I hope it was a great season for you with piles of matches, lots of laughs, only some slight niggles you were able to deal with, and some rallies to talk about with your pals. If you're like most, you're drifting into the summer here hoping to stay on court a bit but likely take a competition break. Letting the tank refill over some sunshine and fresh air, so to speak. Do it, please!! Recharge the battery and replenish that squash spirit. Your body will thank you for it. But you may also be thinking, "I'm always so behind in the fall when I get back out there. I'm winded by the 3rd rally, and I don't love being annoyed until early November with my self". Ya...fair enough. There's a few things you can do, but one of them is your biggest bang for buck WITHOUT QUESTION. If you are carrying a bit of extra weight, this is physically (and physics-lly!) the biggest limit to your current fitness AND your future on court. Force = mass x acceleration. More mass means you need to produce more force to get the same acceleration...off the T and off the ball, over and over and over and over again each really, each game and each match. Force requires energy, and this is coming from your fitness (aerobic and anaerobic energy systems). So... More body mass = more fitness demand. And if you take the summer away from the court, enjoy the sunshine with a few more cocktails and ice cream, then your fall likely looks like: MORE body mass = MORE fitness demand...which you don't have available b/c, you know, time off. And being heavier means more impact every time you accelerate, change direction, get into stretch...you name it. Yikes. So if there's ONE thing you should do this summer to help you be in the best condition for next season...and every season thereafter...it's to make sure you're not carrying any extra weight around. I'm starting a Weight Loss and Fitness program for ambitious and competitive adults, which includes everyone here. The first offer, Weight Loss for Winners, is a group coaching program for men with a 5 lbs in 5 Weeks challenge that starts next week. Deadline to sign up is today!

Here is a simple but advanced stability-focused braking drill at end(ish) range for ambitious players. It's easy to fall away or tighten your stance, so work into this one 🫣. If you're just starting to add fitness into your squash training, this is NOT for you...yet. Get started with the Fundamental Bodyweight Strength & Power program in the Classroom first. If you're already into strength & fitness training and you find yourself falling out of big reaches on court, being out of position and scrambling with taking extra steps, this is for you. But it's sneaky hard on your glutes & hams, so start with 1 set of 15 per leg. Then sleep on it 🤗. Get more balls back with quality and keep the pressure on 🌶️. Coach DV

Here is one of many drills you can do using a cable/RB to build your end-range strength & stability through rotation. This kind of strength drill is important for all ambitious players. And it’s essential to not just get TO the ball, but to get BACK with control to hunt the next one. Pressure on 🎯🎯🎯. This and every other strength drill are in the member zone in the classroom for you to add to your own program if has one. Or, just pick a starter plan from the classroom if you need one and have a go 🤗. Coach DV

I'm giving away an $800 custom coaching package to ONE member after reaching 100 members 🔥. Cool, right? The best Squash Strength & Fitness community on Skool is getting bigger and better everyday thanks to it's members 🥳. So, if you know someone who plays squash and either likes strength & fitness (or would like to like it 🫣), share this page with them and have them click JOIN GROUP. And not only will they get awesome strength & fitness programs and a fun community that talks squash, they'll also have a chance at that awesome prize mentioned above. FULL RULES HERE: ONE - All Squash Strength & Fitness members who play squash, have a home club, AND have a Club Locker, Squash Levels or another type of rank qualify for this give away. If you don't play, this gift is not for you. TWO - The winner will be chosen by random draw based on the following ballot system: 1. All members automatically earn one ballot in a random draw for simply being a member, and 2. Any member who invites another member (who then joins this group) earns an additional ballot. E.g., if member a invites 4 of their friends and 2 join the group, they will have 3 ballots in the draw (1 for being a member, and 2 more for having 2 of their invites join the group). See picture for how-to-share. THREE - The 100th member will be the final player eligible for this prize. Let's spread the love and get this prize delivered! Coach DV

The secret is out 🫣. Taking a bit of time away from your opponent makes a HUGE difference to their physical demand in match. Volley every chance you can - your opponent hates it! Betcha never heard that before... So, adding some self-imposed pressure into your training will not only help you absorb your opponents best efforts, but you'll be able to send it back with interest. These pictures show a fun ghost & solo. If you have access to reactive pods (or a kind-but-honest friend), ghosting becomes a lot more “entertaining” and predictable. I used BlazePod's. The two circles ID two separate timings of a 2min rep with 1min rest - the first circle is 3 reps of a 5s corner (leave the T, swing through the corner, return to the T), and the second circle is 3 reps of a 4s corner. That a difference 24 corners vs 30 in 2 minutes. You can see I was able to hold effort in the first group, with demand levelling off between 2nd and 3rd. I held shape, stayed balanced, had time to focus bw reactions. The second group shows a continual increase in demand, and I felt that everywhere. I started breaking down, losing balance out of some corners, getting sloppy w racquet prep, losing focus and slow from the middle. Turn up the pressure on yourself in training. You’ll reap the matchplay rewards 🎯🏆💪 Coach DV