|
|
Making the Transition ...
Making the transition from a top junior to World Class professional
is a daunting task for any aspiring young player…then again, how
would you define talent?
There is an argument to say that young gifted racket players often
don’t have the work ethic required to make the grade. Not
necessarily true of course; however it is not uncommon for the
gifted players to fall by the wayside, whilst the donkey at the back
comes galloping through!
At the age of eighteen, and without a British junior title in sight,
Peter Nicol did not look like he would go on to become one of the
greats of the modern game.
Using Peter as an example, maybe his inspiration came from the fact
that he always had to strive for better things to catch up with the
leading pack. Even when he was World No.1, he would always listen to
people; sometimes a piece of information that he would find useful
could come from the most unlikely source.
Any World Class athlete who has reached the very top of their
profession would do the same because that is how they got there in
the first place – by being open minded and hungry for information.
When Ramy Ashour burst onto the scene by reaching the quarter-finals
of the World Open two months after winning the world junior title,
most of the top players were there to watch him. They were there to
make mental notes, analyse how this amazing young talent moves, how
he plays and where his strengths and weaknesses lie. Maybe even pick
up one or two things that they can implement into their own games –
not that they would freely admit it!
|
Striving for excellence every day is essential if
you want to be successful.
Applying yourself to what you need to work on day in day out is the
minimum requirement for reaching the top. |
|
 |
|
Ultimately, as a young player you
have to take responsibility and think for yourself. |
Striving for Excellence ...
Striving for excellence every day is essential if you want to be
successful. Applying yourself to what you need to work on day in day
out is the minimum requirement for reaching the top. If you are
committed, the disciplines of training will come naturally. For
every lazy day you have, your main rival probably had a good one.
You can’t let that happen too often, can you?
Ultimately, as a young player you have to take responsibility and
think for yourself. Don’t just do what everybody else around you
does, because not everybody makes it. You must be absolutely 100%
single-minded and at times that means you may have to be a little
selfish. Acknowledge your strengths and identify your weaknesses. Be
very specific about what exactly it is you need to improve and who
can help you. Learn the game, be inquisitive and watch the top
players when-ever you get the opportunity.
I always look to see whether an aspiring young player is a good
watcher, it says a lot about them and I cast my doubts if I see
otherwise. Nothing motivates a coach or mentor more than a young
player who is enthused and driven.
Experiences can be good or bad and making mistakes often provides
the better learning opportunity to put things right and make sure it
doesn’t happen again. How often after a bad loss do you sweep it
under the carpet failing to question why it went wrong? That was
possibly an opportunity missed to take one step closer to where you
eventually want to be. You don’t have to be over-analytical about
everything, just understand why you win or lose.
It’s all about eradicating chance ... chancers don’t become the best
players in the world. If you catch a fish, it doesn’t mean you will
catch another one. Understand how you did it and your chances of
catching more will increase dramatically. |
Training Methods ...
The modern game has evolved and with it so have the training
methods. It is apparent in other sports such as rugby and football
that they have embraced the help of strength and conditioning
coaches and with it the body shapes have changed in comparison with
the players of a decade ago.
It is not simply a case of getting yourself fit. In a sport like
squash, the demands of the game require that you are agile,
explosive, are able to move at high speed and then remain stable and
balanced whilst lunging powerfully in and out of the corners. Then
most importantly have the presence of mind to select the right shot
and execute it with precision.
All of this usually has to be done for very long periods, so you
have to consider all of the requirements physically: speed,
strength, power, stamina, agility, balance and flexibility. A good
engine without the chassis and tyres to match will limit
performance, which highlights my point about identifying any
weaknesses and being committed to improving them.
Then of course there are tactical, technical and mental aspects of
the game which indicate how well you have to plan your week; and
organise and manage your time properly to get the very best out of
yourself. Every piece of training that you do should be related to
the game and you must understand the benefits of doing it.
Don’t simply run around the track for the sake of being a better
runner. Say to yourself, “If I improve my time here, this will help
me to do ‘that’ on a squash court”. You are a business so treat
yourself like one, preparation and planning will give you the
confidence and belief that you need. |
Acknowledge your strengths and identify your
weaknesses. Be very specific about what exactly it is you need to
improve and who can help you.
 |
|
 |
|
issue
five ...
Be
true to and honest with yourself, there is no hiding place in the
heat of battle. If you look for a way out in training, what chance
have you got when it starts to hurt like hell in a live situation?
Never back out of anything unless you are genuinely ill or
injured…only you can be the judge of that. 
