Saturday Junior Coaching (31st March)

This Saturday we have no coaching as it is the Easter holiday.

Have a good break.

We start Saturday morning sessions again in the new term.

Comberton Junior Coaches

Saturday Junior Coaching (24th March)

This Saturday we continue with our three session schedule.

The first session is for mini-squash players and will be from 9.00 to 10.00.

The JS1 session is for beginner level squash and will be from 10.00 to 11.15.

The JS2 session is intermediate and is from 11.15 to 12.30.

The JS3 session is from 12.30 to 1.45pm and is for more advanced players. For this term this will also include the JS4 elite coaching.

Remember that eye-protection must be worn for all junior sessions.

Coaches

9 am - 10 am mini-squash session. Coach: Ashok Babbar

10 am - 11.15 am JS1 session. Coach: Ray Scrivens and Keith Maloney

11.15 am - 12.30 pm JS2 session. Coaches: Andy Thorne and Ray Scrivens

12.30 - 1.45 pm JS3/4 session. Coaches: Andy Thorne and Martyn Symmons.

Saturday Junior Coaching (17th March)

This Saturday we continue with our three session schedule.

The first session is for mini-squash players and will be from 9.00 to 10.00.

The JS1 session is for beginner level squash and will be from 10.00 to 11.15.

The JS2 session is intermediate and is from 11.15 to 12.30.

The JS3 session is from 12.30 to 1.45pm and is for more advanced players. For this term this will also include the JS4 elite coaching.

Remember that eye-protection must be worn for all junior sessions.

Coaches

9 am - 10 am mini-squash session. Coach: Ashok Babbar

10 am - 11.15 am JS1 session. Coach: Ray Scrivens and Keith Maloney

11.15 am - 12.30 pm JS2 session. Coaches: Martyn Symmons and Ray Scrivens

12.30 - 1.45 pm JS3/4 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee and Martyn Symmons.

Saturday Junior Coaching (10th March)

This Saturday we continue with our three session schedule.

The first session is for mini-squash players and will be from 9.00 to 10.00.

The JS1 session is for beginner level squash and will be from 10.00 to 11.15.

The JS2 session is intermediate and is from 11.15 to 12.30.

The JS3 session is from 12.30 to 1.45pm and is for more advanced players. For this term this will also include the JS4 elite coaching.

Remember that eye-protection must be worn for all junior sessions.

Coaches

9 am - 10 am mini-squash session. Coach: Ashok Babbar

10 am - 11.15 am JS1 session. Coach: Ray Scrivens and Mike Macnamee
M
11.15 am - 12.30 pm JS2 session. Coaches: Mike Macnamee and Ray Scrivens

12.30 - 1.45 pm JS3/4 session. Coaches: Ollie Thorne and Martyn Symmons.

Mixed success for Comberton Third Team

The third and final fixture for our Third Team in the Cambs Junior Leagues took place at Fenland Squash Club on 26 February. There were only three teams left in the division following the withdrawal of Crown Lodge, and Comberton’s only League match on this occasion was against Fenland.

As Fenland had been one of the weaker teams in the previous two fixtures we didn’t field our strongest line-up – and we paid the price when we discovered that they’d strengthened their squad for this match. Orlando Hodgson, making his League debut at no. 3, found it difficult to score consistently against his opponent and lost in straight games. Adam Peer at 2 took the opening game, but gradually succumbed in the following three. Our top string Josh Morrow, making something of a comeback after a period when he’d not played much squash, was up against an inexperienced but very hard-hitting opponent, and dropped the first game, but his more skilful play, and especially his excellent cross-court drops, enabled him to take control as the match progressed, and he won his match 3-1.

Overall score:
Fenland – 10 points,
Comberton – 4 points.

The fixture was remarkable for the large number of ladder challenge matches played. All our players, including Sam and Joe Hicks and Dan Chaplin, achieved some good results in these matches, and of course gained valuable match-play experience.

Ray Scrivens

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Every so often in a match you will get a chance for a nice kill shot to the nick in the front corner.

Usually the best time is when you get a loose high cross-court from your opponent. You have to be ready with your racket up and you have to be ready to move forward so that you can cut the ball sideways to volley it to the nick. Finally you must not make a mistake and hit it into the floor or the tin!

At Comberton Saturday morning sessions our more advanced players use a practice in pairs that helps cut out mistakes on kill shots.

Each player takes a side of the court. They feed themselves a loose high shot and try to kill it to the nick on their own side.

They then try to retrieve their own kill and send it as a loose high feed to the player on the other side. This player can try to kill the cross-court feed if possible or otherwise return it to themselves to try for their own kill. Then they send it back to their partner on the other side.

Scoring is 2 points for a kill of your opponent's cross-court feed. 1 point for your own feed. But minus 2 points for a tin from your opponents feed, and minus 1 point for a mistake from your own feed. You only get points for a clear nick - the danger if you miss a nick is that the ball sits up for an easy return.

You can play first to 7 points and then change sides. Backhand kills are much more difficult so for a fair test you both need to have a go each side.

Using this practice will help you stay balanced, focused, and calm when you get an opening in a match for a clean kill.

One of the greatest kill shot players is Amr Shabana - check out some of his rallies on the web.

Yet another win for Comberton’s junior teams!

Going into our final fixture on 26 February in Cambs Junior League Division II the outlook for our Second Team was a little uncertain. Despite having a healthy lead from the first two fixtures, we’d become aware shortly before the fixture at Abbey College, Ramsey, that one of the teams, Hunts County, had been unable to raise a team. This meant that our two other rivals in the division would be awarded maximum points for a walkover, and so Comberton would need to score well to maintain their overall lead.

The Second Team is the only one this season to feature the same three players in all its matches – and they’ve done an extremely reliable job throughout. Nick White at number 1 recorded a 3-1 win against Abbotsley but lost 0-3 against Ramsey Abbey. Henry Prime at 2 achieved the same result in reverse, losing 0-3 vs. Abbotsley but winning 3-1 vs. Ramsey Abbey
. Star performer of the day was our no. 3, Mark Dancy, who managed 3-0 wins in both his matches!

So the day’s overall points tally was:-

Comberton – 18 points
Abbotsley – 16 points (including 12 points for a walkover)
Ramsey Abbey – 17 points (including 12 points for walkover)

This means that Comberton maintained their lead in the Division and will be awarded the Division II shield at the end of the season. Well done the Triumphant Trio!!

Ray Scrivens

Saturday Junior Coaching (3rd March)

This Saturday we continue with our three session schedule.

The first session is for mini-squash players and will be from 9.00 to 10.00.

The JS1 session is for beginner level squash and will be from 10.00 to 11.15.

The JS2 session is intermediate and is from 11.15 to 12.30.

The JS3 session is from 12.30 to 1.45pm and is for more advanced players. For this term this will also include the JS4 elite coaching.

Remember that eye-protection must be worn for all junior sessions.

Coaches

9 am - 10 am mini-squash session. Coach: Ashok Babbar

10 am - 11.15 am JS1 session. Coach: Ray Scrivens and Keith Maloney

11.15 am - 12.30 pm JS2 session. Coaches: Martyn Symmons and Ray Scrivens

12.30 - 1.45 pm JS3/4 session. Coaches: Ollie Thorne and Martyn Symmons.