Play Better Squash E-Book

John Beddington

• Herausgeber: G2 Rights
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 219

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Play Better Squash is the ideal book for everyone who plays, or wants to play, squash. How to play the strokes ... where to place the ball ... tactics and practice ... court behaviour ... fitness and training ... marking and refereeing. With helpful diagrams throughout, this instructional guide also contains the complete rules of squash and profiles on some of the greatest players and what makes them winners. Now completely revised and updated, Play Better Squash is an invaluable coach, guide and reference for every squash enthusiast, whether inexperienced beginner or accomplished player. Author John Beddington is an international sports and sponsorship management expert specialising in racket sports. 'It is a most excellent and comprehensive summation of the essentials of squash' Jonah Barrington, winner of the British Open title six times between 1967 and 1973

Leseprobe

PLAY BETTER SQUASH

John Beddington

© John Beddington 2015

First published in 1974 by Queen Anne PressSecond edition 1977Third edition 1984

This fourth edition published 2015 byG2 Rights Limited, Unit 7-8 Whiffens Farm, Clement Street, Hextable, Kent BR8 7PQ

Front Cover photo of photo of Nick Matthew and James Willstrop by Steve Line/SquashPics.com

Back cover photo by Steve McFarland

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form, of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 978-1-78281-236-4

CONTENTS

Foreword—Don Goodwin

Foreword to the First Edition

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part One

  1 So You Want to Play Squash?

  2 Elementary Strokes

  3 Further Strokes

  4 Angles

  5 Advanced Tactics and Practice

  6 Court Behaviour and Safety

  7 Fitness and Training

  8 Match Play and championship Squash

  9 Marking and Refereeing

10 Coaching

Part Two

11 Early History

12 The State of the Game

13 How the Game is Run

Part Three

The Players

Part Four

The Rules

Foreword by Don Goodwin

My first exposure to John Beddington as an expert in the sport of Squash came in the early 80s. In 1983 in New York City he introduced me to the Loews Cup, an international team competition between Canada, the United States and Mexico. John produced the event from 1983 to 1990. The teams featured some of the leading lights in North American professional Squash at that time: Canada’s Clive Caldwell, Mark Talbott and John Nimick of the USA and Mario Sanchez from Mexico. Everything about the event was first-class .... something I learned was the trademark of anything done by John Beddington!

John’s Squash career began when one of the biggest names in the sport was Jonah Barrington. I never had the pleasure of watching Barrington compete, but have had the honour of seeing the great Jahangir Khan, then Jansher Khan ... then through the Talbott years to Peter Nicol and Jonathan Power ... then to the great Egyptians Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour. They all testify to the continuing broad international reach of this great game.

A useful club player himself, John first made his mark internationally as a squash club owner in the UK and Germany and, later, Canada. He managed top players and also served as consultant to the Squash Rackets Association (now England Squash), Squash Canada, and the Professional Squash Association among others. He created the first co-ordinated global squash circuit—the World Series of Squash in 1977 and was described in the late 70s by the Singapore Times as ‘The Most Powerful Man in Squash.’ He served as Chairman of the Canadian Open (softball) Squash Championships from 1985 to 1995 and was also Chairman of the British Open Squash Championships in 2003 and 2004.

And now Squash may yet be a part of the greatest showcase of all: the 2020 Olympic Games. No doubt the world-wide popularity of the sport will enjoy yet further growth as excitement builds and interest intensifies. So the time is clearly right for a book that captures all that is great about Squash and aims to guide not only the newcomer, but also those looking to take their game to the next level. How right it is that this golden treasure .... Play Better Squash by John Beddington .... should be re-published for the modern era in the form of an e-book (as well as in paperback), easily accessible to players the world over.

Some may know John for his truly extensive contributions to international tennis. A respected player himself, he has been involved with over 150 significant tennis tournaments in over 15 countries since tennis went ‘Open’ in 1968. He was Executive Vice President of Tennis Canada for 17 years and Tournament Director and Chairman of both the men’s and women’s Canadian Opens in Toronto and Montreal, ultimately being inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006. He founded the highly respected Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall in London now in its 18th year. He is a member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon.

Things stand the test of time when they’re done excellently the first time. John Beddington has always known only one way to do anything, that being absolutely first-class—with no shortcuts and no compromises. Play Better Squash was a classic as soon as it was first published, becoming a best seller, and should now be the ideal reference book for a new generation of players in its completely updated and revised edition.

It has been my privilege to observe John’s handywork from the best seat in the house, functioning as master of ceremonies for Tennis and for Squash for 35 years, and for the 1996 Olympic Games. His insistence on excellence down to the smallest detail is an inspiration to all who work alongside him.

From this vantage point, it’s a great pleasure to recommend to you Play Better Squash in this new edition. Squash is known for its many fitness benefits as well as the thrills and challenges it produces for its millions of participants. May this book help you bring all those wonderful benefits into your life for years to come.

“Safe Home”...

Don Goodwin

Sports Broadcaster and “Hall of Fame Master of Ceremonies”

Foreword to the First Edition

By Rex Bellamy, former Tennis and Squash Correspondent of The Times and author of books on tennis, squash and hill climbing.

A long association with tennis and squash has, among other advantages, granted me the privilege and pleasure of a close acquaintance with three congenial JBs: John Barrett in tennis, Jonah Barrington in squash, and John Beddington in both. All are energetically imaginative and have a rare capacity for opening windows in the mind. John Beddington, the author of this popular book, is the least well known of the three because his talents have primarily been exercised on the periphery of the courts rather than in the spotlight of personal publicity. But his relatively modest status as a player is, in this case, a recommendation; because he is writing mainly for his would-be peers in the higher echelons of club squash, for those who are facing, or are about to face, the kind of challenges he has met and mastered himself.

He was never taught squash, but picked up the game at Eton and subsequently reached a high level as a club player. That is probably more than most of his readers will achieve. But it represents a standard to which all can reasonably aspire if they have the ambition, ability, and character. This book helps them on the way because it is written by a man who understands their problems and is still young enough to share them. During the past I have played the author not only at his own club (a relaxed rendezvous for players at every level) but also, by a bizarre combination of circumstances, in Manhattan and at Salem in Massachussetts. His experience of American squash indicates an unquenchable enthusiasm for the game, no matter where or how it may be played.

His wide-ranging interests made him a director of the Lambton Squash Club in London, and the Top Squash Club in Frankfurt as well as European Tennis Director for the Grand Prix circuit and its climactic Masters tournament. He created and organised the World Series of Squash, the first coordinated international circuit of squash tournaments. He is recognised as one of the foremost Tennis and Squash Tournament Directors in the world. That in the midst of all this he found time to write an admirable and successful book on squash is at once remarkable and typical.

The bulk of this volume concerns tactics and technique. But there is also much solid information and sensible comment on wide areas of the game. The author is always good company and his readers benefit from the advice of a kindred spirit. They may also find future comfort in the fact that, if there are no squash courts in the next world, John Beddington is the kind of man who will build some.

Acknowledgements

There are many people whom I would like to acknowledge with reference to this book. Inevitably they cannot all be mentioned.

Knowledge gained in any subject, especially in a sport such as squash, is the result of many years experience, both on and off the court—mine is no exception. I have been lucky enough to meet and observe many people interested in the game including the world’s top players, administrators and a number of enthusiasts. Most of these friends and acquaintances have contributed to this book, however indirectly, for my knowledge and enthusiasm for this superb game have been increased by contact with them.

When I first wrote this book over 40 years ago, I received considerable advice from my wife Roseann, who did not then, and does not now, play squash but who patiently and laboriously typed the manuscript on an old typewriter, before the days of computers or even word processors, and improved it in the process.

This version has been updated to reflect the changes the sport has experienced since it was last published some 30 years ago. The sport has improved and has certainly stood the test of time; it is a marvellous sport both to play and to watch.

I would particularly like to thank Richard Eaton and Ian Robinson for their help in revising the text for this edition; their input has been invaluable.

There are a handful of others whose support and encouragement over the years I would wish to acknowledge here: Mark Vere Nicoll and Colin White, my partners at Lambton Squash Club in the 70s; the late Mark McCormack, the founder of IMG, Andrew Shelley of the World Squash Federation, Jonah Barrington, Steven Jedlicki in Frankfurt, Clive Caldwell, Jane Wynne and Howard Seto in Toronto, Sylvie Asselin in Los Angeles, John Nimick in Boston, Sales Woody in Detroit and Chris O’Donoghue in London.

No acknowledgement would be complete without referring to the players who are too numerous to mention here.

Finally, I thank Rex Bellamy who used to write so fluently for The Times on both tennis and squash for his original foreword, and the irreplaceable Don Goodwin for the foreword to this new edition.

Introduction

So you want to play squash? Well, this book has been written not only for the beginner learning to play for the first time, but also for the player who has been hitting the ball around for some time and wants to improve his or her present standard.

For the beginner the first view of a squash court may seem daunting—a more or less square, gleaming pit with wooden floor, white walls and ceiling, no windows, and apparently no door. Many squash courts have glass back walls although when this book was first written forty years ago this was not the case. The first sight of squash being played may, of course, be equally disconcerting—two players running wildly to and fro whacking a little black ball around the walls with alarming enthusiasm.

However, the beginner can quickly appreciate the enjoyment to be gained from the game. The physical activity, the need for fast reflexes, and the concentration and anticipation make squash a superb fun and exercise game. For the more advanced player, improvement will bring ample opportunity for tournament and championship play at all levels, from club ladders and leagues to international status.

It has been said that becoming a champion is, like genius, the result of 90 per cent perspiration and 10 per cent inspiration. Squash is a game that exercises both the mind and the body, so that any effort to improve needs to be both mental and physical. However, to become a real champion at the game, the perspiration will be more of the mind than the body. Physical fitness is vital, but it is a small matter by comparison with the mental effort the average player must make for consistent improvement.

The popularity of squash has been maintained for many years, largely because it is a game suitable for both men and women of all ages—from those still at school to those approaching, or even well into, middle-age. It is also one of the most cosmopolitan games of our time.

Traditionally, books on sport are written by experts, for example, John McEnroe on tennis, or Tiger Woods on golf. This book is about squash—what the game is and how it is played. Above all, it is a game to be played with enthusiasm—and in that respect this book is written by an expert. Although there are countless squash players who are better than I ever was, there are few who take more pleasure in the game.

No other sport I know has the ability to provide such excellent exercise leaving one physically tested to the extreme, but with the added euphoria of leaving one with a totally clear mind.

Part One

1 SO YOU WANT TO PLAY SQUASH?

It had taken a lot of persuading. After all, James had not taken any form of exercise for three years and it had begun to show. His muscles, once proud and taut, were in an early stage of flabbiness and his waistline was not quite what it used to be. Not quite a paunch—he was only 28—but perhaps his friends were right. Squash might be the answer for him. It seemed to be popular with many people.

James’s real problem was not fear of fierce exercise but fear of being ineffectual, which would severely damage his pride. In his earlier years he had kept quite fit and managed to be fairly competent at athletic games, but he would be a complete beginner at squash. Some of his friends at the office had played for years and their enthusiasm, to say nothing of their apparent fitness, was daunting. He did not particularly relish the thought of losing to any of them.

But the fight had been won. One cold winter’s evening James found himself setting off for his first game of squash. He had found an old pair of trainers, a sports shirt and some football shorts that were a bit tight around the waist, and he was off, both nervous and excited, yet at the same time pleased that he had finally made the effort.

The squash club was pleasant and comfortable and his opponent greeted him cheerfully, with no hint of embarrassment at the strange assortment of sports gear that appeared from James’s bag. James was not completely ignorant of the game—he remembered that it wasn’t very different from tennis in some ways. One player serves, the other player returns, and the rally continues until one of the players makes a mistake. Instead of being on opposite sides of the court, squash opponents must share the same confined space, and instead of hitting the ball “over the net” it must be hit above a line on the front wall of the court. Squash couldn’t be too difficult as it therefore consists of hitting a ball around in a four-walled room. Shots must be easier to make, as it is quite difficult to hit a ball out of a four-walled room—in tennis it is easy to send it too far or too wide.

James’s opponent kindly lent him a squash racket, and he soon found himself on court about to begin the knock-up. His friendly opponent had chosen a very slow ball and James was somewhat taken aback to find that it hardly bounced at all—it merely plopped against the wall and refused to return to the back of the court. But James was quick to learn that the ball must be warmed up, and that the best way to do this is to hit it as hard as possible at the front wall. So, with a swing of the racket and on flat feet, James began. He was pleasantly surprised at how simple it seemed to hit the ball at the wall, and, having realised that the wall is a vast area offering a great margin for error, he began to find squash less frightening. However, he had already begun to make mistakes that would be harder to rectify the longer they persisted.

James soon found that being able to hit the ball, he could begin to play a game. A quick discussion of the basic rules and the determination of someone who hates to lose soon enabled him to perform with reasonable competence. At the beginning, the pace of his improvement was his greatest encouragement, but after a while, although his enthusiasm remained and the will to practise strengthened, nothing more was achieved in terms of progress. It was at this point that James realised that he had improved as much as possible on his erratic beginning to the game and if he was going to improve any further he would need help. Furthermore, he was going to have to unlearn some of the faulty techniques he had developed.

Where could he go for help? Coaching is available from several sources, but it is sometimes expensive and inaccessible. However, a few books exist on the basic technical approach to the game—and this is another one! The idea that a book can teach anyone to play a game is debatable, but many fine sportsmen and women as well as ordinary club players use books and articles, as well as ebooks and other sources available through modern technology, to learn more about their own sport.

Squash is one of the games which most obviously can be learned from a book. It is not a difficult sport to begin, as James discovered, and there seems little reason why it should be a difficult sport to learn correctly once one has begun. Simple instructional passages on the basic strokes can be easily followed and put into practice.

Looking at the state of another popular game, golf; one beginner seeking professional advice on how to take it up was told to find a “basic swing”, and then practise for six months before venturing on to the course. There is much to be said for this type of advice if the player in question has the determination of an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately most beginners have not, and so this book is not aimed at Olympic athlete types. The desire to improve is tempered by an eagerness to play matches. To be locked on a squash court for six months until one can hit the ball with unerring efficiency is perhaps the quickest way to improve, but it is certainly not the most enjoyable.

Play Better Squash aims to help the beginner, whatever his ambitions, to play properly right from the start. He can still play matches and it is hoped that he will; but if he follows the instructional sections, he will adopt the correct techniques and tactics in a simple progression, until he finds to his great surprise that he is playing good squash. That is not to say that poor James has been left in an anguished plight. The book will show him his errors, and on the strength of his own ability he will be able to rebuild a sound platform from which to improve.

That is what learning a new game means—the building of a sound technique that will not falter whatever the stresses and pressures applied to it. Allied to this comes a basic understanding of what can be achieved and of what the player is trying to achieve, whether during a particularly close game or during his career as a whole. It is hoped that this book will be of value not only to the beginner or to the moderate player; for if by its very simplicity it reminds the better player of some of the fundamentals of the game of squash, then it will be of help to him also.

The Game of Squash

The game of singles in squash is played between two players. One player serves the ball from one of the two service boxes on to the front wall above the service line and below the front wall line, so that it rebounds into the opposite back quarter of the court behind the short line and on the other side of the half court line. The server is known as hand in and the receiver is known as hand out. The right to serve at the beginning of a game is decided by the spin of a racket.

After the server (hand in) has served, the receiver (hand out) can return the ball by hitting it after it has bounced on the floor, or on the volley before it bounces. Whichever option he chooses, the ball must be returned, without bouncing on the floor either directly or by way of one of the other walls, to the front wall above the board or tin.

From that point, players hit the ball alternately and play continues until one of them fails to make a good return. This can happen if he does not reach the ball before it bounces on the floor for the second time, or if he hits the ball below the board into the tin or above the out of court line on any of the four walls. It is also possible to lose a point by standing in the path of an opponent’s ball if it would have travelled directly to the front wall after he has hit it.

If a player has been hand in and loses a rally, he loses the right to serve and the hand out receiver becomes hand in as server. Points are won or lost at the end of each rally but the serve changes hands if one loses the rally.

The first player to reach 11 points wins the game unless the score reaches 10 all. If this happens the game is decided by 2 clear points. Matches are usually the best of five games, the winner being the player who is first to win three games.

This is a brief summary of how squash is played and the further you read the more you will understand. A beginner will soon notice the attractions of the game: plenty of exercise in a short period and in a fairly limited area; unlike tennis or badminton, the margin of error in hitting the ball out of court is considerable—it is therefore easier to keep the rally going and requires less basic skill to be able to play at all; squash can be practised on your own without the absolute necessity of a partner or opponent (improvement in technique is also more likely to follow from practising alone); squash is invigorating.

Diagram 1 The court: definitions.

Squash does not damage your ability or skill in other sports such as tennis. In fact it can enhance it. There are several very good tennis players and other sports celebrities who are also more than just proficient at squash. They use squash as a training ground for other sports since it requires sharp reflexes, breathing, speed, accuracy, and coordination.

Now let us move on to the technical requirements of the game.

Equipment and Clothing

Apart from the basic necessity of a court in which to play, the equipment and clothing required for playing squash can be readily obtained at any reasonable sports, or club professional’s shop. Finding a court is easily achieved by searching the internet.

The basic equipment for squash is a racket and ball; the basic clothing includes shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes. Women can replace the shirt and shorts with a dress suitable for sport or a skirt and top. These items need not be expensive and you may find that you already have some of them if you play tennis.

The Racket

The choice of a racket depends on the individual, who must first decide upon the price range he can afford. Racket prices vary enormously, but for the beginner a modestly-priced one is quite sufficient.

The important point to remember about choosing a racket is that it should feel comfortable—the weight and the balance must suit the individual. The grip on the handle is also a matter of personal choice, and there are different materials to choose from. There are also a wide variety of strings available for your racket. It may suit you to begin with an inexpensive synthetic string while you are learning.

If you are reaching a level at which you are called upon to play a match then it probably makes sense for you to acquire a matching pair of rackets in case of breakage of frame or string. One other point to remember; however good or expensive a racket is, it will not last any longer than any other if it is hit hard enough against the walls or the floor.

The Ball

The ball and the racket are both defined in the final section of this book.

There are several types of what is basically the same ball—blue dot, red dot, orange dot, green dot, white dot or single yellow dot; and the double yellow dot ball which is widely used for all competitive play.

The speed of the ball varies not only because of its own specification but the type of court used. On a hot court the air inside the ball warms up with the result that the ball moves off the walls faster. Therefore, it is obviously better to use a slow ball on a fast or hot court, and a faster ball on a slow or cold court. Apart from using the type of ball most suitable for the court on which you are playing, it is generally easier for the beginner to start with a fast or blue dot ball.

Shoes

There are many varieties of shoe that can be used for squash, but a basic squash shoe with a good gripping sole is quite satisfactory as long as it is strong enough to cope with the pressures put on it by constant twisting and turning. The shoe must not have black soles which will mark the court’s surface.

When buying shoes, bear in mind the thickness and number of pairs of socks you will wear.

Socks