The squash thread

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So i decided to start a thread to give information about this ridiculously amazing sport!

firstly, squash season in jozi and pta is about to start again. League is beginning end of february if i am not mistaken, and it would be awesome to see more participants this year. Squash has been on the decline, with only the stronger leagues still getting alot of participation. But there are leagues available for all levels, its fairly cheap, fun and social. If you need any details about nearest clubs to you, how to start, coaching, gear etc please pm or post here!

There are exhibition matches on the cards to be played in jozi to help coverage etc with top players strapped with heart rate monitors, commentary by them during rallies etc. Should be pretty cool to watch!

There are also loads of tournaments for both juniors and open events coming up which i hope to keep posting here and gain some entries!! The tournaments are split into sections, so u dont need to worry about playing out of your level etc...

There seemed to be quite a few players on the forum, hopefully this does gain some momentum....
 
I dont have a squash partner anymore, so i dont get to play that much anymore and i am very unfit at the mo.

Also there doesn't seem to be a lot of young ppl who play this sport.(or atleast at the courts where i played)

I have found though that the squash courts in Jhb charge a lot more than in the east rand, i paid R60 for 45min where in the east rand you pay R45 for an hour.
 
QX6700RULZ said:
tau which club do you play for ? (SSSC for me)
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I am moving to Parkview squash club this year because of the lack of a first league team at my previous club..
The fee's at PSC are expensive, but they really do have the best facilities and craig is amazing! The Fee's are R2k for the year, unlimited playing time and free entry into all club events, and R400 for league fees if you are going to play gauteng league...

alisiaoh said:
I dont have a squash partner anymore, so i dont get to play that much anymore and i am very unfit at the mo.

Also there doesn't seem to be a lot of young ppl who play this sport.(or atleast at the courts where i played)

I have found though that the squash courts in Jhb charge a lot more than in the east rand, i paid R60 for 45min where in the east rand you pay R45 for an hour.
Click to expand...

Junior squash is actually very popular, but you hardly see juniors playign at the gyms or in evenings!

Squash is expensive if you play at a proper club without membership, but at the virgin actives or if you play membership you really get a good deal. Clubs have the benefit of organising training partners/social events/business leagues etc...
 
Yup know Craig (played in a few of his tournaments)

Still lots of juniors around if the clubs are prepared to help them through which Craig does a lot of and we at Suburbs are trying as well (6 juniors sent to inter prov this year)

Gauteng league squash is going downhill but Vets is picking up nicely and it is way more fun. Play Gauteng 5th league and 2nd league vets but will prob be dropping Gauteng this year to play socials at the club.
 
tau1z said:
I am moving to Parkview squash club this year because of the lack of a first league team at my previous club..
The fee's at PSC are expensive, but they really do have the best facilities and craig is amazing! The Fee's are R2k for the year, unlimited playing time and free entry into all club events, and R400 for league fees if you are going to play gauteng league...



Junior squash is actually very popular, but you hardly see juniors playign at the gyms or in evenings!

Squash is expensive if you play at a proper club without membership, but at the virgin actives or if you play membership you really get a good deal. Clubs have the benefit of organising training partners/social events/business leagues etc...
Click to expand...

When i play, i play at Blairgowrie as its close to home and the courts are in really good condition.
 
QX6700RULZ said:
Yup know Craig (played in a few of his tournaments)

Still lots of juniors around if the clubs are prepared to help them through which Craig does a lot of and we at Suburbs are trying as well (6 juniors sent to inter prov this year)

Gauteng league squash is going downhill but Vets is picking up nicely and it is way more fun. Play Gauteng 5th league and 2nd league vets but will prob be dropping Gauteng this year to play socials at the club.
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Craig is one of those plp who inspires me when i talk to him. Great guy, amazing player and he has a horrible fetish for tequila... he also tortured me as a junior (i had some coaching with him) but i was injury plagued for a long time, hoping this year to play a bit more seriously and get competitive again!!!

the league is slipping, which is why alot of the younger guys are trying to promote the sport anyway they can (stephen coppinger is a great example!!! and 62 in the world not bad!)

I think with more ppl entering the social leagues and tournaments this year, the gauteng leagues can start picking up again. Back to the times of 1st -> 22nd league!!
 
alisiaoh said:
When i play, i play at Blairgowrie as its close to home and the courts are in really good condition.
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blairgowrie is about to get a major boost, from what i hear the northcliff country club squash guys are moving there. with s soma really classy players like mike tootill joining the ranks!!!
 
I play vets at Blairgowrie on a Thursday night and we tried to get Mike to come play for us this year as i think we have 1st league now (maybe not waiting for confirmation). Blairgowrie just needs to fix up all their courts as 3 or 4 of them are real crappy to play on.

Yup i know Craig very well on the tequilla front, my brother and i used to play in a few social tournaments that he ran (we played doubles as we were not allowed to play singles (lower league tournament and we were playing a way higher league)) Suffice it to say our 1st game was against a Pkview team and we were winning until Craig brought the tequilla onto the court. We lost in the end :p
 
QX6700RULZ said:
I play vets at Blairgowrie on a Thursday night and we tried to get Mike to come play for us this year as i think we have 1st league now (maybe not waiting for confirmation). Blairgowrie just needs to fix up all their courts as 3 or 4 of them are real crappy to play on.

Yup i know Craig very well on the tequilla front, my brother and i used to play in a few social tournaments that he ran (we played doubles as we were not allowed to play singles (lower league tournament and we were playing a way higher league)) Suffice it to say our 1st game was against a Pkview team and we were winning until Craig brought the tequilla onto the court. We lost in the end :p
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U were doing well to be ahead in the first place, mike is probably the only person worse to play in doubles.....As for the tequila, i think anyone who has ever stayed after a tournament can testify to liver damage at the hands of that man....
 
Darwish Is New World Number One

Egypt's Karim Darwish is world number one for the first time in the new January PSA rankings ...

Egypt's Karim Darwish is number one for the first time in the new January Dunlop PSA Men's World Squash Rankings published by the Professional Squash Association - ending the 33-month reign of his illustrious compatriot Amr Shabana.

Darwish, 27, from Cairo, is the 13th player in history to top the men's world list, but only the second Egyptian.

After winning no events at all in 2006, Darwish claimed a single PSA Tour title the following year. But it was in 2008, which he began ranked eight in the world, that the former world junior champion - hitherto largely overshadowed by fellow countrymen like Shabana and Ramy Ashour - made his mark:

Darwish reached six finals (including the World Open in England in October) and secured three titles, including his first Super Series crowns at the Qatar Classic and Saudi International.

It was his victory in last month's Saudi International - the richest event of all time, in which he scored his second win of the year over Shabana - that clinched Darwish's world-ranking breakthrough.

"This is the greatest moment of my career," said Darwish after winning the Saudi title which guaranteed his world number one status. "I've been working really hard all my life to reach this moment - thank God I should do it in this, the richest tournament ever."


Shabana slips to two in the new list - but World Open champion Ramy Ashour remains at No3, thus maintaining Egypt's unique hold on the top three ranking positions in the world!

Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, runner-up to Darwish in the Saudi International, holds onto fourth place, with England's James Willstrop at No5 and Australia's British Open champion at six.
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Egypt get top 3 spaces in world rankings and shabana drops off world ranking... In british open juniors, egypt gets 6/8 titles as well...looks like they are dominating the sport now!
 
lol nope as i said it was a lower leagues friendly tournament, we klapped everyone else as we got there early after that and played quickly before Craig could get hold of us :)

Wateched Mike in the Suburbs doubles and they cleaned up (Craig in the final)

Played Mike when i was a seventeen year old (many many moons ago) and those damned long legs and arms of his are a real pain. Was fun for about the 15 minutes it lasted :)
 
tau1z said:
Egypt get top 3 spaces in world rankings and shabana drops off world ranking... In british open juniors, egypt gets 6/8 titles as well...looks like they are dominating the sport now!
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yup love watching them play, so quick and plenty style in their shot making :)
 
QX6700RULZ said:
Played Mike when i was a seventeen year old (many many moons ago) and those damned long legs and arms of his are a real pain. Was fun for about the 15 minutes it lasted :)
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played mike last year, i think he made one mistake the whole match, the pace was too high for me to enjoy the game....

QX6700RULZ said:
yup love watching them play, so quick and plenty style in their shot making :)
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indeed, they are changing the game, no more rallying, pure attack. Aggressive squash, nice to watch, horrible to face
 
I love the fast game but old age and fitness do not go together with me (not really that old but seriously feel it) also i h8 training unless it is drilling the juniors :)

court sprints and ghosting ftw
 
lol patience and practice, start by spending a couple of sessions just hitting the ball up and down the wall, 1st forehand then backhand this will help with line (tightness) and length, 2 of the most important parts of squash. Will also help with raquet control through your swing.

Also watch some of the better players around you and see how they play (do not neccessarily copy them), maybe even try and get a game with a few of them.
 
Kage said:
I love the game but I suck badly! :(
Anyone have any tips?
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like was mentioned above, driving is the key to squash. When u can drive to a satisfactory level, then start learning to drive to that same level under pressure.

Most clubs have socials etc, where the better players are usually more than willing to play and help out with some tips, techniques or to just make u run... Whilst practicing by yourself is effective, its alot more fun when u have someone better to play against!!
 
QX6700RULZ said:
Just heard today that we are going to have 1st league and we have Jesse to be our number 1 :)
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thats gonan be a killer squad, jesse as 1 probably mike at 2.....although am not sure about jesse's availablility, am almost positive he cant afford to jsut play local leagues...especialyl for world rankings and financially, the overseas leagues are ur bread and butter....

damn strong team then so far....seems like a friend of mine is also going to be joining ur 1st league, but yet to be confirmed..

I have finally started doing some proper training for this years season..I need to drop around 8 kg's in the next 8 weeks.....

Anyone intersted in league or how to start with any kind of squash socials etc, feel free to pm me!

I will be posting confirmed starting dates etc when i get them hopefully tonight..
 
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