Have you watched a professional squash tournament yet?

So you know all about tennis grand slam events. Do you know the squash equivalents?
Unlike tennis tournaments that get huge media coverage and draw droves of spectators to the stadiums, squash remains a subculture of sorts. Only the ardent fans of the game truly keep track of what is going on in the world of squash. Like many club-squash players that I know, you may have been to major tennis tournaments, but, have you watched a professional squash tournament yet?
Only very few squash players have.
I am a good example.As someone who visits New York City at least three or four times a year, I have been to watch the US Open tennis, at Arthur Ashe stadium. But, I have yet to attend the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, held in the Grand Central Station Terminal!
Next year I intent to change that.
In case you are not aware, PSA holds a series of events that they classify as Challenger, International, World Series, and World Championship. You can get more details of these categories by visiting the official site of the PSA.
Sticking with the tennis analogy, the PSA World Series tournaments can be likened to the grand slam events. They attract the top players of the game, and boast prize money that ranges between $115,000 to $150,000 – big money in terms of squash! With the entry of Dubai as a venue to hold a squash world series event, there are now nine tournaments that span four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The 2015 schedule of tournaments, as it stands today, is shown below.

Tournament	Rank	Prize money	Month	City
Tournament of Champions	Gold	$115,000	January	New York, USA
Metro Squash Windy City Open	Gold	$115,000	February	Chicago, USA
Dubai Squash Open	Gold	$115,000	March	Dubai, UAE
El Gouna International	Gold	$115,000	April	El Gouna, Egypt
The Allam British Open	Platinum	$150,000	May	Hull, England
Hong Kong Open	Platinum	$150,000	August	Hong Kong
US Open	Gold	$115,000	October	Philadelphia, USA
Qatar Classic	Platinum	$150,000	November	Doha, Qatar
World Championship	Platinum	$350,000	November	Bellevue, USA
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_PSA_World_Tour

As you can see, four of the nine tournaments are scheduled to be held in American cities.
So, if you are planning a vacation next year to one of these cities, why not try to plan it around these tournaments? Or better still, plan a squash vacation.
Going by some of the games shown on squash TV, it does not get any better than this!

How Critical Is Your Gear To Your Game?

More and more racquet sports enthusiasts are trying to understand the game of squash.
Tennis and badminton players are interested to find out how squash compares with their preferred sport. So, is it easy enough to switch from one game to the other and back without compromising the level of play? While we may not all be like Fred Perry who won world titles in dual racquet sports – tennis and table tennis, it is easy enough to get to a decent level in all three sports if you set your mind to it. Add table tennis to the mix and you have the sport Racketlon! Now before you head off and sign up for the next Racketlon tournament, here are some basics on Racquets, Shoes, Courts and such, for the uninitiated.

Racquets, balls and birds
I often get asked if any of the three racquets – tennis, squash and badminton – are interchangeable.  The definitive answer is “no.” If you try, you are guaranteed to break your racquet, or injure your wrist.
Tennis racquets vary in size and weight.  Based on the material and the size of the frame used, their weights range on an average between 250-325 grams. From a racquet sports perspective, tennis balls weigh the heaviest at around 57-58 grams.  

Squash racquets are lighter and weigh in the range of 110-175 grams. Squash balls are smaller in diameter than tennis balls and weigh on an average 23-25 grams. Squash balls practically do not bounce until they are warmed up before a game by repeated strokes against the wall.
Badminton racquets are the lightest of the three and often weigh as little as 80 grams. Modern racquets made of carbon fibre composite help generate power irrespective of the racquet’s weight. The shuttle cock, often referred to as the “bird” or “birdie,” is typically made of feathers and weighs around 5 grams. Unlike feather birds, the plastic ones are more durable and have become the shuttle cock of choice for the casual player in North America. It is necessary to note that all professional level tournaments are played using feather birds.

Grip, balance and strings of the racquet will have a large impact on your game. If the racquet grip is too small, you end up gripping the racquet too tightly which could lead to injuries to the wrist and arm. A grip larger than your comfort level could end up slipping in your hand and take away from the effectiveness of your strokes. The balance of the racquet – head heavy vs. head light, – and stiffness of the racquet also have significant bearing on the power vs. control a player generates. To know more about how racquet strings affect your game checkout my recent post titled Do you know your racquet strings?

Shoes
Can you play squash or badminton wearing tennis shoes? The simple answer is that you can, but not recommended. Tennis shoes rarely have non-marking, gum soles which are a requirement for indoor wooden courts. From a squash player’s perspective, the constant lunges and pushbacks are inconceivable without the proper traction and stability that a pair of flat, gum-soled shoes brings. Tennis shoes are heavier and have thicker padding in the heel area making it harder for badminton players to arch back for smashes and overhead clears. Squash and badminton shoes are largely interchangeable when playing on courts with wooden surfaces, though the sole of the two shoes are purpose-designed for movements that are unique to each game.

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Go social with Club Meadowvale!

All work (out) and no play? It’s time you went social with Club Meadowvale.

Sure, Club Meadowvale is a fitness and racquet club in Mississauga and now Club Meadowvale has established existence on popular social media stands like Facebook and Twitter and would love to get linked with members and other fitness and racquet sports devotees. Please use the links shown above to connect with us.

While on the topic of social, here is a post by one of our members that may help you grow your profile and presence on Twitter.

Six tips for Twitter users who have less than 25 followers 

• Increasing a Twitter following takes time: Twitter is all about engagement. The more engaged you are, the more you get noted. This can be in the practice of tweets, retweets or mentions. For a new comer, tweeting is the toughest part and often does not come logically. It often aids if you start by tweeting content that you come through in your day-to-day life. Most blogs and websites have a “Tweet this” button that will enable you get started.

• Start with friends and associates: Look up your friends and peers to see who follows them. It is likely that if you follow them, they will follow you back. You have to start somewhere; so, no harm in a little self-promotion. If you are on LinkedIn, a number of your “connections” may have a Twitter profile as well and may be interested in following you. If you have a decent profile, you will be noticed. My first five followers collectively had less than 30 followers.

• Look for high-profile Twitter users who are not opposed to following: Generally speaking, Twitter celebrities like to be followed than follow. However, there are exceptions. A quick look at a person’s followers to following ratio will give you an indication of a person’s propensity to follow back. Here are two high-profile Marketing celebrities, that I follow, that have completely different approaches to following. Though these statistics are dated, it goes to prove my point.

To read more Click Here.

Squash or Tennis, which is your sport??

You ask tennis players, and you will find that their belief in the superiority of their game over squash is unwavering. As the debate continues, I consolidated the previous versions of this discussion into a new post along with a few new ones that came to my mind. So here is a lighthearted look at  “squash vs. tennis” that may make you smile and think.

A squash player’s thoughts on tennis: Tennis players need two serves to get a rally going. Tennis players need three balls to play the game, squash players are more efficient. In tennis, you have to break your opponent to win, in squash you just have to beat them. Squash players don’t feel the need to convert every shot into a forehand shot. Tennis has deuce and ad courts; in squash it is just right and left.

If you play either squash or tennis, you know that both the games require speed, agility, endurance, power and strategy.  Most squash players have no doubt that their game is the hardest of all racquet sports, particularly when compared to tennis. My friend Bill Guest lets the image on his parking spot speak for itself! 

In Tennis, hitting the line is considered an excellent shot; in squash it will cost you.

In tennis, a passing shot is a winner, in squash it’s just good length.

Love does not count for a whole lot in tennis.

Tennis players need to rest after every two games; squash players have fine-tuned the art of callings “lets” and arguing with the referee. The reverse view: Tennis is a spectator sport; squash wants to be a spectator sport. Squash needs tennis players’ support to get into the Olympics (may be!) In squash, players try to let the ball die; in tennis players try to kill it. Squash players pretend that a “nick” is a repeatable shot. That is like calling this a repeatable shotTennis players warm up before the game; squash players warm the ball up.

 In Tennis, players don’t hide behind your back. Squash players need walls around them to keep the ball in the court. In squash, you can get a “stroke” and continue to play; in tennis if you get a stroke you need an ambulance! In squash a dead nick is a good shot, in tennis, dead Nick is, not good for Nick! Squash players struggle with their scoring system – 9, 11, 15, PAR… Squash pros make a living; tennis pros make the Forbes list. Tennis players only boast when they are off the court. Tennis has an injury named after the game – tennis elbow, squash does not. Squash is played with tins, boxes, and lines. It’s OK to cheat in squash, as long as it means poaching to one side of the court. In squash, “serve and volley” means that you serve and your opponent volleys. In squash, your opponent can push you from the back and flash the “L”oser sign, especially when you seem to have an advantage. In squash, the referee can often threaten you with a throat-slashing motion. In squash, if you make an “attempt” to play a ball the referee may give you another shot at it.

Would be sweet, in real life! In squash, grammar is less important – “no let”, “tight length”… Squash players seem to be standing around and looking back during rallies. So there you have it. If you feel that “never the twain shall meet!”, we should perhaps ask the badminton players to join in the conversation! If you think of other one-liners, please add them in the comments section below and share this with your friends. If you liked this post.

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Grooming the next generation of squash and tennis players

Canadian tennis is on the upswing; what about squash?

The highest world ranking ever achieved by a Canadian tennis player is No. 9. The highest world ranking achieved by a Canadian squash player is No. 1. Canadian tennis is on the upswing while Canadian squash has some work to do. 
For the first time in Canadian tennis history, two Canadians reached the quarter-finals of a tennis grand slam tournament – the 2014 French Open. As Milos Raonic went down fighting against the second seeded Novak Djokovic and Eugenie Bouchard clawed her way past Spain’s Suarez Navarro to reach her second consecutive grand slam semi-final, an obvious question comes to mind – Can a Canadian win a tennis grand slam title?
It is possible. A Canadian tennis grand slam champion is no longer a pipe dream!
So what is happening in tennis that is not happening in Canadian squash?
Eugenie Bouchard currently ranked twelfth in the world and Milos Raonic, ranked ninth, have helped revive interest in Canadian tennis that has been missing for a while. Squash has no equivalent. The PSA rankings show Shawn Delierre, the highest ranked Canadian squash player, sitting at No. 74 while Samantha Cornett, ranked at No.30 on WSA’s list, is the highest ranked female squash player from Canada.
Not ideal!
Historically speaking, Daniel Nestor was the only one getting any limelight among Canadian tennis fans. Despite eighty-five career titles and $11 million in earnings, Nestor is not exactly what you would call a household name. But, now we have fresh blood; the game is back on track.

So what’s up with Canadian #squash? When will we see another Jonathan Power?

Clearly, it has to do with money.
The top ranked squash player in the world – Nick Matthew – earned just over $300,000 in 2013. The ninety second ranked tennis player Michael Russell made over $200,000 during the same period taking his career earnings to over $2 Million. Unfortunately, squash players trying to make a living playing the sport have to content with the fact that they may need a real job to support themselves past their competing days.
Melanie Jans, shown in the video below, is a perfect example! Melanie who was ranked as high as No.25 in the world, joined Club Meadowvale as the head squash pro in 2012 .

So, can the love of the game alone get Canadian squash back to its glory days?


To view original source Click Here

A video survey: Should there be lets in squash?

Squash players can sometimes be irrational...!!!

This is especially true when it comes to let calls. What one player claims as a definite let, appear to others as a fishing exercise.  Clearly, the issue is not confined to club squash. Many argue that until the game rids itself of lame lets, it will never gain the kind of media coverage and popularity it deserves. As the championship matches at Club Meadowvale wound down, I decided to have some fun and did a quick video survey of random squash players who were milling around at the club. I asked everyone one simple question – Should there be lets in squash?
Here’s what they said.


As you can see, each player has a different take on why lets should or should not be allowed in squash. Some had logic behind their choice; others, less so. The result was fairly even with the “no let” camp edging out the “yes” camp by one. This came as a surprise since the club has never offered a no-let format for the players in the house league matches or their round robin games.
Unlike a fight in ice hockey, an argument on the squash court is not considered entertainment by the spectators and the media. Referees taking the brunt of player frustrations – justified or otherwise – have been the norm and continues be so. Alan Thatcher of Squash Mad has written about this in a post titled “Why it’s time to address our refereeing system”

Looking back at the survey, I tend to agree with Alan Glen. The no-let format should be left to professional squash players.
Perhaps I should have asked “

 To watch video Click Here

Feedback From Valued Customer

Here is some feedback we recently got from a member:

“Mark and I purchased 1 package of lessons for Naomi a month ago and wow our instructors and programs are utterly amazing. Here is my story

Seeing is believing

I can now say with even greater conviction that our swimming lesson program is exceptional. For over 9 years I have successfully lead our Red Cross Swim department. Just recently I had the pleasure of witnessing my 4 year old daughter advance in her swimming technique and water comfort all within 1 package of lessons. Naomi can now swim at length without water wings and it has truly astonished our family.  Club Meadowvale has the perfect platform to build swimming success: a private pool setting, complete instructor attentiveness, personalized programs, and unlimited practise time.”

Learn to swim with Club Meadowvale