Some Recent
Observations
I don't know about you but even with the
supposed maturity brought about by middle age,
my life continues to be a series of glorious epiphanies to the bloody*
obvious, and no more so in squash than anywhere else. Let me relate a
couple of examples from recent weeks. I was struck by the
revelation whilst playing a league match of how important accuracy is....duh!
It is funny though how these fundamental thoughts arise at the craziest
of times. For some reason during a rally in the first game I started
paying close attention to where my ball was ending up relative to where
I had intended it to go. From the cognitive jolt received in realizing
that many of my balls were not going where they were supposed to and
almost all were not exactly where I wanted them, I
enthusiastically continued the analysis. From that long overdue
assessment it became obvious to me that patterns were emerging. Besides
the variation in accuracy caused by varying degrees of pressure exerted
by my opponent, some shots were consistently good other were not and
unfortunately certain shots were not only loose but they were always
very loose, e.g. the forehand cross-court volley was a mess every time!
I concentrated hard on improving accuracy through the match, and to some
extent I was able to overcome the worst problems. It was remarkable how even
these slight corrections were able to tip a lot of pressure on to my
opponent, to the extent I had an easier time of it than I might have
otherwise. Note: This sort of self-assessment is usually best done in practice
not in league matches!
With some shots, like the drop shot, it is
more obvious whether you have hit a tight or loose shot but with many
other shots it seems to me we can become too content, in the heat of the contest, for our
shot just to head roughly towards the corner we aimed for or at least if our opponent is forced
towards it allowing us to take the
more central position. Even if we note it as a loose-ish shot we don't take the time to
detect the patterns that tell us what needs working on and what is
working well. I am now re-convinced that not only is accuracy
acutely important, but a good cognizance of your own patterns of
accuracy is also very important for improving. Understanding whether you
need to tighten your drops or get those rails a couple of extra inches
closer to the wall or to hit closer to the back court nick is
important to allow you to ascertain that multiplicative increase in
pressure on one's opponent that you will get with increases in
accuracy. Never let the importance of accuracy of your
shots stray from your thinking as long as I did.
Another realization that has been too
long in
coming involves social play. I spend a lot of time playing people of a
lower skill level, whether it be helping out with some juniors or just
in pick up games with club level adults. I actually enjoy these games
quite a bit, partly because I am now wise (old) enough to really enjoy the fact that I am
lazy and not running around having my butt kicked as hard as many others would have it. I have
experimented with several techniques on the best way to play
people in this situation so that both players get the most out of it, including:
1. Removing short shots from my game.
2. Deliberately hitting loosely
3. Not volleying
4. Reducing the pace of the game
5. Various combinations of the above
All these techniques work to some extent but I am now convinced that a strategy built almost entirely around #4 is the best. I have learnt that almost anyone can become a good
match for you if you take enough pace off your game and what is more you
can still get a good workout yourself and minimize the damage to your
own game. What really impresses me is that it translates
reasonably well down
to tiny juniors who can just continue a rally. By taking pace off
the game I am really talking about how hard you hit the ball, and to a
lesser extent how early. The other methods alter your natural game too
much and can develop bad habits for both you and your opponent.
Re-read them again, they don't sound like clever things to do to your
game do they...duh again....but slowing your pace is not particularly
damaging to your game! By merely reducing the speed of your swing but
otherwise playing your normal varied game a good compromise is reached.
The stronger your opponent the closer you can bring the pace to your
normal level, and conversely when playing rank beginners you may have to
slow to the extent it actually takes quite some skill to play the shot
that slowly. This technique provides the variety in length and
width to you and your opponent that you would normally get in a game.
There is one wrinkle though and that is that you need to ease up a
little on the accuracy of your drops against the weaker players, but
besides that you can also use exactly the same footwork, your speed to the ball
and recovery can all be done quite quickly, albeit to give yourself a
wait before and during your measured swing and you can even still fool
around with deception. I would certainly recommend
this philosophy to when you find yourself in the same situation.
(*Note this article is written in Australian, and "bloody" isn't
swearing in Australia so it is OK for me to put in here :))
Rod Barnes 20-July-06
Learn the Crash Nick:
Coolest Shot in Squash
Ok, I will tell you now that what follows might
only really appeal to those of you who are a little high on testosterone
(sorry to (most) women), but don't knock it until you've tried it. The
coolest shot in the game is the "crash nick" or more precisely the
"crash deadnick"; it is the slam dunk or home run of
squash. The crash nick is a
ball hit from height, at least at the waist and often a high volley or
overhead, and at maximum power (preferably a little more than maximum
power, if
you know what I mean) to front wall then to the side nick. It is most
commonly hit forehand cross court but can be hit off-angled into the
opposite nick and very good players can do both sides on the backhand
also with the off backhand being the most difficult of the quartet. The final "quality" of the crash nick is determined by several
factors viz.
1. How hard you hit the ball.
2. How hard you intended to hit the ball.
3. How much time you had to prepare for the shot.
4. The "airtime" or other spectacular movement required to play
the shot
5. The "deadness" of the nick
6. How close to the front wall was the nick hit.
7. Any peculiar effects you got from the combination of high speed
and the nick
8. Your reaction to the shot
9. Your opponents reaction to the shot
10. The gallery reaction to the shot
Let me explain in a little more detail.
1. It is not good enough to use exquisite skill
to guide the ball delicately into the nick and have it gently roll out
across the floor. I am reminded of a memorable incident in an Adelaide state league match where
a particularly big, strong and skilled player who was a proponent of the
crash nick hit one of his finest, and one of the best I have ever seen. The
wind up was ridiculous, even from off the court the resulting
unleashing of raw power and racquet speed was a little frightening, and
the finality of the result was simply stunning. In the momentary silence
after the shot, as the proverbial arcing electricity slowly dissipated
from the still smoldering ball, the startled gallery looked at each
other and one very experienced state level player uttered, "that was the
best shot I have ever seen". Others grinned and nodded, before they
broke into a roar. Everyone was impressed except the opposition player
(which is another indicator of a good shot, see 9). He of course then
lifted the pace in the next rally by 20% and eventually won it with a
brilliant, softly guided drop shot which caught the nick dead and rolled
perfectly leaving the big fellow without hope. After he hit the nick the
smaller player immediately swung around and glared at the gallery to
check the reaction, but all he got was crossed arms and pursed lips on 10 or so
stony faced craniums all slowly
shaking in unison. As we explained to him later although it probably took
more skill to hit his shot and it was just as unplayable it just didn't
cut it against the monster nick we had all just witnessed. So lesson 1,
power is important for cool.
2. Surprisingly it is almost good enough to
just try for the crash nick. If a player goes through the motions of the
big wind up, and the intent is demonstrably there to hit the spots off
the ball then that will generally garner a lot of respect on its own.
Predictably, the crash nick attempt will sometimes end up in smoking
ruin since the attempted use of gross overpower leads to miss hits,
hitting the top of the tin or just missing the nick. Nevertheless, just
having a go shows a commendable level of maturity...well actually a lack
of it, but commendable nevertheless.
3. There are two meritorious paths with regard
to when you chose to use this shot. First is when you have plenty of
time after an opponents weak shot, and the second is in more general
play as a quick power snap. They both are or can be made spectacular in different ways.
I would recommend the former as a starting point. This is the case where
the ball has been hit very slowly and defensively by your opponent and
is either sitting in the air for an "eternity" or bounces very high and
quite close to the front wall. This gives you the opportunity to time
your 5 yard charge at the ball with extended backswing (at this stage
you might quite correctly be forming the opinion that there is an
element of theatrics to this particular situation). The other shot is
where the crash nick is attempted very early off a ball which has been
hit firmly by the opponent. The intended effect here is that the ball is
rolling across the floor for sometime before anyone, except the hitter,
knows what has happened because of the extraordinary speed of play. This
shot more than many shows that some people are just wired differently to
others. It is more than an advanced shot, it is one that only a very
small percentage of players are physically capable of doing because of
the need for superior visual-motor coordination speeds - do not attempt
at home.
4. Related to the above is the movement leading
up to the shot. As mentioned, the drama of the moment can be
heightened by an overlong run up to the ball ala Happy Gilmore style.
Another crowd pleaser is to hit the ball whilst getting some airtime.
This is often required when hitting a high lob. It is important to note
though for a genuine crash nick, the leap has to have some forwards or
sideways momentum. Leaping straight up, or backwards will almost always
reduce power significantly and whilst you may hit a brilliant, firm nick this
way you need to see "1" above why this is not really what we are talking
about here.
5. In terms of the scoring outcome of your
crash nick attempt, the degree to which the ball is unplayable for
your opponent is obviously the crux. Generally a rolling ball without so
much as a hint of a bobble on its path out of the nick is the pinnacle.
The effect on the spectators brain seeing the rolling ball when expecting
to see a bouncing ball is dramatic, and has a wow factor all of its own.
On some courts, where there is a gap in the nick, a roller can be outdone
by a ball disappearing beneath the floorboards, which is generally
acknowledged as a fair effort and reasonably unplayable. There are then
varying degrees of quality where the ball bobbles or bounces to some
extent, degrading to the point where to the observer it may not be clear you were actually
going for a nick in the first place. At this point your crash nick
attempt has lost much of its coolness. Little understood but
not to be underestimated is the psychological effect of the play. The
outcome can range from a very poor and telegraphed attempt where an
opponent then hits a counter winner and is bouyed by the fact he now
thinks you're desperate and uncoordinated, to the other extreme where you hit an
ultimate behemoth of a shot and your opponent is subsequently mentally shattered
for a couple of points or more by its immensity.
6. The closer the nick is hit to the front wall
the better. It is a mark of a higher precision shot and it is harder for
your opponent to retrieve. It also leads to a more spectacular
shot because the path from front wall to side wall is harder to track by
your opponent and onlookers, so the "lightening just struck" effect is
intensified. The further back from the front wall the nick is hit
the more in question the quality of shot, even to the point that should
you actually hit the nick too far back you will be accused of it being a
fluke. You will certainly look foolish if your crash nick attempt hits
the nick at the service box or behind, and people will only be left
thinking you should stick to rails.
7. Peculiar bounces from the nick belong in the
realm of advanced crash nick theory. Every 100 or so successful crash
nicks you hit you will find a ball that behaves very peculiarly as it
emerges. More so on courts with irregularities in the surfaces near the
nick. There are several PhD's to be done on what is going on here, but
the effects usually manifest themselves as either extraordinary loss of
velocity, or an increase in spin or a transfer of energy between the
two. The dynamics is often accompanied by an unexpected or unusual
sound as the ball hits the nick. For example, a ball hit with tremendous
speed will sometimes emerge very slowly from the nick, perhaps only roll
a foot or so. Whilst the science is not well understood, I am in little
doubt that we should hold these shots in the highest esteem. Applaud
and hoot loudly or in more demure company at least nod vigorously should you see one.
8. If you successfully hit a crash nick, and
then go down on both knees punching the air whilst looking to the
gallery for acknowledgement, it is pretty obvious that you don't hit too
many of them. As well as being very uncool, this also minimizes
the psychological damage inflicted on your opponent, who would now have
you properly calibrated as a bit dopy. The low risk, standard play for
the hitter is to go pick the ball up and continue to the service box as
if nothing unusual just happened. A surreptitious, sidelong glance at
your opponent is recommended just to gauge their reaction, although if
they are experienced they will be awake to this and show no reaction
either. Having said all this, if it was a particularly tremendous
crash nick it may well be worth living the moment a bit. A little nod to
your opponent, a wry smile for the referee or gallery is probably
acceptable. Blowing on the ball or juggling it as if it were on fire can
bring a giggle. Unfortunately you run the risk here of misjudging the
quality of your own shot which can lead you back to the above comments
about being a bit dopy. Best to stick to the low risk strategy until you
really know what your doing here.
9. The opponents reactions are somewhat
symmetrical to the hitters. The inexperienced player may well forget
that it was your crash nick and not his and subsequently get all
excited about it. The experienced player will generally ignore your
effort, as if to say "is that the best you got, high risk, not worried,
seen it all before?". This is not to be confused with the significant
percentage of players whose reaction will be similar to this, but only because
in their case they have no idea on what just happened. Yes, sadly there
is many players (here we will label them Philistines) who will hear the crack and because you are walking to
the service box figure it must have been good, but the fact you just
unleashed a precision lightening bolt will be totally lost on them. The
reaction is very similar aloofness feigned by the
experienced player, but generally you can sense which is which.
Crash nicks should not be used against Philistines, their behavior will only
annoy you defeating the purpose of the shot. Conversely though,
the top quality crash nick may well be grudgingly celebrated with you by
even the gnarliest of opponents if it is judged good enough. This
is the best indicator that you really have hit a screamer. You too as an
opponent should learn to recognize and acknowledge the best when it is hit against you.
10. As you may have already summed up, onlooker
reaction is curiously entwined in the need for the crash nick. No matter how
nonchalant the opponent is after quickly recovering from the initial
injustice rent on him by your strike, a knowledgeable gallery will
always appreciate an airborne player using maximum power to careen the
ball into the nick and thereby leaving their opponent without answer.
Whether it be an overt roar, or just knowingly
inside you will know they know, or at least, know they are learning to
know and will know one day. There
reaction as well as the shot itself can raise your spirits and be a
turning point in a game. It is often high risk, but sometimes it is
exactly what is called for.
So OK the above is not entirely
serious stuff, but believe me the shot is still very effective. One of
the major reason for this is that it is a full blooded shot that
finishes short on the court and does so quickly. This is unusual
in the shot repertoire, and has the effect of placing your
opponent on their heels in your setup and before they recover after the
shot it can often be all too late, even if the ball bounces out of the
nick somewhat. So
with all this and the fact there really is no cooler play, what are you
waiting for? Go and develop a crash nick and add some fire and
brimstone to
your game.
Rod Barnes 04-July-06
Court
Sprints: How Good are You?
We have all done them, and we all know
they hurt. I am talking court sprints. Up and back 20 lengths of the
court touching the walls. One set done rapidly can make anyone
blow hard, but in terms of endurance at 3/4 pace; 3 sets (anyone can
do that), 5 (ok, not bad), 10 (gutsy!) and 20+ (you're a demon), all with
only a minute break in between.
How fast
can you do one set though? I have been collecting data on this for
some time. The graph below shows the recordings for 20 court sprints plotted as a function of the players
approximate ability rating:
Note the graph is broad-linear, indicating that speed does
correlate to some extent with playing ability. Obviously there are
some good athletes that can't hit a ball, and some fatboys that know how to
swing a racquet but the trend can't be denied. The heavy line is
a linear best fit, and if you fall above the
line you are slow for your ability on-average, and concentrating on speed training could be
of great benefit. If you are below the line your speed is relatively
good and you should concentrate on improving your technique and
match play. The fastest I have ever heard of was 38s by Damien Mudge
(I added it to the graph for fun), and I was told recently
that a US youth was clocked close to 40s. My best is 45s but those
days are well past and I am happy to break 50 these days. I would
love to hear your time - get a friend to time you. Up and back = 2,
no racquet, front and back wall must be touched each time, total of
20. Send results to
AussieNick.
Rod Barnes 20-Jun-06
Illingworth Sees
Off Older Champ
Julian
Illingworth continued with the impressive rise in his squash stature,
triumphing in the 2006 US
Men’s selection event #5, enduring
four sets (7,(2),2,1) and 70 minutes
of punishing squash with
Cincinnati’s
Jamie Crombie. Crombie’s form in
early rounds, with dominant wins
over Beau
River and Chris
Gordon, had spelled out a warning
that he had come to
Washington
to play. He subsequently drove the
standard of the final to great
heights providing a tremendous
spectacle for the fifty or so
spectators that made their way to
Worldgate Sport and Health for the
final day’s play. For his part,
Illingworth rose to the challenge
thrown out by the ex-PSA star and the
resulting duel had even the
audience’s most seasoned squash
critics wide-eyed. The first game
proved the acme
and provided 31 minutes of
blistering, international quality
exchange that was so intense it
would later tell on the over-40’s
world champion. Looking on late in
the game even one of the higher
ranked
Connie and Jamie Crombie
US Men’s players was moved to
comment that, “this match is the greatest
advertisement for the health of US
squash”. After the epic first game,
curiously it was the younger man
that seemed to need a rest in the
second game, and only a slight loss
of focus was enough for Crombie to
pounce and stake his claim.
However, into the third and at about
the 50 minute mark, it seemed a
combination of the
uncomplimentary
age difference and a lack of quality
match practice for the veteran began
to show, and with stoic deliberation
belying his youth coupled with an
array of cruelly tight drops,
Illingworth began to dominate. It
soon became obvious that the change
in momentum was inexorable, and he
took the last two games drawing away
in a very mature performance. Full
draw results available
here.
Illingworth
was one of four players in the
tournament, along with
Gilly Lane,
Ryan Donnegan and Chris Gordon, who
are having a shot at PSA competition
in forthcoming years. The latter
three show great promise, but it is
Illingworth who already displays a
remarkably complete game and
disposition. Unlike many of his
college contemporaries Illingworth
also appears to have developed a
penchant to attack and take the ball
early, which bodes well for his
future. The PSA tour is obviously a
hard road for anyone, and it can
take its toll on even the most
promising, but from what he
displayed this weekend we may well
have seen a young champion on his
way to becoming the highest ranked
US male player in history.
Julian Illingworth
The brilliant final capped a
financially successful weekend,
which also gave a spiritual lift to
the
Washington
area squash lovers who attended. The
final figures are not in, but it
appears the tournament netted
several thousand dollars for its
charity beneficiary SquashEmpower.
Certainly the player, club and
sponsor support were outstanding,
and comments from USSRA officials
and players alike, indicated they
were very happy with the tournament
and its organization. On a more
sobering note, crowd levels were
modest but it is hoped that with
better timing on the calendar
(Feb-Apr) and as word of the
entertainment value of the event
spreads it will find increased
community support. Despite the
tempered public response the common
assessment seemed to be that it was
a great first attempt and it was
encouraging to see key stakeholders
jumping in to discuss how to do it
bigger and better next year. Gilly Lane
DVD’s of the Illingworth v Crombie
match are available on application
from
AussieNick.
Proceeds go to
SquashEmpower. See
a
preview
here.
AussieNick
12-Jun-06
Watching an old video of former world champions
Rodney Martin and Jahangir Khan recently reminded me of the importance of
"pushing forward" to take the ball early. Khan with
sheer power and Martin with lightning racquet speed hit with blistering
pace yet the vast majority of the match was played in the front half of
the court. The reason they could do that was a mixture of anticipation,
speed and a desire, backed with formidable ability, to cut the ball off
very early in its flight.
What is true for the elite is true for the rest
of us, and for most beginner, intermediate and even many advanced
players who are looking to take their game to the next level, one of
the most important tips for them is that they should be pushing further forward
to the front of the court. In other words they should be
positioning themselves closer to the front wall, hunting for volleys,
and generally looking to play the ball earlier. This is a tough lesson
to learn. Many players find their game unravels when they first
try this because of the extra pressure it places on them. Often if feels
like you are committing squash suicide and unfortunately some players
who get "passed" by a few tight drives or hit a few loose
volleys early on revert to their old
habits and a whole new dimension of the game remains closed to them. As a style
taking the ball early is undoubtedly worth persevering with, and
eventually it pays off big time.
So why is pushing forward so important? I think most of us have
experienced the command we have over a rally when we control the tee
whilst our opponent is pinned in the corners. In this case we are
doing less work and have more opportunities to hit a variety of
shots. e.g. it takes considerably more skill to drop from the back
corners than from the tee, and to nick from the back corner is a real
gamble where it can be reasonably straight forward up front, especially
from the air. Pushing forward is very much related to controlling the
tee, but what is often not understood is just how much increased pressure it
puts on your opponent. If you have ever played a person who pushes
forward in a superior manor the feeling you get as an opponent is very much one that
the pace of the game is above what you can handle. Every weak shot
you hit is capitalized on in a way that seems to exploit your
inferior control. It is an entirely different sense to being
beaten from the back of the court by a hard hitting, super fit junior
for example. The crazy thing however, is that to the guy playing forward it all
seems like slow motion and his work rate is dramatically lower compared
to yours, a vicious cycle that can lead to a pummeling on the
scoreboard. Of course your opponent must call on a lot of skill and
experience at playing forward to execute this properly, but the
result is their overall exertion is
very much diminished.
There are two more important advantages of pushing
forward. First, it is much easier to vary the length of your own game,
easier to attack the front with drops and they become a more natural
part of your game. This can be quite dramatic and even people who have
sworn they do not have a drop shot find one once they start pushing
forward. The second is that it is much easier to defend against your
opponents short shots. Whether it be a quick attacking boast from the
back of the court or a drop from the front, since you are a step or more
closer to the ball than you would have been it gives you an advantage.
It also begins to dissuade your opponent from the short shot and to try
and pass all the time, which as long as you are ready for it, becomes a fatal
error on their part.
The picture painted above is very rosy but the truth of course
is that pushing forward is no automatic ticket to the PSA top 100. When
you first attempt it your game is likely to fall apart because you will
not be used to preparing and executing your shots in the compressed time
frame. This will usually mean that your accuracy decreases, your
shots become loose and you may be passed quite a bit by accurate drives.
Even when you learn to let the tight drive by and recover the ball from
the back, because you have had to run harder into the back than normal
this can feel awkward, leading to loss of power and/or accuracy from
the back court. So what sounds great in theory can begin to seem
like a horrible mess in practice. Nonetheless the secret is that all
these problems can be overcome and when they are, the positives of
pushing forward far outweigh the
negatives.
Several components of technique need to be
practiced and developed to push forward effectively. These include
more carefully watching and reacting to your opponent in the
execution of their shot. Because you have a reduced time frame you
need to anticipate where you are going to cut the ball off as early as
possible. From the position of the ball, your opponents position and
momentum as well as their swing you should be formulating your next
move, subtly changing your weight as
their shot develops adjusting if necessary as it plays out. Then, when
the ball is traveling off their racquet you must move deliberately to execute
your own shot. The startling thing is that even though you have less
time to prepare and execute your own shot, it is often more obvious
where to hit the ball because your opponent has had less time to recover
from their shot and hence hitting the ball away from them is a more obvious
first option. Underpinning all this is a need to be able to swing the
racquet more swiftly. A common mistake for people who attempt to play
the ball earlier is that they shorten their swing. It is important to
retain the full swing on your shots as much as possible to retain
control, accuracy and power. This cannot be overemphasized.
As you get more experienced at pushing forward you will realize you
can start to mix in more subtle aspects such as covering the shot, delay
and deception. These are all a little harder than when the ball is
played later but they can be woven in. Another important aspect is
learning to recognize when you need to recover to the back court. Top
players recognize this very early in the ball's flight and begin to move
accordingly. Initially, recovering the ball from the back will seem
difficult because of the extra speed required when entering into the
back, but it can be mastered. Drills to increase your ability to
swing the racquet quickly and to move from one side of the court to the
other can be very useful. Even all the normal drills such as boast
drive, railing etc can be played in the forward position calling on you
to volley more and are excellent ways of getting used to the concept.
Of course there are extra layers of complexity to all this.
Court/ball speed is a big factor in determining just how far to push up.
Very
fast courts will make it that much harder. A good test is if
your opponent is winning many of their points in the front half of the
court and if this is the case, you probably need to push up further.
The other wrinkle on the technique is that certain personal
attributes lend themselves to the style. For tall, strong players (c.f.
Beau River) pushing forward is not just important it is vital. If Beau
didn't use his reach to cut the ball off he would be half the player he
is. Pushing forward is not quite as important for shorter more
agile players who find it easier to move up and down the court, but even
with them the economy in movement provided make it a no-brainer. So
like everything about our great game there are
subtleties to it all, but on balance being forward is the way to
go. So start to think about this next time you are out, and join
"the hunt for the red-hot volley". Push forward, and a whole new
dimension of the game will be opened to you.
Rod Barnes 27-May-06
If it has seemed warmer
at Worldgate recently it's not because
of spring, rather, it's
because the squash is getting hotter again
at the club that was once a beacon to
the region. When Worldgate
put in its international spec courts a
decade ago it became one of the regions'
leading clubs. That slowly diminished
with time as peers sprung up, but it is
all turning around again. Connie and the
team are now engaged with the program
and there is a buzz at the place.
The courts have been reconditioned
bringing them back to top standard. Jude
Odeh, Connie and Saif Ullah have been
providing regular lessons and clinics,
much to the delight of the local patrons
who have been starved of such attention
for some time.
A series of activities has also been
planned to provide stimulus for the membership. The first was a
Worldgate World Squash Weekend (belatedly celebrating World Squash
Day (8 April)), which saw Worldgate provide the venue for the S&H
showdown against the touring Royal Air Force (RAF) team.
The RAF event was the climax of a weekend of squash activities at
the club which included, free clinics and a handicap tournament
organized for the members. Turn-out for the handicap tournament was
good, the squash
very competitive, and everyone appeared to enjoy the occasion.
The RAF match brought some quality squash,
friendly banter in a social atmosphere. Plenty of spectators
came along to watch the matches, as well as see Worldgate GM Andy Stomberg and S&H President Jonathan Adler try their hand. Both Andy
and Jonathan delighted the crowd by convincingly beating more
fancied opponents, Rod Barnes and Jude Odeh in handicap matches
(although they did look a little
worse for wear afterwards). For the record the
RAF got S&H
7-5 in the main event. The tail wagged for S&H after a dodgy start
and missing an injured Rod Barnes at the top of the line up. However
the star for S&H was doubtless their #1 pro Jude Odeh. Jude hasn't
really been pushed in the matches he has played since joining S&H,
but the RAF #1 Mike Martin was a very tough and classy opponent.
Jude put away the showmanship he often displays and provided a
focused and devastating display. Mike held on as best he could and
matched Jude in many departments, but was outlasted after long
rallies time and time again. Judes' speed and power, as well as
Mike's touch and determination entertained the crowd, but in the end
Odeh was too strong at (4,0,7). The RAF soon turned the tables
running off a series of wins at #2,3,4,5 and it looked all over,
before S&H rallied with wins to Mike Pettigrew, Mehmood Nathani,
Page Lansdale and Connie Barnes. As if by design for such a sporting
affair, the last match decided the afternoon. S&H coach Anne Monahan
rocketed to a 2-0 lead, but wilted against her
younger opponent, and lost 3-2 after a gallant display. The
players retreated to the reception area for drinks and snacks
followed by a meal at a local Japanese restaurant.
So as if too much squash wasn't enough, now
the members have the big one to look forward to,
the US Men's selection event in June. This promises to be great
for all squash lovers in the National Capital region, but can
certainly be thought of as a special treat for the members at
Worldgate who will get to see such quality squash at their home
courts.
So all in all it seems that at last the
Worldgate members' patience and persistence is paying off, and there
is going to be some good times ahead. On a similar note, one of the
most notable observations for AussieNick has seen is the bevy of
hidden talent that is lurking at Worldgate. This was the case when
Rod and Connie went to Bethesda nearly four years ago. Bethesda now
are a force in the NCSRA league, so if history is anything to go by,
look out for some strong teams out of Worldgate in the next few
years.
AussieNick 9-May-06
I am sure that many of you who have
played squash for a substantial part of your lives, have at least a
handful of matches that live vivid in your memories. Mostly, these
will not be great events within
the history of squash and even less so when referenced to the
history of world
affairs, but personally they may have great significance. They
might represent milestone in personal development, achievement of a
long held goal, an
epic battle where you did or did not overcome the demons within, or
just a good win against the odds. In
a way these matches transcend being a sporting event you
participated in
and become part of what defines you and your history, they're
spiritual. The
matches I most cherish from the past, and indeed look forward to in
the future, are those that are close and tough and stay close and
tough right to the very end. There is something special about five
set games that represent what is good about competition. The
five setter is a journey for you and your well matched
adversary, a shared adventure. The taste of victory is sweeter and that
of defeat all the more bitter when much has been invested. So, it
should not be surprising that one of my more vivid memories is of
a five setter that went 105 minutes. It was probably around the late
90's or 2000 and I was playing an upcoming South Australian
Institute of Squash (SAIS) junior named Ryan Smith in a Premier
League match in Adelaide Australia, and the game was played at the
old Ingle Farm club (since demolished - actually from the look of
the insides of this place at the time one would have been forgiven
for thinking the demolition had already started). The standard of
the squash was moderately high, probably just under the 6.0 mark on
the US scale (although nowhere near the top of Adelaide League which
was graced with the likes of Damien and Jason Mudge, Dan Jenson,
Byron Davis, Ben Gould and a line of second string players
like John "Goldie" Goodchild who nipped at their heals.)
For most of the night I felt on the
back foot. Ryan had taken one of those quantum leaps that juniors
can and was playing way above the level I had previously experienced
with him. I felt I was playing pretty badly, mainly retrieving and
putting little pressure on my opponent, but I held on and after
about an hour had a 2-1 lead. Ryan was a whippet and the first hour
seemed to have little affected him, but I felt wasted and although I
led I wasn't at all confident I could close it out. But, I had been
here before and had won so I entered the fourth positively. The
fourth turned out to be a monster of a game and I narrowly lost a
long heartbreaking struggle. I had given it everything on a warm
night and he had pipped me in the fourth, I was spent, I knew I was
doomed in the last or at least I thought I was. Worse was yet to
come as the first rallies in the fifth set were two of the longest I
have ever had in competition. For what seemed like eternities
I was just lunging to retrieve, keeping the ball high and tight
trying to slow it down and hang in there but he was relentless and
now way on top. At the end of the last rally of that section I was
staggering. The legs had gone to rubber in the fourth, now the
rubber was on fire and I was blowing hard and in pain. Everything
hurt, the room spun, I couldn't see properly, I had entered the half-dream room*. As I
shuffled over to receive at 0-4, I could not physically play on and
he was moving for the kill he would surely run over the top of me.
After over an hour of pushing through pain and psychological
barriers, telling myself to hang in, my mind had given up. It kept
saying this is too much you are gone, you are gone. At the last
moment before the return, something inside said to just go a little further, you have
never been here before, never entered the half dream room and
continued on, but just go a little further, just one more
swing of the racquet and see what happens. What happened seemed
miraculous to me. I did everything I could to swing the racquet and
lift my legs just a few more times, and unbelievably, Ryan
cracked. I guess he couldn't believe I was still moving and he just
shattered. From that point on I gained momentum and he lost it. I
finally won the fifth game running away, from what in my own mind
had just minutes before seemed like an impossible position.
So ended a match that stays with me
but even at the time I am sure, was only remarkable to others in
that it kept them from their beer a little longer than normal and
that now they would have long forgotten. Ryan dislocated his
knee in a nasty accident on the court some time later, but recovered
to peak at 160 in the PSA rankings in 2003. I went on to get older
and slower, but I will never forget the experience in the knowledge
that whilst this was not the best I have played it was a match
where, after 20 years of tough five setters, I had explored new
territory within and was a richer man for that. So the lesson for
you is go forth play hard and hang in, enter the half-dream room and if
necessary go beyond, your next competition match might be that spiritual epic
that leaves its indelible imprint.
(*Half Dream Room: a reference to a
mental state that Australian comic characters
Roy and HG Nelson
refer to when someone has taken a severe head knock in contact
sports).
Rod Barnes
1-May-2006
I think most people
recognize that the NCSRA ranking system has some
weaknesses, for example its accuracy lags for rapidly improving
juniors, but for most people it is fairly accurate and is certainly
a very useful indicator for many purposes. It has been used effectively to demarcate league players into divisions and make sure
those who become too strong for a particular division move up
as per the rules. With these leveling constraints one would expect success to
be shared between clubs. Not so for the Bethesda
Bull’s Div 5 team who have defied the odds and been remarkably dominant over the previous decade.
So wa’sup?
According to MC (Master-Captain) Ken
Harney (pictured left), Bethesda didn’t have a league team before he moved
there
from Tenley in 1997. Shortly after arriving he organized a team.
They started in the 1997-98 winter season (then at the "D" level)
and won the championship in their first season and so the legend had begun.
Since then, Harney believes the D or Div. 5 Bethesda Bulls have
added another eight championships, more than any other club in that
division. So what is the recipe? Pretty simple according to
the MC:
(1) an ever-changing mix of players who
are young enough or just have the potential to get better and move
up, along with a few "old bulls" who can play but aren't really up
to snuff with the herd
(2) organization, i.e.., we show up, which as Woody Allen said, is
98 percent of success. We don't default; my guess is we have had a
total of three individual no-shows since 1997. We almost always have
back up ready to go--if the player gets to me in time.
(3) we try to have a nice team spirit, one for all, all for one and
all that, and we try to make it personal. We enjoy being part of a
group effort and we always extend thanks to the spouses and family
members who help make it all possible.
(4) We also try to make it fun by recounting "last night" matches
for everybody on the team with a twinkle in our eye, a little humor
whenever possible.
I guess with such a tried and true
formula no one should be surprised that its just happened again for
Winter '06. The team write up explains:
It was
tough. It was gritty, it was razor close and it was in serious doubt
until the final game. But we eked out a win last night against
Pentagon, even though we went 2-2 in matches and had to go to the
tie-breaker, where we won 8-7 on games.
Pentagon clearly came to avenge earlier losses to us, most recently
a 3-1 loss that put them out of first place and lost them home court
advantage for the playoffs. Bob Kessel beat up on Bryan, to whom he
had lost a few weeks back 3-1. This time he handed Bryan his first
loss of the season 3-1 (7, 4, (5), 3).
Tom played brilliantly against double-handed wonder Joe Huba,
running Joe ragged 9-7, 9-4, 9-5. Tom slowed down the game to his
tactical advantage, and executed his trademark soft drops to drive
Huba to distraction.
A very determined Chris Schroeder dominated Ari, who was
playing a little off of his usual game. Chris nailed repeated
hairline drops from half court and farther back, and handled most of
Ari's power shots. When Ari slowed the game down, however, he was
great, witness his 9-0 second game.
Pentagon's man from Brittany, Thierry Taunay, was no match
for a very focused and calm Juan Carlos. JC nailed him 9-4 in the
first, 9-6 in the second, dropped the third 9-2, and then
obliterated Thierry in the finale 9-3.
What a great match!! What a super way to win the
championship....tough as it was. Kudos to Bryan, Tom, Ari and JC--each
of whom can claim that one of his winning games provided the margin
of victory. But it was truly a TEAM effort, and truly a team win! In
fact the entire season added up to a team effort, with contributions
from Orrin, Henri, Matt, Arnie, Paul, Ross, Seth, Frederic and Mike
besides our four warriors last night. Thanks also to Luis Lazo, who
came to provide brotherly support for JC several times and served as
referee most generously.
Great going everybody!!!! YOU ARE NOW DE CHAMPS!!!!
At the time of writing the Div 5 Bulls
were further demonstrating their dominance. In what may be a record
for Fisher cup all four semi-finalists were Bulls, with Bryan
Keating overwhelming Tom Faltens in the final to become the “King of Div 5”. In the
words of MC Harney, “Has this been an amazing season or what!”
Rod Barnes (with MC Ken Harney) 22-April-2005
The RAF Squash Team visited the DC region 20
years ago. Now they are returning, and at Worldgate Sport & Health
on April 30 you can see the tremendous British team comprised of 10
men and 2 women compete against our elite Sport & Health players and
pros. At Worldgate, squash activities will be ongoing for the day
(10am-5pm)
-
Participate in free
coaching, a handicap tournament for all and exhibition matches
-
See Sport & Health’s COO
Jonathan Adler compete against our elite coach, Jude Odeh,
former Nigerian #1 and Bronze medalist from the African games.
-
Cheer Group General
Manager, Andy Stromberg against Aussie Rod Barnes – one of the
top squash players in the region.
-
Watch the RAF team
exhibition matches which will be held 2 – 5pm.
Come take advantage of this free offer,
participating or just watching you will see why this game is ranked
as the best cardio workout of any sport.
Connie Barnes 16-Apr-06
For the first time in its prestigious history,
the US Men’s Squash Team Selection event will be held in the DC
area. Sport and Health Management, ASTi and SquashEmpower have
worked to secure the event for Worldgate S&H. From June 8 – 11, the
best players in the US will be vying for a spot to represent their
country internationally – this will be four days of some of the most
exciting squash you will ever see. SquashEmpower, the DC urban youth
enrichment program is coordinating the event and ASTi are the major
sponsor. Beside the top quality squash, many activities involving
these brilliant players are planned including clinics for juniors
and adults at RIO, Regency, Bethesda and Worldgate Sport & Health
Clubs. There may even be the opportunity to fill the spot with a
local player – imagine yourself playing in the US Selection
event! Follow the link for more information about
ticketing and
sponsorship packages.
This is going to be a terrific week-end, be sure to join in the fun
and support a very worthy cause. A raffle and auction will also be
held for SquashEmpower.
Connie Barnes 16-Apr-06
Being assertive at every opportunity on the squash court is a huge
factor in playing to your full potential. Playing tentatively or
negatively allows your opponent to take the T, and the initiative. A
good player will then invariably push you further onto the back foot
until eventually there is no more room to retreat, your defenses are
broken and the point is lost. This is no more evident with,
what is often your first shot, the return of serve. Even more
insidious is that that lack of assertion develops ingrained habits
that will profoundly limit your playing standard from where you
should be.
Over the last few
weeks I have had the opportunity to consider this lesson and its
relevance more broadly in life. I am sure we have all been through
that week or two where the world seems to deal you a series of bad
hands and you wonder how Mother Nature can twist her governing laws
enough to deal you such absurdly bad luck. Sounds like some squash
matches right. I am a physicist and an agnostic, so I believe
things at the human level are more cause and effect than divine
intervention or luck. So at a time when a particularly low shot is
swung at you, it is not really bad luck but more a malicious cunning
that you are dealing with. In life as in business one comes to
expect to deal with such malevolence now and then, it's almost
predictable especially from those whose relative stature means they
can't deliver anything else, so the thing that I have found more
illuminating through these periods is the reaction of the third
parties who invariably get caught up in the ensuing melee. I have no
comment on those who may side against you, other than to say that it
is predictable that some would do this, and for reasons I discuss
below quite proper that some people would. Then there are those that
are truly disconnected, they should be left off the hook, no hard
feelings. Those that remained might be labeled a'priori as
supporters and perhaps even friends, or at least should be through
any reasoned assessment of the situation and their position within
it. Of these supporters perhaps the most prolific and disturbing
group that forms once the proverbial hits the fan, are the "run and
hides". It is not their problem after all, and surely they can only
be damaged by involving themselves. The best thing to do they seem
to decide is to disassociate themselves whatever the costs. Any
suggestion that they do assist will generally result in a recently
found lexical eloquence in espousing the reasons why lifting a
finger would be the wrong thing to do, either that or the run and
hides may be roused to some indignant response on their irrelevance
to the matter. So how do you stay positive in such circumstance,
when many of those who you would count on have turned their backs.
Well it does help to have that inner strength that we all have to
some extent and which our game surely nurtures like no other, but
fortunately in life unlike squash, there are some others that can
help.
One of these helpful
groups I will label the associates. Those business colleague
and acquaintances, many of whom you would also categorize as friends
at some level, who want to know the details to assure themselves
they are dealing on the side of right and once convinced will jump
in, boots and all to assist. Then finally there are your loyal
friends, those who only want to know the details to the extent that
allows them to provide sage guidance and will support you to the
best of their abilities no matter what has happened. We all (even
the maliciously cunning) deserve a few in the last two categories,
but we at AussieNick are truly fortunate that even in the few short
years we have known you that we enjoy an abundance of such people
around us. Beyond any inner strength, it is the reason we will stay
positive, move forward and hit the nick, it is the reason we will
get up again, and again, and again once more no matter how many low
blows are fired at us, and the reason we will prevail in the end.
Thank-you.
Rod Barnes
12-Apr-06
For the first time
in NCSRA league history the Bethesda Bulls took the National
Capital's Div 1 title, which also comes with "best league team in
the city" bragging rights. The final was played in a pleasant
atmosphere at Results against the Senators. All matches were
relatively close and the night hung in the balance as the last two
matches were being played. The Bulls clearly owe a lot to
Sport and Health pro Jude Odeh who joined the team for the last four
minor round matches and swept all before him at the #1 slot.
The final night was no exception, and although Peter Sopher lifted a
notch and played brilliantly at times he could not quite find the
consistency at Jude's pace to hold out. Jude ran out a 3-1 winner.
Dean Packard has
been the Bulls pin up as far as training goes this season, and it
was therefore no surprise that he outlasted Buz Sawyer 3-1 in the
first match on the second court. Dean has been concentrating on
converting his technique, which is strongly influenced by all the
years he spent developing a champion Tennis swing, into a more
traditional squash game. That along with a more disciplined approach
meant that Dean-Luc Pack-ard was a force to be reckoned with.
So the Bulls ran out ahead, but we knew it would still be tight. Jon
Lam had not beaten Terry Hindermann in living memory and Rod
Barnes was nursing a calf tear that was only partially healed. As
the two matches started to unfold it became clear however that it
was going to be he Bulls night. Rod managed to use his experience to
snare a couple of games off Phil Sopher - luckily some excellent
coaching from Brian O'Hora who rightly had Phil trying to capitalize
on Barnes' immobility didn't sink in until the damage had been done.
But it was all moot in the end because Jonathan Lam put in a
personal best to turn the tables on Terry Hindermann, Jon running
out a 3-1 winner.
So in the end it was
the Bulls. Wendy Lawrence, Brian O'hora and other Result's
patrons did a great job of providing a fitting atmosphere for a
final, and the Result's team were fine sportsmen in defeat. That was
not the end of the night of course, and a small feast was had by all
(except those that had trigonometry homework to complete and
theoretically too young to drink anyway) at a South-East restaurant.
Besides several beers, two pizzas, a plate of calamari, a plate of
wings and no less than 18 mini-burgers were consumed. That's the way
you do it.
AussieNick 10-Apr-06
