Squash Fundamentals, by david jarvis 2022.

The racket sport of squash uses every muscle in the whole body, thus squash players should train every muscle in their whole body. ESPECIALLY the stability muscles. How many stability muscles are there?

Squash is a thinking persons game, thus train your mind as you train your body. Sports psychological training is highly useful, visit a psychologist regularly even if you’re not a nut case. Do you think psychological wellbeing doesn’t need a psychologist?

Read the rules of squash, at least once a year. What is rule 3.1?

Squash is typically played using only one hand, thus utilise offset weights training to redress that body imbalance that comes from playing squash. Which side of your body is your non preferred side?

Squash players run, walk, sprint, jog, lunge, dive, stretch, chasse, side step, cross step and leap. Thus train for those. Try dancing, aerobics, calisthenics and/or martial arts for your footwork cross training. Where is your closest martial artist instructor? Who will you dance with?

Squash players movement to the ball is acceleration and deceleration, thus train for those, and facilitate having a high power to weight ratio. What is the science of physics? Biomechanics?

Many squash matches last between 15 minutes and 50 minutes, rarely a match will go out to 120 minutes. Thus train for those normal durations and intensities using the principle of specificity. Which smartphone app will serve your timing needs competently?

Squash has a wide variation of hardness of hitting, from super soft delicate drop shots, to medium weight boasts and lobs, to extreme hard over hit drives. Apply a scale, perhaps 1 through 10 to fine tune your correct weight hitting. Is 1 through 10 finely graduated enough for your skill level?

Understand the tournament or pennant rules, they won’t be in the squash rulebook, but will still need to be abided by. Do the tournament rules change with each tournament?

Injuries are going to happen, but they are preventable. Get a good physiotherapist and regularly do their advised exercises. What is a niggle you can play through in competition? What is a niggle in training that says “STOP”?

Physical rest and recovery IS TRAINING. Psychological rest and recovery is necessary. Total rest is sleep, get plenty of quality sleep, much healing and adaption is done unconsciously. If your “rest” is active, be wary of over training; Is a light sweat total rest?

On court squash athletes are responsible for all our actions and inactions, off court the same – and yes build a team and commit to quality team culture within the team. How will your top sponsor respond to your on court emotional outburst whilst wearing their logo?

Some members of the team are… general practicioner, dietician, chef, physiotherapist, skills coach, psychologist, psychiatrist, lead coach, administrator, training partners, legal counsel, promoter, athletic team mates, fitness instructor and/or personal trainer, massager, … what other roles do you want on your team? Do you want a motivational mascot? A singer? A seamstress? A sponsor? A comedian?