a rose is a rose

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Over the last twenty years I’ve seen a growing willingness to accept mistakes during a match when they occur in an attempt to hit the right shot. This has increased the pace, variety and assertiveness of shots being played. Gone are the 50-70 shot rallies of brutal attrition and patience that ended with one player leaning against the back wall, legs shaking while the other stands ready to serve (I once watched Jahangir turn Ricki Hill to jelly by the end of a 50-minute first game). These days rallies of that length are pretty rare, and feature stunning shots and retrievals that players of the past could hardly have imagined.

The modern game is rather stoic about mishits, tins, and errant lobs because what matters in the long run is making the right choice. Now, rather than cursing a crooked drive that has dropped the ball at our opponent’s feet, we verify that it was the right time and place to hit a drive and simply press ourselves to hit a better one next time.

Because let’s face it: we almost never hit a perfect shot. Sure, we practice and practice. And practice. It increases our chances of hitting a volley return of serve well when the time comes. But in a match, it’s best to focus on consistent execution of that volley, not what happened last time you hit it.

So I often remind players not to follow a mistake with a bad decision. If a straight volley drop was a good choice but it hit the tin, then muttering, “Well, I’m not trying that again.” really does only two things: it removes one of your options and gives your opponent one less thing to worry about. Keep doing that and you’ll be playing Jonah Barrington MBE squash in no time! And that gonna hurt, believe me.

Build trust in your ability to hit a ball well. That’s an easy thing to say, I know. But I’m not talking about game-day confidence. Two things have to come together: the practice you’ve put in and your focus during the rally.

• If I get to hit two drives in a row - in a solo session, drill or match, I want the second to be better than the first (whatever “better” means at that instant). I don’t want to squander the chance to hit a better one than I did last time. Better and better.

• If I’m doing that little corner volley practice, I’m listening for the sound of the ball on my racquet and trying to flatten out any hisses. Again and again.

• If I’m ghosting into my backhand and my knee isn’t coming as far forward as it does on my forehand, I work on getting lower. Over and over.

Was Gertrude Stein a top-ranked squash player? No, of course not. Don’t talk crazy. Would she have liked the game? Probably not. But when she wrote, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” she meant that there is no repetition, only insistence.