The Serve

Squash service types
Hammer serve
Description: Aim for the side-wall / floor nick at the end of the service box.

Execution: Hit hard just above service line

Pros: Useful when opponent is standing back in the corner

Cons: Useful only from right service box


Lob serve
Description: Aim high in the middle of the court so the ball hits the sidewall deep and high then hits the ground before hitting the back wall.

Execution: Use a low underhand swing

Pros: Very difficult to return as ball should cling high to the sidewall. Likely will result in the opponent playing a loose cross-court.

Cons: Easy with a warmer ball, requires utmost precision and stroke with a colder ball. If not hit accurately the serve can be left open and your opponent can attack it easily.


Body serve
Description: Aim for the opponent's body

Execution: Hit hard just above service line like a hammer serve, but much narrower angle

Pros: Useful as a variation or surprise serve. Very effective when you have game/match ball and opponent is under pressure to play defensively.

Cons: Done too often and it becomes predicatable

Backhand serve

Description: Backhand hit serve from the right service box

Execution: Bend low and be close to the T. Idea is for ball to hit the sidewall at the rear of the service box with a much narrower angle compared to a forehand serve.

Pros: Useful when opponent likes to volley kill your forehand serves. This way you constantly have an eye on what they are shaping up to do and you cover the front left corner easier.

Cons: Requires skill to hit consistently hit into the sidewall with a narrow angle.

Forehand serve

Same as backhand serve except done with forehand from left service box. Can be hit hard or soft. Idea is to be as close to the T so you can limit the angle your serve comes into the sidewall. The tighter the angle, the better.
Corkscrew serve

Description: From left service box aim for ball to high high on the top left of the frontwall then immeadietely hit the left sidewall to come diaganollay across the court into the rear of the right service box area.

Execution: Hit hard and high from a low position, and stand as much to the right as possible

Pros: Surprises opponent. If done properly the spin from the ball will make it very difficult to retrieve if the opponent lets it hit the right sidewall.

Cons: Only useful with an extremely warm ball. Completely useless serve with a cold ball.
Tennis style serve

Description: Useful for beginners who find it hard to generate power in their serve

Execution: Throw the ball above right shoulder and hit it hard, aiming just above the service line.

Pros: Ball comes at the opponent fast giving little time for them to react.

Cons: Easy to volley since serve is usually aimed away from the opponent's sidewall.
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The squash grip

The proper squash grip is very counter-intuitive. Instinct would tell you to grip the racquet with a clenched fist. The racquet has no control in the fore-aft and side-side motion with that type of grip. The proper squash grip has two subtle features that allow you to have full control over the head of the racquet. It is extremely important to master this grip early on otherwise you will be stroking the ball incorrectly and find it very difficult to play the touch shots that pros play with ease. Furthermore your game will suffer for several months as you try and fix your grip after developing bad habits.

So I have included a video to help you master the correct grip. Please take note of the test to make sure you have the right grip. When you push on the racquet head in fore-aft you should feel the racquet motion resisted by the extended index finger. Similarly when you push on the head in side-side direction you should feel bottom palm of your hand resisting the motion. Make sure you can form the "V" exactly as pictured. One side of the V should be almost parralell with the racquet. If your V does not look like that then it is not correct.

Adapting to the new squash grip

You may find it difficult to hold the racquet tight with the new grip. Here are some suggestions to make it easier to grip the racquet tightly:
# Add over-grip(s) to increase size
# Hold as tightly as possible
# Focus on hitting the sweet spot in the racquet. Off-center shots really loosen your grip as they add excessive twisting forces to the racquet.
# Re-string racquet at a lower tension. Most factory strung racquets are strung very tightly. This makes the sweet spot very small.
On Unorthodox Grips

Although most good players have this kind of grip, I have seen several unorthodox grips at the top level as well. There used to be a pro who had a two-handed grip. So the importance on grip may be overrated.

Although unconventional grips can be successful in certain cases, there's no need to handicap yourself. If you're just starting out this is a perfect time to learn the proper grip and stroke... it's much more difficult to switch back once you've developed bad habits.

Do what you can to get someone knowledgable to show you the proper grip and strokes. If you can't find anyone, you can try the websites, as well as books on the subject.

Although it might be frustrating at first, try to focus on obtaining these fundamental skills. It's much easier to focus on your grip/swing during drills, so if you can find someone to do basic drills with you (maybe before or after each time you play a match) you can put yourself on the right path from the get-go.
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Rules Of The Game

Peraturan Squash 2001 bisa di download disini Read More......

Squash

Squash adalah sejenis olahraga raket yang berasal dari Inggris. Dua orang bermain dalam sebuah ruangan tertutup dengan saling berbalas memukulkan bola squash ke sebuah sisi ruangan yang menghadap kedua pemain (kegiatan ini disebut rally). Hal ini terus berlangsung hingga salah seorang pemain gagal mengembalikan bola hasil pukulan sang lawan atau melakukan kesalahan (misalnya memukul bola hingga 'out' atau memukul bola setelah memantul dua kali atau lebih).

Set dan angka permainan
Setiap permainan terdiri dari lima set, namun jika salah seorang pemain telah memenangkan tiga set, maka ia adalah pemenangnya.

Ada dua macam penilaian angka: sistem tradisional menyatakan bahwa hanya pemain yang melakukan serve (orang pertama yang mulai memukul bola) yang berhak memperoleh angka jika pemain lawan gagal mengembalikan bola hasil pukulan sang pemain atau melakukan kesalahan, sementara sistem lainnya yang disebut sistem Amerika, menyatakan bahwa pemenang setiap rally berhak mendapatkan angka tanpa mempedulikan apakah sang pemenang adalah orang yang melakukan serve atau bukan. Dalam pertandingan internasional, sistem penilaian angka yang digunakan adalah sistem tradisional.
Menggunakan sistem tradisional, setiap set akan dimenangi jika seorang pemain mencapai 9 poin, sementara dalam sistem Amerika, poin yang harus dicapai adalah 11 poin.


Pemain terkenal dan popularitas

Dua negara yang terkenal banyak melahirkan pemain-pemain terkenal dalam olahraga ini adalah Britania Raya dan Pakistan. Beberapa di antaranya adalah Hashim Khan, Azam Khan, Jonah Barrington, Geoff Hunt (Australia), Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Janet Morgan, Heather McKay, Susan Devoy (Selandia Baru), Michelle Martin (Australia).

Negara-negara lainnya di mana olahraga ini populer kebanyakan adalah negara-negara anggota Persemakmuran.
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Lima Besar Rangking Dunia

Top Five PSA Apr 2009
1 Karim Darwish (Egy)
2 Amr Shabana (Egy)
4 Ramy Ashour (Egy)
4 Gregory Gaultier (Fra)
5 David Palmer (Aus)

Top Five WISPA Apr 2009
1 Nicol David (Mas)
2 Natalie Grainger (Usa)
3 Natalie Grinham (Ned)
4 Rachael Grinham (Aus)
5 Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
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Konstruksi Lapang Squash

Download konstruksi lapang, raket dan bola World Squash Federation disini
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Squash Dipertandingkan di Olimpiade ???

World's Top Players Pledge Olympic Bid Support

The world's leading players pledged their support for the World Squash Federation's bid for Squash to become an Olympic sport by signing a declaration that "An Olympic Gold Medal Would Be The Ultimate Prize In Squash" ...

World's Top Players Pledge Support For Squash Olympic Bid
The world's leading players pledged their support for the World Squash Federation's bid for Squash to become an Olympic sport by signing a declaration that "An Olympic Gold Medal Would Be The Ultimate Prize In Squash".

World number ones Amr Shabana, of Egypt, and Nicol David, from Malaysia, led the players' call for the sport to join the Olympic Games programme in 2016 at a 'Countdown to Copenhagen" reception in Manchester today (Wednesday), hosted by the WSF and led by its President Jahangir Khan, one of the sport's greatest players of all time.
The reception took place during the Hi-Tec World Squash Championships – Manchester 2008, the first championships in the UK to combine both the Men's World Open and Women's World Open.

Squash is one of seven sports which have been short-listed by the IOC for consideration for the 2016 Games - the decision for which will be made in Copenhagen in October 2009.
Jahangir Khan outlined the sport's Olympic credentials and the timetable of the bid process over the next twelve months.
"We have a year to ensure that we do what needs to be done to get Squash into the Olympics. All parties have to work closely, with everybody pushing hard to try to do their best to make this happen," said the six-time world champion and record ten times British Open winner.
Khan pointed out that an IOC delegation, comprising Sir Craig Reedie and Pierre Ducrey, will attend the Manchester World Championships later in the week.
The WSF President expressed his gratitude to all the players who had taken time out from the World Championships to attend the reception.
"We are delighted that all the players have signed our pledge - showing that it would be a dream come true for all players for Squash to get into the Olympics.
Gerard de Courcy, a Vice President of the WSF, added: "One of our strengths is that we are an easy sport to access - thus squash can make sport more accessible generally. Squash would gain a higher profile through being part of the Olympics and therefore could lead to more people being attracted to participate in sport, which is one of the Olympic ideals.
"The World Masters Squash Championships, which will take place this month in New Zealand for players in age-groups from Over-35 to Over-70, have attracted a remarkable entry of 763 players from 39 countries - which is another indication of the broad appeal of our sport."
Susie Simcock, the Emeritus President of the WSF who represented the Federation at the Beijing Olympics, alongside Khan, also pointed out: "We are a totally athlete-focussed sport - few other sports can claim the calibre of our athletes."
There was further endorsement of the WSF's Olympic campaign from the World Championships' organisers: "The Hi-Tec World Squash Championships – Manchester 2008 welcomes members the International Olympic Committee to the National Squash Centre this week to view what we hope will be the biggest and best squash tournament ever staged," said Jim Quigley, Head of Major Sports Events and Partnerships, Manchester City Council.
"Squash has for a long time felt it deserves Olympic status and this week’s Championships will be the perfect platform in which to display the sport to the people who will ultimately make that decision. Squash is a truly international sport with countries from every continent represented here in Manchester and it would mean everything for these players to have the chance to win an Olympic medal for their country."
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Bagaimana Caranya Untuk Tetap Bugar Dalam Bermain Squash

Squash Fitness
Squash sangat unik, sebab dalam permainan squash membutuhkan empat unsur komponen fisik:
o aerobic fitness / Daya Tahan Kardiovaskuler
o flexibility / Kelentukan
o strength / Kekuatan
o mental fortitude / Ketahanan Mental

Seorang pemain squash membutuhkan daya tahan kardiovaskuler yang baik untuk bisa berlari dan mengayun raket dalam waktu satu jam bahkan lebih dalam satu game squash, kelentukan yang baik untuk menjangkau bola bawah dan bola drop shots yang tipis, kekuatan untuk mengontrol raket dan memukul bola dengan power yang bagus,
dan ketahanan mental untuk "bisa bertahan dalam permainan yang lama". Program latihan yang baik bisa membantu para pemain squash meningkatkan 4 komponen kondisi fisik tersebut. Maka dari itu saya sarankan beberapa cara untuk melatih setiap aspek dari permainan squash tersebut, dengan harapan kemampuan fisik anda dalam bermain squash makin bagus.

Aerobic Fitness

Dari keempat aspek kondisi fisik tersebut, aerobic fitness/Daya Tahan Kardiovaskuler merupakan dasar yang sangat dibutuhkan, karena dalam permainan squash anda diharuskan berlari terus sepanjang permainan untuk mengejar bola, is perhaps the easiest to understand. It basically means that you can run around the court for an entire match, Latihan untuk meningkatkan aerobic fitness ini bisa dilakukan dengan cara : berjalan/Jogging/Run, naik sepeda, bermain olahraga permainan seperti sepakbola, bola basket atau yang lainnya, latihan ini dilakukan dengan beban 70 % dari denyut jantung atau sebagai contoh masih bisa bercakap-cakap dengan nyaman dengan orang lain. (a good aerobic threshold).
Keuntungan dalam menjaga kemampuan aerobic fitness ini akan membuat anda lebih bugar dalam bermain squash dan membantu untuk menjaga atau mencegah dari cedera.

Flexibility / Kelentukan

Seorang pemain squash yang hebat bisa mengelilingi lapangan ketika bermain dengan langkah yang lebar, menutup ruang dengan satu langkah menyamping. Kami tidak dilahirkan dengan kelentukan yang bagus, tetapi dengan meningkatkan kemampuan kelentukan anda, akan menekan kemungkinan untuk terjadinya cedera dan meningkatkan kemampuan anda untuk menjangkau bola-bola yang sulit dan menjadikan lawan main anda frustasi dibuatnya.
Banyak cara untuk meregangkan badan, tetapi lakukanlah peregangan badan sebelum dan sesudah bermain squash (sebelum main untuk pencegahan cedera dan sesudah main untuk pencegahan rasa sakit atau pegal-pegal) jangan lupa untuk meregangkan seluruh anggota badan :
o Calves
o Upper legs (hamstrings and quadriceps)
o Hip Flexor and Butt Muscle
o Lower back
o Shoulders
o Arms
o Wrists and Forearms
o Neck

Peregangan/Stretching seringkali diabaikan, tetapi itu sangat penting.


Strength / Kekuatan

Untuk memukul bola squash dengan power butuh suatu kekuatan. Kaki yang kuat untuk mengejar bola, kekuatan batang tubuh untuk memutar sebelum mengayun raket, dan tangan dan bahu yang kuat untuk menahan raket ketika mengayun dan perkenaan dengan bola. Squash menggunakan otot-otot yang unik, maka salah satu jalan yang baik untuk menjadi kuat dalam bermain squash, ada enam dasar latihan weight training yang bisa dilakukan di tempat latihan beban di hari yang bebas untuk melatih grup otot-otot besar. seorang pelatih yang bagus bisa memberikan instruksi pada pelaksanaan latihan beban : A good trainer can instruct you on the best way perform each of the following:
o Bench Press: Strengthens arms, shoulders and back
o Leg Press: Strengthens quads, butt, and hamstrings
o Standing Lunges: Strengthens butt and hamstring
o Military Press: Strengthens shoulders and arms
o Standing Row/Cable Pull: Strengthens lower back and shoulders
o Incline Crunches: Strengthens the abdominals

Tentu saja, sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups juga sangat baik untuk dilakukan. Bentuk-bentuk latihan tersebut bisa menjadikan permaianan squash anda menjadi lebih baik.

Mental Fortitude / Ketahanan mental

Squash membutuhkan konsentrasi yang penuh selama permainan. Kehilangan konsentrasi bisa membuat anda membuat dua atau tiga kali kesalahan, kehilangan set kemenangan, bahkan sampai kehilangan game kemenangan. Ketahanan mental sangat susah untuk dilatih, tapi itu bisa ditingkatkan dengan banyaknya pengalaman main/bertanding. Seorang pemain harus mengarahkan kepada situasi "the zone", yang mana harus kembali relax pikirannya untuk bisa kembali fokus, kontrol tubuh yang bagus dan selalu percaya diri. Pemain squash semuanya sama, dan untuk membantu menemukan situasi "The zone" mulailah dengan tips-tips berikut ini :
o Jangan karena satu kesalahan menjadikan kamu frustasi, karena memukul tin, service yang jelek, atau bola keluar lapangan, karena hal tersebut janganlah menjadi frustasi.
o Sebelum permulaan bermain, siapkanlah fisik dan mental sesiap mungkin, ambil nafas yang panjang, pegang raket dengan nyaman, fokus terhadap bola, dan mulailah memainkan bola dengan smart shot.
o Bermurah hatilah terhadap lets and strokes, dan semuanya, buatlah pukulan yang bagus.

Lakukan ini semua, dan anda akan merasakan kemampuan ketahan mental anda menjadi lebih baik.
Untuk Contoh program latihan harian bisa di download disini
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