Here are 3 simple, small-space footwork drills that will help you adjust your body position on court. START SLOW. Skill development is the objective here. And you can't go fast with quality and accuracy if you don't have the basic pattern under control (think any of us mortals driving an F1 car...yikes!). So spend the first 3 sessions hitting the footwork with precision vs. pace. Do these before training to get your mind ready. A little bit of focus goes a real long way to playing your best. Each session = 2 sets of 10 contacts PER FOOT PER DIRECTION (e.g., Side Stabs, 1 set = 10 contacts going forward and 10 contacts going backward using the L foot to enter & exit the ladder AND THEN the R foot enters & exits as well).

I've been to 4 tournaments in the past 6 weeks, and I keep getting asked about pre-match nutrition. Parents. Players. Even an spectator asked me about protein shakes. "When should I eat my last meal before a match?" "How much food should I eat before a match?" "What should I eat before a match?" You can get into a fight about nutrition pretty quickly. There are a lot of "facts" that are 100% true until you scroll a bit further. It can get quasi-religious. I'm not a nutritionist or dietician so I hesitate to provide too much detail here. But it has come up a lot from both players and parents, and it's almost irresponsible to not give some bullet-proof guidance on this. Here's what I do that's based on the fundamentals, and of course please adjust to fit your own needs, preferences, and experiences. I've also put a couple pic's up for you too from the NCCP Sport Nutrition Reference Manual (2019). BEFORE A MATCH: 1. 4 hours before: NORMAL sized meal >>> high in carbs, low in fat, and medium in protein. Think chicken pasta with veg. 2. 2 hours before: SMALL snack >>> high in carbs, low in fat, and medium in protein. Think granola and yogurt. 3. 1 hour before: REALLY SMALL snack >>> high in carbs, low in fat and protein. Think banana. 4-2-1. Simple. That said, I'm sure Reddit has an argument you can join if you're looking to be confused. "What about for an 8am tournament match?" You won't eat the normal sized meal (don't be a lunatic and wake up at 4am). "But I've got multiple matches in a day?" Do the math, and do your best. There is always some trial & error, just like everything else. "I don't like being bound to a clock." Hard to help you here...🫣 One more thing. Don't try anything new before a match. Play the hits and eat what you know. The last thing you need is to get a bit of indigestion before stepping on court. Have fun out there! Derek

Dumbbells rule. They're simple, available everywhere, and easy to use. For sure, dumbbells are great tool to help you get stronger off court so you can be more awesome on court. Find the new Dumbbell Strength Basics program in the Classroom. Thanks for being a member of the Squash Strength & Fitness community 🥳. DV

A few months back I had a great meeting with an athlete. We had been working on some "wrong way" ghosting to help him recover on court after mis-reading a shot. And his feedback? "I was laughing all the way to the front corner. I mis-read the shot, expecting a straight drive but was boasted, and recovered with enough time to get into a great position and cut a drop into the front". 👏🔥 Here's one of the drills he used to earn that chuckle 😆