, to change the pace of the game? (This works well a lot) 5. If he is an old bugger, am I taking him to the front enough? 6. How is his fitness looking as the game progresses?

Stuart Davenport Tip #3

When i used to play professionally, I played with a guy called Ricki Hill (world number 30) who had a fantastic psychological ploy that I recommend you try. When he was completely knackered and I mean there was absolutely NO GAS in the tank, he'd drop down and do ten press ups and jump up again and say,'Get on with it' !!. He was betting on the fact that you were just as tired as he was and he was usually right. Remember, if you are under pressure there is a good chance he is too.

Stuart Davenport Tip #2

Squash players rightly spend a lot of time thinking about where they are going to hit the ball. Yeah OK, it's important to be accurate and to hit the ball where your opponent isn't. But I'm going to suggest you think a bit more about WHEN you hit the ball. What do I mean? Well if you hit the ball 1/2 a metre further up the court you will be forcing your opponent to play 10 more shots per minute of squash. She's got less time, is more rushed and WILL make more mistakes. These aren't unforced errors they are FORCED errors!! So think about WHEN you are hitting it rather than where you are hitting it and put your opponent under pressure. Sacrifice a bit of accuracy for speed. As usual this tip comes with a money back guarantee.

Stuart Davenport Tip #1

This tip is guaranteed to improve your consistency. Make sure that your first racket movement is to open the face of the racket and the number of balls you hit into the tin will go down A LOT. Why? Because most of the time you are rushed when you hit the ball and if the racket face is open you are far more likely to hit the ball up instead of down. Check out any top player and you'll see that they 1) get the racket back early and 2) they make sure their first motion is to open the face. I promise you this works - if it doesn't I'll give you your money back!!!

Squash Tip: Use the Cold

Crikey it's cold at the moment eh? In every problem there is an opportunity! Here are a few tips to use when the ball isn't bouncing as much. Firstly, get good length by hitting higher on the front wall. Good length pays great dividends when it is cold. Secondly, use those straight volley drops and drops. It is a long way to the front at the moment with a cold ball not coming back as far. But drop after you have got your opponent behind you with good length. Make sure you have a proper backswing, because if your swing is a bit dodgy you will get found out in the cold.

Squash Tip: When to Cross-Court

We as coaches are generally trying to get players to hit a lot straighter than people generally do. However a good cross-court shot can be very effective. The main thing to remember when cross-courting is to make sure that you hit it wide enough to get it past your opponent. Otherwise you open yourself up to a straight volley or volley drop. The second thing to consider is to maybe put more pace on it. If your opponent is sneaking over to cover your down the wall shot, a good cross-court may catch them out. Try not to over use it. Use it as an attacking weapon. One of the most successful shots in squash is a hard hit cross-court from the forehand when your opponent has played a weak shot to mid court. If you wind into this shot, get it wide and keep it dying in the back, it is really effective. It is also very good on the volley from this position.

Squash Tip: When to Lob

The lob is an effective shot in squash when used at the right time. For beginners, a lob is a ball that is hit high on the front wall, and ends up dropping in the back court with no pace on it, thus making it very hard to return. One good time to lob is when you are at the front of the court and your opponent keeps cutting your next shot off by guessing which side you are going to hit it. By throwing in the lob from this position you will force him to not creep up the court behind you so much, so that you become less easy to read. Another great time to lob is when your opponent has played a great front court boast or drop, and you are struggling to get to it. If you throw in a lob then, you will have time to regain your composure, and basically start the rally again. This gives you time to get back to the `T`. It is a hard shot to play from this position because you are usually under pressure at this stage, but it does `buy you time` if you can learn to play it. Stuart Davenport, a Kiwi who got to 3 in the world in the Devoy/Norman days, used to play a great version of the lob which hardly anybody plays, but is extremely effective. Off the serve he would cross-court volley a paced, lob-type shot that was too high to volley, and be real difficult to return out of the back of the court. Give this a go as a bit of variation-it works a treat.

Squash Tip: Hitting off the 'Wrong' Foot

Traditionally players were taught to always hit off the left foot on the forehand and the right foot on the backhand. However, times have changed. These days you see a lot of the top players hitting off the wrong foot on both sides of the court. This is mainly because it's quicker than turning the whole body around if you haven't got much time. There is merit in practising hitting off the wrong foot, especially in the back forehand. By doing this, you certainly get out of the corner quicker than if you are turned right around into the corner. You also have a few more options, as it is easier to get the ball cross-court from this position. When volleying from the centre on the forehand, sometimes by hitting off the 'wrong' foot you tend to 'block' your opponent better than if you hit off the left foot. So tactically it can work out well. In the front forehand the same applies, and a much better 'blocking' position occurs, making your opponent go around your right shoulder, thus taking a longer path to the ball. Also, if you are struggling to pick up a drop at the front right corner, by leading in with the right foot you are not playing across your body, so your reach is definitely better. I don't recommend playing off the 'wrong' foot on the backhand for most graded players or social players, as unless your timing and technique is excellent, it is very hard to get any power.

Squash Tip: What to look for in a Racket

People are always asking what is the difference in rackets, so here goes: The heavier they are the more power - like a hammer. The lighter ones should give you more control. If the frame is thin, it should be easier to move around. A thicker frame may be a bit more forgiving on a shot not played out of the middle. A full graphite racket is best, as that will give you a rigid frame, which is ideal. A good string makes a big difference. A lot of the rackets come with very average factory strings. Get the strings looked at. Full graphite rackets usually start at around $150. The cheaper ones have more and more fibreglass, which makes them wippy. Not good. My advise is to buy a full graphite, and don't go too light unless you are really good. They are too hard to get enough power out of. 140 to 160 grams is about right for most people.

Squash Tip: Keep Playing through the Summer

If we ever get a summer, don't stop playing! If you want to improve your squash, now is the time to get some coaching, and take a good hard look at your game with somebody that knows more than you, and put a plan in place to change the things technically and tactically that need changing. The idea of hanging your racket up for months is just silly if you don't want to go backwards. Summer is a good time to have a good session each week of routines to sharpen your skills, and work on your fitness. With the ball starting to bounce around more your rallies get longer and you will get fitter just because of this! So keep going!!!

Squash Tip: Summer Training

With the competitive season over for most club players, now is a good time to assess what you want to achieve next year. If you have ambitions to improve, you need to make the plans that will make this happen. While your rivals are having a summer of beer and barbies, (not the doll) you can really get your next year off to a flier. I strongly suggest you look at some weight training as part of your program. The benefits of a good core strength program are increased strength, power, and injury prevention. I have personally been regularly doing weights for over a decade, and it has got me a lot stronger, helped with court movement, and lead to less injuries. Now is the time to get a regular session with a coach, and look at changing those technical things in your swing that are too hard to change during the season. Then you have 6 months to make them part of your game. The coach can also get your tactics right. A good coach should be able to map out a program over the next few months including court time, coaching, weight training and other fitness work. This will depend on you r commitment level and time available.

Squash Tip: Different Strokes For Different Folks

Playing interclub this week reinforced to me how important it is to play different games depending on what your opposition is like. If they are old, and have played a lot of squash, and are quite straight in their game, but slowing up, you really need to move them at the earliest time, with drops, boast etc. Also, hard cross courts are good to turn old people. A steady game up and down the wall might not be the type of game against this type of player. If they are young and fast, you do not want to open the court up to them, so keep it straight and tight, and base your game around good straight length, and straight drops or volley drops. Some guys really don't handle the slower ball, so try a few slow lengths in the mix.

Squash Tip: DON'T GET BEHIND YOUR PARTNER

It is so important to win the battle of the T, and get yourself in front of your opponent. Right from the warm up you should be warming up from just behind the T, and volley everything. Don't practice deep in the court, where you never want to be in a game. Practice having a compact swing, and stand up the court. So many players like to be that extra meter or two further back, and have a huge swing to create power. No good. Get up the court- take the T away from your opponent, and control the centre of the court, based around good deep length

Squash Tip: Go Watch Some Good Squash

Go Watch Some Good Squash One of the best things you can do to help your own game is to watch some A graders play. Preferably A1 grade, or a good A2. Watch the way good players move to the ball. Note where they are positioned on the court, and their racket preparation before hitting. Note how their swings are relatively compact. Note how the racket head presses through towards the target at contact with the ball. Note the small number of errors. Note the physical conditioning from many hours of training. Note that their general attitude is controlled, not flipping out over every call. Note the use of all four corners to work an opponent, and the use of a wide range of shots at the right times.

Squash Tip: Make the Court Smaller

Although a squash court isn't very big, it is tough to get around on the wrong end of a bad rally, as we all know! If, in your mind, you can make the court smaller, and get it into your head that there is nothing you can't get back, then you are playing aggressive defence. One way of making the court smaller is by making sure that you don't position yourself too close to any of the four walls. Generally, you won't need to get within a couple of metres from the front wall and around the same for the other 3 walls, because you can reach in with your racket. This doesn't leave you much court left really. If you concentrate on putting the ball in a corner and try not to get positioned away from the middle, you are only 3 steps max from any ball. Think of lines about 2 metres in from each wall being drawn on the floor. This is where you want to put the ball and not where you want to tread! This only leaves about 6-7 metres long by 3-4 metres wide to cover. So, make it easier on yourself by keeping out of those unnecessary zones.

Squash Tip: Press Your Racket Towards The Target

When you hit the ball, try and think about pressing the racket face towards where you want the ball to go. For example, when you are dropping, try not to cut the ball too much, have a small backswing, and push the racket face towards the place you want the ball to hit. A bit like a straight block if you are playing cricket. This is the least risky way to hit the ball, as a lot of racket face is shown to the ball for the longest space of time. Think about this when you are hitting all your shots. On your drives, try to press your racket face towards the target at and just after moment of impact. This will keep the ball down the line that you want, and should help to stop you from spinning out of the shot too early, and hitting the ball down the middle.

Squash Tip: Lean Forward

Here is a very simple tip to help rocket you around the court - bend forward! Many people get caught out, running out of time to return a ball, simply because in between shots they are not ready for their opponents next shot. After you have hit the ball, make a determined effort to get back to the 'T', crouch slightly bending your knees, and lean forward a little so you're ready to pounce! You will find that you won't get caught out as much, and you get to the ball a little bit earlier, which will give you a few more options. So, use the time that you are not hitting the ball to maximum advantage, by doing the above, you will put more pressure on your opponent, and not get tricked as much yourself.

Squash Tip: Get back into it!!!

A lot of people have a break over the summer. Now is the time to get those games booked again. I reckon you should try and book two weeks ahead so you get partners to commit early, then book each week so you are always two weeks ahead. Try a practice session with a partner each week or fortnight, doing routines and working on technique, instead of playing games all the time. Your game will improve for sure. Better still get some coaching from a proper coach!!!

Squash Tip: Watch Some top Squash and Improve

Jump on youtube and have a look at a few of the squash videos. It's a great way to watch peoples technique, court movement, shot selection etc. There are some great games on there. To keep up with whats going on in the world of squash, look on 'thesquashsite' website. Its got all the worlds news, and is very up to date. And keep playing, training and working on what you need to change over the summer to make 2008 your best year of squash yet!!!!

Squash Tip: Changing your Grip

It is worth considering how far up the handle you hold the grip, and what is suitable for different situations. If you feel like you have got heaps of power but lack control, you could try moving your hand up the grip a couple of cms. Or if you are struggling to get the ball out of the back, and just need to keep the ball in play to keep in the rally, move it up even further. This will give you more feel of the racket head. If you are struggling to get to a ball, slide the racket right to the end in your hand if you have to.

Squash Tip: You are always a chance

This weeks tip is about believing you are a chance to win when you are playing somebody who people don't think you will beat. Yesterday Shelley Kitchen beat Nicole David, world number one by a long way, in the World Open, to progress to the quarter finals- an outstanding result! She was 2 up, lost the next two, was 5-0 down in the fifth, and came back and won 9-6 !!!!!! Sport is a funny thing, and it is so important to go on in the right frame of mind. History means nothing when you walk on the playing field. The future means nothing- it is only the here and now that matters. So go- believe in yourself- play one point at a time, and you will have a few wins that are unexpected.

Squash Tip: Play with what you have got

Quite often when you go to play things aren't perfect in terms of preparation. You might not have played much, or you might be getting over an injury, or you might still have a little niggle. Or you might be exhausted from your last game. Whatever the reason- things are not exactly as you would like them going into the match. It has been my experience that your mental and emotional state are so crucial to the result. You can tell sometimes by people's body language right from the start how they are going to go. You have got to put all the negative stuff out of your head, and concentrate on a game plan before you get on the court. Play one point at a time, and play each point one shot (the right shot) at a time. The top four inches (your brain) is so important, and your attitude and frame of mind is crucial when you walk on the court. Work on getting this right as much as your physical skills, because they are at least as important.

Squash Tip: What To Do When You Are Tired

We all get tired in an even match and we have been on the bad end of a few rallies. When you know that you need to change things so that you don't run out of juice before the end of the match, here are a few suggestions.

Slow the pace down.

Aim higher with your length, and concentrate on placement rather than pace. Play down one side. Players generally get tired when the game is opened up with boasts and cross-courts that open the court up. By concentrating on a straight length and a straight drop or volley drop you can tend to get your opponent to do the same. This can make a huge difference to your energy output.

Try some lobs.

A great way to change the flow of the game. Make sure that you are pushing up the court and you are getting your racket up early to cut the ball off. That way you are not going to get out of position as much.

Squash Tip: Different Strokes For Different Folks

Squash Tip: Clearing The Ball

There are always arguments over if a player has cleared the ball to let your opponent through. This weeks tip is on a strategy to do with this. If your opponent hits the ball loose in the front of the court, and you choose to drop, try and back out to the middle of the court so that he has to go around the long way to the ball. If you don't know which way he is going to go, hold your ground and don't worry too much if you are in the way. After all, he is the one that has hit the ball down the middle. If he had hit the ball in to a corner, you wouldn't be in the way in the middle. Providing your shot is tight, he has to make an effort to go get it. You shouldn't purposely block, but I wouldn't be leaping out of the way if you know what I mean. Players need to learn that if they don't play it tight, then they need to do the scrambling to get themselves back in the rally, not the other way around. Give them a bit of room to get it, but be economical with your energy clearing!

Fitness Tip: Posture

As I'm sure you're aware many of us have particularly poor posture. There are a variety of factors that contribute to dysfunctional posture. One of the primary factors is the design of a lot of seats, which we generally slouch or slump into. Another factor that often plays a role is when we use a computer we tend to lean to one side, which puts us further out of alignment. To counter the problem we need to become more aware of our posture and the importance of maintaining a good postural position. This of course is easier said than done, especially when our minds are already cluttered with numerous thoughts and stresses. Unfortunately if we fail to maintain good posture, our neuro-muscular system forgets how to activate the postural muscles and we find it difficult to efficiently and easily maintain the correct posture. With these spinal stabilisers out of action we leave ourselves open to injury, back problems in particular. The key is to maintain a neutral posture. The spine should have its natural curvature, your weight should be distributed evenly between feet. A straight vertical line should intersect each of the five postural indicators, the ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints and the ear. The shoulders should be drawn back slightly, which will activate your rhomboids (an important postural muscle of the mid back). If you maintain this posture throughout the day you will not only alleviate injury, but you will have a much stronger core (lower back and abdominal region).

Squash Tip: Go For It On Your Serve

A good thing to think about when you want to attack in a match (by playing a slightly more risky shot) is who is serving. If you feel like having a crack at a loose ball with a magnificent screaming winner, it is a lot more sensible to have a go when you are serving. This is because if you miss it, you won't lose a point, only the serve (under normal up to 9 scoring). When you are receiving serve you may want to be slightly less attacking, and play the percentages more, and try and get the serve back before you have a big go (During the rallies you are serving, not immediately off the serve, for those mentally challenged WebKlub members out there). Also, if you get a few points up in a game, and you feel like things are under control, that is a good time to have a bit of a crack as well. Don't throw away your hard-earned lead, and if your opponent starts catching up you might have to knuckle down and play the percentages more. However, don't be scared to have a go at the right time.

Squash Tip.....Taking Forward

A simple rule to base your game around- when you are behind your opponent, and behind the T, you need to defend. When you are in front of him, and you get a loose ball, that is when you want to attack, by taking him forward. When defending, the safest shot is down the wall as opposed to cross court, as you have a better angle, or a bigger window to get the ball through and past you opponent. Mix it up with a few cross court length shots, but generally you are going to be better served with the straight shot. When you have got your opponent behind you and he hits a weak shot, that is the time to look for the drop, or volley drop, or the attacking boast, or a kill shot to drag your opponent forward.

Fitness Tip

Incorporating the Swissball into Your Routine

I've previously mentioned the importance of variety in your workout routine to alleviate a physical plateau and to also make things more interesting. Incorporating the swissball into your routine is a perfect way to do this. The introduction of a new stimulus is often the key ingredient for kicking on to the next level of strength. The added challenge of the unstable environment of the swissball requires the body to call on other sources of strength and control. With a swissball and some dumbbells you can do a huge variety of strength routines, along with some very effective stretching routines. This versatility is mainly due to the shape and mobility of the ball, which allows you to perform exercises in a variety of planes with smooth movement. Slight movements forward, back or from side to side, along with changes in foot positioning mean that you have the scope to progress from novice to advanced levels with most exercises. The majority of exercises involving the swissball require neuromuscular activation of the deeper core muscles along with the specific muscles a particular exercise is targeting. This is similar to the requirements of both functional and sport specific movement in which the core muscles are required to stabilise the body, which allows other muscles to push or pull from a stable base. Although the swissball can aid in improved technique, there is also a large capacity for performing exercises incorrectly if you don?t have the ability to activate the correct muscles.

Squash Tip: Robs Top Ten Tips

1. Watch the ball closely.

2. Most of the time, hit the ball straight, and make sure its plenty deep.

3. If in doubt, hit it deep again.

4. Think about putting the ball in the Four Corners.

5. Take your opponent forward when they are behind you, not in front of you, and try to do it from half court, not when you are close to the front wall too much. (If it's a bad shot your opponent will blast it past you!

6. VOLLEY!

7. Get a volley drop, and a volley boast.

8. Play your match one point at a time, one shot at a time. Choose one correct shot, not the low percentage shot.

9. Variation is good, but it should be a small percentage of the game, including variation in pace.

10. Don't hit the tin!

Squash Tip: THE COURT JUST GOT BIGGER

When its cold, as it is at the moment, with the ball not getting as warm, it is like playing on a bigger court, as the ball doesn't get as warm. This makes for shorter, sharper rallies, and opportunities to take the ball short more often.

Make sure that you get that ball higher on the front wall for those length shot. Bury your opponent with deep tight shots down the wall. When he hits a weak return, look to go short, then prepare to volley his weak shot deep again!

Sounds easy!

Squash Tip: Put Your Best Foot Forward

I have mentioned this before in my tips, but squash is tough on the body if you don't look after if. One of the best ways to look after your body is to not wait until your feet appear through the bottom of your shoes before you replace them.

If you play 2-3 times a week you should really replace them inside 12 months. This is because after months of pounding they lose their cushioning. They might look okay on the outside, but you can generally feel that they have lost that springy feeling. The other thing is to buy a good squash shoe, not a cross trainer that are good to go to the pub in!

Money spent on good shoes is money well spent for the sake of your health.

Squash Tip: PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

Watching Martin Knight win the Wellington Open last weekend reminded me how important perseverance is in our game of squash. Martin is not the most talented player in NZ, but he does well because he prepares well, and he keeps up with his training. He follows the right sort of diet, gets good advise, and does the hard yards in practice. And he does it all year round, not a month on and a slack month, for example.

In the final he beat Josh Greenfield three- o. Nobody would suggest that Martin is as talented than Josh, but he has prepared much better over a long time.

So there you have it- preparation gets results.

Squash Tip: Blow your opponent away!!

By hitting the ball early as often as possible, you apply more pressure to your opponent and have a greater chance of being in control of the game.

When you take the ball early you give your opponent less time to react, move to the ball and prepare for their shot, hopefully forcing an error or a weak shot in return. It may only be a fraction of a second each ball you hit, but over the duration of a game, that can make a big difference.

Taking the ball early involves volleying as much as possible, step up towards the ball and hit the ball before the bounce, rather than waiting for the ball to come to you. Volley the ball off the side wall rather than letting it bounce on the floor both off the serve and during rallies. You can volley straight or cross court to length, volley short and volley boast, all put added pressure on your opponent.

Drives and drops can be hit early too. Try to hit the ball at the top of its bounce rather than letting it fall away. Play the ball positively, by this don't mean bash at it, but hit the ball with a good amount of pace while still under control. To take the ball early, early racket preparation is essential. So next time you're on the court and aim to blow your opponent away, think about getting that racket up and take the ball early as often as possible.

Squash Tip: The D Word-for Squash, and Life

The D word is discipline. The other day I was playing a young pretender, and I really wanted to just smash the dot off the ball I was feeling that good. There is nothing like running and smashing. Unfortunately it doesn't always bring the right result.

I found that I really needed to concentrate on taking the ball into the front right corner, and I really needed to be DISCIPLINED to not go back to the natural inclination to be constantly pounding it.

So my point is- make your plan for each match, and have the discipline to stick to it each rally, each shot.

Fitness Tip: Trans Fatty Acids

Trans fatty acids are found naturally in most foods that come from animal sources i.e. beef, pork, milk etc. However most of the trans fatty acids in your diet come from foods containing hydrogenated oil.

Heating vegetable oil at an extremely high temperature and then mixing it with hydrogen and nickel creates the oil. Unfortunately during this process any fatty acids that aren't hydrogenated are converted into Trans fatty acids.

Trans fatty acids have a direct link to heart disease, in that they interfere with the body's essential fatty acid conversion process. Essential fatty acids play a crucial role in maintaining your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol, which is your good cholesterol.

Cakes, cookies, chocolate, crackers and chippies all generally contain Trans fatty acids, but they are foods you want to avoid anyway, as they are empty calorie foods, in that they have very little nutritional value, yet contain a lot of calories. You also need to be weary of Margarine and some other unsaturated fat food alternatives as they often contain hidden Trans fatty acids. If you can avoid over processed food and empty calorie foods, then you're going to keep your heart and your body in much better shape.

Squash Tip: Hit High

Every year when it starts to get colder, people forget that the ball isn't going to travel as well when it is colder. Remember to hit much higher on the front wall to get the ball to the back. A good length in the winter pays you more dividends than in the summer. You can use a nice floated length to good effect in the winter too.

Once you have got them deep, be ready to get that straight drop in, to move them to the front. It is not going to come bouncing out to the same extent than in the summer.

Winter Squash-the thinkers Game!!!

Fitness Tip: Assisted chin ups

This week's fitness tip is on assisted chin ups. This is an excellent piece of equipment especially for us ladies.

The normal unassisted chin up is a very advanced exercise, but with this machine anyone and everyone can do chin ups. There?s a stack of weights there to help you do this exercise. So the less weight the harder the exercise, the more weight the easier the exercise is.

You will notice two grip options- wide grip and narrow grip. The wide grip is the one to go for if you want to put most of the work into the back muscles. The narrow grip is the better choice if you are wanting your biceps to assist a bit more. When you're on the machine just about to do this exercise, move your knees back a bit on the knee pad just to help keep your back in better alignment. Try to avoid arching your back. Also bring yourself up high enough so your nose goes just over bar you're pulling up to. Never completely straighten your elbows. Always straighten arms but keep your elbows soft, so not locking them.

I think this is the best exercise for the back and if you have been using the lat pulldown machine for a while try the assisted chin ups. It's a good progression.

Happy Chin Ups!

Tip: The Importance of expert advice

It amazes me how many people come up to our club and ask for advice on something to do with squash or fitness, and when the suggestion is made that they book a session with a coach or Personal Trainer, you can nearly see them wince at paying.

These people in most cases have spent years developing knowledge in their area of expertise, and their fee is well worth it. I strongly suggest to you all that you get some pro help on a regular basis. Your results will improve for sure.

We have just started two more Personal Trainers at Club Kelburn. Jess has been working at another Wellington gym, along with Mike, but they have both seen the light and have come over to the other side. Give us a ring to discuss what they could do for you.

I am also looking for part time staff for the shop, so if you no anyone give us a yell.

Squash Tip: Show the Full Face of The Bat To the Ball

I love using the similarities across different sporting codes to get a coaching point across. With the cricket test matches on at the moment, I would like to use a cricket analogy that you hear commentators using all the time-'show the full face of the bat to the ball'. In cricket the experts are always saying that batsmen need to do this, and hit straight down the ground. The similarity in squash is to hit the ball showing as much of the strings to the ball as you can, without trying to cut the ball much. The other thing to do is to push straight through with your racket- that is to say, push the whole racket face towards the ball, just like a cricket bat. This is the easiest, most error free way to hit, and works especially well on drops. The other cricket analogy I would use is one I have mentioned before, but it is worth repeating, is hit with 'soft hands'. It is! probably the same in a lot of sports, (maybe not boxing! ), but trying to keep your hands soft , and not gripping the racket hard gives you heaps more touch.

Fitness Tip: Reading Food Labels ? Part I

Part I This is part one of two tips about how to correctly read food nutritional labels. Since Dec 2002 all food labels in Australia and New Zealand are under government regulation and are of a standardized format. Ingredients are listed on the label in order from heaviest to lightest (including water), and a characterizing agent must also be shown as a percentage (eg Weet-Bix must show the actual percentage of wheat in the cereal). For a product like Eta Peanut Butter the second ingredient listed is Vegetable Oils, this could lead you to believe that it has a lot of oil, but looking a little closer you will see that Roasted Peanuts are 95% of the product. So ingredients get disguised by being listed under different names, keep an eye out for these; oil, butter, copha, lard, dripping, cream, mono or diglycerides are all fats and the terms toasted, baked or creamed usually indi! cate added fat; sucrose, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, lactose, syrup, honey or fruit juice concentrate are all sugar; and sodium, MSG (Monosodium glutamate), sea salt, garlic salt, booster and stock cubes are all salt. When comparing products look at the 'per 100g' or 'per 100mL' column. When comparing products don't just choose the product with less total fat, look to see whether the fat has come from saturated fat or other forms of fat, saturated fat is the so called 'bad' fat. When looking at total of sugar, look to see where the source of the sugar is it refined sugar (bad) or from dried fruit pieces in the product (good) or some other form of sugar. Next time what do all the catch phrases mean ? what is the difference between a Lite or 97% fat free product.

Fitness Tip: Why Warm Up

Everyone has their own routine when they arrive at the gym; some people religiously warm up, others are in a hurry to get into the meat of their work out. A warm up should achieve a number of outcomes:

* Core temperature will be increased * Heart rate will be increased * Blood flow will be increased in the muscles exercising * Central nervous system will be stimulated increasing co-ordination and rhythm * Elasticity of connective tissue will be increased * Increased heart rate also affects the body's ability to utilise oxygen, remove carbon dioxide and other waste products An appropriate warm up can be as simple as spending 10min doing an aerobic or cardio activity such as cycling or rowing. If you intend doing upper body exercises I would suggest doing rowing or cross training, as these activities will work the arms, chest and back rather than legs only. Before each exercise I would recommend completing the exercise using a light weight for a few repetitions as a specific warm up.

For some specific advice on how to prepare for your personal goals and be successful with them contact Ray Boardman (PGDipSportMed, BSc, DipSptSt) at Club Kelburn on 472-9299 or 021 FIT-RAY (348-729) or ray@clubk.co.nz

Squash Tip: Go the Forehand!!!

Did you know that 70% of squash rallies are on the backhand side? Its true- I wouldn?t lie to you- I am Honest Rob after all. Because most players are most comfortable on their backhand, it makes good sense to work on your own forehand, and try and direct play on that side at times in a match to make your opponent uncomfortable. This will require you to practise with a partner on the forehand, maybe playing half court. It will put a lot of players in an uncomfortable position, and will rattle a few. A straight drop to the forehand front corner, especially off the volley is a shot a lot of players struggle with. We all seem more comfortable going forward to the backhand front. So work on developing a good drop into this corner. Left handers are generally better on their forehand, so to be able to play down your forehand will really help against these strange people.

Squash Tip: Cheap Points

After a hard rally how many times do you see people giving away cheap points, hitting the serve in the tin to get a rest for example. One of the best pieces of advice I have been given is that if you're tired then there is a good chance your opponent is as well. So hitting the serve into the tin not only gives your opponent a cheap point but also gives them a rest. So after a hard rally, why not try lobbing the ball down the wall for a few shots until you get your breath back, you may find your opponent is the one who then gives you a cheap point. Remember after a hard rally if you are tired, your opponent probably is as well !!

Fitness Tip: Why, How and When to Stretch

Stretching is an important part of all workouts for three main reasons: performance, recovery, and injury prevention. When and how you do the stretches effects the benefits of them.

Stretching Pre-Workout. These stretches are done after you have warmed up (5-10min) but before you do your heavy exercise. Dynamic stretching is the best type of stretch to do here. A dynamic stretch is when you exaggerate the movements you will use in the workout to follow (eg giant steps and lunges or big circles with the arms all done in slow motion) for a couple of minutes before moving each joint slowly to the point where it is tight (but not sore) and holding it there for 2-5sec. Stretching and warming up in the way mentioned above does three main things: it increases the pliability of muscles to make them resistant to injury (much as chewing gum makes it stretchy while the unchewed gum is brittle), it readies the muscle for action by increasing blood flow (for providing nutrients and taking away waste), and it excites the mind-muscles connection (allowing us to work the muscle more efficiently or more fully) which increases the quality and safety of a workout. NOTE: A longer static stretch session (as described below) is less effective than a warm-up without any stretching in the pre-workout phase.

Stretching Post-Workout. These stretches are done after the warm down (5-10min) but before you get cold. Static stretching is the best type of stretch to do here. A static stretch is when you move a joint to the point where the muscle is tight (but not sore) and hold it there for 25-30sec (or until the tightness in the muscle disappears or you could stretch it further without soreness). Static stretching should target all the muscles used in the workout starting with the smallest muscles first (because the small muscles will get cold fastest). Each muscle should be stretched at least twice. The warm down followed by static stretching achieves four main things: the warm-down helps the body to move from exercise mode into recovery mode (pumping most of the toxins out of the muscles and supplying them with nutrients), the stretches get rid of any tight spots which would reduce your recovery rate (by reducing the areas nutrients supply and trapping toxins in the area), the stretches reduce the general tension in the body and mind (replacing stress hormones with recovery hormones), and the stretches maintain or improve you flexibility (reducing the risk of injuries caused by tight muscles). NOTE: The static stretching session reduces the chance of injury in your NEXT workout.

Squash Tip: Shadow your Way To Success

A great exercise to do to improve your court movement and fitness is shadows. Essentially you run into the four corners or across from the T for a volley. This gives you six areas on the court to run to and play a shot. There is no ball involved, but pretend there is, and play the shot properly in your mind.

You can do this with a partner or on your own with a minute in between each set of 20 shots. You just rotate the running if you are with a partner, and he can point to which corner he wants you to go to. If he is nasty he can send you to the front a lot! If you do three to 6 sets of these once or more a week you will move better and get fitter. And win more often!!!

Squash Tip: Get Organised

This could be the most useful tip I have ever done, and the most common sense, but not followed by many. Try and book your squash and other exercise in to your diary two weeks out, so that each week at around the same time you book the things you are going to do for the following fortnight. Once you have done it once, you only have to book a weeks worth, but for two weeks time. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN GETTING YOUR FITNESS SESSIONS ORGANISED? Not for me. If I don't get my exercise I am hell to live with, and my health, and everything else, will suffer. It is my base for a good life. Some people have God. Not me. Squash etc is my higher power! It will only take a half hour or so to book your sessions in, and only change them for emergencies. And don't give me any excuse about work, family etc. Look back on the last two weeks and see how much time you have wasted on TV, drinking, sleeping, wasting time, etc etc etc. You have just got to GET ORGANISED. So get a diary, and get a list of your training partners in it. Or even better, buy a Palm Pilot- they are brilliant.

Fitness Tip: Sorting Out Back and other Injuries

So many guys I know keep having recurring injury problems with the back, legs or groin etc. They have a period of rest and slowly get back into it only to do the same, or a similar thing again.

Now I am no doctor, but I do have a bit of knowledge and experience in this area, and I am convinced that a lot of the time it is because people don't have the core strength they should have with a sedentary life. Some strength training in the gym focussed on core strength, not the mirror muscles, would do a heck of a lot to keep people injury free, to play the game we all love.

I have been using the gym regularly for 5 or 6 years now for this very reason, and it has done me the world of good, and kept me on the court and playing better because of it.

Squash Tip: Wrist Query

Using your wrist when hitting the ball - that is, do you keep a tight wrist or allow it to move during your swing? You want the wrist to start in a cocked position at the top of the backswing, and at the point of contact, on most shots, your wrist might be still up and back a bit, or even pretty flat. You don?t want to have your wrist falling forward, like you are patting something, as this is very hard to control. Think about the wrist being relaxed, and the power comes from the backswing, and the forearm. In saying that, there are some shots you use the wrist a lot, like a lob from the front. The wrist can be used for deception, but once again the forearm is used a lot too. In general- keep the grip and wrist reasonably relaxed for the best feel on the ball.

Squash Tip: Push Through Those Drops in The Cold

In this cold weather it is very important to make sure that when taking the ball short with a drop you push through the ball firmly, taking your racket face through towards the target. I think you can afford to push it in a bit harder, which gets the ball there quickly, and probably more consistently, than trying to float it to the front. Be firm on the ball, especially in the cold.

Squash Tip: Playing Three Quarter Court to Improve

Playing 3/4 court properly is a great way to train for a change. This is usually played when you have 3, 4 or more people on the court at once. Only use one of the back quarters, and all of the front court. Those not in the rally stay out of the way in the corner of the back quarter that isn't being used. Two people play one rally using the three quarters. The loser goes to the back of those waiting, and the winner stays to receive serve. The good thing about training like this is that it makes you play straight. You have to concentrate on good length, and get the guy behind you, before you look to go short. When you do go short, you want to make sure your ball is up. Otherwise it's a long wait in the line till your next turn. Try and keep score. Count your own points and make a game of the first one to reach 15 or 20 points.

Squash Tip: Don't Choke The Racket

A quick tip this week on how hard to hold your racket. Because squash is an intense game, we tend to grip the racket too hard. If you concentrate on feeling the ball on the racket rather than holding it like a sledge hammer and pounding the ball, you will get better touch and control. This will make you harder to play, and you will use up less energy.

Squash Tip: Small is Good!

While size is beneficial in some areas of sport, life etc. it can be detrimental.I am referring to the size of your swing. The bigger your backswing and follow-through, the longer it takes. As we know there is not much time to get ready for your shots on a squash court, so a big swing is going to mean you need more time, and therefore you will probably end up further off the 'T'. So try to develop a compact backswing, get it up early, and push thru the line of the ball a bit on the follow-through to keep your direction accurate. A compact swing is also much more deceptive, especially with early preparation. It is much harder to read.

Squash Tip: The Importance of Practice

If your game is a bit rough, and you feel like you are just a bit off the pace, and not quite doing what you know you should, I strongly suggest that you have one session a week of routines. This will get your head back into playing the right shot at the right time. Boasts and drives are a good one to warm up with. A good variation on this is to try to volley boast a weak drive. This will put a lot more fizz into the routine. Playing just on one side is a good routine, and only go short when you are in front, with a good volley drop. Just playing deep is good to work on your length, making sure the ball bounces past the half court line. There are dozens you can do. Try and do them to match intensity, otherwise you may as well not bother. Even if you are playing well, routines once a week is a great thing to do for any standard of player.

Squash Tip: Practice ideas

This is a question from one of our avid Pommie readers! What would you recommend as the key elements of a good 30 minute session of solo practice?? Firstly when practising I would try to practise in the front half of the court a lot, as opposed to being tucked in the back corners. That is not where you want to be on the court in a game, so don't practise being there a lot! Practise volleying a lot- if the ball doesn't get past you you are not going to be beaten much. Also, try to make very few errors when you are practising. You need to try to practise at the same sort of intensity as a match.You are better to practise really well for a shorter time than spend hours practising at a low intensity. You will need a few breaks because you will be hitting a lot of balls. So do some stretching every 10 minutes or so. 20 to 40 minutes on your own on a court is a long time. So don't expect to spend ages on there. Another tip if you are not really good is to use a bouncier ball. That way you don't have to concentrate on keeping the ball warm, and can concentrate on technique.

Squash Tip: Clearing The Ball

There are always arguments over whether a player has cleared the ball enough to let their opponent through. This week's tip is on a strategy to deal with this. If your opponent hits the ball loose in the front of the court, and you choose to drop, try and back out to the middle of the court so that he has to go around the long way to the ball. If you don?t know which way he is going to go, hold your ground and don't worry too much if you are in the way. After all, he is the one that has hit the ball down the middle. If he had hit the ball in to a corner, you wouldn't be in the way in the middle. Providing your shot is tight, he has to make an effort to go get it. You shouldn't purposely block, but I wouldn't be leaping out of the way if you know what I mean. Players need to learn that if they don?t play it tight, then they need to do the scrambling to get themselves back in the rally, not the other way around. Give them a bit of room to get it, but be economical with your energy clearing!

Club of the month:

The Tawa Squash Club

The Tawa Squash Club is a friendly club people just love to go to and they have based much of their success around family participation. Located just off the motorway, Tawa has a 3 court complex with a membership of 370, and some of the best facilities in Wellington. An ideal venue for functions of up to 100 people A manager is on site from 4.30pm Monday to Friday, phone Peter Bowers 04 232 8200

Host Club of 'The Wellington Ladies Open 2010'

Thanks to: