exercise?!?!

[mos dan]

finally, i'm still serving sort of half-underarm (45 degrees from the groud if that makes any sense) - does this make me a sort of squash-tard? do i need to try and develop a half-overarm serve too?

 

[mixed_biscuits]

do gps do cholesterol tests or anything?

You need to get your gp to get you a blood test appointment for this, as far as I know. I don't think it's much hassle (tho' it does require antecedent fasting).

 

[IdleRich]

"britannia leisure centre by shoreditch park.. is that a shlep for you? tbh i don't think i'm ready for a little bit yet in any case lol. but soon! ish. i've seen the speed you move on the football pitch remember. i've beaten both kanishk and tan fairly comprehensively now tho, if i can get up to the level that our other mate *who has actually played before* is at, then i'll give you a game. ha. he says, squirming."

I'm not exactly sure where that is to be honest but if it's Shoreditch it can't be too far. Tan is pretty quick in football as well though isn't he? He's certainly pretty persistent which I would have thought would stand him in good stead for squash.
Don't worry though, I'm not actually good, I've really only played against one guy (although I've played against him a lot) so I've no real way to measure my level.

"finally, i'm still serving sort of half-underarm (45 degrees from the groud if that makes any sense) - does this make me a sort of squash-tard? do i need to try and develop a half-overarm serve too?"

Short answer - I dunno. Most of the players at the leisure centre where I play seem to use the underarm serve so I suspect that's the "correct" way to do it. I'm going to investigate this actually I think.

 

[IdleRich]

This is interesting (although as it's American it could be talking about the wrong game - I reckon that similar tactics apply though)

"If you've ever watched a Pro serve, it may look like he is just putting the ball into play, and isn't really trying to achieve any advantage. For the most part this observation is correct. At the Pro level, very little advantage can be gained by a 'good' serve. A pro can always make a decent return, no matter what the server does. The only thing the server does not want to do is hit the ball out, thus giving his opponent a free point. So the Pro serves conservatively, and lets his opponent make the first move.
Well, in my opinion, this is a bad approach at the amateur level. Amateur players get in all sorts of trouble when faced with a 'good' serve. Therefore, I believe this is one instance when imitating the Pros is not a good idea.
So what constitutes a good serve? There are a couple of different serves that can be effective in squash, but by far the most effective is the high lob serve. This serve is aimed very high on the front wall, strikes the sidewall near the out of court line, and dies in the back corner. I recommend to all beginning players that they perfect this serve as soon as possible. They will win countless points outright, and many by forcing a weak return.
You may, from time to time, hit one out of court; but if you spend time practicing it, the odds will be in your favor. You can increase the effectiveness of the lob serve, by throwing in a few hard bodyline serves, and hard back-wall-nick serves too. Keep your opponent guessing!
Taking the offensive on the serve is an invaluable lesson to learn in squash. If you can force your opponent to make a weak return, you can often dictate the rest of the rally, and finally win the point while tiring your opponent."

Strange though, I'm not really convinced by the argument about the pro just putting it in - even if the enemy can return anything he can still presumably return some things better than others and you would want to prevent him hitting a winner (or do you assume that he won't do that because he knows that you can return anything and so on and so forth?).

 

[baboon2004]

This is interesting (although as it's American it could be talking about the wrong game - I reckon that similar tactics apply though)


Strange though, I'm not really convinced by the argument about the pro just putting it in - even if the enemy can return anything he can still presumably return some things better than others and you would want to prevent him hitting a winner (or do you assume that he won't do that because he knows that you can return anything and so on and so forth?).

That quote certainly rings true for the amateur game. Tight against the side wall, and dying about six inches from the back wall. Wins whole games, that, unless you have someone who can volley convincingly and knows you're going to do that. Mix it in with a few serves down the centre. or short, and it works even better.

 

[IdleRich]

That quote certainly rings true for the amateur game. Tight against the side wall, and dying about six inches from the back wall. Wins whole games, that, unless you have someone who can volley convincingly and knows you're going to do that. Mix it in with a few serves down the centre. or short, and it works even better.

Oh, totally, yeah. Basically if it's in the back corner and I haven't got room for a full swing I'm in real trouble - particularly on the back-hand. I watch the good players and they flick it out using the sidewall but I haven't figured out how to perfect that. I've also heard people say that you can shorten the racket by moving your hand down but I never have the presence of mind to do that in a pinch.
I'm ok at volleying when I do it - at least at returning if not hitting winners - but I never think of it in time when it's one of those nasty serves. It's going down the line and I think "I'll get that when it bounces" and then it does and I can't and I think "why didn't I volley it?" so frustrating.
What's that about the serve down the middle? Every now and again I think it might catch him out but it never does when I try it.

 

[mos dan]

I'm ok at volleying when I do it - at least at returning if not hitting winners - but I never think of it in time when it's one of those nasty serves. It's going down the line and I think "I'll get that when it bounces" and then it does and I can't and I think "why didn't I volley it?" so frustrating.

yh i keep getting caught in two minds like this too. my mate was saying the better players respond to those big looping serves that drop in the back corner with a kind of almost-kneeling scoop shot.. haven't tried this yet.

as an aside i played at 9pm on friday night (on a whim, ridiculously), went out raving 11-4, and then played again at 11am on saturday. i won't be repeating that, so exhausting.

 

[baboon2004]

Revive....

I hate the gym in some ways, but also secretly quite love it (I'm confused). Anyone here got any weights exercises that they would recommend, beyond the usual 12 or 15 that the meatheads routinely cycle through (with no consideration for whether they might actually be able to do the same thing in half the time by using their brains)?

 

[martin]

I've had this weird recurring joint problem in my left knee and right foot since I started exercising (boxing and just gym crap) in December last year - it just comes out of the blue and feels like someone's holding a cigarette lighter under the joint.

Had two bad bouts, first my knee swelled up, then my foot did the same a month later. Been OK til last weekend, when they both seem to be playing up again. Seen the quack twice and was first told she thought it might be gout (!) but saw someone today and they think it's high-impact bruising? It's all very weird to me, though extremely annoying. Has anyone else had this and, if so, how did you get round it?

 

[mms]

i do yoga then silat (indonesian martial art) once a week, the yoga is basically a warm up for the silat which can be gruelling sometimes, esp with the circuit training, my right foot is a mess at the moment, from a bad takedown...

 

[Sick Boy]

I'm thinking about taking up boxing. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it hard to start later (I'm 22, it seems people start boxing in their teens)? I'm not talking about no asian styles of boxing neither, I'm talking the Don King kind.

 

[martin]

i do yoga then silat (indonesian martial art) once a week, the yoga is basically a warm up for the silat which can be gruelling sometimes, esp with the circuit training, my right foot is a mess at the moment, from a bad takedown...

What sort of stuff do you take for it? Just Ibuprofen? I've been given Diclofenac

 

[martin]

I'm thinking about taking up boxing. Anyone have any experience with this? Is it hard to start later (I'm 22, it seems people start boxing in their teens)? I'm not talking about no asian styles of boxing neither, I'm talking the Don King kind.

Yeah, that's what I was doing, it is extremely fucking knackering. But to do it properly you shouldn't smoke, and I do. If you're talking about going into amateur boxing, it's more of a full time thing, I just do it to try and get fit and to hit people

 

[mms]

What sort of stuff do you take for it? Just Ibuprofen? I've been given Diclofenac

iburofen yep, my entire foot is basically grey with a purple little toe today.
you can get ibuprofen cream too, which might help your knee, it sounds like you need to stretch it alot though.

i'm just rubbing comfrey cream on my foot though as it helps heal it.

 

[martin]

iburofen yep, my entire foot is basically grey with a purple little toe today.
you can get ibuprofen cream too, which might help your knee, it sounds like you need to stretch it alot though.

i'm just rubbing comfrey cream on my foot though as it helps heal it.

Cheers, will try that. Doc also thought I wasn't warming up properly...

 

[mms]

Cheers, will try that. Doc also thought I wasn't warming up properly...

yeah you can get pretty mental pain between joints i think if you're not stretching etc, like kind of joints rubbing against each other or something, yogas obv good for that sort of stuff but don't have to go to a class just to stretch your legs.

 

[Sick Boy]

Yeah, that's what I was doing, it is extremely fucking knackering. But to do it properly you shouldn't smoke, and I do. If you're talking about going into amateur boxing, it's more of a full time thing, I just do it to try and get fit and to hit people

My idea is to do it to get fit and hit people as well. Getting hench and fit is never a pleasant experience for me, which is why I avoid it, but I figure if I can do it while hitting people I'd enjoy it a lot more. Is it much harder than joggers who smoke? Or football players?

 

[martin]

My idea is to do it to get fit and hit people as well. Getting hench and fit is never a pleasant experience for me, which is why I avoid it, but I figure if I can do it while hitting people I'd enjoy it a lot more. Is it much harder than joggers who smoke? Or football players?

It's hard to say, cos my level of fitness was sub-zero before I started, but I think it's the most knackering thing I've ever done, I thought my heart was going to explode at points...you also have to keep your arms up, 'sword and shield' style, most of the time to protect your head, and that alone wore me out. You're using your hips all the time and basically throwing your body weight into every punch, without breaking your basic stance. I'd definitely say give it a go, the people are way less pretentious than the average types you get down the gym. By the way, every single cliche' about gym weights rooms is true, they are full of demented twats.

 

[baboon2004]

. By the way, every single cliche' about gym weights rooms is true, they are full of demented twats.

Mine is full of Portguese men.

 

[Mr. Tea]

By the way, every single cliche' about gym weights rooms is true, they are full of demented twats.

I'm off to the gym right now. Mainly to use the weights and stuff. I'll try not to eat anyone's head or rape too many stray dogs on the way back...