Who's World Championship

Published: 18 Apr 2007 - 21:45 by raystrach

Updated: 17 Aug 2007 - 18:04

Subscribers: Log in to subscribe to this post.

It was like the fog had lifted when it dawned on me why people like Squash. And I have been constantly reminded of it just about every time I visit a Squash centre.

I was running a Sports centre in the late 1990's, seeing many extremely ordinary players play and enjoy the game as though they were world champions. Many of them had been playing for many years without any apparent improvement in their game.

Then it struck me.

When 2 players of similar standard play, they can play the game at 100% pace - absolutely flat out - something that you can do in very few sports when you are not an expert.

Every time these players went on court, they WERE playing their very own world championship. As far as they were concerned, they could not go any faster or harder, they could not play any better.

They were at the very top of their own little world measuring about 10 metres by 6 metres by about 5 metres high. It does not really matter they, according to some, were playing crap squash.

They only ever know they are playing crap Squash when they come up against someone a lot better. But then, that is true no matter what your standard.

After not seeing him for a few years, I ran into Brett Martin who was number 2 in the world at that time. I asked him how he was going to start beating Jansher Khan, the then number 1.

"Break his legs", was the reply.

He never did beat Jansher but it does illustrate the fact that no matter how good you are, there is always someone who can take you out.

So many of our weekly warriors play their Super Series against their regular opponents, winning some, losing some, but, as the saying goes, making the Game the winner.

Then, the sort of people who come and see me are trying to pick my brain on how to move up into the next division of the World Championships. Breaking out of your own little world can become a World Championship in itself.

How to add images to Members' Forum posts and replies here...

Replies...

Please Note: The most recent replies are now at the top!

From Adz - 17 Aug 2007 - 18:04

Alas there have been many a time where I have had to climb the stairs to retrieve a ball that I hit out onto the balcony! Usually whilst trying to do some fancy trick-shot in the warm-up and getting it badly wrong.

These days I've settled into playing lower fancy shots as I'm too lazy to take the stairs to retrieve the ball!

Adz

From guitarfreak - 16 Aug 2007 - 23:58

I tried to take up tennis at one point and hated it, but squash is one of the most enjoyable things i've ever done! I think one of the biggest differences is that if you hit the ball too hard in squash, it isn't going to fly over a fence and into some foliage for you to retrieve...

Also, i can beat my Dad at squash :-)

From edmpnd1961 - 31 May 2007 - 16:16

Hi Ray,

Not only can u enjoy yr own championship, squash is the only game, where u can knock up on yr own and only all weather game. Yes , nothing beats it.

cheers

Edmond

From rippa rit - 23 Apr 2007 - 18:04

Mike I agree - there are not many sports where your bad shots "come back to you" which is much better than the ball ending in the never never.

From mike - 23 Apr 2007 - 13:12

One great thing about squash is that there is a very low barrier to entry.
Someone with reasonable hand eye coordination can hit a ball fairly cleanly, and if their opponent is of similar standard have a good game immediately.

As you say Ray, there's no reason to think squash can get any better until you play someone better.

Compare this to Golf, where just getting the ball up and away is far more difficult. It's much harder to pick up a golf club and bash a ball around a course and still feel like you are doing well!

Squash is fun from the start, while a sport like Golf (IMO) probably won't be very enjoyable until you are reasonable at it.

From Adz - 20 Apr 2007 - 19:23 - Updated: 20 Apr 2007 - 19:23

Here Here!

Probably the truest thing I've ever read about The Game. It's when you play to the best that you can on any day and you feel good doing it. You run until you can't run anymore. Work until you feel like you've played ten matches when you've only played one and what's more than that, you just want to do it again.

I lost 27-0 in a recent match against a retired professional player, and contrary to what I thought beforehand, I loved it! I'd never been 27-0'd before that and I always thought it would make me so disgusted in myself that I'd give up there and then, but it had the opposite effect. I wanted to stay on court (despite not being able to stand without help and my heart being about to burst through my chest!) just to try and get that one point.

I think that it made me go back to my roots in squash. I've started going back to the club where I learnt to play (almost 20 years ago!), and I've began to look at the fundamentals of match play and what I can do to improve my game from bottom upwards. That is my world championship quest. To be good enough to be happy with my performance every time I go on court. To feel that I gave all that I could give, come win or lose, to know that I simply did my best (oh if it were that simple!)

Great article Ray!