How To Keep Your Resolutions

Although it isn't quite 2015 it's already time to be thinking about what you want to do different and better in the New Year. It's time to start thinking about our resolutions! We've all tried some New Year resolutions in the past and I don't know the statistics, but I know most of us don't keep up with them. Why is that? Are we setting unreasonable goals or do we end up losing focus and motivation?

I know many of you haven't even made up your resolutions for the New Year. So you better get on that. This post will not only give you some ideas, but will also give you some tips on keeping your resolutions.

The end of the holidays and the start of the New Year is a great time to make a change. We can start with a clean slate so to speak. Most of us ate poorly and too much, and also didn't get enough exercise over the holidays and are motivated to make a change. We can set outcome goals for the New Year just like we do in squash. For example, you want to lose a certain amount of weight, be able to do so many pushups. For squash we may want to move up a level or a spot on our league team. We may want to get up to a certain ranking position. Whatever our outcome goals are, we have to remember that it's our process goals that get us there.

Process and outcome goals are both important. If we have a bad day at the gym or on court we have to keep our focus on the long term goals and not get too upset about a poor performance. If you get down after missing a session or two or having a bad loss it's easy to think you can't do this and give up on your resolutions and goals altogether. It takes a lot of perseverance to stick to your resolutions through think and thin. This is the main reason why so many people inevitably don't stick with their New Year's resolutions.

On top of not having process goals and a mapped out plan to achieve your outcome goals, many people also don't set an ending to their goals. Yes, you want to get stronger, but how strong? And when do you want to be this strong by? I always like having a big tournament as my focus. Instead of just working away at your goals with no foreseeable end in sight, try and set a specific date for your resolution. This will keep you more focused and working hard up until that time.

When someone tries to set a resolution about changing their diet, what they eat or drink or to quit smoking these again often fail. How much joy do you get from withholding from this habit to engaging in it? This is a tough thing to deal with each day. One day you will likely be unhappy or having a bad day and then your resolution is gone. If you are trying to make a major life changing resolution you'll need to prepare for tough days. Put up some pictures or encouraging statements around your house and the office. Use a reward system for each day or week you stick with your resolution. As time goes by it should become easier. But this is slightly off the topic of today, so let's move on.

What I want to discuss today is how you can improve your chances of sticking with your resolutions. In particular squash and training resolutions. There are a number of ways to improve your odds of sticking with your new set of goals. Here's a few.

1) Set up a workout/squash partner with daily or weekly times. It i very challenging to keep up a routine on your own. If you find a workout partner you will be more accountable and will also have someone to push you when you're not as motivated that day.

2) Set up a weekly session with a personal trainer or squash coach. Again this will hold you accountable and they will ensure you are pushed. You don't want to waste their time or your money. A trainer and coach can also help you set up a plan to help you achieve the goals you have set. So share them and they will be a big help on your journey.

3) Join a weekly fitness class. This is another way to be more accountable. Many people think they can do everything their own. We are use to doing this as squash players. But it's much easier if you have a set time and day to do it and a group to do it with. Most of us work harder if we have the eye of an instructor on us and other people working hard all around us. There are many classes around these days so find one that you like.

4) Pick a finishing time for your goals. You don't need to do the same type of training all year round. Pick a tournament a few months away or a big occasion (like a wedding) that you want to achieve your goals by. As I mention above, this will help keep you focused, working hard and on track. You will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel on those tough days.

5) Set reasonable and challenging goals. Some people try and do too much or set too many goals. If you pick 1 or 2 important goals and focus on them you will be more likely to achieve them. They must be challenging and you should believe that if you work hard you can achieve them.

6) Pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day! You need to have balance in life. The gyms and squash courts will be packed at the beginning or January. Everyone will be out in full force working extremely hard. Many will overdo it. They will get injured, sick or fatigued. You need to slowly build up how much and hard you train. This is why a coach or personal trainer are so helpful to achieving your goals. I like to think of lacing yourself in numbers. If you added just 1x1 hour solo hitting to your training program what would that really do? If you average hitting 1 ball per second, that's 3,600 in an hour. If you keep that up for a year it's 187,200. You can see how something that seems like a small change can have a major impact on your squash game over time. Start small and build up and you'll get results.

7) Set short term goals building up to your long term goals. Have a set goal for the end of each week or month. These small improvements add up over time. It's a gradual process. Don't be discouraged by a small gain. With perseverance great strides can be made possible.

8) Start a daily workout journal and monitor your progress. This can be a hand written one or an online one. The new iPhones have step counters on them and you can keep track of your running and cycling mileage. Keep track of your progress with an exercise log so you can see how much you've improved over time.

9) Make time for yourself. The biggest excuse for not getting enough exercise if the lack of time. There is always time. It may mean having to give up a half hour of your Netflix watching each night. You may have to get up early and do something before work. When you get into a routine it becomes manageable. If you can find a friend to do training with this will improve adherence. A lack of time is never a valid excuse.

10) Proper nutrition. This gives you the fuel to be more active on a daily basis. Try eating less sugar and snacks and you will feel better when you workout.

I feel many people don't keep their resolutions because they don't enjoy eating healthy food or being active. Maybe you just haven't found the right type of healthy food or exercise that you enjoy. Who didn't like playing sports as a kid? Cross training doesn't have to be boring. There are spin classes, boot camps, trx, pilates, and yoga classes, running clinics, pick up basketball and hockey games. Find something that you enjoy and if you can find someone to go with even better. Obviously if you're reading this you're likely already a squash player, but I believe that every squash player would benefit from some cross training. Maybe you're the type of person that likes change and trying a new class each week will suit you best. Whatever it is, once you get into your routine you will eventually start feeling better and have more energy. You will get to a point where you will not enjoy inactive days.

I'd love to hear what your resolutions are. I've heard that if you share your goals with people you are more likely to stick to them. So let's hear them!

Does a Slow or Bouncy Ball Suit Your Game?

Today I'm going to talk about how the ball changes the game. I discuss this a little in a previous post about controlling the weight of shot http://www.serioussquash.com/2015/01/controlling-weight-of-shot.html. Clearly the ball makes a big difference with this. A new ball is normally much bouncier. Does a hot and bouncy ball suit your game or does a cold ball? This probably also depends on who you're playing. Let's take a look at it in more detail.

I remember one time in college playing Colin West who hit the ball so hard it was bouncing like a racquet ball. This was the first time I noticed how much this could change the game. Of course, Colin always hits the ball this hard and was used to controlling the ball flying around super fast. I on the other hand had trouble just finding any type of length or even getting my racquet prepared on time. I noticed that if I got used to practicing with such a bouncy ball it would eliminate most of my competition. I started solo hitting a lot more and strengthened up my forearm and started getting comfortable controlling and cutting in drops shots with a very hot ball. This wasn't always easy to do as the courts I practiced on in London, Ontario were frigid in the winter months. Basically if the ball got to the back wall the player was lucky to dig it out straight. For this reason I also started practicing with blue dot balls on occasion. 

You can see from the above description that the ball temperature and what you're accustomed to makes a huge impact on your performance. If you're used to playing with a super hot and bouncy ball, or say at altitude and then you went and played at my freezing courts in London surely you would also have trouble adapting. So how can you prepare for this? Practicing with a bouncier ball is a good example, but it's difficult to go the other way. If you play at altitude or at a high level normally the ball will move quicker and you will be hitting the ball higher off the floor. How can you prepare for those frigid conditions? I have a couple of ideas you could try. 

First, you could play a match with 2 squash balls. You alternate after every rally and keep the other in your pocket. The balls will both stay warm, but not as bouncy as normal. Secondly, you can try playing some high games, so no pace is allowed. The issue with this idea is that yes the ball may not be as bouncy, but your also not hitting the ball like you would have to on a cold court. Of course you can also try and use some old squash balls, maybe even ones that have tiny breaks in the seam starting. You can also try playing or doing drills with someone that hits without any pace. This may be one of the older people at your club that play the old lob drop game. Finally, you could string your racquet tighter so you get more touch and less power. Other that that it's just helpful getting experience on playing in different climates and with different types of temperature or bounce of squash balls. 

So do you like playing with a hot ball? I do, because I'm used to it. I also find that it allows me to get most balls back, get to the ball early and is easier to delay and flick the ball. If you are a retriever, fit, or are deceptive you may prefer a hotter ball. With a colder ball or on a cover court, the ball bounces lower, the court plays bigger and you generally have less time to play your shot. This type of game is more about volleying and hitting dying length. A slow ball or court suits the lob and drop player and less so the fast and super fit one. If you have great control you will do well on colder courts, but on the flipped of this will not be able to cover the court as well as if the ball was warmer. When I see older or less mobile people play on colder courts or with a slow ball they often attack short on the return of serve and guess a lot. Of course with short rallies like this the ball stays freezing and it suits their games even more. But if these same people played with a bouncier ball they may enjoy the longer rallies and improved cardiovascular workout. 

So what suits your game? A bouncy or cold ball or court? Or is it likely somewhere in between? If you get on court with a really bouncy ball can you adjust the height and plane of your swing? How do you tactics change? If you play with a colder ball can you move your T position up as the court will play longer and with a hotter ball do you settle a little deeper into the T? If you've played a lot of squash you likely do some of these things instinctively. 

With the racquet and string technology, there almost needs to be an even slower ball then the double yellow dot. The low tin doesn't seem to be enough for top open level players on traditional courts. Even on the glass courts at the TOC last week some of the top players couldn't make it through a single game at the Motor City Open. This isn't good for squash or for the athletes. On a standard squash court with two hard hitting open level players the rallies are still often won or lost on mistakes. If you've ever seen pros play on a traditional panel or plaster court you'll know exactly what I mean. I'm sure this will be a change at some point in the professional and maybe even the top junior game. While at the amateur level many would be better off playing with a single yellow or blue dot. This is part of the reason it takes so long to hit a drive off of the back wall as someone progresses in squash; they just can't get the ball warm enough.

In closing, at the beginning of any match I focus on finding my weight of shot. This may take time if you're playing against a hard hitter, a lob and dropper or on a different court. it gets really tricky with a super hot ball as most lengths tend to be well overhit; cause if they're not you don't have time to get to the T. If you find yourself in this situation I recommend taking a bit of pace off of your drives to find the weight. Taking that little bit of pace off the ball will make you slightly more accurate and give you a fraction of a second more time to get back to the T. Maybe because I'm shorter than some men I've played (I'm 5 foot 7) that I can't play the super hard low drives with them. That may suit some peoples game, but not mine. What type of bounce, pace and weight of drives suit your game and stature?