3 Tips For Playing Someone New

Playing someone completely new can be daunting.

You may have watched them play before, you may have only heard things about them from others, or, you may not know anything about them at all!

So, what is the best approach? Well, there isn't a one size fits all solution, but there are a number of steps you can take to maximise your own chances of success against a new opponent.

In this article, I'll dive into my top three tips for playing someone new...

Playing someone new can't really be avoided in squash, and nor should it be. If you're looking to improve your game and learn new things, the best way to do this is by playing new opponents of different standards with different styles.

But of course, on top of learning and progressing, you're also trying to win right? Without a game plan, it can be difficult to feel ready and prepared to beat a new opponent.

There are a few things that I try to do when I come up against someone new and these tips have really helped me develop my off-court preparation and on-court strategy...

1. Ignore Predictions From Others (But Don't Ignore Their Advice)

If your new opponent is from your local area, it's likely that somebody you do know will have played, watched, or even heard of them before. This can be a good thing and a bad thing.

When speaking to somebody you already know about your new opponent, it's very tempting to ask the question 'should I win?'. But, in my opinion, neither answer is going to help you much.

You may be told by people that they think you should win against this new opponent, which could encourage complacency and overconfidence. Alternatively, you could be told that you may struggle against the new opponent, which could give you a defeatist mindset before you even get on the court. 

Although you can try to use predictions from others as mental fuel for the match in question (i.e. if you're told you aren't likely to win, you may want to prove that person wrong which can be turned into motivation), I don't think that speculation provides anything tangible when it comes to tactics or strategy.

A better question to ask peers who are familiar with your new opponent is 'what should I do to win?'.

This encourages people to give you real, tangible advice which can really help you prepare for your game. Just make sure to take into account just how much the person you're talking to actually knows about your new opponent.

If they've only seen your new opponent play once before, then take their advice with a pinch of salt, but, if they regularly watch or even play with your opponent, then they'll have a really good idea of their standard.

2. Observe Them Whenever Possible 

Now, let's say that you're at your local squash club before the match and your new opponent is there too. 

It's vital to be proactive and look out for any weaknesses or strengths that they may show. This even begins off the court as you can tell a lot about a player by how they prepare for a match.

Do they look tired? Have they come prepared? Do they have any signs of injury? Do they appear to be nervous at all?

The answers to all of these questions can be used to influence your game plan and approach, so they're worth asking. Just don't stare at your new opponent too much... it might look a bit weird (unless part of your strategy is to make them nervous)!

When you're on court, the warm-up is also a great time to get an idea of your opponent's style and standard. Take note of shots they appear to be good at and shots they may appear to struggle with.

You can even get a feel for how they react to certain shots when you play the ball to them after you've played your own shots. Play a few cross-court lobs to see how they deal with high volleys or play a few low, hard cross-court drives to see how they deal with pace.

Any weakness you spot can be used in the match.

Finally, once the game has started, the first game is where you'll be able to get a great idea of your new opponent's plan of attack as well as their strong and weak points.

A good approach in this first game is to play a very basic, traditional style of squash with many straight lengths and a consistent medium pace, just to get a feel of your opponent's game.

You can then start to mix it up here and there and observe how your opponent deals with different paces and different shots.

Just remember that your opponent is likely to also be playing a more reserved game to feel you out in the first as well.

3. Extend The Rallies

As I briefly mentioned before, you should try to play a consistent, basic style of squash in the first game to get an idea of your opponent's style.

Although this is good for spotting your opponent's strengths and weaknesses, it can be very difficult to come up with a solid, structured game plan after the match has already started because you already have so much to think about.

If you're struggling to pick out areas in which your opponent struggles, or, if it looks as though your opponent is better than you in most areas of the game, then the last resort is to put to the test their fitness.

I've had a number of matches in the past against new players that were decided by fitness. Quite often I would be playing someone new who seemed to be outplaying me shot-wise and tactically, but, when I managed to claw back a game or two, they would start deteriorating physically before me.

That's why extending the rallies is important.

Your new opponent may appear to be a better player than you, but if you test their fitness with some grueling rallies and find out that they struggle with that, then this could be a winning strategy for you.

However, the reason that this could be classed as a last resort is because there's always a chance that your opponent is much fitter than you, in which case, you may end up just tiring yourself out instead.

It's important to use your best judgement for this tip.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this has been helpful to read. Playing someone new is so common in squash that it's really important to have a strategy in mind for working out their game.

My final point is to remember to try to keep a positive mindset. No matter how good they may look in the warm-up, you're always in with a chance of winning. As soon as that defeatist mindset begins to creep in, it could be game over.

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