Category: Sports

It has been a while that I have written anything about squash, so it is time I do that again today. Recently even with a lot of work going on I have been able to spent quite some time on the courts. My game has with the time made quite some improvements. Apart from the fact that I am in the best shape since I play squash I believe I have made substantial improvements in the swing resulting in more reliable shots and a lower rate of errors.
Another new characteristic of my game is that I have stopped to just hit the ball super hard but rather try to keep the ball in the game and using my much improved lob to create myself time to get out of trouble. I am still noting though that my instinct for the T is not yet right. I tend to follow my opponent probably attracted to him through Newton general law of relativity [Wikipedia]:

F = G * m_1 * m_2 / r^2

Just a simple demonstration of the fact that masses attract. It is more likely though, that this it is just a bad habit of mine. I will keep an eye on this feature of my game in the next weeks. Let’s see whether I can train myself to more consistently conquer the T instead of getting close to my opponent. I also note that trying to take shots with high risk is something I should avoid in particular when I am trailing. Going an additional point down when you are already down is quite hurtful and a game can easily be lost when it become tight. On the other hand when one is two or more points up such risk might be worth it.
After a while now playing with cheap randomly bought racquets I have finally bought myself a pair of really nice Black Knight racquets. I opted for the Quicksilver model, which is quite nicely looking and with its teardrop shape gives me a lot of power while at the same time sufficient control. In Geneva I still have my Head Metallix 135 racquets which I still like. I also have started to play with the Karakal BX-150 one which I initially did not like but by now have grown quite fond of it as well. Initially I found it rather heavy but I suppose as my game has moved into a slower more control oriented game this racquet fits me better.
Today I crossed racquets with Adrian, and surprisingly I took two sets quite easily with a large lead like 11:5 and 11:6 or so. In the third one though I lost 9:11 but I am quite content as I am used to loosing to Adrian. Either he had a bad day or I just have upped my game. I of course like to believe the latter. I will try to play with him more often.
My standard partner right now though is John (‘the Greek’). He is an odd but very likeable fellow. He is very competitive and he comes to the courts pretty much every day. That is of course ideal for me. In Geneva I have started to play with the usual suspects. Stephane Lechner is a true gentleman player and we have competitive but amicable matches. Most of them I win, but even if I loose I get off the court well worked out and in a good spirit. I note that my reaction to players which I feel call incorrectly is not very productive. I should make adjustments as ultimately winning is not the point but having a good game is what I really want. I also will play more with Stefan Lueders another very competitive player, a bit better than myself. I will try to get up to his level this summer. Let’s see whether I can do it. With him the key will be not to give him angles and make him run. Once he gets under physical pressure he also starts to make mistakes. I should see whether I can work this strategy with him.

So in summary, what I want to watch in the next few weeks
1. try to dominate the T (and not follow my opponent, most importantly on the serve)
2. take risky shots when you are up, but not when you are down
3. work on a rail as answer for a drop (I almost never play that variant)

Met Thierry Lincou today and shook his hand 🙂 …. For the ones who do not know: He was World Number #1 in Squash (Jan 2004) and is presently ranked number 7. Pretty cool. There were just 15-20 players in the club.