REMEMBERING HASHIM

I met Hashim Khan only once. It was during a PSA tournament in Denver back in the 90’s. I had traveled from Europe and it was my first experience being involved in an American professional event at a massive private club - the Denver Athletic Club.

The difference in hospitality between playing a tournament in Europe and playing one in the States was colossal. Red carpet treatment appeared to be the norm. Players were revered by the general membership who were genuinely excited to come out not only to watch you play but spend time with you and show off their club, city, tourist attractions, houses, cars, brothers, sisters... just like a young toddler showing off for their parents for approval. It was awesome.

It was here that I also witnessed hardball doubles for the first time. The Denver Athletic Club was running an amateur event with the pros. Up to that point, hardball doubles was only a folkloric game to me - an American I had met a few years earlier in Australia attempted to explain it. We couldn’t understand why the Americans played a different version of squash. At that time, Mark Talbott was their Jahangir Khan. “Mark who?” we asked.

As I watched my first doubles match, I remember seeing 2 very old guys warming up. Once they were done, a much younger pair took to the court to complete their warm up. Surely the old guys weren’t expected to compete against these two? They didn’t stand a chance. Nonetheless, the 2 old guys walked back on 5 minutes later and the racquet was spun for the first serve. I was about to behold a train wreck.

Not understanding the first thing about the tactics of the game, I couldn’t figure out how the old guys were doing it. One in particular. Every time this one guy would hit it, the rally would either end immediately, or shortly thereafter. And it wasn’t because it was an error. He hardly ran, didn’t hit it very hard, and had a partner who seemed to have enough ability to keep the rally going long enough for the ball to eventually come to him. The size of the court was made to look gargantuan to the younger, flailing opponents as the ball found weird angles and spins I had never thought feasible.

As I was watching, a local member walked up to me and asked if I knew who the old guy was.

“No”, I said.

“That’s Hashim Khan. He’s in his 80’s”.

Holy shit. I was in the presence of squash royalty, watching the legend himself play and kick butt!

After his victory, I was introduced to him briefly, shook his hand. I was simply another squash player bug-eyed to meet him, he was as humble as a 5 foot 4 inch Goliath could be.

Hashim Khan died on Monday, August 19, aged approximately 100. (No one is sure of his exact age, but it estimated between 100 and 104.) He won his first British Open at age 37 (estimated) and went on to win the following 6. He was renowned for his uncanny ball control - something I was fascinated by when I watched him play that doubles match - and for his straight forward, no nonsense, common sense coaching tips. “Keep eye on ball” being his most famous. Other little tidbits of genius include these excerpts from a 1962 Sports Illustrated interview - advice that hold true today:

“When opponent likes fast game, Hashim plays slow; when opponent likes slow, Hashim plays fast. Against big man, Hashim makes him stoop to floor with low shots. Against tennis player used to open court, Hashim hits ball all the time very close to wall.”

“Against player wearing glasses, Hashim gives many high shots, which he has difficulty seeing because of light overhead. When Hashim teaches, he emphasizes thinking.”

The squash world lost a deity. I know that some of you (DAC members) also met Hashim when he used to live and coach in Detroit and certainly would have some stories to tell - as the photo would indicate. Raise a glass to him. Be happy and thankful that we had the chance to cross his path.

N.B. Two years ago I posted some writings from Hashim Khan from some documents he wrote. You can see them here: The Hashim Files

Recognize anyone? From left to right: John Dunwoody, Pete Lyons, Roy Winn, Mr. Holloran, Ted Popowitz. Hashim is standing tall in the front.

**Added comment:

Len MacEachern sent me this photo which can't be posted to the comments section, so I'm adding it to the end of this article. Len is virtually unrecognizable. Amazing what 34 years can do!

This note alludes to Jerome Rock’s earlier post about Hashim.  In 1973 I was in school, and selling clothing part time at a store in the old GM Building on Second and W. Grand Blvd.   Another employee at the clothing store was a member of the Uptown Athletic Club, then located right across Second Ave. He kept telling me about this game called Squash and that Hashim Khan, the greatest player in the world,  played and taught at Uptown.  Several years later as Jerome mentions, Hashim would come to the DAC  through our pro Dave Talbott, and his touring brother Mark Talbott.  Once or twice, I had the honor of being on the court with Hashim Khan. 

Len MacEachern

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 9

Practice, practice, practice. It’s almost a dirty word. And the thing that makes it even uglier is individual practice. How many of you can honestly say that you practice solo? It would be a very low percentage, even though it is one of the most important and valuable things you can do to develop your game. Pros hit by themselves all the time. Always looking at improving their control, timing, accuracy, and general ‘feel’.

Hashim hammers this point home and cannot recommend it enough. By hitting alone you can work on many different aspects of your technique: footwork, racquet-up, correct distance, wrist cocked, or whatever you need to concentrate on. As you know, I give many lessons at the DAC. In order to get the best value out of the lessons, practicing what I preach is imperative. Your game will advance a lot faster and you will be able to implement what you have learned into your matches sooner.

These are the final pages I have for the “Hashim Files”. I hope they have been as interesting and as informative for you as they have been for me. It’s been a pleasure to be able to share some rare squash history from a (still living) legend of the sport, a person considered to probably be the best striker of a squash ball ever.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Khan

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 8

Over the years since Hashim has written these pages, squash has changed in significant ways. Racquets are no longer made of wood, the tin is lower (for a large percentage of professional tournaments), the ball has been made slower, and the scoring system has changed. This makes for a faster and more exciting sport. However, tactful shot selection for most part seems to have remained constant despite these modifications. Basically, keep the ball tight and hold the ‘T’ position. What has changed is the amount of angles players use and their level of deception. Lighter racquets allows players to flick the wrist easier and open up more choices for almost every shot.

Hashim emphasizes the use of the straight drop shot keeping it close to the wall, and the importance of volleying. Combining the two is a difficult skill but a very valuable one. The one shot that he isn’t so keen on is the reverse corner – that is, when you hit a forehand so that the ball hits the backhand side wall before the front wall (or vise-versa). I often tell people to avoid this shot most of the time, but if you are inclined to use it – as I am - do it very sparingly so it is a ‘surprise’ variation and maybe you can catch your opponent off guard. The reverse corner is commonly played as a regular shot in the lower categories. It can be an effective weapon against lesser opponents, but it rapidly loses its success rate when you start moving up the ranks.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Khan  

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 7

Probably one of the most recognized quips in squash is Hashim’s “keep eye on ball”. Even the documentary they made of the man carried it as the title. Not watching the ball at all times is a very common error to make, especially if you have a tennis or racquetball background. You hamper your reaction time, which in turn makes you have to rush to the ball, giving you little time to get into a good position to strike, which limits your options, lowers your consistency… the reasons go on and on.

The problem occurs when the ball is behind the player. You have to make sure you turn your head – not your body (or hips) – and focus on the ball with both eyes. Not just out of the corner of one eye. Keep your weight forward and racquet up and you should be able to react a lot faster to your opponent’s shot. I am sure many of you have heard me shout “watch the ball!” countless times during a lesson – so much so that it probably keeps you up at night. Hashim also has some basic footwork tips here that I am sure would be rather helpful too!

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Khan

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 6

Now that Hashim has (hopefully) convinced you to hold the racquet correctly, it’s now time to swing properly. He keeps it as simple as possible, and states the obvious as only Hashim can. It makes you think you are listening to Mr. Spock – the Vulcan from Star Trek - his logic is so undeniable. Watching pros is a vital aspect to picking up important techniques and footwork (as well as strategy). Try and emulate what the good players do for they must be doing something right. However, every player has their own set of skills and sometimes certain things won’t work for certain players. Experiment, and see what can benefit you.

And remember, it doesn’t have to a major overhaul of your swing. It may be a small adjustment which can make all the difference. For example, maybe you need to shorten your backswing slightly in order to get your racquet prepared more quickly, or maybe keep a couple of inches further away from the ball on contact, or do you need to stay down through the stroke a fraction of a second longer? Whatever it is, if you are not hitting consistently, you need to change something. Of course, I can definitely help you too!

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Khan

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 5

Okay. Hashim now starts to talk shop. As expected he starts where the base of many problems stem from – the grip. After all, if you are not holding the racquet correctly, how can you expect to hit correctly? When starting to learn the sport, it is important to take lessons straight away. It is a lot more difficult to establish the correct grip and technique if you have been playing for some length of time and have developed bad habits. I have coached many people who not only hold the racquet incorrectly but have insisted they do not want to change. It’s too uncomfortable and awkward. I know it isn’t easy – nothing is when learning this sport! Holding a racquet the wrong way will affect your power, your accuracy and consistency, your length... the list goes on. I can’t force anyone to do anything, but these people are limiting themselves on how far they can take their squash game.

I am often asked if pros actually change the grip during a match. Although it is preached that changing the grip is a sin, pros do actually change the way they hold the racquet in certain situations – but not the form. They may shorten the grip (hold the racquet higher up the handle) if they find themselves deep in the back corner and have little room to swing the racquet, or open up the grip (open up the racquet face more) in order to get more slice / cut on the ball. This happens naturally with the pros and takes much experience to master. For now, I recommend you stick to the basics. Get the grip right. Go from there.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: The Hasim Files  

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 4



Hashim is on the right



If ever you thought it wasn’t that important to have the correct technique, then Hashim’s logic should debunk that theory. Of course, just being able to swing the racquet properly won’t make you a great player – there are many other factors that go into it. One of which you can do nothing about – your body. Hashim mentions that having the ‘right body type’ is important. Height included. However, Hashim is only 5 foot 4 inches tall; not exactly the ideal height for a world beater as dominant as he was.

Players today would tower over Hashim. Literally. Current world number one, James Willstrop is listed as 6 foot 4 inches, a full 12 inches taller. It would be difficult to imagine that no matter how fast Hashim was, he could make up one foot of reach. World number 2, Nick Matthew is 6 foot tall. In fact, of the current top ten, 5 of them are at least 6 foot, another 2 of them are listed as 5’ 11”. I don’t know if any one of the 432 players on the world ranking is as short as 5’ 4”. It just proves that Hashim must have had magnificent racquet skills as well as the uncanny ability to be able to read the game. It must have been like watching Yoda – the Jedi Knight – hobble up to the enemy with a walking stick, only to whip out his lightsaber and start zipping every which way at blinding speed, bouncing off the floors and walls, not only thwarting all attacks but using the Force to kill everything in the process, then slowly picking up his walking stick and hobbling away like nothing had happened. Except Hashim wasn’t green. Or had pointy ears.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Kahn 

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 3

Here, Hashim discusses a popular never-ending debate (argument!) among squash enthusiasts – Who is the greatest ever squash player? His answer is somewhat predictable, his logic makes sense, so it’s difficult to argue his point.

However, keep in mind this was written in 1985, so there were many ‘future’ champions yet to establish themselves. Hashim doesn’t even mention Jahangir Khan who was in the middle of his incredible 555 match win-streak at the time and his name is always leading any discussion on this topic. Then Jansher Khan arrived on the scene in 1986 to continue the ‘Khan’ dynasty and dominance of the game. And more recently, the names of Jon Power, Peter Nicol, David Palmer have all made cases for themselves.

It is impossible to compare eras. You can base it on records and titles won, but the sport evolves, the depth of competition increases, there are many factors to take into account. One thing you cannot argue about is that Hashim Khan belongs on that list – and close to the top of it.

Hashim mentions Geoff Hunt on these pages (he spells it ‘Jeff’). I was coached by Geoff Hunt at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) back in 1988-1989. Geoff – along with Jonah Barrington – changed the fitness component of the sport in their days of supremacy (mainly the 70’s). They raised the fitness level bar to extraordinary heights and were known to physically (and mentally) destroy their opponents by keeping them on court for as long as possible. Geoff pushed that philosophy onto us - I remember (vividly) having to run 440’s at 6.30am three times a week and do a 6-10 mile run on the other 3 days (Sunday was rest day… gee, thanks!). That’s in addition to the mid-morning and afternoon squash sessions. Needless to say, we were pretty fit – and loved Sundays.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: http://www.thesquashjoint.blogspot.com/search/label/Hashim%20Khan

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 2

That's Hashim on the right.
I don't know who the fellow on the left is.

Picking up where we left off, Hashim continues with his summary of his life to date. (That date being 27 years ago!) For those who are wondering, Hashim is still alive and kicking, albeit at 96 years old I doubt he graces the court very often.

Detroit is mentioned in these pages and I’m sure some of our long-term members remember the days when Hashim ruled the Motor City. He now resides in Denver, where I briefly met him back in 1996 (I think) during a PSA tournament at the Denver Athletic Club. Hashim was 80 years old and was playing a hardball doubles event with a partner older than he was. It was my first ever exposure to hardball doubles – I found it somewhat bemusing (the game, not Hashim!). From what I remember, even though he couldn't cover the court very quickly, he appeared to have extra sensory perception and it was as if he knew exactly where the next ball was going to be played. Uncanny anticipation. And a clean hitter. I don’t know if he won or not, but after watching for the ten minutes or so that I did, I can't imagaine he lost.

To see all the blog articles on Hashim, go to: Hashim Khan  

THE HASHIM FILES - PART 1

 Recently, a member handed me an envelope with 75 pages of a (copied) manuscript. It was on musty, old paper, I presume printed with a type-writer, with occasional hand written corrections and additions between the lines. Many of the pages are simply photos (unfortunately photocopied which meant the quality was poor and many were difficult to make out), and many are short (3 to 4 line) paragraphs. Genius in its simplicity, sprinkled with humor which I am sure is often unintentional, there is no wonder the squash world reveres this man as one of the all time greats of the game (if not the greatest).

The manuscript is dated August 15, 1985 – that’s 27 years ago. It is a draft of one of Hashim Khan’s books on squash: “Squash Racquets: Pro and Khan”. It was a delight to read through – it was not corrected for the characteristic Hashim grammatical inaccuracies. His charming ‘pigeon’ English comes shining through every word and one cannot help but have his alluring accent ringing in your head as you read. It is not the complete book, but only the first couple of chapters (I’m guessing) and it is incredible how much of what he wrote back then is unquestionably still relevant in the game today. Racquets, rules, athletes, and even the ball may have all changed over the years, but the fundamentals have not. Hashim has a way with words that should make you face-palm yourself and realize “D’uh! It’s so obvious!” and just by reading this should make you a better squash player. (I do not know if this book was ever published – I cannot find any reference to it on-line – or maybe it was published under a different title?)

Over the summer, I will add numerous snippets of the manuscript to the blog. (It is too much to unload it all at once.) They will be copies directly from the manuscript exactly how it was given to me. Hashim wrote the book with help from a good friend of his - Barbara Stewart – who was also an accomplished squash player as well as a professional writer.

I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did. We start with a little of Hashim’s life story. Just click on the individual pages to enlarge them.