Some bottleneck I meet now...
Published: 03 Apr 2009 - 12:27 by ujhuang
Updated: 07 Apr 2009 - 17:23
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Hello folks,
This is the first time I post. I have browsed articles here for a long time.
There is a very good place and many enthusiasm people. =)
I have meet some bottleneck and hope some experts can give me some advice.
(1) I don't know how to play with my body. I often heard that I should use my body to drive my arm, and this will make me save more energy. I am very confused because it's hard for me to well utilize my upper part of my body. So I play harder and feel tired more easily. I have tried to rotate my body and try to transfer my weight from my back heel to the leading foot. But It seem not very effictive ><
(2) My friend told me "Playing squash must with rhythm and must try to catch opponet's rhythm". It is hard for me because I feel I am not good at "rhythm". How should I train my rhythm of squash?
(3) I feel I grep the rqcket too hard and my body is too inflexible. I have tried to relax myself, but it still not easily to react the opponet's hitting quickly and keep my body relax at the same time.
(4) About my forehand swing. When opponet hit the ball, I am ready for backswing to face the ball. But I will do a little backswing again before downswing, I read this site's article and vedio, they all do backswing at the proper position at a time and downswing directly. I want to fix, but now I still cannot do it very well. Is there any trick?
Besides, my coach told me when I backswing, my elbow should toward the floor. But I will toward the back especially when I try to hit the ball hard. I don't know if it is real a bad habit?
(5) About my backhand, I will rotate my arm when I do backswing, I know it's a bad habit. I try to put my racket near my face and don't rotate my arm (unnecessary action) and drive the ball directly. It's hard to change, too... ><
Thanks your reading. Hope any advise for me, thank you.
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From rippa rit - 07 Apr 2009 - 17:23
From ujhuang - 07 Apr 2009 - 15:33 - Updated: 07 Apr 2009 - 15:45
Dear Rippa,
Thanks your advise. =) It's so helpful.
Besdies, I found tips for relaxing my grab.
I read some article mentioned: "Actually, we just need to use thumb and index two fingers for fixing the racket".
So, I did some practice. I tried to free my middle, ring and little fingers, but just use thumb
and index fingers to grab racket and do some solo practice. It is useful for me to relax my grab.
Some things I learned, shared with you.
Many Many Thanks. ^^
From rippa rit - 03 Apr 2009 - 14:07 - Updated: 03 Apr 2009 - 14:12
ujhuang - it sounds as though you are trying too hard. Relax your body, shake out your arms and hands when you feel the tension in your muscles, as that is probably working against you being able to control the movements. R E L A X. That is hard to do when you are trying to put so many components of the swing and footwork together, in sequence. (Remember your first driving lesson when your palms were sweaty, your legs shook!!) What to do to develop a sequence and rhythm:
- Firstly, break the movements into small parts, starting with the arm, yes, just stand and move your arm into the backswing position in front of the mirror if that makes it easier to see. Repeat that many times, starting with the forehand and then repeat the same on the backhand side. Do this daily for several days or until you are confident of doing this automatically without having to think about it..
- Secondly, when you have this sorted, pick up your racket and look at the holding of the racket (grip) and repeat the exercises listed above. Remember the look of the backswing with the racket in hand forms a U shape (which I often refer to as the TOOL). If it is not a controlled looking shape check the angle of your racket in your hand as well as the bend in your elbow, then the angle of your backswing with the elbow pointing towards the floor. Repeat this as above many times as mentioned above.
- Thirdly, pay attention to the movement of the feet with the racket in your hand. Stand in the "ready" position (see the Squash Library), then move your feet to a side-on position and balanced/knees flexed (keeping your racket exactly as is in the "ready" position). Repeat this movement for both the forehand and backhand sides. Practice as explained above. This can be done at home.
- Fourth, find some space to move, eg lounge, backyard, and take more than one step, still concentrating on keeping your backswing in position, and then gradually taking a flexible lunge as though moving to the ball.
- Fifth, put a ball or bit of paper or milk carton on the ground (as if it was the imaginary ball) stand 2.5m away and move a racket length away from the ball/carton/paper, and swing the racket. Just keep doing this until you feel really relaxed, and can put the movement into a fluent stride. Do the same on the other side.
- Sixth, put down 4 bits of paper/milk carton/ball in a rectangular shape, say 3m x 2.5m (mark the middle to be an imaginary T) and move around from forehand to backhand, front to back, side to side, taking your racket into the appropriate backswing before leaving the T position, lunge and swing. Repeat this just once to start, then gradually increase the number, then increase the speed of the movement, until you are having an imaginary rally swinging your racket, moving back to the T, and moving into another hitting position, and so on. This is really called "Ghosting".
Now you are ready to go to the squash courts and try it out firstly by solo ghosting and secondly by hitting up with a partner. Keep practising these ghosting movements to groove in the swing.
This sequence of movement is the key to developing a fluent style.
Weight transfer - drop the left shoulder. flex the hips (throws the weight onto the back leg), wide stance, flexed knees, eg cricket throw, side-arm throw in baseball, skimming a stone along the water.
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Spread the fingers
ujhuang - whatever works for you, but I would have thought to get the best control of the racket would be to use the little finger, the ring finger, and the next one (whatever you call it). Spread the Peter Pointer finger out to achieve more racket head control, and certainly relax the Peter Pointer finger and the thumb. Check your grip size too as that can have some bearing on how tight you need to hold the racket.
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