Ramy Ashour - Photo credit to squashsite.co.uk

The main round of the 2013 Allam British Open Squash Championship is now under-way and Ramy Ashour is seeded to win.  There certainly is some very stiff competition he will have to beat though to win this year’s British Open.  Ramy has never won the British Open and if he does he will have gone a whole year without losing a match on the PSA tour.  The last tournament he lost was the British Open last year when Nick Matthew beat him.  Going a whole year without losing a match would be an incredible accomplishment especially considering how talented the current top 4 players are! Let’s take a look at Ramy’s career.

Ramy Ashour
Racquet: Prince Airstick 130
Tour titles: 28
Months Ranked #1: 14

Ramy Ashour has been one of the most exciting players on the world squash stage since he was a junior. He became the youngest player ever to win the U19 World Junior Championship at just 16-years of age.  That same year he won his first professional event, the Athens Open.  His first major tournament victory came is 2007 in the Pace Canadian Squash Classic in Toronto when he beat David Palmer in the final.  He first attained the world #1 ranking in January 2010.  He was #1 in the world for 9 months that year.  He lost the #1 ranking at the end of the year to Nick Matthew and did not regain it again until January 2013. His current unbeaten streak is at 36 matches against some incredible competition.  Winning the Allam British Open Squash Championship 2013 would complete the perfect year and add a missing piece of hardware from his already impressive collection of trophies!

External References: http://www.psaworldtour.com

This is the time of year that we are busy ordering and getting ready for the next squash season.  It is the end of the squash season for most but for us it is an exciting time.  We are busy going over catalogues and order forms trying to figure out what to order for the next squash season.  So what is coming from Dunlop for the next squash season?  All new racquets in the Biomimetic series!

While most of the model names will remain the same this is not just a repaint there are some exciting new technologies for the 2013/2014 season.  Below is a description of the new technologies.  We have the currently available Dunlop Biomimetic 2012/2013 season squash racquets on sale here -> Dunlop Biomimetic 2012/2013 Season

Stronger than steel and lighter than carbon, Dunlop has extracted the stem fibres from plants and woven them into the shaft portion of the racket.

On ball impact this natural fibrous structure actively filters shockwaves by 18% to provide a cleaner more solid hit than conventional all composite construction.

Dunlop has taken the concept of low drag surface texturing to a new level. Inspired by the textured skin of sharks and engineered in a wind tunnel, AeroSkin Cx smooth’s turbulent air and reduces drag by up to 36% to provide greater racket head speed for more penetrative shot making.

I firmly believe the most important thing in squash (or any sport) is an ingrained passion for the game. Even with little guidance or access to high-level squash, a player can do very well for themselves if squash is their passion. A huge amount of the necessary training for a junior can be done alone, from solo hitting to ghosting to gym work. Of course, competitive matches and tournament experience are essential, but much of the preparation can be done in solitude. Many young people will not possess this type of vision or discipline, but it is possible. Conversely, kids who are “forced” into squash by their parents and only play under the tutelage of a coach or within the confines of a junior program will often lack the intrinsic motivation to put in the hours required to be a top player.

Unconditional parental support is also important. This point cannot be stressed enough. If your kid is serious about their squash, there will be many ups and downs as they climb the ladder. It is essential to take a result-independent approach as a parent. This means to not emphasize wins and losses, but the long-term process of improvement. It can be easy to get caught up in results and rankings, but if you reward your child for doing things the right way rather than winning at all costs, the long-term benefits will be much greater.

In terms of specific squash development, I feel the most important aspect is learning to think on court. Learning principles of the game through exposure rather than teaching leads to deeper understanding. Playing matches against a wide variety of adults and juniors is a great way to learn these ideas for yourself. Thousands of hours of solo practice also develop an intimate knowledge of angles and spins.

The tutelage of a good coach and structure of junior programs are also great ways to learn the craft, but I think the two most important things are an undying passion for the game and motivation  to spend innumerable hours preparing…for future glory!

We at Control the ‘T’ Sports would like to thank Peter Nicol, Tim Garner and their sponsors for the wonderful event that was the Xodus 7 Continent Challenge.  What was the challenge?  To play 7 squash matches, in 7 days, on 7 different continents.  Playing competitive squash for 7 days in a row is tough enough but throw in the travel and this is a pretty daunting task.  Why did they do this? To raise awareness of squash bid for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic games.

The squash matches took place in the following locations: The Falklan Islands, Santiago Chile, Sydney Australia, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Cario Egypt, London England, and finally in New York in the USA.  So who won the challenge?  Peter won the series 4-3 but the true winners were all of us that love the game of squash.  Squash is a wonderful sport and we would really love to see it in the Olympics.  This incredible journey that Peter and Tim took around the world can only help our Olympic bid by raising awareness of our sport. Thanks again!

How can you help support the bid and follow along with its progress?

Here are some ways:
On the web: http://squash2020.com/
On Twitter Follow: @vote4squash and when tweeting use the hash tag #vote4squash
On Facebook like: Squash 2020

I just read this morning that unfortunately Karim Darwish has had to withdraw due to injury.  I was really looking forward to his match with James Willstrop today.  I was expecting it be a really good match although I did expect that Willstrop would come through.  Willstrop is now obviously through to the semis.

That leaves the following matches:

Ramy Ashour versus Simon Rosner

I expect that Ramy will come through this match.  He can be prone to bad starts and lack of focus sometimes though and if he comes out flat this could prove to be a good match.  If he comes out in form though then look out Simon Rosner.

Gregory Gaultier versus Amr Shabana

This match should be a classic.  Greg is playing absolutely terrific squash as of late and looks to be in possibly the best form of his career.  He may not be ranked #2 right now but the only person that has been able to beat him recently is Ramy the #1.  Shabs though is playing great squash as well which is why this should be such a great match.  If there were going to be an upset in this round I would think this is match it could come in.  I do expect Greg to win this match though but the squash should be fantastic.

Nick Matthew versus Peter Barker

This match should be a great battle.  Both guys are very intense and that should produce some very entertaining squash.  I would expect Nick though to come through this match.

Regardless of the outcomes of these matches today should be some great squash on www.psasquashtv.com and I look forward to watching it all.  Does anyone have any predictions they would like to make?  If so leave a comment!

So what are the misses with this shot?  Lets take it being out of court out of the equation and look at the other possibilities.  The most likely scenario is you don’t get the shot quite high enough and your opponent can volley it. They should be looking for that option.  One of the weakest spots of almost every squash player is the high backhand volley.  It is a technically difficult shot.  Most often I see a drop being played in this situation.  As you have hit it soft you have had time to get the ‘T’ so you should be ready and watching for this and be ready to pounce.  Most often the drop will not be that great because you should have them fairly stretched trying to reach the ball so you should get a chance to attack from the front.

The other option that is commonly played from a high backhand is a pushed straight length where your opponent is trying to get the ball to the back of the court.  This is a shot where you should be looking to volley the ball.  You have given yourself time to get to the ‘T’ so you are in position to attack your opponents hopefully weak shot.

What we are really hoping for though with this shot is that your opponent lets the ball pass and does not volley as that allows us to get in front of them and we have sent them to the back corner.  The lack of pace on the shot should keep it from coming out of the back corner.  There is also a real possibility that after it catches the side wall it will just simply die in the back.  Even if it does not die in the back there is the real possibility that we will force our opponent in to a defensive boast which we can attack from the front.

One warning with this shot though is to make absolutely sure to get this really high against Ramy Ashour though as if you don’t he will use his Prince Airstick 130 and it will get slammed in to the cross court nick!  Unlike most of us that is one of his best shots.

Naturally, as a squash player, I was translating every idea proposed by Colvin into squash terms and trying to conjure up examples and equivalents I could relate to. For the sake of this blog, I will discuss the two main points: what deliberate practice is, and the concept of 10000 hours of practice.

The theme of deliberate practice is hammered on relentlessly, and with good reason. In order to improve at squash, we must work on things we are not good at, have a purpose of improving, and receive feedback (both metacognitive and external). These are three things the vast majority of players DON’T do. This is why many players will play at the same level for their entire careers, while some seem to constantly improve. None of these are enjoyable tasks; in fact they are just the opposite. But if you are serious about improving, they are necessary. In practical terms, these three tasks could be used to improve your forehand drop. Before a match, make a point of hitting the forehand drop at every opportunity, even though you know it is one of your weak points. Have a specific thing on your mind each time you hit the shot (racquet speed, open face, etc.). Analyze what went wrong/right with each attempt, and discuss it with your opponent afterwards. These principles can also be applied during solo practice. Place a target on the floor, truly focus on each shot, and make conscious changes in your technique as you go along. Hitting 200 balls with intense focus is far more beneficial than whacking 2000 drives down the wall while contemplating life’s other problems.

The other major concept in the book is the amount of time needed to become great. 10 000 hours is a huge amount of time. We probably devote that much time to a few things in life, but generally we are not practicing at them to become better. It is equal to about 3 hours per day for 10 years straight! Considering the average club player is probably on court for three hours a week, it would take 70 years for them to become “experts”. And of those three hours, it is unlikely that any are truly deliberate practice aimed at improving. I did a quick calculation and worked out that I have spent about 7000 hours on court since I began playing at age 10. This does not include time spent studying the game, of which I have accrued approximately another 5000. Assuming Jonathon Power spent 3 hours on court per day for 25 years, he amassed over 27000 hours! These numbers are bad news for any grown adult hoping to become world-class; even starting at age 20, it is nearly impossible to devote enough time to a sport like squash to compete with people who have been at it since before age 10.

The practical lessons to take from this book for 99% of squash players is to increase the value of the time you spend on court: always be working on improving a weakness, always play and drill with a specific purpose, and most importantly- think about what you are doing on court and why. Good luck!

CONTROL THE ‘T’ SPORTS IS PROUD TO NOW BE OFFERING KARAKAL SQUASH GEAR

Control the ‘T’ Sports is very pleased to now be offering Karakal squash gear.  Karakal has a terrific selection of squash racquets and accessories that we are very happy to now be selling.  Karakal is well known for having some of the lightest squash racquet available.  Their PU Supergrips are tremendous and are the preferred grip of many squash players.  The addition of Karakal’s squash gear to our catalog is an important step in our growth to becoming the best source for for all of your squash gear. To be taken to the Karakal section on our online store please click here.

About Karakal

The Karakal brand originated in Belgium in 1978 and was the property of SPGS Dendermonde Belgium. The Karakal brand mark was used on shoes, rackets and clothing.

Karakal UK started distributing in the UK in 1981 and in 1985 purchased the rights to the UK & Ireland. In 1991 a new company was formed called Karakal Worldwide Ltd and the rights to the rest of the world were purchased.

The original Karakal logo was a Lynx, but in 2002 the logo was changed. Starting with the Turkish translation of Karakal, meaning ‘Black Ear’, and the fact that KARAKAL has three ‘A’s, it was decided to use the outside pair as ‘Black Ears’ and exaggerate the centre ‘A’ with a dot below, which can be interpreted as a ball or shuttlecock. The new name logo and the ‘A’ ball give instantly recognisable brand marks that continue the Karakal ethos of quality and value for money that the original Karakal Lynx stood for.

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For more information contact Jeff Warren by email at jeff@controlthet.com or by calling 1.877.370.4661

The second tournament was in nearby Medicine Hat and carried a prize purse of $5000. I was drawn against top seed Jan Koukal, a top-50 player who has been playing PSA since I still thought squash was an odd-tasting vegetable. Despite taking an early 5-0 lead, I felt constantly under pressure. Koukal was reading my game perfectly and injecting his own creativity and unorthodox choices into the rallies. I have not felt so outclassed on court in a long time. I managed to win the third game by digging in and forcing some errors, but he always had the necessary extra gear. Again, some valuable lessons to be learned: how to weight the ball and not over-hit length, how to counter-attack while under pressure, and how to vary your attacks and stay unpredictable. All things I desperately need to improve on!

Overall it had been an encouraging two weeks. I feel like I’m getting closer to some big wins, and now just need the confidence to win crucial games and matches. The non-PSA Ontario Open is next week in Toronto, featuring a field primarily composed of top juniors and young pros from around the province.

Since the start of the 2013 Tournament of Champions there has been a great deal of conversation about Ramy Ashour and the racquet he is playing with.  We have definitely seen a spike in visits to our site about him and the racquet he is playing with.  So what is he playing with?  As the title of this post would indicate he is playing with his old favourite as pictured here, the Prince Airstick 130. The picture above is old but was a good shot of him with the Airstick 130. From what I have read he is no longer sponsored by Dunlop and is therefore free to play with what ever racquet he chooses.  His old favourite the Prince Airstick 130 is what he has gone back to.  It is a great racquet.  We have a review of it here and we have it for sale here.

The first reference I found of Ramy switching back to the Prince Airstick 130 was from Twitter here.