Yep BizarreCo - sometimes players miss the really interesting tactical advantages this game has and it is "music to my eyes" to see a person use their head and leave their opponent dumbfounded. 
Just to continue this little topic -  some months ago I went to see our new breed of top comp players training, and talk about hit and run.....I was so envious of their speed and physique.
Then, I asked - what are you actually trying to do?  Nobody seemed to know what I was talking about.
I said well this fella likes length and speed, and you cannot match that, so it is necessary for you to change your game if you want to push him harder.  I think he thought I was just pulling his leg.
I said bring him forward with an attacking boast, then bring him back to length with a volley, or length, and keep him moving to all of the four corners.
Anyway, so he tried, and I could see it was going to be successful, as his opponent did not look so comfortable, and it was more difficult changing feet, etc to move heaps quicker from side to side, but it was too hard for this guy to keep doing it, and he had to concentrate so hard, and think, he kept reverting to the "run hit" stuff every couple of points.

The important thing is, this guys does not realise that he is a good player, and he could do heaps better if he just concentrated on the tactical side of the game of squash.  And, whats more  it appears he is happy to come second.

Who am I to say, I thought - all I did was spoil their fun by trying to make them think

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I saw something rather interesting to do with pace in a match last night. One of the players on my team likes to play a "hit the spots off the ball" game which in all honesty is absolutely crap against better opponents because they just stand on the T and chop everything shot or hit the ball back at him twice as hard!

 

For the past 10 months I've been trying to get him to change his pace and play slower more tactical shots (which he is extremely good at when his brain is switched on!).

 

Last night we started with the usual "headless chicken" routine of him smacking the ball as hard as he could. His opponent thought Christmas had come early and raced into a 2 game lead. Thrid game comes around and finally my teammate decided it was time to change the pace. He began to vary short and long, fast and slow, soft and hard shots. His opponent completely lost the plot and put at least 3 of his retrival shots out in a row! Needless to say the match was over in around 15 mins with my guy picking up the last 3 games to 2, 0 and 4 points!!!

 

Pace - A great weapon under control, but a cruel mistress out of it!

 

Adz

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dear ppoppin

they propobably tell you not to play that way because they find it hard to cope with that style of game.

during a club coaching session i sometimes run, a young talented player came onto court. After hitting for a few minutes, i suggested he might do better if he kept the ball out of the tin. (no rally went more than about 5 hits)

he replied that he would, if i would stop hitting the ball "all over the place". the change of pace and deception put him totally off balance. he simply could not cope with the ball going where he did not expect it. and i was taking it easy on him!

when i suggested a few strategies, he reacted as though he knew everything. he was young, fit, talented - i am an old has been that never was!

i can't figure it out.

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Every time I played squash as suggested in the tip they told me "play properly" so how do you figure that out?

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