Serious Squash Presents: The Secrets Of Solo Hitting (HD Stream & Download)

The video is finally ready for purchase. This is a 1 hour comprehensive instructional solo hitting video is aimed towards intermediate to advanced players as well as coaches. This is an excellent video for anyone keen to learn how to improve their solo practice and their squash game. The 3 sections in this video include 1) Drives 2) Midcourt/Volleys and 3) Short Game. I share over 30 of my favourite solo videos in these 3 sections. I also discuss how to set up technical tests and how to use this data to set goals and monitor your progress. After purchasing you will receive a streaming window within the webpage hosted by Vimeo which you can stream and there will be a and link which will allow you to download the video for safe keeping. Please do not share the video on any social media sites as this was a huge project. Thanks for your support and I hope you enjoy the video. Practice Smarter and Play Better Squash starting today!

Here's the link to the video: SeriousSquashShop.com/collections/coaching-videos

Below is an in-depth preview of the film.

Serious Squash Coaching Videos Coming Soon!

I'm constantly trying to expand and explore new avenues with Serious Squash. I've decided that a next step is to produce some longer coaching videos to put all of my knowledge in specific areas into 1 place. My plan is to record a mini series of 12 episodes and release 1 each month. I've got a tripod on the way and am working on an intro video as we speak. Here's a peak at the 1st draft of it. Let me know what you think.

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

I've already got my 12 topics decided and I think they will provide a lot of information to those who are looking for another way to improve their squash game.

I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to release the videos and what the cost will be, but I will try and make it simple, affordable and most importantly extremely effective for helping to improve your squash game. If you have any feedback or suggestions please feel free to contact me at info@serioussquash.com. Hopefully I will be able to release my 1st video this spring. And in case you're wondering, I will continue to post free blog write ups and videos on my Youtube channel (cchsquashpro), Instagram and Facebook page. Hopefully the best is yet to come from Serious Squash and thanks to all of you that have supported me thus far and especially to those of you that have bought some merch from the Serious Squash Shop!

New Serious Squash Skill Challenge Trailer

AS most of you already know, I recently signed a contract with Eye Rackets and I've been working on some skill challenges. I have put together a 1 minute trailer of some of the skill challenged I will be releasing shortly. Here's the video if you'd like to take a peak.

Until this Monday night at midnight there is a Thanksgiving sale on at SeriousSquashShop.com Use the code 'burntturkey' and receive 20% off your order! No better time to preorder the 2nd edition Serious Squash Tee or get a new hoodie!

Serious Squash Updates

Since I designed my first shirt about 4 months ago a lot has changed with the Serious Squash Shop. I really only started all of this because of my knee surgery and the time I was forced to take away from the game; well I guess I wasn't totally away from the game, just off court and not coaching.

My first clothing began with just 4 colours of the original 'Dominate The T' shirt and eventually I decided to add a black tee and some tank tops. I now have 5 different versions/colours of hats (yes, I love hats!). I ordered 100 bandanas custom made in California with an original logo I had designed by a friend at Merch Asylum (seen below) in the UK which has positive thought statements built into the design. I got 4 colours of the bandanas printed. A goal of mine was to produce gear that helped you perform better; whether it was the statement on the back of the original tee that reads' if you can read this I'm winning,' or the sport psych wristbands or this Merch designed logo.

I have so many styles and sizes of sport psych wristbands I can't even count them all. I used some of the most powerful statements for me which I hope will inspire other people when they wear them to stay positive, work harder, or be more aggressive, to play smarter or to focus.

I just recently got in the 1st batch of hoodies on 4 different colours. This was a test batch to see what they were like and how'd they sell. The verdict is positive so far and I've just recently placed a 2nd order for these. This time I've done the logo all in 1 colour which I think will show up well on a variety of different coloured hoodies.

Recently I have also designed a 2nd tee. This one has 'Serious Squash' on the back and the phrase 'Seriously Sick Skills' written around the base of the standard Serious Squash logo on the front. I've again used various colours to create some sharp looking gear.

I had an idea not too long ago to design some 'golden tickets.' So although they do not get you a tour of the Serious Squash factory! They do get you 50% off your next order! What I'm going to do is place them randomly in approximately 1 out of every 10 orders. So anytime you place an order you have a 10% chance of getting 1 of these golden tickets. This is just 1 of the ways I will be trying to have some fun with the social media marketing and hopefully spreading the word of Serious Squash and gaining repeat customers (I've already had quite a few so I'm happy about that).

On top of all the gear I've been adding to the shop I also designed some backpacks. The backpacks were not for sale, they were given to the top Serious Squash sponsored athletes. Yes, that's correct if you haven't heard I now have a team of 8 players that I sponsor with free or discounted gear depending on their level and ranking.

Serious Squash is also a sponsor of the Victoria Junior Squash League and the Women's Squash League here in Victoria. I feel it's really important to invest in squash and help ensure the success of these events.

While working on the shop I've been also getting things going with Eye Rackets. I just signed my contract with them a couple of weeks ago. They were really keen to join forces with me and Serious Squash. They loved what I was doing with my blog and videos and wanted to be a part of it. It feels great to have a company that wants to take part in something fresh and new and believe in what I'm doing. I feel they are extremely supportive of my creativity and of course I wouldn't have signed with them if I didn't love their racquets. I'm hopeful one day to have a Serious Squash model :) How cool would that be? I don't really want to get too big or popular though. I prefer having a small group of loyal followers and keep this is a hobby and keep it all light and fun. It's easy to get wrapped up into the seriousness of squash training and competing and I'm hoping to maintain a bit of balance between skill improvement and fun. That's why we all started in the first place.

I thought it was worth a quick update on what's been happening with Serious Squash. And I guess this is why I haven't written as many blog posts recently. I still am coaching as well and running a pretty large junior program so needles to say I've been keeping busy. I'll get back to more posts when creativity strikes and I have the time to explain it in writing. Until then be sure to check out all the new gear in the shop at SeriousSquashShop.com Since you actually read right to the end use the code 'SSROCKS' and receive 15% off any order! Thanks so much for reading, following and supporting Serious Squash.

Introducing The 2016/2017 Serious Squash Team

Recently I've started offering Serious Squash sponsorships. You can look back a few posts if you're curious what each of the 3 tiers entitle. Here I am to release the current list of Serious Squash sponsored athletes with a short bio of each member. Each payer will be posting at least 1 skill challenge this season so be sure to follow Serious Squash on Instagram (#serioussquash), Facebook (Facebook.com/serioussquash) or my Youtube channel (cchsquashpro) to see how the kids stack up to me ;) If you'd like to apply to join our Team there is still time. Send an email to info@serioussquash.com to apply. Now let's meet the current 2016/2017 Serious Squash Team.

Gold Team Members 
Curtis Malik - Sussex, England, 17 years old
Racquet: Mantis Power 110 2 (blue)    Home Club: K2 Crawley
Favourite Solo Drill: Figure 8's and hitting nicks.
Favourite Skill Challenge: 4 Corner Figure 8's/Butterfly
Career Highlights: English Junior Winner in the U13's, U15's and runner up in the U17's. British Junior Championships - U13 Winner. U17 3rd place. Has been ranked #1 in the U13, U15 and U17. Just joined the PSA world tour.

Tom Schreurs - Netherlands, 15 years old
Racquet: Dunlop Force 125    Home Club: Meersquash And Activity
Career Highlights: Junior National Champion in U13, U15, and U17. European U15 ranking last season - 4th. Other U15 results: 2nd at Belgian Junior Open, 3rd at Swiss Junior Open and 4th at Nordic Junior Open.

Gabriel Yun - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 13 years old.
Racquet: Harrow Spark     Home Club: Sport Central
Favourite Solo Drill:  Figure 8's  Favourite Skill Challenge: Hitting Nicks!
Career Highlights: 2nd place at U13 Nationals Last Season. Represented Team Canada at the Battle Of The Borders in August.

Silver Team Members
Sam Scivier - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 16 years old
Racquet: Harrow Vapor       Home Club: Jericho Tennis Club
Favourite Solo Drill:   Figure 8's with nicks!  Favourite Skill Challenge: Off the back wall, through the legs figure 8 to behind the back figure 8.
3rd in U17 at Alberta Jesters in 2015 and 2nd in the BC Junior Closed last season. Currently ranked 6th in the U17 in Canada. Ranked 2nd in British Columbia in the U17.

Alex Brown - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 12 years old
Racquet: Black Knight Quicksilver    Home Club: St. Michaels University School
Favourite Solo Drill: Figure 8's  Favourite Skill Challenge:
Career Highlights: The one lefty on the Serious Squash Team! Alex finished tied for 7th in the U13 Nationals last season and 2nd at the Provincials. She is currently ranked in the top 5 in Canada. She was on Team Canada at the Battle Of The Borders in August. She is one of the hardest workers on the team that I coach. This year she will be going overseas and competing in the British and Scottish Junior Open.

Bronze Team Members
Matias Totz - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 14 years old
Racquet: Dunlop Tour Elite    Home Club: St. Michaels University School
Favourite Solo Drill: Continuous Volleys  Favourite Skill Challenge: "All of Mr. Serious Squash Instagram Posts"
Career Highlights: One of the top boys in British Columbia in the U15 division. Matias is a boy I currently coach and is in grade 9. He's a hard worker, dedicated to improving his squash game, thinks he's really funny and has the potential to become a Canadian champ one day. Lucky for Matias he has a good coach ;)

Thomas Porter - Ontario, Canada. 16 years old.
Racquet: Oliver   Home Club: Ottawa Athletic Club
Favourite Solo Drill: Mid court volley drives Favourite Skill Challenge: Off the back wall, through the legs figure 8 to behind the back figure 8.
Career Highlights: Tom has been playing for 6 years and is one of the young bright stars on the Ontario Junior circuit. He is a big fan of Serious Squash and has progressed from beginner to one of the top competitive juniors in the Ottawa and district area.

Mario Ramirez - Canary Island, Spain. 21 years old.
Racquet: University of Las Palmas Home Club: Salming Fusion Aero Vetan
Favourite Solo Drill: Crosscourt Nicks.
Career Highlights: #1 of Gran Canaria and Canary Champion.

The Serious Squash Shop Golden Ticket

Starting October 1st Serious Squash Shop will have a limited amount of golden tickets that will be randomly added to approximately 1 out of every 10 orders. Each golden ticket contains a unique code for 50% off your next order. Get your order in at SeriousSquashShop.com

Serious Squash Is Now Accepting Sponsorship Applications

Serious Squash is all about growing squash and sharing my passion. It's still early in the stages of Serious Squash, but I am now offering sponsorships and officially accepting applications. Here are the different levels and the qualifications necessary for each level. 

Gold Package Qualifications: Professional player, top collegiate player, top 3 junior national ranking in your age group or family :) What you get (annually): 3 shirts or tank tops, 1 hat, 1 hoodie, 5 wristbands, 5 bandanas, plus any additional items I design over the current season. Includes free shipping and a Team Serious Squash backpack. Approximate retail value: $400+. Limited to 3 players per season. 

Silver Package Qualifications: Competitive collegiate player, top 8 junior national ranking in your age group or club pro. What you get: anything you want at a 50% discount from retail price. You are responsible to cover the cost of shipping. 

Bronze Package Qualifications: Competitive on the junior circuit with an outstanding work ethic, exhibits exemplary sportsmanship and who I deem has a lot of potential. What you get: 35% off retail price on anything you would like to order. Limited to 3 orders per year. You are responsible to cover the cost of shipping. 

If you would like to be one of the first Serious Squash ambassadors please feel free to send me an email at info@serioussquash.com and introduce yourself. Please tell me about your squash career and why you believe you would be a good spokesperson for Serious Squash. And yes, if you're wondering a skill challenge is a requirement of all sponsored athletes :)

24 Hour Serious Squash Tank Top Sale

Right now there is a 24 hour sale on ladies tank tops at SeriousSquashShop.com Enter the code 'tank25off' at checkout and receive 25% off your purchase. There are 3 styles to choose from! Retail is $29.99 but after the discount code they are just $22.49! Sale ends at on the 25th at midnight. See the video clip and pics before or visit the online store for a better look at the tanks!

Serious Squash Wristband: Pick The Winners Of The Hong Kong Open

I'm having a SeriousSquashShop.com contest for the 1st event of the year! Select the winners and finalists of the HKO for the men and women with game score and you could win your wristband of choice. Only 1 entry per person. You can email your selection to info@serioussquash.com or leave a note below. You must get your picks in before the start of the 2nd round in 24 hours from now (the 1st round is already half done).

Here's a link to the draws: http://www.squashsite.co.uk/hk/draws.htm

Good luck to all of you!

Mindfullness

Today I'm finally getting around to a post on mindfulness. I found notes in a journal I wrote as a kid about some of my goals and it included meditation and learning to control my mind. As a kid I struggled with visualization and controlling my emotions when I played. Generally it does get better with age and experience, but I still believe there are lots of ways that we as coaches can help our athletes train and improve their mental game. Some people seem to be naturally gifted at staying positive and giving a 100% effort, or for maintaining their focus. I unfortunately was not one of those that found the mental game natural or easy to improve.

In retrospective it's simple to look back on previous matches and years of tournaments and come up with a more positive learning experience and outlook for them. I think I struggled with the mental side when I was younger because I thought I could get where I wanted simply by working hard and putting in the time. I know now that more isn't always better and it's not always about trying harder. Often in matches I would have a tactic and not stick to it and get upset at myself. Other times I would play 1 style of play and not adjust regardless of what was happening. I always tried to play perfect squash and when things started to unwind a bit I would make things even worse by getting angry. Any of these scenarios sound familiar?

I remember when I was a junior being asked to visualize myself play a match and I could never imagine myself playing well and winning points. Since I couldn't picture myself playing as well as I actually could in real life so I quickly abandoned this approach and I know now that this just meant I had lots of room for improvement. Imagery, staying positive, confidence, handing pressure, managing emotions and staying focused are all things I've struggled with over the years and especially as a kid. Thankfully there is a thing called wisdom.

Over the past few years I've read a lot of books on sport psychology and mostly from experience I have learned to compose myself and control my emotions better on court. I've learned an approach that works best for me and it's about never getting angry for missing my target and only focusing on making good decisions. Nowadays I can get over missed shots far quicker and even poor selections because I understand how many decisions are made in a single point and even though I've played squash for most of my life, I still make some poor choices. You can see how psychological draining this game can be if you go in with the wrong mindset.

Most of us take our loses way harder than we should and we have trouble seeing that they provide the best opportunities for us to learn. This reminds me of John Wooden's quote where he says that 'the only thing worse than losing too much is winning too much.' When I was a kid I never would believe that quote, but I do see the wisdom in it now. Don't get me wrong, I still hate to lose, but when I recap what happened I always focus on the process and learn from it. Winning all the time can feed into your ego and makes you play squash focusing on the outcome as opposed to the process. Don't get too comfortable and afraid of losing sometimes, believe it or not it's good for you!

Okay, so let's get back on the topic of mindfulness again; I first heard of this approach in sport from Phil Jackson in his book Sacred Hoops. I thought it was such a unique idea so the next time I went on court I tried to play like this. By mistake I misinterpreted mindfulness for 'mindless' and so I went out trying to keep my head completely blank; safe to say it didn't go well! I didn't really give mindfulness too much thought for awhile longer until I read an article on Novak Djokovic and how he practices mindfulness for 15 minutes everyday. A couple of months later I find George Mumford's book which is titled The Mindful Athlete (pictured above). Mumford is the sport psychologist that Jackson referred to earlier in his book and he worked with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant along with many other top athletes. Finally Mumford was able to clarify a lot about mindfulness and what it is and isn't and how to practice it.

Mumford talks about how mindfulness if learning to quiet the mind through meditation and with lots of practice you can learn to become better equipped at emptying your mind when it's carrying around destructive thoughts that we habitually have. I think this is where Djokovic is at now; he is able to keep his mind out of the way in the pressure of competition and instead of focusing on staying positive or some other sport psych phenomenon he is able to get his mind into the right zone or mindset which allows him to play his best. It's quieting the distractions and just playing. The more control you have over your thoughts and focus the quicker you can catch yourself drifting and losing your train of thought and the better able you are to get yourself back into this optima performance zone.

When you are in the zone and mindful your focus is taking in the optimal percentage of internal and external stimuli without being consciously aware of this so you can pick up only what is relevant to the task at hand. Mumford also talks about how enjoying and having fun playing is the best method for competing with a mindful state. This must be an terribly challenging thing for people that once played for the love of the game, but now play for other external reasons. If money or stats if your focus when you play your mindset isn't going to be optimal for playing your best. Of course we want to win a trophy or prize money so how do we not focus on that? I believe that the more pressure that is on the line the more important mindfulness becomes to an athlete. I also believe that an athlete needs to be introduced to this skill earlier than later as it takes years to really master, just like any other skill. Regardless of the sport it will be interesting to see how the Olympians deal with the pressures in Rio.

So where do you go from here? Well you can ask yourself if you're having trouble with your nerves, focus, confidence, emotions or the ability to play your best in tournament play. If you answered yes to any of these maybe it's time to start spending a few minutes per day meditating. I've read a number of books on zen and I know there are certain ways you should sit and breathe, but I feel you can personalize this to your needs and ability. If sitting or lying down works better for you try that. Some people like to keep their eyes open while others closed. You may notice that your mind is full of ideas and you're having a lot of trouble sitting still let alone focusing on what you're doing at that very moment (which of course is not exciting!). It's an amazingly difficult yet simple concept which is an integral step to becoming more mindful when you compete.

One thing I did the other day which I'm a big fan of is floating. Below is a picture of a float tank which I find makes relaxing and meditating a bit easier. There is no worrying about how long you've been meditating for as you simply sit in the tank until the music begins to play an hour and fifteen minutes later. The tank is also a sensory deprivation tank which means the water is kept at your body temperature and because of the large quantity of epsom salt you float so you cannot feel anything. It's also pitch dark and quiet so it's an ideal setting for focusing on your breathing, relaxing and being mindful. Because you book the time you don't procrastinate about doing it and you turn your phone off so there's no distractions. There's no cheating and looking at the clock or sending a quick text. If you're having trouble meditating I suggest you find a local float tank deprivation centre and give it a try. I often find the time flies by when I float.

When it comes to meditating at home I like to set my timer for 15 minutes first thing when I get up and just sit there. If my thoughts begin to drift off to my breakfast or what I have to do that day I will focus on my breathing and maybe even begin to count my breaths. As you do this your focus becomes more in the present and mindful. I've gotten better at this, but it really is something I will always have to practice if I want to learn how to spend more time in the present and control my thoughts, emotions, breathing and focus. Some of us lose our concentration easier than others and if you do I think you will also find this extremely challenging, but also very beneficial when you begin to see improvements in your focus and squash game.

I still think the mental game is an area that we know less about compared to other areas of sport training. It's also still an area that is difficult to teach because some athletes don't buy into it or take it seriously. It can also be difficult taking into account for individual differences. Only you know what you're thinking when you're training and competing and the first step is becoming aware of your thoughts, both destructive and positive ones. I believe coaches have a responsibility to introduce this topic, but it's up to the individual athletes to do this on their own time. If you feel the mental game is your weakest point you should make this your top priority on your training program.

Do you sign a song in your head to distract yourself when you compete? I know a number of people who do this and I think this is just a crutch and isn't the optimal focus for playing your best squash; it just represents the trouble we have quieting our mind and finding a consistent level headed mindset for our matches. I believe this stems from the over stimulation we deal with as early as we are born. Kid toys are not basic stuffed animals anymore because most kids would prefer something that beeps and has lights. Eventually kids see a television or video games and of course cell phones. We have all fallen into these devices and I haven't looked into research, but I assume has repercussions for our psychological well-being and negatively impacts our mental game when we play sports which require a great deal on thought control. Technology has a lot of benefits, but will also make the ability to disassociate from them even more critical to our overall happiness, well-being and success on the squash court.

I really believe having a single tactical goal suits me best when I compete and I've played so much squash that if I'm in the right quiet mindset I will know how to adjust without overthinking things or getting upset for not making an adjustment quicker. I know in previous years I would play so narrow minded with a single tactic that I would fail to adapt my game properly and afterwards I would think to myself, 'why didn't I do this or that?' If you're in the right mindful mindset and you have the expertise I think you will be able to make these adjustments instinctively and much faster.

Lastly, don't forget that sports are supposed to be fun! If we try too hard and take things too seriously we will rarely be in our optimal zone for playing our best squash. This is why I designed my most recent sport psych wristband slogan that says, 'play smarter, not harder' (a pic of a similar band is below). I think a lot of us competitive people focus so much on winning that we fall into this trap and according to Mumford is not the optimal state of mind for playing in the zone and mindful.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this article. I find mindfulness and sport psychology fascinating. Please feel free to share your experiences on this subject and any other interesting reads you've come across. And don't forget to check out my new online squash gear store at SeriousSquashShop.com and get yourself a sport psych wristband! Play Smarter, Not Harder

The Theory Behind Sport Psychology Wristbands

I filmed a short video blog on the theory behind the sport psychology wristbands I've designed. I take a look at each design and describe how they can enable you to get more out of your training and perform better in competition. Here's the video: 

Let me know what you think and of course check out SeriousSquashShop.com to order a wristband or 2!

Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off

Today I try my 2nd video blog! Some of it is better (the lighting and larger screen), but I don't like how Apple TV pauses the screen so I'll adjust again for the next one. I'm still learning how to do this so just like everything it will get better with practice. I hope that what I like in video and lighting skills I can make up for in content for the time being.

Anyways, I digress. Today I discuss when it's more ideal to hit it with pace and when it's better to take some pace off the ball. I also talk about what pace of play suits your athletic ability and body type. Here's the video. Let me know what you think.

Also, don't forget to check out my new store SeriousSquashShop.com. There's lots of cool gear and you can now also purchase video analysis and gift certificates so there's something for everyone!

Explaining The Subtleties Of Attacking Drives

Instead of writing a few hundred words trying to explain my point I decided to do a short video and explain my blog today. I should first apologize for the poor quality by the filming crew, but I hope the content is expressed well. Sit back and watch and listen.

What do you guys think? Did this make sense? How many of you are aware of these subtle changes you should make depending on the drive you're about to hit? It's not just about hitting it to the back corner and hoping for the best. Learn how to create pressure and why it happens.

Even if you miss your targets, but they are correct spots you are well ahead of the game. Think about this the next time you do some rotating drives or boost drive.

If you haven't done so yet, please check out my new online squash clothing store at SeriousSquashShop.com I'll be adding lots of product to it over the summer and it's only just getting going. Squash clothing doesn't need to be so bland anymore, am I right?

Serious Squash Shop Is Live

Serious Squash Shop is now officially launched. Check it out for cool custom squash gear. I'll be constantly working on the site and improving the pictures and adding stock so check back regularly. Please feel free to contact me at info@serioussquash.com if you have any questions! Thanks for your support!!!