I now boast an impressive collection of welts and ball-shaped bruises. From a distance I could be mistaken for a gangly, hairless dalmation. To add to those come two permanent scars. One on my chin and - as of last weekend - another dead centre of my top lip. Both as a result of a racket to the face. Suddenly I resemble a gangly, hairless dalmation with facial features baring a slight resemblence to Sam Dingle from Emmerdale.
You can add another to that list; Just above my right eyebrow
Not a raquet wound this time either, but a result of running full pelt into the side wall. What glorious idiocy. Bled like a bastard as well.
I actually joined my local squash club last year (after getting back from Australia). There's five leagues, with promotion and relegation between each. 6-8 people per league and you play each other over the course of a month, with two going up and two going down. I started in league five and gradually worked my way up to league one (which i'm in now). Some of the people i've played are really very good, which makes the workout exhausting, it really does. It's also very interesting to encounter different styles, which I think (hope?) has improved my awareness and appreciation of the game overall as well. Prior to that I was playing the same two or three people consistently and it really got to a stage whereby we both knew what the next shot was going to be before it was even played. Little too predictable, I guess.
Just wondering if anyone else plays it to discuss it, or has any tips and hints to give regarding strategy.
It's actually a very strategic game, squash. I try and mix things up as much as I can, almost probing to find a weakness in your opponent becauese ultimately, there will be one. Mix up your serves until you find one that they struggle with, for example (lob, drive, long, short, different widths etc), and then hone in on that weakness. If you can put them under pressure and on the back foot from the serve (or return) then you're on the way to controlling the rally and winning the point. Same with general play. As others have said, try and control the centre of the court if you can, but also be aware of where your opponent is and therefore where your next shot needs to go. Dont go for the same shots over and over either because you'll become predictable and if your opponent is good they'll begin reading you quite quickly, so mix it up. Long, short, lobs, drops, different widths and legths. If you can master getting the length and width of the shot right then you can make it extremely difficult without the need for any great power. Try playing some off the side walls as well. The change in direction of the ball will often wrong foot your opponent entirely, and if you get them right, the ball will drop just in, but will be travelling at an angle that makes it very difficult to return should your opponent be anywhere other than the front of the court.
Another thing that I try to do which often bears results, is to take a step (or two) back when your opponent plays the shot and wait for it to come to you, rather than moving into the shot and potentially narrowing your options. That additional split second that you allow yourself can change the entire picture in front of you. Your opponent is likely to make a move anticipating your return, but as you delay it you can wait for that move and then make a decision based on that.
Oh, and resist the urge to step back after service. It kills you instantly if your opponent plays any kind of drop and was something that I used to do a lot. Stay on your toes.
Great game.