SQUASH COACHING & INSTRUCTION

James Willstrop discusses the five key ways to improving your squash: Find a friendly club; take solid advice from a smart coach; watch & learn from the best players; invest in a physio; make the most of every session; & enjoy it.Find a home:The best place to start is by finding & embracing a thriving squash club or community. You...

In this article we examine why talent should be viewed only as an opportunity to greatness & can be heavily overrated when relied upon too much.When observers of squash talk about talent, they often recall how this player hits the ball or the spectacular shots they produce. It might be accentuated in the gracefulness of their strokes, the fluidity of...

Squash coaches have a thirst for knowledge on technique and the tactical side of the game. It’s one of the first things a budding level 3 candidate will ask about on a coaching course or workshop. Crucially important yes, however have they considered how they will impart this new-found knowledge onto their learner and ‘effect change’.The art of coaching is...

The reliability & consistency of executing strokes is one of the basic requirements to becoming a better squash player.Without consistency, a player will not be able to construct many rallies & will often be on the losing end in matches. Reliability of strokes will give players more possibilities to play the game with enjoyment & confidence & therefore it makes...

With an increasing emphasis on technical & physical development, it is often forgotten, or in some case not even recognised, that in order to excel in their chosen sport world-class players, without exception, possess acute intelligence.The intelligence of leading players should not be judged on their IQ & general knowledge but on their understanding of the complex geometry of the...

A common conversation amongst coaches is that present day players don’t work hard enough. Scottish National Coach Paul Bell explains that whilst he doesn’t disagree that work ethic is on the decline, over emphasise on hard work can have a detrimental effect on players who are looking to improve their squash.I have the privilege of running the Scotland performance programme...

Ollie Turner, PhD Student & Performance Nutritionist at the English Institute of Sport & England Squash explains the nutritional strategies a professional player could employ at competition to fuel those lung busting rallies.Team sports such as rugby & football often have 3-7 days in-between competitive matches to recover & refuel for the next match. However, squash proudly embraces its physical...

Coaching & training your own children is not a task to be taken lightly. Kids react differently to a parent than to a coach. Sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn’t.The chemistry & communication between parent & child are important but not the only factors to make it work. If you have the best interest of your child at heart,...

In the world of professional sport, margins are small whilst the repercussions can be large. The effect of unforced errors or bad judgments can not only result in a poor outcome but can also contribute to increased pressure. Small errors mount up & dealing with pressure is critical to elite success.How a player deals with pressure can have a huge...

Many people dismiss the cool down as a waste of time, or simply unimportant. In reality the cool down is just as important as the warm up, & if you want to stay injury free, it's vital.Although the warmup & cool down are just as important as each other, they are important for very different reasons. While the main purpose...

I recently attended the Channel VAS Championships at St Georges Hill with our Scottish No.1 Greg Lobban. It’s always interesting watching the first events of a new season to see what changes the players have made over the summer training period. I love going & watching live squash, because despite the great job SquashTV are doing it is always best...

A host of squash professionals including James Willstrop are turning to yoga to improve their game. It’s not a new phenomenon to cross train one discipline with another, & stretching has always been important to those in racket sports, from amateurs up to ranking professionals. Yoga, however, brings more to the table than solely the physical benefits of strength &...

Coaching is an art form & you could argue that it is even more challenging in an open skill sport such as squash, where playing requires not only physical motor skills but cognitive skills such as problem-solving & decision-making.England National Coach David Campion explains why the tactical elements & development of a player is every bit as important as their...

Never before has such a book been published specifically for squash – The Science of Squash is a must read for all that have any kind of interest in either science or squash.Academic Research & athlete testimonials suggest that squash is one the most physically demanding, mentally draining & tactically challenging sports in the world. To succeed in squash requires...

Squash has always been a popular recreational & professional sport both in the UK & across the globe. The sport has been increasingly receptive to adopting & embracing new technology to improve player & audience experience. Video replay is one example & an important tool for match officials during matches. The difficulty that the video referee system presents is that...

Ashley Davies explains why he believes that the world’s most successful players remain true to their own character & identity to reach the very top of their chosen sport, making their own decisions & being answerable to only to themselves.If you look at the best players or professionals in any sport, profession or line of work, no matter how diverse...

Professional sport is very competitive marketplace & pro squash is no different. Within this, the role of the coach is better serviced & promoted in line with players & organisations looking to produce better results & that have an ever-increasing significance.From observations of the modern game, the coach has three key roles: effecting change in performance, supporting players as people...

As a young player starting out of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Tour, Ashley Davies toured New Zealand where he played in several PSA World Tour events. In this artivcle, Ashley shares his thoughts on how exposure to different players helped him develop new ideas about his own game.Alongside having an incredible time playing the sport I love, drinking...