News

Racket Essentials

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:28:36 +0700

The best racket is the right racket. With practice and experience, you will develop preferences for the various elements of your racket. Due to the number of questions I am asked, I wanted to share the following criteria you can use when shopping for a racket.

1 - Weight.
The weight is usually indicated on the racket in small print. Generally, a beginner will want to use a heavier racket to mold your swing pattern. Heavier rackets also compensate for slower swing speeds commonly associated with a lack of experience. So if you are learning squash, or your stroke is very slow, the added weight in the racket will actually help you. As you progress in squash, your swing will quicken (hopefully) and you may want to look for a lighter racket to further increase your racket speed and maneuverability.

2 - Balance.
This also is indicated on most rackets in fine print, right next to the weight. It may read with text saying, “head light” or “head heavy”, or it may provide the specific measurment with a number. The balance point is measured from the butt of the racket handle and varies greatly, anywhere from 33cm to 38.5cm. This tells you where the weight is distributed throughout the racket as you swing. If you want power, you will want a head-heavy racket, with a balance of between 36-38cm. In this way, as you swing, the weight is transferred to the head of the racket where the force is greatest upon contact with the ball.
If you are looking for more precision, control and feel, then a balance point of 35.5 or lower is a good choice for you. In the same way, the weight of the racket will be transferred closer to your hand, which allows for greater control and maneuverability. I don’t mean to over-simplify: it takes time to develop your stroke and control the ball, and you can adapt to any racket during this process, but you ought to know why rackets differ.

3 - Stringbed.
Rackets vary on the shape, density and length of the strings. Generally, the longer the strings (whether mains or crosses), the more power the racket will generate and the larger the ‘sweet spot’ will be. It is the string’s ability to flex and rebound that creates power, also known as the trampoline effect. So a longer string naturally will have more flex to it than a short string. Because most rackets are a similar width, a key indicator of racket power will come in the length of the main strings (running from head to handle).

In the end, your ability to generate power and control come from an experienced combination of your stroke and posture, not your racket. Rackets amplify or compensate your stroke. If you want power, you’ll want a racket with a larger head, longer main strings and a head heavy balance of 36cm or more. If you want control and feel, consider the opposite end of the spectrum.
There are other characteristics worth considering which include materials, beam width, throat, handle, etc., but the above elements are where you want to start.

Next week, I’ll show you how to hold and re-grip your racket for comfort and consistency, key in progressing your stroke.

See you on the court,

Will

Answer: The Prince 03 Speedport Silver (left - at 140g, balance of 36.5cm and long main strings) is a power racket. The Technifibre Suprem NG 130 (right - at 130g, balance of 34.5, dense stringbed and wide throat) is a racket for the player wanting control.

Squash Intro: Understanding the court

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:46:14 +0700

The above picture is taken from behind the backwall of the the Calcutta Racket Club’s Wills Court #2, 1 of 2 glass-backed courts at the esteemed club led by Club Pro and resident Head Coach, Dalip Tripathi.

THE FLOOR - FOR THE SERVE ONLY
All lines painted on the floor are for the serve only. As you see, there are two lines - one vertical, one horizontal - and the horizontal line as two attached boxes. The lines are called “service lines” and those boxes are called the “Service Boxes” and player 1 (server), must have at least one foot in that box to initiate the rally with his/her serve.

THE WALLS - BOUNDARIES FOR PLAY
The squash court has 4 walls. From the perspective above, you are looking through the back wall (glass) towards the front wall (decal and 3 horizontal lines and two side walls.

The front wall has 3 lines:
The lower line is called the “Tin” because it is commonly made of the metal which bears that name. It runs across the front wall at a height of 19”/48cm (17”/43cm for Men’s professional tour). When a player (striker) hits the ball and it touches the tin - anywhere on the red line or below - you will hear the sound of the ball hitting the tin. When this happens, the ball is ‘out’, play stops and possession changes (the receiver becomes the server).
The middle line is called the “Service Line” (also called line #1) is a solid red line painted across the wall at a height of . This line is for the serve only. For a serve to be legal, it must hit above this line. If, while serving, the ball touches the line or below, it is considered ‘out’, play stops, and possession changes.
The upper line is called the “Boundary” (also called line #4) and is a solid red line painted across the wall at a height of . The line is actually one continuous boundary connected at all four walls and if the ball touches the line or above it, it is considered out, play stops, and possession changes. If it is a glass backed court, the ball is considered out if touches the top plane of the glass or goes out of court.

The Side Walls have one line:
As mentioned earlier, this line is part of one continuous upper boundary and connects the front wall upper boundary to the back wall upper boundary. If the ball touches the line or above it, it is considered out, play stops, and possession changes.

The Back Wall has one line:
Again, this line is part of one continuous upper boundary and connects the two side wall boundaries. If the ball touches the line or above it, it is considered out, play stops, and possession changes. If it is a glass backed court, the ball is considered out if touches the top plane of the glass or goes out of court.

THE SERVE - 1,2,3,4 AND WE BEGIN PLAY
Now you know that the lines on the floor are only for the serve, and that there is also a service line on the front wall, so how does it all go together? In a word picture, it would go like this:
With at least one foot in the service box, you must hit the ball
ABOVE #1,
BEYOND #2,
WITHIN #3
& UNDER #4.
Its that easy! If you’ve done that, then play continues and only ends if the ball strikes any upper boundary line & beyond, the tin, or the ball bounces twice. Look at the picture below and follow the green, a service from the right box.

Beginning with the Juniors

Sat, 8 May 2010 05:43:18 +0700

May 3rd was the start of our first ever Junior Development Program! We are set to be working at 3 different sites: Gulshan Club, Cadet College Club and Amazon Club.

Above, I am working with Asef, Iman and Sohel teaching them about rackets and all things associated with squash. By the end of the first day, they were hitting their first drives!

To each participant I give direct, hands-on coaching every week. This includes court specific training but also weight training, endurance training, speed training, plyometrics and so many other useful tips for new students. We will heavily diversify the experience, but the primary goal is to get the stroke count up. The more you swing, the more you’ll adapt.

By the end of the first month, my students know the rules, the equipment, the physicality, the shots and how to hit them. By the second month, they will know the variations of the shots and learn how to practice with solo drills and team drills. By the third month we will have begun to learn strategy. Three months is all that is needed for us to change your life for the game we love!

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about squash, please contact me at wmather@bangladeshsquash.com and I would be happy to assist you.

Yours faithfully,
Will

Asian Squash Championships moved to Chennai

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:16:11 +0700

The Asian Squash Federation announced today that the venue has been changed from the previous site of Delhi, as construction of the new squash complex for the Commonwealth Games is not yet complete. Instead, the event is being staged at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. The closing dates have also changed and the doubles event will not be competed. Therefore, the Asian Squash Championships are being held in Chennai from May 1 through May 8.

Please mark your calendars and come and support Team Bangladesh.

Bangladesh earns Bronze with win

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 14:36:32 +0700

With a dominating victory over Nepal, Bangladesh ties its best ever performance in South Asian Games play with a bronze medal finish today at the Dhaka Club.

Raju Ram (Navy) continued his streak of wins with a straight games victory and Shopon Pervez (Boshundhara Group) did the same in the match that followed. Because Bangladesh won the content within the first two games, the third and final match - now a dead rubber match - was not played. An enthusiastic crowd cheered on the home boys and they played well en route to the win.

These games have been a real pleasure to participate in and I hope our boys have gained significant experience from the variety of styles that were played by many professional players. They found confidence and transitioned from a group of guys who play club level squash and normally win, to being uncertain against very good players and earning every single point. Doing this over the course of 10 days against some of the best players in the world can only help your game. They are appreciating that.

In addition. these games were just fun. Our arrangements at the hotel meant we had lots of time to develop great friendships and the sport of squash has always had a social focus. So I am greatly encouraged about Bangladesh’s trajectory in squash and look forward to the days ahead. First up, our first BSRF super series tournament in March, followed by the Asian Senior Championships in Delhi in April.

See you on the court,

Will