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 the
art of
DECEPTION
In the latest of a series of articles from
International Squash Magazine,
England Squash High Performance Coach David Campion explains
the importance of deception in breaking an opponent’s rhythm and
establishing control of their movement. |
Deception
Have you ever had the feeling that you
have no idea where your next point is coming from because your
opponent is so fast that they just pick everything up with ease?
You are playing all the right shots but they still continue to
retrieve everything with interest… demoralising!
This type of scenario happens all the time and at every level.
How can we tackle this? |
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International
Squash Magazine |
Quick players like to play at pace,
they feel very comfortable when running after a ball, your job is to
make them feel uncomfortable. You can put the ball in all the right
areas but if your opponent reads it they will move easily and with
rhythm, and with the necessary athletic qualities, then the ball
will of course keep coming back.
The first step is to negate your opponent's speed. You have to create
an element of uncertainty in their mind. Your aim should be to
control their movement by forcing them to be still and therefore
breaking their rhythm. Your opponent can only run after the ball
when they know where to run and regardless of a players conditioning
if they have to move explosively from a still position time after
time they will soon fatigue.
For example, if you can create the same preparation for each shot
whether you are hitting short or long, this will make it much harder
for your opponent to anticipate where to move.
Let’s have a look at how we can execute this particular
type of
deception; |
At the top of your backswing, take your
weight off your front foot and hold before you deliver the
downswing. This will control your opponent’s movement by stopping
them. If your racket is still, then your opponent will have to be
still. As you start to transfer your weight into the shot you can
decide at this point where you are going to place the ball. If you
decide for instance that you are sending it long, it is very
important when you deliver the swing to start slowly and then
accelerate the racket head through the point of impact.
You can do this by following through with full extension from the
elbow, the wrist and fingers. Pick up the speed of the racket too
early and you will broadcast your intentions. You have your player
still and under control, he is unsure whether you will play short or
long because of how you have addressed the ball, the sudden change
of pace at point of impact exerts an enormous amount of pressure.
This needs be done with rhythm and must not be forced - weight
transfer through your body will help with this. The timing is
critical, sensing your opponent’s position and carrying out a
technique like this requires a lot of skill. You can practice this
in all areas of the court by having lots of options in your mind
each time you approach the ball.
If you have a feeling that you can put the ball in different areas
from the same set up, then your opponent will certainly feel that
too. On most shots you can in fact create this natural hold which
actually becomes a habit and a very useful weapon.
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The art of deception is to make your
opponent think you will play one particular shot while your
intention is to do something different. The key to this is to always
have options.
If a player has the ability to hit a full range of shots whilst
addressing the ball in a variety of ways and an understanding of how
to use various angles of the racket, different lines and paces of
the swing, this creates an incredible amount of information for an
opponent to process. If your choices are
limited you become predictable. Exploring these options and
subtleties will not only make your game difficult to read, but also
far more interesting for you to play.
The introduction of lightweight rackets has made it much easier to
improvise and manoeuvre the racket head with a shorter take back.
However, to be successful requires a certain softness and dexterity
in your hands and fingers. Squeezing the racket handle too tight
will result in you
being too rigid with no flexibility to be versatile.
Skilled operators like to hit across the line or use the strings to
come inside/outside or down the back of the ball to make the ball
respond in different ways and mask their intentions until the very
last moment.
This allows the racket head to come through a little
quicker than your opponent might anticipate for a drop shot for
example, as all the weight is taken out as you hit across the line
as opposed to down the line. Executed well it can look like it’s
actually going somewhere else.
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} Deception comes in
many forms but it is most effective when it is subtle. The less
time your opponent has to process information from you prior to
impact with the ball, the more success you will have. ~
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It’s not uncommon to see top players rolling over the top of the
ball as they move in at full stretch to counter a drop shot right up
in the front corners. Played with a deft touch it leaves your
opponent
with absolutely nothing to hit as the ball spins away whilst
gripping the side walls.
Equally to whip the racket head through the
ball quickly when chipping the ball half way up the front wall to
length
requires a clever use of the strings. Top players will often use
this shot when jockeying for position.
Mindful that they don’t want to over hit, they will hit across all
with bite and yet still see the ball drop off almost weightless.
Throw a few kills and attacking balls into the mix from the same
preparation and your opponent will soon be wondering what’s
happening next! |
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Breaking your opponent’s rhythm and
establishing control of their movement has to be a priority ,
especially if they have the advantage athletically, and these
techniques will certainly help with that.
Variations in racket head speeds and angles make it much harder for
your opponent to anticipate. If you always strike the ball on the
same line and at the same pace you will of course become predictable
and more importantly far less watchable.
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