• Goals give direction and provide feedback on your progress.
• Have a goal other than "winning the match".
• This should be related to recent training/goal setting eg improving recovery technique
• Carry out the game plan which exposes the opponent's weaknesses.
• Put into practise a skill that you have been working on and evaluate later.
• Use the opportunity to help work towards a longer term goal.
• Visualise your success.

• A high level of anxiety can have a negative affect on performance.
• To control your arousal level and remain in a ideal performing state.
• Hum a tune and get a fluent walking pattern.
• Swing the racket to gain rhythm.
• Breath deeply and slowly and exhale slowly.
• Flex, and hold, and relax all muscles in the body individually.
  
• Mental imagery can assist in setting optimum arousal.
• Stretch
• Approach the match positively (think of what you can gain from the match)

• A low level of anxiety which prevents premium performance.
• To lift your spirits, and become motivated, and want to try harder, and control fear increase your heart rate by:
• Going for a short run
• Ride a bike
• Walk up stairs quickly,
• Stretch
• Approach the match positively (think of what you can gain from the match)

• Cue words can help in concentrating on the immediate task at hand and taking the right options when under stress
• The use of "cue" words will help the mind centre on aspects of the match and prevent frustration
• Cue words act as triggers to more appropriate action
• Sometimes players mutter to themselves in between points which usually does  very little to assist the state of the match.
• It is better to act on those thoughts positively. eg·instead of saying "I feel slow", say "Energise!"
• Cue words in between games can help get a message across simpler and quicker

Cue Words and Focus

Squash can be a very tactical game.
 Always change a losing game. Clever players can change a game around therefore
it is important to know when and how to counteract their tactics.

• While driving or sitting prior to the match visualise your game plan.
• Hitting good length
• Wall targets and landing  points.
• Imagine the ball coming off the "sweet spot" of the racket.
• Key strategies of your game plan
• Mentally rehearse key aspects of the game as you think it may pan out. Dealing with the Referee decisions - It is imperative that the visualisation technique will improve the performing state and hence more control.

• Role play - pre-play the game. Set a scene in your mind:
• At home, pick up your racket and rehearse
• "Up 2 nil" and walk at an ideal pace in between points, picking up the ball, pause before serving, moving to the T.
• Role play the third game, keeping up the game plan.
• Think about what the opponent might do that could upset you, and role play your way around it.

• Outside factors have an influence on behavior
• Control what and who you see
• Before and during a match be selective in who you listen to and who you look at. eg:
• A grading committee member might make you feel nervous if they are in the audience
• Laughing and joking before going on the court will affect the mood
• Listening to an opponent complain "I feel so tired, I played golf today" can be a "foxes" trick so beware

• Internal influence on behhavior
• Building up feelings inside can promote negative responses.eg:
• Good feelings - Positive
• Looking forward to a good game
• Eating the correct meal before playing
• Get physically ready.  More on preparation...
• Avoid bad feelings - negative attitude
• Feel scared
• Ate too much
• This opponent is too good for me
• Rushing and running late
• It is normal to feel a little nervous - use it to sharpen your skills

Looking at our inner thoughts

Stress
Each person has sa pre-determined amount of "anti-stress antidote" and it can be used up by exercise, worry, excitement, illness or other daily stresses.

• If a log book is kept and honest feelings expressed, for example, "felt super", "hate training", "coach in unfair", on examining the log book it would be possible to see the reasons for behavioural change.
• Stress is an integral part of our lives.
• Do not overload any one part of the body or mind disproportionately by repeating the same activity to exhaustion. The same task can be repeated easier after sleep or after a period of doing something else.
• A training programme with variety is important.

• To keep ones mind on the job during a difficult game can be near impossible, with all the other pressure during the heat of the moment.
• The important thing is to only be concerned with the things that are within your control.  The follwing ideas will assist focus on the things that can be controlled.

• Anticipation is sometimes confused with speed.
• A person who anticipates well does not necessarily have to be fast.

The following is a guide on  how to prepare early for the opponent's shots.

• Wide eyes is when lots of information is being taken in and processed mostly during a rally and in-between points. Attention at this level is to body positioning, shot selection, opponent's actions, ball characteristics like speed, distance, angle, height, backswing, etc..
• Narrow eyes is when the eyes have been wide, taken in lots of information, and then narrow to the point of contact with the ball and taking in clues like position of the swing, length of the swing, wrist, angle of the racket face, body position, and contact point.