QUARANTINE SQUASH - THURSDAY FITNESS 3

And suddenly, it was Thursday again. And apparently, in Michigan, Thursday means the weather is dreadful and we are all forced to stay indoors. If it’s not snowing or freezing temperatures, it’s raining. On the positive side, it is the perfect weather for another stay-at-home fitness routine!

So far we have covered some ghosting (court shadow movements) and core. This week we will be utilizing parts of both of those along with a healthy variety of other fitness requirements: Circuit Training.

There are numerous benefits to circuit training and probably an infinite number of exercises to choose from. That’s great news if you wish to keep it interesting and continually challenge yourself. It can also be done without any equipment whatsoever - your own body weight can be more than sufficient - which means this can literally be done anywhere. 

Circuit training can be tremendously efficient. A 25-30 minute intense session can combine both a cardiovascular and strength workout, making it one of the more optimal ways to not just gain a higher overall fitness level but achieve weight loss as well as it targets all areas of the body. The effectiveness of this type of training can increase your metabolism as it keeps your heart rate high through the entire work-out, increasing your metabolic rate through the day which in turn burns more calories. 

It can be a distinctly strenuous exercise, but consistent circuit training regimes will not just help you to stay motivated longer, you may actually see the results of that training sooner than what you would if you ran on a treadmill or hopped on an elliptical for 30-40 minutes straight. Not as boring either! 

Remember - the most important detail of doing these exercises is to execute them with the correct form. Don’t rush or cut corners. You will reap greater rewards that way and it will also help prevent injuries. 

Stu takes you through a circuit training session below - this is more specified for the squash court of course - plenty of lunges! - but there is no reason out can’t be used for a general work out either! His recommended musical accompaniment for today the relatable  “Beer Fear” by Lucy Spraggan. 

MEET A PRO - 4

The DAC was very fortunate when we found a terrific young man to take the on the job of assistant squash pro in 2015. Corey Kabot endeared himself to the membership quickly and seamlessly and it was a massive loss for us when he had to leave his post. Replacing him was not an easy task. It took about 18 months to find the right fit. The presence of the “new guy” has injected a refreshing enthusiasm into the squash program. His has already made a positive impact with a renewed focus on juniors and building up the women’s participation and I also have to say that he absolutely picked up where Corey left off in regards to our colorful in-office discussions! 

MEET… STU HADDEN

The Squash Joint (TSJ): So it’s been about 8 months since you started working at the DAC. Is it what you expected and how are you coping working in the private athletic club industry?

Really enjoy working at the DAC, it never gets old walking into our gorgeous clubhouse everyday, hitting on the perfectly kept courts, working out on top end fitness equipment and learning how to run a serious sports program from the biggest Bogan in Michigan.

TSJ: How did you end up getting your first job in the States in Philadelphia? Why did you want to coach here?

I was just a boy with a ball, a wall and a dream. I had been playing the pro tour part time for a six months before it dawned on me that there was more to squash than just playing. With limited advertised employment options out there I knew I needed to take the initiative. I went on a networking rampage, sending emails to every Tom, Dick and Harry who had registered a pro squash tournament with the PSA in the 3 years prior. I sent over 400 individualized emails to people all around the world explaining who I was, what I was about and what I felt I could bring to the table. This unorthodox approach was well received and I was summoned to Europe to run coaching camps by a few curious clubs. I went on to play the pro tour in Latin America; only to be pleasantly surprised on my return with a few job offers. Ultimately the American dream diverted my gaze from the allure of playing and working in continental Europe.

TSJ: Who were your squash heroes growing up? When did you know that you wanted to be a squash professional?

Jon Power was my major hero, the antics and drama he brought to the court had me fascinated and in stitches as a kid. I just remember watching him and thinking that this sport was pure entertainment and that I wanted to get better at it. I played a tournament in Toronto recently and met him, one of the few times I have ever been starstruck. He must have seen me staring or something because he actually walked over to me and started asking how I was and how my tournament was going, it was totally surreal. I had a few more local heroes: Tom Richards, Joe Lee and Alex Ingham all played at my club in London and were chaps I really looked up to as a kid. Joe and Alex both turned pro after finishing high school at 16 and I remember being amazed by all of the traveling they did and especially some of Ingbo's stories from the tour which were fantastic because the old boy is totally barmy. I never considered taking my squash more seriously until I was 16 and battered the U17 US number 1 in straight sets the week before he played the British Open. He did pretty well in the tournament and so I decided to start training harder (I didn't enter because it didn't occur to me I was good enough) and it all went from there. 

TSJ: Tell us about your most memorable squash match you have played, win or lose…

I've had a few crackers over the years so that is actually a tough one for me. I would also say that 4/5 of the most memorable matches I have played I lost in 5 games so who knows maybe they would be less memorable if I had won. Other than beating you so bad you threw your racquet I think the one that sticks out for me the most is actually a practice match I played in Philly last year. I managed to beat the ginger haired Welsh Samurai Sam Fenwick, putting an end to a 3 year losing streak. Given that he was my main training partner in Philly finally getting a ‘W’ over him on what must have been the one hundredth attempt was probably the highlight of my squash career so far, He without doubt is a top 100 standard player, a stud athlete and a great tactician. Needless to say I took my win, packed my kit, and ran off to Detroit as fast as I possibly could!

TSJ: What was the last…

1. Book you read…  The Operator - Firing the shots that killed Osama Bin Laden
2. Movie you watched in a cinema… The Gentleman
3. Meal you cooked for yourself… Roast chicken
4. Gift you bought yourself… I'm a sucker for a KFC mate
5. Sporting event you went to (not squash related)… The Lions vs The Cheese Heads
6. Cheesy pick-up line you used… “Your smile is bloody beautiful. If I looked like that when I smiled, I would never stop”.  

TSJ: Why do think the US has so few players in the top 100? On the other end of the spectrum, is the Egyptian dominance (men and women) good or bad for the game?

I absolutely think that one country having a stranglehold on the game is an awful situation, I love watching different nationalities because it's so interesting watching a mashup of different styles. To be honest I feel like the Egyptians are very lucky to be so dominant with a lot of players in the top 30 in the world from elsewhere who have not, and at this point I am sorry to say it, but will not fulfill their potential at all. This includes guys such as Marche from France, the German Kandra, Englishman Waller, and the Salazars out of Mexico, and then there are also guys like Brit Joe Lee who was regularly taking Marwan and Gawad to 5 games before getting seriously hurt and having to stop. I feel like the first 5 I mentioned may be slightly submissive to the Egyptians mentally on court and there are a few guys like Joe and Tom Ford (also a Brit) who in my eyes are unlucky to not be up at the top of the sport. There is also a vast swathe of extraordinarily talented Pakistani players who could have been incredible: for example I remember Mohammed El Shorbagy telling me that Farhan Zaman was "the most talented player in the world and would have been world number one if he actually tried". Bear in mind this was while Mohammed was world number one and while Ramy was still on tour and so it really tells you how good this guy could have been!

In terms of the US I truly believe their time is coming. A lot of the best coaches in the world have converged on the USA in the last 10 years which means that in around 10 years from now their students will be the right age to go on tour. The American girls in particular are looking very strong in juniors but there are quite a few promising players like Andrew Douglass, Tim Brownell and in younger age groups u/15 Drew Glazer and Avi Agarwal who I think have enormous potential to eventually play on the world circuit. It is  always a question though of whether they want to play pro or just play college and then go corporate. American college fees are I believe on average 5 times what mine were but can run up to 8-10 times as much and so going pro after such an enormous financial investment in your education may not be a logically sound option.

TSJ: Apart from driving on the opposite side of the road, what was one of the biggest adjustments you had to make when you moved to the States?

Having just come off the tour and taken a  job as a squash pro the first thing I had to get used to was having more than $20 in my bank account! I remember crossing the road being a particularly dangerous activity in the early days as a couple of times a week when I was running on auto pilot, I almost met my end by stepping out into the street while checking for cars looking the wrong way. It took 2-3 near misses for me to retrain myself!

TSJ: If you could piece together your ideal squash player, who would you say…

1. Has the cleanest technique… Marwan El Shorbagy forehand - Gawad backhand
2. The best volleyer… Farag
3. The best tactician… Gawad
4. The most deceptive… Mick Joint (flattery will get you nowhere, mate!)
5. The best touch game… Abouelghar
6. The best footwork… Coll or Selby
7. The fittest… Miguel
8. The fastest… Alfredo Avila. Mexican player who ranked 100 in the world who managed to beat 3 guys in the worlds top 20 to win a 100k event at altitude in Mexico City by running like a banshee.
9. The most accurate… Willstrop, although the most accurate I have been on court with by far is Robertino Pezzotta of Argentina
10. Is the most fun to watch… Gaultier hands down

TSJ: What would you consider to be your best ever tournament, junior or pro?

I'll talk about one junior and one pro event. I won the U19 National Championships in 2011 and I went through the event only dropping one game in the semi finals. The final of the event was a bit of a blur and I just remember blasting through the guy in the final, hitting nick after nick. At 9-0 up in the third game I remember blasting the ball crosscourt past my opponents big wingspan and him throwing himself into the back right corner after it. He banged his racquet on the floor and screamed an expletive very loudly to which the ref said, “11-0 game and match”. I was stood there with the ball waiting to serve and I just remember trying to get the ref to let me win the match rather than have it awarded to me on a penalty match for obscenity but the ref was stubborn and awarded me the last point instead of me actually winning it!

As a pro the most memorable tournament for me was winning the Surrey County Championships in 2016. I actually didn't even enter the tournament but the organizer called me up while I was out in a bar on a date and asked me if I could play because someone pulled out! I turned up the next day for my first round match, unseeded and slightly hungover, and beat one of the England junior team members in the first round in a fifth game tiebreak. I beat an old nemesis in 5 games in the quarters and suddenly I was in the semi finals against the defending champion and number 1 seed in the semis - who I duly dispatched in another 5th game tie break! The final was a one sided affair where I decimated Phil Nightingale - a former top 120 in the world player and the current over 35 England number 2 player for less than 8 points in the final. 

Tournaments you win are always better than tournaments you do well in purely because of the antics that happen afterward. After nationals I got up to mischief with Michael Stewart and after winning the Surrey Championships I all but burned London down with James "the ashemongrel" Ashe.

TSJ: What do you find the most satisfying aspect of playing squash? What is your most frustrating?

Hitting a straight line that runs on one floorboard the whole way, I don't care if it is a drop, a drive or a kill I just love pinning the ball to the wall. Most frustrating without doubt is when Mick Joint breaks my ankles with a Houdini like hold or a Bogan Boast which tends to happen at least once a game, and once a month it's so bad I'm surprised I haven't undergone major double ankle surgery!

TSJ: If you were not a squash pro, what do you think you would be doing in life?

I grew up as a typical high achieving secondary school student with straight A's; albeit one who specialized in both truancy and squash. I graduated with a 1st from University and without doubt would have pursued a career in business, more specifically within sales had it not been for squash.

TSJ: Let’s finish off with some fun. I can imagine you were quite the scoundrel in school. What was one of the naughtiest things you did that got you in trouble? Don’t be shy… 

Haha - far too many to mention I was quite the reprobate. I remember being called into the headteachers office on a semi regular basis and receiving a jolly good dressing down. One of the most memorable was when I was 13 or 14 and myself and a few of the lads decided in the middle of the day that we needed to go into the city and grab pastries. We sacked off math class, climbed the 12 foot fence that we called the "prison wall" (the school locked the gates during the school day to keep outsiders out and keep us all in) and headed into the city to buy sausage rolls from ‘Gregs’. Unfortunately we were seen and were greeted by an angry mob of teachers and disbelieving students upon our return. Needless to say I got a few detentions and a clip round the ear courtesy of my self-proclaimed “long suffering mother”!

Thanks to Stu for opening up to us and getting to know him a little more! He has been an excellent addition not only to the squash family and the office, but to the entire DAC team. We are very fortunate to have someone of his calibre and work ethic. His knowledge and progressive teaching style certainly raises the quality of the program. If he could only learn to hit the ‘Bogan Boast’…!

QUARANTINE SQUASH - PODCAST 3

Another week in lockdown - another podcast episode from The Bogan and the Brit! We go on a few tangents here, but the main topic is something the future of the game relies on - juniors and junior development.

Both Stu and I reminisce about our early years and compare the US to what we experienced and what helped us become professionals. Everybody has a different journey to where they want to be, but some common things are certainly a vital ingredient. Enjoy!

Mick · The Bogan and the Brit - 3

QUARANTINE SQUASH - CHALLENGE 3

It’s that time of the week for another Skills Challenge! After basking in the glow of my comprehensive bludgeoning of Stu on the frame volley challenge, a beatdown so humiliating he is still probably waking up in the middle of night with cold sweats, it’s his chance at redemption and the opportunity for him to be able to show his face in public again.

With the exasperating challenges of the first two weeks behind us, this time we welcome the chance to actually hit the ball with the strings of the racquet! The Accuracy Challenge!

There have also been a number of these on the internet, and it seems everyone has created a version of their own - just as we have done here. The task: To hot three relatively small targets close to service line height, from back of the service box distance away (23 feet). The one who hits the three targets in the least amount of shots, wins.

As you will see from the video, I set this up in the back yard. Now, one of the reasons I dislike playing golf is that I have an uncanny ability to lose balls. I think the last time I suffered through a round, I lost 13 balls in the first 12 holes. My golf-balls are attracted to water, high grass, weeds, forest, gopher holes, and probably portals to other dimensions. Incredibly, even though I did this challenge on my driveway, I still managed to lose one squash ball even though I was really just tapping them and there were no water hazards anywhere near! I am baffled at this phenomenon. 

I practiced this one both on the backhand and forehand. I did find the forehand fractionally easier. The hat this week is my wife’s Australian ‘Crocodile Dundee’ hat. It was slightly too small for my head. 

Stu had clearly zero trouble with this one, although he did have a backboard to help him… I’m just happy that he was able to pull himself back from the ledge.

Recap of the weekly challenges:

Week 1 Frame Challenge - Draw. 15-each.

Week 2 Handle Volleys Challenge - Mick 20 v Stu 5… annihilation. 

Week 3 - Accuracy Challenge - Mick 12 v Stu 3 (lowest score wins)

Current Standings:

Mick - 1-1-1

Stu - 1-1-1

Once again, I throw the challenge to you! Set up your own targets and see how you go!

QUARANTINE SQUASH - THURSDAY FITNESS 2

Can you believe this weather? I complained last Thursday about the snow, and guess what? It’s still just as cold now!!! I suppose the warmer weather is social distancing as well… at least in Michigan. Luckily, what we have for you today can be done in the luxury of your own warm home. Just find yourself a piece of floor…

This week, we look into another extremely important element of squash fitness, one that is commonly underestimated and definitely under-trained: The Core.

Squash is not just about running like a lunatic, getting your heart beat to deliriously high levels, smashing a ball like you want to send it into next month, but it also includes the less obvious fitness requirements such as flexibility, balance and… core strength.

Hitting a consistently accurate ball - especially under commonly sadistic conditions - maintaining one’s stability is key.  Being able to stretch and lunge out, you must be able to keep the shoulders and head steady in order to hit a reliable ball. (especially that dreaded drop shot!) That is where core strength comes to the fore. 

Stu takes us through a slick core workout below. Regular core exercises are very important not just to improve your squash game, but also for preventing injuries. Take it from me (and I know many of you can relate) - there is nothing worse than a back injury.  A strong core can minimize the threat.

MEET A PRO - 3

In November 2019, we held the inaugural DAC Squash Pro Classic. It was an amazing week for all involved, arguably the highlight event on the DAC calendar. We have reached out to one of the biggest - if not the biggest - star of that week just so we can admire her even more.  Winning the British Junior Open U/15 title in 2007, she would then claim her first professional title in 2010. In 2019 she won her second US National Championships and has been a member of the US national team for 11 years. She is currently ranked 13 in the world, just one spot off her career best in 2017 of 12.

MEET… OLIVIA BLATCHFORD CLYNE

The Squash Joint (TSJ): I am sure the universal lockdown has turned your world upside-down just like the rest of us. Tell us how you are tackling the days and have you taken advantage of the extra time to do anything that you always wanted to do but never previously had the time?

Olivia Blatchford Clyne (OBC): It most certainly has been a whirlwind change of events and I think like most of the world, it’s been a real shock to the system. Like mosts shock to the system, that initial zing was brutal but as the weeks go by I actually feel like there’s been a settling in for me- I’ve been able to enroll in an online course  “ The Introduction to Psychology” which has been awesome, I’ve also just started a 40 Day Revolution of mind, body, and spirit with Baron Baptiste that incorporates yoga, meditation, diet and self-confrontation which is already shaping up to be extremely life changing. I’ve been able to take more long, luxurious runs in the outdoors and bury myself in art, books and becoming a chef! Although I miss squash very much, this time has offered a wonderful opportunity to nurture the other parts of me that I do water but not nearly enough!

TSJ: You jumped on the world tour at a very young age. What challenges did you come across over the years and looking back, would you have done anything differently knowing what you know today?

OBC: Many, many, many challenges! The first and foremost was inevitable; burn out. I made the decision not to go to college after juniors and instead go straight onto the pro tour which was simply not the thing to do (really still isn’t stateside!) After my first year I was struggling. I had a lot of unresolved feelings from my junior career (feeling the need to source validation from my wins and losses) as well as a loss of my love for the game. I quit. I took some time off, got a job coaching (because what else is an uneducated squash player going to do? Haha) and started plotting my journey to go to school. Somewhere in the minutiae of sharing this wonderful sport with others, I started finding myself jealous of my students. They’d come back from their tournaments telling me about near misses or gargantuan wins and I was like man, I miss that. I need that. And well, the rest is history…. :)

There’s no need to rush. This is a game forever, your relationship with the game is about the game, not about you. When you get there, man that’s the good stuff….

TSJ: Who had the biggest influence in your squash when you were a junior? Which pro player did you look up to the most?

OBC: I spent a lot of time on court with my Dad, who was an avid amateur player at the time gave (and still gives!) me a lot of his time! We had long hits at the Heights Casino on the weekends where the majority of my progress was made when I was a kid. I also had the privilege of working with a man named John Phelan, an Irish-international who originally taught my father “softball” squash back when the US was making the change over from the hardball game. John was so much an integral part of my growth as a player and to be honest he became more of an uncle than a squash coach to me as the years went on!

I was obsessed with Jonathan Power. Literally cried every time he lost, and insisted on going to every one of his matches at the Tournament of Champions…

TSJ: Time for something more lighthearted. Word association. What is the first thing that pops into your mind when I say…

1. New England Patriots… Real football is with a soccer ball.
2. Chocolate Ice Cream… I’ll pass.
3. Country music… No thank you. 
4. Brad Pitt… Yes, please, as Achilles.
5. 45 minute ghosting session… Bring it on.
6. Tarantula… ALAAAAANNNNNN!!
7. Bungy jumping… one day….

TSJ: What would you consider to be your greatest achievement in squash so far in your career? 

OBC: I really treasure my national titles, especially my first one back in 2017. I won from 2-0 down in 88 minutes and it was simply a battle. Playing for my country has been something that has meant so much to me from the first time I made the Junior National Team back in 2007. I remember, as a 14year old, getting my playing kit and starting to cry because I was going to get to play with USA on my back. Playing at the Pan American Games the last 3 cycles and having earned a collective 7 medals has been incredible as well…but really I think about those times locked in the box when I’ve had my back up against it and I’ve grit my teeth and refused to back down, crawled over the finishing line… those guys are my proudest achievements… 

TSJ: We have all had matches and tournaments we would rather forget. What advice would you give to up and coming players in dealing with adversity? 

OBC: We are all so blessed to be a part of this game. We get to gear up and do battle gladiator style without the possibility of getting a sword through the heart- is there anything better than that? If you can remember that when you walk on that court, whether you’ve won or loss that you will live to fight another day, I think that’s a very powerful, formidable mindset that will see you winning a lot more than you’re losing. 

TSJ: You are married to another professional squash player- Scotsman Alan Clyne. Did he get married in a kilt, and if so, can we have a picture? I imagine you motivate each other rather effectively but are there any friendly rivalries going on that you would like to tell us about? 

OBC: Alan did indeed get married in a kilt, the Sutherland Clan hunting kilt to be exact, as the Clyne clan is under the Sutherland Clan tartan! We are extremely competitive in everything we do, from who tidied the bedroom better to a game of cards and even when we are practicing who is the better hitting partner… but when it comes to our careers we are first and foremost a team; we support each other and provide sounding boards for one another, giving each other ideas, and feedback when appropriate, sometimes a shoulder to cry on or a kick in the backside when that’s needed too…

TSJ: Complete these sentences…

1. The worst airline to travel on is… RyanAir, can you say budget?
2. My biggest pet peeve is… Obnoxious coughing, like, you want attention coughing.
3. The one dessert I cannot resist is… Sticky Toffee Pudding.
4. My favorite mens squash player to watch - other than my husband - is… Abouelghar
5. The worst film I have ever paid to watch is… didn’t pay for it but Alan made me watch “Dumb and Dumber” on a date before…. Lucky I still fancied him after that.
6. My favorite professional sports team is… St. Johnstone FC- my boys in Blue.

TSJ: You have played in major events all over the world. Which one (or ones) would be your favorite? Is there any match in your career (so far) that you wish could redo? 

OBC: Tournament of Champions, Grand Central Station. I grew up with that tournament. It was my entire youth and getting to compete myself on that court now is literally a dream come true! There are a couple of matches that I wish I’d converted (cough!) my match with Nour el Sherbini at this year’s TOC… cough! cough!..  but really every match is a learning opportunity, and though the losses sting they provide beautiful moments for self reflection and growth that I think just wouldn’t be possible if I was winning all the time…. Not that I’d mind winning all the time. 

TSJ: Tell us why you think squash continues to be denied entry into the Olympics. 

OBC: How does the ABBA song go? Something like Money.. Money.. Money..

TSJ: You clearly have a very sociable personality and love playing the tour. Have you ever found it to be a lonely place since squash is an individual sport, or is it always fun? 

OBC: It has its moments for sure. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable spending time with myself which I think has been a real blessing considering we do spend so much time on our own. I try my best to immerse myself in my surroundings wherever and whenever I travel so that I can say that I’ve experienced something new or different each time which I find extremely enriching and fun but it’s hard. Competing is extremely hard and sometimes when you’ve had an early loss and you’re far from home it’s easy to become negative and feel very isolated… but you’ve gotta feel everything in order to live right? Those moments when I have my family and friends with me whilst I compete I enjoy far more with the juxtaposition of competition without them….

TSJ: Have you ever had any major injuries? If so, how did you deal with them? What do you do in order to minimize the injury risk in such a high impact and dynamic sport?

OBC: Thank goodness no! I like to think its because all of my limbs are very close to the main trunk of my body (haha!) But really, I’ve been extremely lucky in that department. I adore Yoga and my strength and conditioning coach sets my programs with a lot of focus on developing core strength, single leg exercises and mobility work that keep me nimble! 

TSJ: Okay, one final question. What is your favorite sit-com and which character do you identify with the most?

OBC: To be honest I’m not much of a TV person but my favorite book is "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. Howard Roark is the person I strive to be. 

Wow. I would to extend a huge thank you to Olivia for taking the time to help us explore her career in more detail. It is certainly a tribute to her success on the tour so far and I adore the optimistic outlook that she possesses, especially the ability to find the positives in difficult times. We could all learn from that! We certainly hope that we can welcome her again and she will be aggressively defending her title in the 2020 DAC Squash Pro Classic!

QUARANTINE SQUASH - PODCAST 2

The Bogan and the Brit are back for another podcast episode! Today we discuss our most memorable training sessions that we have miraculously endured, experienced, had nightmares over, and made us roll over into the fetal position and think of our 'happy places' when reminded of them.

Please enjoy our tales of torment...!

QUARATINE SQUASH - CHALLENGE 2

Happy Monday morning! And what a beautiful morning it is. Sunny skies, crisp air, and time to test you once again with another devious skills challenge!

Last week, the frame challenge was a case study not just in racquet-hand-eye-uber-coordination, but also an examination of one’s patience and exasperation levels. I wasn’t particularly satisfied with the skimpy 15 hits I managed, especially after seeing pro Daryl Selby’s effort of 100 on Instagram, it made me feel rather inept to say the least. So, along with practicing the new challenge, I also put in more time on the first one. I definitely felt I was getting better, and this time was able to reach 21 hits. Unfortunately I don’t have it on video to prove it, you’ll just have to accept my Scout’s honor!

The new challenge for this week, I would say is also somewhat trying, but in my case not as much as week 1: Hitting volleys with the handle of the racquet. I did find this to be a fraction easier although it sounds like Stu disagrees with me on this one. His pre-video practice sessions sounded like he was ready to throw his racquet out his window. As you will see, he wasn’t exaggerating! Couple of tips that I found to make this one a tad less demanding… hold the racquet on the side of the head from the top - not from underneath - and definitely not from the shaft. Also, try to swing upwards when hitting it, not flat. However, you may find your own method that suits you…

Just so we are keeping tally between Stu and I on these…

Week 1 - Draw. 15-each.

Week 2 - Mick 20 v Stu 5… carnage.

Standings:

Mick - 1-0-1

Stu - 0-1-1

Once again, I encourage you to take up the challenge and send me in any videos you wish to share and I will post the member who gets the most. 

THE ART OF NOT CHOKING

By Stu Hadden

(and Mick’s 2¢)

This article’s purpose is to discuss the mental aspect of winning. Covid has left me very much alone with my thoughts so I’ll be using a couple of squash anecdotes to illustrate my points and I really feel that these concepts can be extrapolated and utilized in any area of life where you are trying to hold your nerve and win. This piece will explore what a choke is, the reasons why it occurs and finally, the art of avoiding them.

In order to talk about how one goes about avoiding “bottling it” we first must identify what we believe that to actually mean. I would define choking as losing a match that you should have won because of a mental lapse. It is important that at this point, I make this very crucial distinction; a choke is when you actively manage to lose as opposed to your opponent going on a hot streak, dousing you in petrol and setting you on fire. Sometimes you can be up 2-0 and your opponent then outplays you: that is not choking. If you are up and lose on fitness, that is not choking either.  A choke then, is when you are up, see the checkered flag… and simply fall apart.

Over the years I’ve borne witness to some scandalous chokes and as a result I have thought quite a lot about why it happens. There are a few reasons but the first one I remember noticing was a fear of failure.

Scared to lose 

I was fortunate enough to play on the world’s best uni team in Bristol. The chap who played number 5 was a joy to watch, as strong as an ox, lightning quick, and had a flawless technique. He was so fast he earned the nickname the “chicken legged ninja” from our Norwegian team mate. He was the under 19 national champion when he arrived and was a meticulous professional in all aspects of his training and recovery. He had very little social life and it was obvious he had every intention of going on to become a world class player. I fully believe he had and still has every probability of achieving that. There was however, one problem. He had a tendency to go 2-0 up and be destroying his opponents, and then somehow lose. He managed to beat me for the first time in my final year but he was a far better player for at least two years by then! After having watched him choke so many times against others as well as me, I believe the reason that he lost these matches was that he had worked so hard and wanted it so much that he was scared to lose. Terrified it would internally invalidate all of his training and nullify all of the sacrifices he had made, he had a chance at being one of the best, but petrified of what people would say if he lost.

When the top players talk about pressure this is often what they are referring to: the pressure is always on the top seed in a tournament because it is written in black and white that they are expected to win and if they don’t, then they have failed. The way my teammate viewed himself and the sport, he had left himself completely open to the fear of failure. The way I see it, a lack of balance increases pressure. He sacrificed everything outside squash so it was all he had and thus he had to win. I guess the moral that I take from this story is to always have a plan ‘B’ in life to ease that pressure. In turn, that may help to achieve plan ‘A’ because it may diminish the stresses of self-inflicted must win situations. 

Adding on to that, I believe also that some players subconsciously  “take their foot off the gas” once they are in a dominating position such as being 2-0 up. This may be because the victory is within smelling distance and a little like the ‘Hare and the Tortoise” race, when one is so far ahead, there is nothing wrong with relaxing and cruising to the finish line. That mentality has undoubtedly proved fatal for probably all of us at one time or another and is a form of choking in itself. Not really being scared to lose, but more an overzealous expectation that one is going to win too easily. 

One of two things generally happen when you are leading convincingly. Either your opponent rolls over and then your win is virtually guaranteed, or they do actually pick up their game and fight even harder. Suddenly they play more freely since they have nothing to lose anyway, and quickly the pressure falls heavily and squarely on your shoulders. When the latter happens, in my experience I have found the other rather odd choking factor: Doubt. It creeps in. Suddenly, it’s no so easy, you have to work harder for your prize. With doubt comes the “what-ifs”. What if I lose? Can’t possibly lose from here… can I? As Stu mentioned above, a loss from this position would invalidate all the previous efforts to get to this point in the first place. So excuses start materializing from nowhere. Is my knee a little achy? Stomachache coming on? I feel dizzy now? Losing all of a  sudden doesn’t feel so bad because I no longer can put in the 100% effort… and what happens? - Choke!

Scared to win

This sounds absurd but it’s one I can personally relate to. There have been two separate occasions I can remember when I bottled it horribly. Fortunately though, on this particular one, I actually managed to escape with a win.

I was about 17 years old playing a league match against an ex pro who I knew pretty well. A real funny chap, probably was in his late 30’s at that point and he had reached a ranking of around 100 in the world a few years back. I went on court with him and played out of my skin. I basically couldn’t do anything wrong and within 25 mins I was up 2-0. I remember walking back onto court for the third, and thinking how shocked my Dad would be when I told him that I had won… wow I’m actually about to beat this guy… I used to watch this fella play in the finals of tournaments when I was a little kid and here I was chopping him up like he was a fruit salad. It was set to be my biggest win. I swear to God I blinked and he had come back to 2-2 and we were suddenly starting the fifth set. I scraped a win because he ran out of wheels, showered up and headed to the bar for a couple beers. It was my best win up to that point. I remember my face hurting from smiling so much.

Then I hear, “Oi Tinkerbell, what’s that stupid grin on your face?” I told him it was my best win, blah, blah, blah. This guy was an absolute character, total joker, and luckily, was about to educate me about the world. I remember this like it was yesterday: “That is where you are wrong, mate. There is no such thing as a good win. In fact, you should have lost tonight because you were scared to beat me, you are so lucky I got tired. If I was a tiny bit fitter you would have let me win just out of respect. You were up 2-0 and then you started thinking about beating me and s**t the bed mate. There’s no such thing as a big win, if you think of it like that you’ll lose matches because you are scared of someone’s reputation. Don’t be a wet wipe.”

What he was trying to say was, if ever you step on court to play, always know that you can win, and if you do, don’t be surprised. When you are playing don’t think of the implications of losing, don’t think of the implications of winning. You need to stay centered and in the moment, focused completely on the task at hand. 

I think more pros can relate to this than what would admit. The mental side of any sport is a remarkable conundrum. We train our backsides off to be the best player we can possibly be, and when we get into a situation that legitimizes that effort - such as being on the cusp of beating a higher ranked player, a position that all athletes dream about until they are giddy - it’s so easy to suddenly look at yourself and think, “I really shouldn’t be winning this - this isn’t normal.” Its outside of the comfort zone, so in order to maintain normalcy, we lose.

The Jackal

I bottled a match in Argentina to a Colombian player, losing the first game from 10–0 up (impressive stuff! “Impressive” wouldn’t be the word I would use!). I came off court reeling and called my mate. I am lucky enough to be close friends with a couple of guys who are legitimately the best in the world at something, so it’s always interesting to hear their perspective on pretty much anything because they just see the world differently. To make this even more interesting, this guy was ranked 5 in the world at the time and is nicknamed “The Jackal” on the tour because he plays so smart at the end of a game. Every top pro pretty much knows that if they find themselves in a tiebreak with Marwan El Shorbagy they are almost certainly going to lose. I told him I had lost from 10-0 up and I asked him what I needed to do, what was the secret sauce that made him so good at the end of games? His first question was how many tins I made after it was 10-6, I don’t remember exactly but it was probably 3. He started laughing and gave me a little bit of gold dust that I’ll share with you. He reckoned, the thing that makes him so good at the end of games is that he does nothing. Everyone expects him to do something with the ball, do something amazing, something completely different but he just goes in and hits one straight drive (rail) after another. Nothing fancy, just stays positive on his shots and focuses on hitting aggressive drives. Eventually the opponent runs off expecting him to play a fancy cross court flick or something similar and he then smacks it past them down the wall. This doesn’t sound like much, but it truly is the best advice I’ve ever had. If you are a bit nervous and close to the finish line, stay relaxed, keep the strategy as simple as possible and remain focused on that strategy instead of the outcome. Executing your strategy well is all that matters.

Long Story Short

Focus on the process and your strategy and not the outcome. Don’t think about what happens if you lose and or about what happens if you win… AKA ‘don’t be a wet wipe’. Finally, keep it as simple as possible at the business end of a contest. The more basic something is, the less there is to go wrong.

What I found to be most helpful in either winning situations or close matches such as Marwan’s tie-break headstrong approach, was self-belief. Not over confidence (which can be a fine line), but a personal conviction that I am up to the task better than my opponent. Trust in my skills, trust in my fitness and willingness to push myself. Without it, there is doubt. And doubt, as I mentioned earlier can be deadly. Did I win all the time? No, of course not. But I would venture to guess that my percentage of matches I have won in 5, or even individual game tie-breaks, is a winning one. 

QUARANTINE SQUASH - THURSDAY FITNESS DAY

It snowed today. It's mid April. And we are supposed to get 2 inches tomorrow. At least if we are stuck at home, could we please have warmer weather? However cold it is, try not to use it as an excuse not to improve yourself. No squash court either? No worries! We can always work on our footwork and gain a tidy little fitness session to boot.

Ghosting - or 'shadowing' as it is commonly called - is one of the best non-hitting squash exercises you can do. You can develop your footwork, enhance your endurance, elevate strength, refine your timing. Always try and do it with a racquet in your hand as well because it can also polish up your technique.

Stu demonstrates and explains the benefits in the below videos. Many of the movements do not require a lot of space, although spreading out may be a good idea if you are swinging a racquet - you don't want to be picking up the pieces of that vase you just backhanded through the window.

MEET A PRO - 2

This is an absolute treat for us here. Thanks to Stu for having friends in high places, he was able to reach out to one of the current legends of the game and grab this scoop interview! One of only four players in history to win the world junior title twice, he won his first professional tournament at age of just 17. He reached the top 10 in the world about 5 years later, and a career high of 3 in 2018. Nicknamed “The Jackal”, he is currently ranked 7, is a regular competitor in Detroit through the Motor City Open which he won in 2019, and is one of best tacticians in the game.

MEET… MARWAN EL SHORBAGY

by Stu Hadden

The Squash Joint (TSJ): Marwan how you going mate? Weird times at the moment so thanks for taking the time to do an interview with me. You burst onto the world squash scene when we were still kids, off the top of my head I’m going to say you won your first PSA event as a 16 year old and I feel like you beat 3 top 20 players in a row, including Mohammed Ali Redda in the final??? Can you tell me a bit about that tournament and how it was like playing against seasoned pro’s as a junior player?

Marwan El Shorbagy (MaES): So you are a bit wrong mate, it was just after I won the world juniors 2011 so I had just turned 17 - it was a dream come true for me to win that first world title. I played qualifying in a 25k in Egypt the week after I won the world juniors and so I went into this tournament with a lot of confident. I came through qualifying and then beat Amr Atlas Khan who was top 20 in the quarters and Mossad in semis who was top 15 at the time. I had a match point in the final against Reda but lost in 5 in 100m. It was an amazing tournament for me and I took all of the top players by surprise because I lived in England so they didn’t really know who am I at this point. I was not as strong physically as these guys because I was still a kid so I had to play very clever and use a lot of deception and of course the fact they had the pressure to my advantage.

TSJ: How did you get so bloody good so young, there are thousands of players over the years who have dedicated their whole life to the sport and barely scrape into the worlds top 100. What did you do differently?

MaES: Man when I was younger I trained really, really hard. Harder than these pro’s that you are talking about, I was 100% committed to the sport and to training so, so very hard, multiple times every single day. I used to wake up and put in a brutal session before school, I trained during school and I trained after school. Having an older brother helped me, I followed in his footsteps and copied him and also moving to England helped a lot but I think more than anything it was about committing to the game. To be honest I think the journey was much more excitinger when I was younger, there was no pressure and it was fun for me playing against the top players. It happened so fast you know I was in the top 20 when I was 20 years old and still in University. It was so exciting and every time I stepped on court I had nothing to lose I only could cause upsets so there was never any downside for me playing. Now it is a bit different, there is more pressure, I have to play young guys and now they are the ones with nothing to lose and they play so well against me because of this. But you know this is making it interesting because somehow you have to find how to beat them, even if they are outplaying you for big patches and this is something I do well, I always see how to win even when I am being outplayed, I see something and I use it to break you. I’m now in a different stage in my career and I feel it when I play and when I travel.

TSJ: For those who don’t know you are an Egyptian but you have been living in England ever since I have known you maybe since you were 12 years old? It’s very widely known that you love Bristol, please can you tell me a bit about the city and why you like living there so much?

MaES: Bristol is the best place for me to stay especially in the season. The city has its own separate vibe compared to the rest of England, the people are so different. It even has its own currency which is different from the rest of the UK called the Bristol Pound which just shows how different it is. It has a family vibe and a very relaxing vibe. When you are in the season all you think of is squash but for me when I am coming back to Bristol the way the city is gives me perspective. When you get off the train at Temple Meads and go get a coffee and walk down the old cobbled streets it just makes you think about life in a different way and it reminds you in the end that you are a human being and that squash is just a small part of your life. Brandon Hill is my favourite spot to go and relax, the view is amazing and it is so peaceful.

TSJ: Let’s get a little trivial…

1. Tea or Coffee? Coffee
2. Books or films? Books
3. Junk food or healthy? Healthy
4. Favorite vacation? Relaxing a beach
5. Favorite food? Egyptian food
6. Favorite Animal? Dogs

TSJ: You recently visited Detroit and swung by the DAC, what were your impressions of the club and would you be interested to come back?

MaES: DAC Was one of the nicest clubs I’ve ever been to if not the best. As soon as you walk through the door you feel like you are in luxury, it is almost like you have walked into a Palace when you walk through the front door. I see the members when I am there are so happy to be here and for me interacting with the staff was really nice because I see that they are so happy to be here too. I would love to play at this club one day in a tournament, I didn’t realise that this place was in Detroit and I have visited maybe the last 7 years. Shame about the assistant squash pro though, this guy is a pillock! ;)

TSJ: If you could have three dinner guests past or present who would you have round and why?

MaES: I would have Stu Hadden… Can I say this though?? Second hmmm let me think… the woman who is in wolf of wall street actually – Margret something she is an amazing actress and if she tasted my cooking maybe she will date me! Finally the guy who wrote the book the Alchemist. He would be very interesting; the Alchemist is one of my favourite books that changed slightly the way I see the world but I read it only very recently.

TSJ: When we were in Detroit we went out and hit the bars, what did you think of the Detroit night out, which was your favourite bar and, just so I have it in writing – who won at darts that night?

MaES: Well I have to say I am suprisinged by how good a night out Detroit was, I never saw this side of the city before despite having gone there 7 times. The bartenders in the DAC really know how to pour a drink but I think that my favourite bar was the Old Miami. They had a very good DJ in there this night and yes you beat me at darts but why don’t you tell everyone who will win if we play Fifa?

TSJ: How is the lockdown treating you, I know you probably are hating not being able to go out for coffee and Sushi. Are you still working out and if so what are you doing?

MaES: I am actually enjoying being able to workout but not as a squash player but more for my mental health. I am working out for only 1 hour daily but just generally without having something I need to focus on improving. It is nice for me to have no pressure for a while and have some time to reflect. As soon as this finishes and I can go back on court again I will start to focus on more specific areas.

TSJ: Finally, you have given me some fantastic advice over the years and I have always taken it very seriously. I’m wondering what the best advice you were ever given was and where it came from?

MaES:The best advice I have heard was Steph Curry said someone once told him to be the best version of yourself. That really hit home for me, sometimes you don’t manage it but that’s OK but we as a people - we always should try.

Marwan, thanks for agreeing to do the interview with me, it was great speaking to you, and as always it was super interesting. Hope you and the family stay safe and I’ll see you in the summer.