Goal setting

Published: 25 Aug 2004 - 18:28 by rippa rit

Updated: 24 Jan 2021 - 00:04

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As an example of how to set goals, I will use return of serve as an example of how to put together some training goals. Goals should be divided into both long and short term, as shown.

For example:
Long term goals

Return the serve on the volley.
Force the server out of the centre of the court with the return of service.

Short term goals

Develop various returns of service, eg

1. Drop the return of service to either of the front corners.
2. Tight lob down the wall to length.
3. Hard low tight volley to length.
4. Cross court lob to land in the back corner of the court.
5. Reverse boast.

Often we complain when asked to hit with a lower grade player. However, this is an ideal time to develop new skills.

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From alexw14 - 16 Jan 2013 - 22:01 - Updated: 16 Jan 2013 - 22:01

I have selected The mental practices link but when It is clicked it comes up with the HTTP 404 cannont be found do you have any idea why that keeps occuring?

From rippa rit - 16 Jan 2013 - 06:46

Our squash library tab (in the browser above) has many areas for you to view and click on Mental Skills and there are several chapters with lots of ideas for training.

From alexw14 - 15 Jan 2013 - 22:18

Hi rippa rit I am studying Advanced Higher pe

I am focussing on improving my mental strength and concentration and I wondered besides goal setting if you had any other ways in which I can train and develop my mental strength, aspects such as concentration, focus, motivation and arousal. I feel this will allow me to carry out any tactics I have put in pace before a game better and should allow me to push better standards of players.

Any ideas on parctices would be apprciated?

Thanks Alex

From rippa rit - 12 Jan 2006 - 10:31

Viper - this is just an observation and turn-around especially since our game has gone Open.
The players are now athletes - as being full time has allowed them to train more physically, and that is probably number 1, stroke training/playing would be number 2, tactics would be number 3, mental number 4.
I have seldom heard any of these players think they lost because of their lack of tactical training.
I have often heard players say they have lost because they were not fit enough.
I have never heard any player say "if I gave up smoking and drinking" I would have won or would play better, or if they say it they do nothing about it.
It is a sort of chicken and the egg senario.
If running is their strength they do that 100%, if a drive is their strength they do that 100%, and a volley not important they give it 10%.
For me, and those who are not training to be an athletes, but are squash players in the main, their objective would be strokes/routines 1, tactics, 2, mental training 3, physical at the bottom of the list in terms of gym and sprinting, and jogging.
I hope this helps put the international squash scene in some sort of perspective.

Wow, when we get a 100% attention to the lot we get the rare Champion who stays there for a long time and is hard to shift.

From Viper - 11 Jan 2006 - 07:44

Looking at the approach they were taking it was like this:

- they just served it up without much fuss

- then as a first and most common response they just hit the return of serve long and tight

- where the next player did the same, this goes on for a couple of exchanges until

- one or the other builds the tempo and changes up the rally and begins to hit drops and cross courts.

This was the pattern in most rallies.

The serve, return of serve and the first couple of shots was like a preamble before a deep breath was taken and BANG ! it is on fast and furious.

From rippa rit - 11 Jan 2006 - 07:13

Viper - I cannot speak for the players, as I know nothing about their training and coaching, but make these general comments on what you have said.

Generally these guys do not have a coach revving them up, and providing they are not making mistakes, and not running out of puff, they feel what they are doing is ok. Familiarity breeds contempt.
At the World Womens in Sydney ages ago I watched some international players training with their coach doing routines, but they were going over the traces, very comfortably training, no fire in their belly, etc. I thought, what a waste of energy and time, and then to expect to go into a match and be aggressive, make the opponent rush, volley/volleyboast, attack, and so on.
Mind you, if taking the ball early does not seem to make any difference and it is a bit more effort, and mistakes are more prone, it is easy to step back and feel comfortable.
My question is, how much better these players would be if they set themselves tougher goals, thought more about the tactics with respect to the opponent and not gauge their performance on their game, but on how they could upset, or upset their opponent's game by continually changing the return, eg step in and hit one, wait for the next, attack one, float another and so - this keeps people on their toes, and as they get tired can make a difference to the final result.

Try out some of these things yourself with your opponents, and observe the effect it can have on their play. The play is not about you, it is about what you are trying to do or what you like, but about your opponent.
I guess the other aspect can be the strengths and weaknesses of those players. A fine line sometimes.

From Viper - 10 Jan 2006 - 20:26 - Updated: 10 Jan 2006 - 20:27

Interesting you posted this, I was taking deliberate mental notes on how Ricketts and Palmer were returning serves the other day.

Both rarely hit it on the full before it hit the wall, both usually caught the ball on the full off the wall, or nearly as often just let it bounced and then hit a tight defensive return.

I thought to myself, that looks simple enough, but of course it is not.

Firstly they can catch anything off the wall at any height and return a beautiful defensive ball tight and long or they can just as easily do the same from just about any ball that lands in the corner, and I mean anything !

I was suprised they did not step forward and take the serve early on the full before it hit the wall, neither seemed much interested in doing this.

Any idea why Rita ?

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