Professional Squash Coach

Should I get a Coaching Session ?

If you are looking to improve your squash game (and I'm guessing that you are), then here are my thoughts :-

Playing a game of squash is great excersise and fun, and basically that's why we love the game, for exactly those two reasons. But playing games will only improve your squash slowly, as you are more foucsed on winning rather than deveopment.

This is why taking the occasional coaching session can really help improve your game much more quickly. We can take the time to look at what you are trying to do. You might think that is obvious, but really knowing exactly where you want to be placing the ball and even where it should bounce to get there - this is a key aspect of the game. And it's only after understanding this, that you can really pratice it! And you can only take the time to pratice it (and be prepared to make mistakes) when you are not playing a game (and not overly concerened with winning the point or making any mistakes).

See: Nicol's Top Ten Tips.

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Session Prices

Adults (18 and over)

For sessions of around 1 hour, the first session costs are :-

1 person = $40 total
2 people = $50 total ($25.00 each)
3+ people = $60 total ($20.00 each)

And then for any regular/repeat sessions (within 2 weeks or so), you get a discount of $10 for a 1 person lesson (bringing it down to $30), or $5 per person for the multi-person sessions.

Juniors (under 18)

The costs for any junior sessions are the same as above, but with the discount for all sessions.

If you have a junior that is interested in trying squash, also see if you can bring a friend, someone from their same school - it's more fun when they can play in a group and you could even start a school team!

Also see the website for junior squash in Rochester :- SquashRocs

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Coaching Sessions

Individual or group training, from beginner to advanced levels, basic swing/shot technique, court movement and positioning, fitness, drills and match play…

Please feel free to call me anytime about organising any training session. I may also be available at quite short notice, the same day or even within the hour - just try me.

If you are more interested in working on swing/shot technique, then you will benefit more from 1 or 2 person sessions.

Although I would claim that a 'squash' swing is much easier than a 'tennis' swing, it is still very important that you do swing in the correct way and use good mechanics. There can be a large amount of energy involved in a squash shot, so it is important that this is not directed into your joints, to avoid injury. I have worked with several people that have played squash for some years, but have injured themselves through bad technique. One of the attractions of squash should be the lack of injuries that it produces, because it is supposed to be a very natural style of movement and shot making.

If you are looking for more movement, fitness, drills or match play, then the 3 and 4 person sessions can work well for you.

In my sessions I like to use a variety of 'training aids', as I find that they can really help isolate whatever aspect is being worked on, and that really helps you:
1) understand what you are supposed to do,
2) get positive feedback when you do what you are supposed to do !

Any session can also be videoed and made available for watching on your computer (not via youtube !). This really is the best form of feedback. Do ask about it when booking a session to ensure that I bring the camera.

Finally, and most importantly, sessions should be fun !

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Session Options/Suggestions

Sessions can comprise of a variety of elements, as mentioned above. If there is some particular area that you would like to work on, just let me know, but sessions do not need to be planned in advance

Here are some suggestions of the types of sessions we can do:

Getting Started

Aimed at the complete beginner and suitable for multiple players (up to 4). We will start at the very beginning and go from explaining all the rules of the game through to playing a natural 'squash' shot, court positioning/movement and play some games.

If you have a small group interested in this session, then it may be worth making a block booking of 4 sessions to really get you all off to the best start possible for playing squash.

The Improver

A mix of drilling (to gain accuracy and consistancy of shots), movement (to help improve your efficiency and understanding of the court area), fitness (a key part of the game) and game play - the 'fun' part of squash. You decide the session make-up, 15 or 20 mins of each…

The kilo'cal (aka. killer cal)

It is said that you can burn 1000 calories in 1 hour of squash - this is the session for that. A group of 3 or 4 people are required for this session and it is not suitable for beginners. Players need to be able to hit basic shots from the front and middle of the court, but do not need to be good in the back corners. You do need to be willing to work hard !