Squash Tips & News!
EVENT NEWS
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Walkabout - Dreamtime Australia
Yes my daughter Vaughan and I are on our annual Walkabout back to Australia. One month of eating pies, vegemite, my Mum's cooking, running and swimming down at Blue Lagoon and of course probably a lot of squash. If you want a great time this is the place to be.
Follow my month right here. I will be sending some pictures of the beauty of my Australia.
6.45am June 9. Not a bad way to wake up 11am June 13. I am Definitely Not Lance Armstrong!
Yes I am back and one of the great things about Australia is it doesn't seem to change a lot over a period of time. Nature is my training partner here and I don't think I could find a more scenic way to keep fit..
Take today for example, I woke up to the sound of kookaburra's going off. If you have never heard them it is a loud laughing screech that can be heard for a mile. The best alarm clock you can ever have. Then I went down to the beach as the sun was rising over the Pacific Ocean. I loosened up with a few pushups to get the body warm and then into the ocean I went. The water temperature is about 21 Celcius ( 70 F ) a bit brisk but not bad seeing it is the start of winter. I swam for about 15 minutes and felt invigorated that's for sure. Later today I might do some running along the beach.
Yesterday I thought I would try something different and ride up to Crackneck. This is the lookout at the top of Crackneck Headland. Just about every beach in Australia has a pretruding Headland which starts the beach. This paricular one is about 500 Metres high. To get to it there is a long winding road with a pretty steep incline for about a half a mile. An easy Challenge so I thought. Anyway after a lot of puffing, panting and straining every leg muscle that I didn't know I had I made it to about halfway up. Luckily what goes up must come down and of course the ocean was there to soothe the body and bruised ego. Wrestling sharks might be my true calling. I will let you know.
One of the reasons I love going to Australia. All natural, all beautiful and in the winter usually only me crazy enough to swim every morning. All part of developing that fitnes base. You never know when you might need it. For those who went on The Going For The Gold Tour it will be something they will never forget. Have a look at the photo above. That is what they wake up to.
Here We Go Again, Back to Long Jetty Squash
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And you think you have tough opponents And for those who want to test their fitness. Come and Try SQUASH YOUR SIZE !!!! As you know Forbes magazines No 1 sport for calories burned and cardio is SQUASH. Burn over 1000 calories an hour and SQUASH YOUR SIZE!! Come and try this 3 part combination class including 20 minutes INSTRUCTION, 20 minutes of GAMES, and 20 minutes of FITNESS all add up to the ultimate workout in an action packed hour! All Levels Welcome. Limited to 4 players per class. SQUASHKIDDERS - Roy Ollier’s Junior Squash !!!! Let your kids improve their game or introduce them to our great sport in this years junior squash progam. Technique, drills, strategy, fitness and most of all Games and Fun. Cost $20 +++++++++++ October 23 2009. ARRRGGGHH !!! Well The World Masters has come and gone and with it the Gold. Yes unfortunately for me I lost in the semi final to Peter Adraans from Melbourne. Certainly Peter was on a hot streak and ended up winning the Gold. For me the Bronze will have to do. The biggest thing though after seeing lot's of old faces , wrinkles and smiles is that everyone who competed are all winners. We are still playing, or should I say able to play, enjoying the game and not living in the past.
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COMING UP
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Come and compete for some prizemoney and for a change of pace watch some of the areas best tennis players and racquetball players play in their respective sports. Perfect start to the holiday week. Again all levels available
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Gainey - Saturday 9.30am - 10.30am, Thursday 3.45pm - 4.45pm
Camelback = Tuesday 3.45pm - 5pm
The 2011 Halloween Open
The 2011 Halloween Open was a great success. We all got a chance to play one of the most relaxed and talanted players that I have seen in many years.
Mohamed El Sherbini was a former No 1 Egyptian U/19 and certainly played like it. He had a different approach to the game and kept us all in the rallies by hitting it off the back wall and waiting to see what you did. Great to watch it will be interesting to see what the squash future holds for him.
The 2010 Halloween Open
This year we had a little different format which included having our featured players Rex Hendick and Josh Cardwell play in the Open division of the tournament.
It was great for the local players to get a chance to play some World Ranked Players and see the difference in levels. Yes there is certainly a big squash pond out there that is for sure.
As for the final, Rex proved was a little more attacking and managed to beat Josh 3/1 11-9 in the fourth in a very hard match. If it had gone into the fifth it might have been a different story.
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The Village Halloween Squash Open (2009)
Featuring Stefan Castelyn ( Former World No 7 ) and Jamie Crombie (Fomer World O/40 Champion)
I had been looking forward to this match for quite some time seeing they were both terrific players. A great shotmaker against a tenacious retriever who never gives up. The classic battle. Well I certainly was a little suprised with the result but not suprised with the standard of play. The match was full of long rallies with Stefan controlling play and Jamie covering every inch of the squash.
Stefan's deception was unbelievable and had Jamie going in 5 directions at once on numerous occasions. Being in that situation against them both I certainly know the feeling. On this day no matter how hard Jamie tried Stefan had all the answers and was one or two steps and shots ahead and some of them were just out of the realm of a normal squash player.
You will have to see who we will get next year, I am sure it will be good!!
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World Class Squash at the Village...
THE ARIZONA OPEN PRO SERIES
The Village at DC Ranch, Scottsdale
February 20, 21, 22
David Palmer ( former World No 1,2008 British and Australian Champion and current World No 6) and Jamie Crombie (current World O/40 Masters Champion) joined Roy Ollier (former U.S, Canadian and Australian Masters Champion ) to put on a display of squash that can only be described as World Class..
Match One – David Palmer v Roy Ollier
Yes, I am all smiles now considering I have just finished playing or should I say being run around every inch of the squash court by David Palmer during the Arizona Open
From one corner to the other I can certainly understand why squash is considered one of the highest cardio and calorie burning sports. I think David has quite a sadistic side as no matter how hard I tried to put the ball away he would just somehow keep it going and had a grin on his face while he was doing it. After quite a few 40 shot rallies I am sure mine looked more like a grimace. It was great though. How often do you get to play one of the great players of the game!
Match Two – Jamie Crombie v Jeff Young
Another match played at a fast pace which suited Jamie down to the ground. He starts a match at one pace and gets faster and faster the longer it goes. That sort of said it all for Jeff. He hit lots of great shots but couldn’t match the intensity of the human energizer. So the showdown was set for the Big Match. The former World Champ against The World Masters O/40 Champ. Youth v Experience or maybe a clash of 2 Eras.
Match 3 – Jeff Young v Roy Ollier
No we weren’t ready for the Big One yet. Jeff and I had to set the stage. Good fun, hard rallies and actually just another game for me to stretch all the muscles that I had not felt in a while. I am feeling them now that’s for sure. We had a very close match, so close in fact that we called it a tie at 2 games all. So now we were ready...
Match 4 – David Palmer v Jamie Crombie
Wow !!! What a match. If you know Jamie you understand that he gives 110 percent and even that wasn’t enough. A truly fantastic match with long rallies, touch, nicks it was a showcase of classic squash. The crowd was on the edge of their seats just amazed at the pace and the retrieving ability of both players. In the end though you could see Jamie falter to the unrelenting pressure that David was applying. Just like watching water boil. The surface looks even and then all of a sudden it is boiling and done. I have to say one of the most enjoyable matches I have seen. Can’t wait for Match No 5 Hmmm wonder who that will be?
Jamie Crombie & Roy Ollier
One Down; Many to Go
I have just finished my first match of 2009 and who better to have played than Jamie Crombie. Now for those who don’t know Jamie, he has been one of North America’s best players for over 20 years representing both the U.S and Canada, winning numerous PSA tournaments. He is the current World Masters O/40 Champion just to top things off.
So how did the match go, you are probably wondering? It really started on New Years Eve when the showdown was arranged. We both happened to be at the same party and one drink led to another and before you knew it we were playing on Jan 2 at 11am.
I have played Jamie quite a few times over the years and believe me it is not an easy task. Jamie is very fit, strong, and fast - a bad combination if you happen to be on the receiving end. Anyway, the match started and as usual long rallies were on the menu. For the first half of the game things were quite even. However in the second half, whether it was Jamie’s extra pressure or my mistakes, he pulled away to win 11/7.
At this stage I was feeling not too bad, and after 90 seconds I was looking for a better performance in the second game. We started again and similar to the first, long rallies were happening again but this time I kept up point for point, shot for shot until 8/8. I don’t know what he was drinking at the party but it certainly gave him the energy boost when he needed it. After 3 more hard rallies where he was forcing me deep, then short, then cross court to get me scrambling, he rattled off the next 3 points to take a 2 love lead.
Hmmm a change of tactics maybe. That was my thought process coming back onto the court for the third game. What else can you do? He seemed to really be keeping me deep and off balance with very aggressive length and low crosscourt slices. So maybe I could try and float the ball a little bit more, however he being an excellent volleyer, he still seemed to be able to keep me behind him and then play either a drop or a boast when I was way out of position. As you can tell by the sound of things, the game wasn’t going my way, not to mention that with me doing twice the work, fatigue started to set in. Or maybe it was that party catching up to me.
Anyway, the final game score was 11/6 and Jamie was the well-deserved victor. Me vanquished, yes, disappointed, no. Another great way to start the New Year. When you give your best, trying 100 percent, you learn from your mistakes and look forward to the next match. Jamie: next time I am watching what you are drinking, that’s for sure.
The Shot
by
Roy Ollier
Jonathon Power def. Stefan Castelyn
I would be laughing too if I could hit shots like this!!!
This just happened to me during our annual Halloween Tournament at the Village Health Clubs in Scottsdale when I played an exhibition match with Jonathon Power. If you have read my stories on World Champions you would have noticed that in my description of Jonathon’s game I mentioned his creativity. Well, I certainly experienced it first hand... once again.
‘The moment’ went like this: It was in the second game and, as expected, Jonathon was jerking me all over the court with his holds, wrist flicks and early ball taking. I will tell you I almost had a case of motion sickness with all the up and down, side to side, twisting and turning that I had to do. Being quite fit though and enjoying the challenge, I kept on going and tried to occasionally turn the tables on him, much to the amusement of both him and the crowd.
At this stage I don’t know whether he got bored or just had one of those flashes of genius that he is famous for, and he showed his amazing skill. Being a right-hander I was in the backhand deep corner with Jonathon a little behind the T. To move him I hit a backhand boast up to the front forehand corner. I thought it was a reasonable shot and was preparing to cover the usual shots that I thought he would play: forehand drop shot, forehand straight drive, cross court or a lob, after all that’s what everyone else would have played. Ahhh but not Jonathon!
Instead, he shaped up to play a forehand drop shot, went PAST the ball and hit it BEHIND his back, delicately dropping the ball cross court into the backhand front cross court nick. Yes, that’s right he was running full steam up to the front of the court and was still able to hit a DROP SHOT BEHIND HIS BACK CROSS COURT INTO THE OPPOSITE NICK!!!
I hope you can understand my description as it left me and the crowd all shaking our heads in amazement. How do you think of hitting that shot, how do you pull it off and how much racquet ability do you have to have to be able to do it? I knew I was in big trouble after that.
After playing for over 30 years and thousands of players and seeing millions of shots this certainly was a one-of-a-kind. To me I will always remember it as THE SHOT.
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602-350-5173
rollier@cox.net
ZAGmag SquashZAG.com
http://www.squashzag.com/zagmagazine.html
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Brett Martin
Brett was another player from the super talented group of Australians from the late eighties. Although he did not win a World Championship like his brother Rodney and sister Michelle ( super talented family that one ) he was firmly entrenched in the top 8 for a long period of his career. Probably not the hardest trainer in his early days he based his game on short kills, nicks and deception which was caused by having a super strong wrist. Rumour has it that Brett did an apprenticeship in Carpentry and with all the hammering he developed what ended up being a huge advantage in his game. He could generate a huge amount of power with a little flick of his wrist in any direction, the result being more often than not that you were sent the wrong way. Lucky for me I played Brett early on and at that stage mistakes would beat him. I would have really liked to have seen him play Hiddy Jahan at both their peaks. There would not have been many backswings thats for sure.
So How Did Brett Win his many Championships?
Again as with all great players accuracy set up all of his shots. He could still hit great length and play a tight basic game if he needed to. However he was completely unpredictable which meant at any moment a nick, a boast into the nick, volley into the nick or a wrong footing dropshot were all options that he would play. Getting into a Rythym was not in his game plan. Certainly hard to play against and great if you can do it !! Brett also got to the ball early and added to his deception by holding his shots. Remember there are So many different ways to play the Game !
90 Second Express Tip
While I am waiting for one of my Talented Opponents to get Changed.
Don't Forget that at any level the serve and the return of serve are the 2 most important shots in the game..Your serve is the only time when you can stand still, focus, aim and then be directly on the T. When Returning the Serve concentration is critical in getting your opponent on the defensive straight away. Make the most of both of these shots.
Now where is my next opponent ?
GREAT PLAYERS ( a lot better than me )
Well seeing I have run out of the World Champions that I have played I may as well start on all the greats over the years and believe me there have been lot’s of them. Now my only problem is where to start.
Hiddy Jahan
Another of the first level of squash professionals Hiddy was known as probably the first really hard hitter of the squash ball. A tremendous playerwho like the other Pakistani players at the time had his own individual style and at the top of his game had wins over Geoff Hunt and I think just about every other player in the top 10 during this 70's/ 80's era
As I mentioned he was a crowd favorite with his super hard hitting yet he also had a super strong wrist which enabled him to go from the most delicate of dropshots to a drive to the back of the court by literally a flick of the wrist. I played Hiddy a couple of times and apart from doing twice the work as him I really enjoyed the experience and learned the value of being able to mix up the game. Definitely one of my favorites to watch.
What did Hiddy do to have a Great Game ?
Being able to kill the ball is always a good thing. Anything that is lose is dead therefore putting pressure on the opponent.
He was quite a big guy yet with his strong wrist he could stretch to the front corners and keep you guessing whether it wa going to be a drop or a drive. Again very unsettling.
Getting the ball to do the work instead of himself Hiddy didn't have to work as hard as his opponents. Meaning more thought less Brawn. Now if only I could do that.
CAM NANCARROW
Ok we are going back in time a little bit to the 1970/s early 1980's. A great player is a great player no matter what era they came from. Now here is one of my favorites and also on of my most frustrating players.
I probably played Cam over 20 times in competition matches and only scored one victory and even that one was when he retired injured. So you can see my frustration. To make matters even worse I practiced with him weekly and won just about every practice match. Ha Ha he probably thought.
Anyway Cam was an unorthodox player who was a true inventor of shot's, very deceptive on the court and you wouldn't have thought he was a Champion squash player if you met him off the court. He won all the amateur titles including The World, Australian and British Titles and got to be as high as No 2 in the Professional Ranks.
His game was based on good length, trickle boasts, overhead crosscourt nicks, low slices and as I mentioned deception. He was a tall left hander with a long reach which helped his retrieving ability. Very confident in his shots he would go for a crosscourt nick off the serve at any point in a match whether it was the first point or match point down. With excellent ball control and really great strategy he had a long career at a top level. He also was the stepdad of Tristan Nancarrow who also became a World Top 7 player.
Back to Cam though.
What Can We Learn From Cam?
I think the biggest thing I learned was to not give everything away in your practice games. For really they are just that- Practice. Work on things to improve your game. Get used to playing more shots in a certain position. The more confident you get in hitting a shot the more you will start adding it to your competition game. Therefore giving you more options.
Make the most of your reach. You will be amazed at what you can get with that little bit of extra stretch. You have arms as well as footwork.
Play your shot's. I know I am a bit more conservative than Cam but there is nothing worse than playing someone who you know at any point in a rally will go for a winner.
Never judge a book by it's cover.
Qamar Zaman
Ok we may as well stay in the era of wooden racquets and small racquet heads. That also means probably the golden age of Pakistani Squash. Yes from 1977 to 1980 they had 7 of the top 10 players in the World and each one of them including Mohibullah Khan, Hiddy Jahan, Gogi Allaudin, Maqsud Ahmed were all fantastic players having a completely different style than the others. No wonder Jahangir became one of the World's Greatest. Every day he had a choice of 2 or 3 of these guys to play.
Anyway probably the best of the bunch before Jahangir came along was Qamar Zaman. A magician with the racquet his game was all drops, slices, nicks and deception. Certainly the last thing on his mind was to let his opponent get into a rhythym. He was probably one of the first truly great entertainers on the squash court and his matches wth Geoff Hunt were legendary.
Their styles were completely the opposite and having seen a number of them it was only Geoff's fitness and mental discipline that gave him victory in the majority of the matches.
His resume was still really impressive with numerous victories including The British Open and if not for Geoff he would have been in the record books.
Now What Made Qamar's Game so Dangerous ?
He had a tremendous wrist which could send you the wrong way at any stage. Very unpredictable he could completely throw off other players games. Because of that he could anticipate and take the ball very early therefore keeping his opponents on a string.
Lastly he had a easy going attitude which seemed to keep him relaxed on the court. That in itself kept him from putting any unnecessary pressure on himself and kept him going for shot's. A great attitude to have if you can do it. Unfortunately I can't. Now who's next ?
STEFAN CASTELYN
Back to the present. Now here is a player that I have seen on many occasions and also I have had the priviledge of playing him here in Scottsdale. Did having a homecourt advantage make any difference, not one little bit.
Stefan is an exiting player who has all the shots and is not afraid to go for them. Lots of nicks both from boasts and volley's he keeps you under pressure at every opportunity. A very flexible mover with a long stretch he can cover the court in a very efficient couple of steps. A former World Open Semi Finalist and multiple Village Halloween Open Champion he also has won the Belgian National Championships something like 12 or 13 times.
What does Stefan do that makes him a great player?
I would say the Number One thing would be his ball control. Having complete control of every shot gives him the confidence to attack at every opportunity therefore keeping his opponents under severe pressure.
Being able to move quickly also gives him the added element of being on the ball early and giving him a choice of shots which again keeps you under more pressure.
The great ball control also keeps the ball super tight limiting the options you are able to play. Therefore making it seem like Stefan is one step ahead. Nothing worse on the squash court than seeing your opponent read you like page one in a learn to read book. I had better read more complicated books.
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CHRIS DITMAR
Here is one of the Greatest and probably one of the unluckiest -
Yes certainly one of my favorite players in the eighties I have mentioned that Chris was one of the unluckiest. Unfortunately Chris happened to have come along at the time of both Jahanghir and Jansher Khan. Now he beat them both but not in the same tournament. So on many occasions he ended up being the runner up in the World's major tournaments including the World and British Open's. Frustrating for him I am sure.
He was a fantastic player to watch, textbook mover for a bigger guy and would move the ball to all four corners forcing his opponents to work twice as hard as him.
A left hander he was also very deceptive which also had you off balance and guessing. Not a good combination if you were playing him.
He had a long career and I still consider his match with Rodney Martin in a Canadian Open final one of the best I have ever seen. Shot for shot, nick for nick, one of them would hit it behind their back and then the other would reply with a shot between his legs. A match that you didn't want to end. Chris now is a sports commentator in Australia. I am sure he used his let and stroke appeals to build up his vocabulary.
So what made his game so good
1) Superb ball control to be able to move the ball and you to all 4 corners.
2) He had a great wrist, therefore being able to hold the ball get you to commit going one way and then at the last second flick it in the opposite direction. Also could generate a suprising amount of power from a little flick.
3) He spent countless hours perfecting both shots and his movement. Very efficient in both and I mentioned if I had a video on movement he would be one of the guys on it.
4) Week in and week out he always kept his focus no matter what the last tournament result was.
All of these qualities add up to a great player.
Alright let's go back to North America and continue with -
GARY WAITE
After Jonathon Power I would consider Gary the second best player to come out of Canada and North America. He achieved a very high World Ranking in the International game and at the same time became the Number 1 player on the American Hardball circuit. Not to mention that he also holds the record for Professional Hardball Doubles Titles as well.
Another player who started his squash playing career at a very young age he developed quickly and by the time he was 17 or 18 he was one of Canada’s best players, if not the best. Very fit and determined he was a hard hitting, very accurate player who could not only overpower his opponents but also had good boasts and of course dropshots to capitalize on his power.
Very versatile I can remember Gary entering an International tournament and a Pro Hardball tournament on the same weekend and winning them both. To my knowledge he is the only player to have achieved that accomplishment.
What can we learn from Gary?
Determination and fitness can achieve many things if you have the right skills.
Playing another version of the sport can sometimes enhance your game by exposing you to new shots and angles.
Keep your enthusiasm for the sport and you will reap the rewards of playing a lifelong game.
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90 SECOND EXPRESS-TIPS:
While I am in between games against the great players of the game (plenty more to come),
I thought I would give you a few simple tips that have certainly helped my game, as well as hundreds of other players'. Give them a try; I am sure you will agree... :
1- Move to the T and watch the ball at the same time. Don’t stop to watch the ball and then move to the T. You will find you will be on the T and in position before you know it.
2- Use your straight-down-the-wall shots to setup your cross courts. You only have to hit a good down-the-wall where you have to hit a very good cross court to be as effective.
3- Lead with your racquet head about head high when you are going after shots, and you will always have something to hit with. The faster you have your racquet up and back the more time and options you will have.
4- Keep your racquet shaft parallel to the squash court floor when you are in the neutral position. This will ensure a really good wrist position, simply by bringing the racquet up.
Well my ninety seconds are just about up. Lets see how I do in this game.
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• World Champion No 9 – Rodney Martin •
Rodney Martin was another player who started his squash playing career at a young age. Part of probably the best era of Australian squash he was a very positive and attacking player. Probably not the best textbook mover but he more than made up that with very fast reflexes which enabled him to hit a wide variety of shots, especially nicks. He had the distinction of winning his World Open Title by being one of few players who beat both Jahanghir and Jansher Khan in the same tournament. One in the semi final and the other in the final.
My favorite memory of Rodney apart from beating him when he was 16 years old was seeing him play Chris Ditmar (another great Australian player) in a Canadian Open final. To this day it is still one of my favorite matches to watch. Both players attacked and attacked, nick after nick, shots between the legs, behind the back you name it they did it. Chris won that one but it was a great exhibition of exiting squash.
Now passing on his knowledge at the Australian Institute of Sport I am sure all of his students know how to hit a nick from many positions on the court.
What tip’s can we get from Rodney’s game?
- Keep pressure on an opponent by playing attacking squash. I always believe a good attacking player will beat a good defensive player. Obviously at the World Class level all players can do it all but the one who has confidence to play their shots at the right time will win.
- Practice your shots and improve your ball control. The more you can do with the ball means the more options you have.
- Play your shot to try and exploit a weak return. That way if your first shot is not a winner your opponent is under severe pressure which keeps on compounding.
- Try to get to the stage in your game where no matter what the situation if the shot is there you hit it. There is nothing more unsettling than playing someone who you know at any time will be trying to hit a winner. Apart from being physically tiring it is also very mentally tiring as well.I am tired just thinking about it.
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• World Champion No 8. Sarah Fitzgerald •
Once again one of the world’s greatest female squash player’s:
Sarah is a World Open Champion and the winner of the most titles on the Women’s Professional Circuit.
She is probably only second to Heather McKay (featured below). I had the humbling experience of playing Sarah in Australia in a practise match in the 1990’s.
Yes, I remember it quite clearly as it is not very often that I get stuck in the back of the court for three quarter’s of a match, but that is exactly what happened. The first game I lost 9/6 and being a slow starter I thought no problem... I then lost the second game 9/7 and thought maybe there was a slight problem but as I was pretty fit, I would win the next 3 games and enjoy a victory over one of the greatest women players. So in the third I pulled out all the tricks and changed my tactics, I tried to speed it up, I tried to slow it down, and hit more drop shots. You name it I did it. The only problem was that I could not get Sarah behind me. She overpowered me hitting excellent length, volleying as much as possible, keeping me pinned behind her, and then finishing the points off with great volley drops. The game lasted longer but the result was the same: another 9/7 drubbing and a complete victory for Sarah.
Lets have a look at Sarah’s Game:
• Firstly, very accurate and mostly straight.
• Secondly, can keep up a hard pace for long period of time.
• Thirdly, an excellent volleyer, which keeps her opponents in the back of the court, therefore opening up the front court.
• Fourthly, a great volley drop shot that capitalizes on any loose shots.
• Lastly, a champion’s will to win and determination.
Add this all up, and you have a true World Champion.
• World Champion No 7. David Palmer •
Another of the true greats of the game, David has had an amazing career. Not only a former World Open winner, he is the current British Open Champion and has been in the top 10 World rankings for longer than most of the other players' entire professional careers.
Once again, a junior squash prodigy from Australia, who unfortunately also happened to beat me 15/13 in the fifth set when he was 16 years old, David has become as tough as an overcooked steak mixing great fitness, pinpoint accuracy, and fantastic shot making to develop what I would consider a complete mastery of the game. David has so many ways to win that he is probably the player no one wants to play in any tournament. Although a little older now he still seems to be in the last 4 in most tournaments, and looking at the results always seems to give 110 percent. In this year's British Open final, for example, he saved a handful of match balls before ending up the champion. He is definitely a text book player for any coach to try and emulate.
What can we learn from David’s Game?
A combination of things. First, being superfit is always a plus. It gives you confidence that you can last any hard match, no matter how tough. Second, great technique means superior accuracy; always try to improve it. Being able to glue your drives to the sidewalls will create lots of opportunities for hitting winners.
Third, hit the shot when it is there. You might only get one opportunity in a rally; make the most of it.
Remember practise makes perfect. As with all the World Champions, David knows every inch, every angle and every shot on the squash court. Try to do the same.
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• World Champion No 6. Heather McKay •
Not to be outdone with those achievements, Heather has played some Masters squash events and, of course, remains unbeaten. To my knowledge Heather has remained undefeated for over 40 years. Yes, that’s right… OVER 40 YEARS! Incredible. Unbelievably amazing. In my opinion, she may be the greatest athlete ever.
I had the honour of practising against Heather right before her last World Championship victory in 1979. Very strong and extremely accurate, her game was a classic approach of how the game was played at the time. Straight wall drives with quite a bit of pace, mixed up with drops and boasts, and a deceptive little flick cross-court when she was at the front of the court that 9 times out of 10 got her opponent going the wrong way - a shot that I have certainly added to my game (thanks, Heather, it has won me quite a few points!)
What can we learn from Heather’s game?
Heather practised very hard for her victories therefore giving her unbeatable confidence. Again, tight wall hugging and length will setup your game. Keep your opponents scraping the walls, and they are guaranteed to hit loose shots. Mix it up when you have the opportunity to keep them guessing and before you know it the match is over and you have another victory. It also helps if you have some sort of supreme natural talent such as all these world champions have. However, dedication and practise is the key to all success.
THE ARCHIVES
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World Champs No. 1-5
