Squash Articles

Deception and Tactical Patterns

by Cliff Wenn, Maugus Club Squash Director

I'm often asked by students to teach them how to play deceptive shots or how to be ‘tricky'.

We all can incorporate better deception into our games by understanding how changing an established tactical pattern of play can deceive our opponents. For example, if when answering a boast to the forehand front corner, your replies had been mostly crosscourts - a simple straight drive can surprise your opponent. This form of deception (changing a tactical pattern of play) is a simple and effective method to add to your game, and one that applies to players of all levels.

What exactly is deception? In practical terms, deception is when your opponent has difficulty reading your choice of shots. The element of surprise can be achieved either accidentally or by choice. I will be concentrating on the latter in this article.

Most players underutilize deception in their squash games. Aside from upsetting your opponents' rhythm and confidence, there are two main advantages for using deception: 1. To make your opponent expend more energy, and 2. To make your opponent late in retrieving your shots. There are three fundamental means of adding deception to your game, which are: 1. Abrupt tactical pattern changes (deception occurs after the ball has been struck). & 2. Static biomechanics - (i.e. hold, shielding the ball - deception occurs before the forward swing is initiated). 3. Dynamic biomechanical changes (i.e. fakes, topspin, wrong side of the racquet, etc. - deception occurs during the strike).

For the purpose of this article, I will only be concentrating on the first point - abrupt tactical pattern changes. Here are some tactical deception tips for you to try your next time out on the squash court. I have geared them to the various skill levels:

3.5 & lower: Drive - Drop Deception off the Boast:

To achieve deception play approximately 80% drives versus 20% straight drops. Establish the drives as the dominant shot and occasionally play the drop. Even if your drop is not particularly good opponents at this level often will wait in the backcourt.

4.0: Straight Drop - Crosscourt Lob off the Boast:

At this level, establish the straight drop off the boast, and continue playing it until your opponent starts rushing forward; then change to a crosscourt lob. Often opponents are quick enough to get to the drops but have difficulty when you change ball direction. This tactic helps you develop greater awareness of your opponent's position.

4.5: Backcourt Combination:

During a backcourt rally where you hit mostly boasts or straight, suddenly change to crosscourt or a skid boast (played

high off the side wall much further up than a normal boast). If played unexpectedly, this change of shot direction can be deadly. Do not try this with a cold ball.

5.0: Half-Volley Working Boast:

When your opponent hits a short straight drive, quickly strike the ball after the bounce for a boast. Often your opponent will not expect you to play the ball so early and will lose a half-step. Gogi Allaudin, former world #2 in the 70s, used this shot to break his opponent's stamina and rhythm.

5.5 & up: Stun Drive /Short Angle off a Straight Drive :

Off a slow- or medium-paced straight drive, hit a short stun drive or a short angle (a short angle is basically a hard, low, trickle boast played from the T or deeper in the court). Shape your racquet as you normally do and your opponent will tend to read a straight length instead. Former World Champion Rodney Eyles used the short angle very effectively to send opponents scrambling up.

The idea behind deceptive combinations is to lure your opponent into thinking that you almost always play a certain pattern and then change it at a critical moment. Apply these tactical shot-combination patterns to your game and you should see immediate results. You will enjoy watching your opponent run the wrong way!

Note: For a future article, I will introduce how to execute static biomechanical changes and also how to integrate them into your game.

Deception Part II – Static Biomechanic Changes

by Cliff Wenn, Maugus Club Squash Director

In my first article on deception, I introduced the concept of deception by establishing a tactical pattern of play & then simply changing that pattern. This is the simplest form of deception & can be immediately utilized and integrated into anyone's game by the application of the right tactics/shot choices.

Deception using static biomechanics is where the deception occurs before the forward swing is actually initiated.

As a review, deception is when your opponent thinks your shot is going to one part of the court and then it goes the opposite way. Or it can be that your opponent believes that you will play a certain kind of shot and you play something else instead. How do we achieve this with static biomechanics, and what really is this?

Remember, deception is best attempted when your good basic fundamental shots (e.g. straight drive or good deep crosscourt) have won you an open ball.

Trying to use deception when you are off balance or in a defensive position is not usually a good idea. You should also be early onto the ball. The most common types of deception using static biomechanics are: a) the hold, b) shielding the ball, c) looking the other way from your intended shot, d) altering your stance, e) changing the starting point/position of your racket, & f) hitting the ball at a different contact point in reference to your body. Any of the above can be used in combination with one another to greater effect. Deception may or may not win you the point, but over the course of a match it can serve to tire out your opponent, forcing to initially start out in one direction and then having to push off to change direction abruptly.

I will now define and elaborate on these various types of static deception:

• The Hold – Upon arriving early to the ball, have your racket up and prepared and freeze for a moment before striking the ball at a later point than normal. This will upset your opponent's rhythm and timing and may cause him/her to second guess where your ball is going. If you vary the time when you strike the ball from time to time, you will keep your opponent unbalanced.

• Shielding the ball – If you are able to put your body between your opponent and his/her view of the ball while preparing to hit the ball you may be able to delay your opponent's first step a half second or so as they will not be able to see the actual striking of the ball. This is usually best achieved from in front of the ‘T'.

• Looking the other way while hitting – This is most effective in the front of the court while retrieving a loose drop shot near one of the corners. For example, looking left while intending to hit the ball right and turning the body that way before the strike can fake out an opponent if executed correctly.

• Altering your stance – This can be used from anywhere in the court, but is best utilized once a fairly long rally has been in progress. Let's say that a rally includes several long exchanges of straight drives & cross courts and suddenly you close off your stance as if indicating a boast, but then hit another straight drive. This could cause your opponent to take a step towards the front of the court expecting the boast, and then have to back track for the straight drive which would now be in the back corner. Also, try this in the front of the court faking a roll corner and hitting a drop or short rail.

• Changing the starting point/position of your racket – Once example: Let's say on approaching a rather high drop at the front of the court that you keep your racket low to the ground instead of prepared where you normally would have it. This would look like your intention is to re-drop the ball – your intention is to flick the ball deep. Another effective method is to aim your racket in one direction while aligning up for your shot and then execute your shot in the opposite direction.

• Hitting the ball at a different contact point in reference to your body – This is a bit more advanced, but you could take the ball more in front, or behind, or left or right of your body for different effects. It is best to combine this with altering your stance. You can even approach the ball in a zigzag pattern to the front, slightly mesmerizing your opponent.

Here are some of the above tips pertinent to the skill levels:

2.5 & under: Shielding the ball, as long as you do clear out after you hit the ball may be the best one to start experimenting with.

3.5 & under: Trying to develop a convincing hold will help to tire out your opponent or keep him/her starting out in the wrong direction. Altering your stance at various points of a rally and not always playing the same shots when you do alter your stance can be very effective.

4.0: When early to the front use the set up position of your racket and your body to mislead your opponent. Twist your head, shoulders and hips to the left & then hit the ball to the right. If you can continually fake out your opponent you might be up for an Oscar.

4.5 & higher: At this level seek to not only utilize one of these types of deception but also to combine them and integrate them into your normal game. Experiment with various combinations until you find one that is the most effective and then personalize it and make it your own.

The next time you play your regular opponent use him/her as a guinea pig to test out what works and what doesn't work. And, keep things fresh by constantly changing and not choosing the same shot in the same situation. Always keep them guessing!

Next time, I will write about the most difficult type of deception, ‘dynamic biomechanical changes'. This is where the deception occurs during the strike.

Have fun and experiment with this on court!