New Mexico Squash Racquets Association 
November 1995
New Mexico Squash Racquets Association
Well I guess its finally time for another newsletter. I apologize to our NMSRA members and readers for the delay. I changed jobs to a job requiring far more work (unfortunately) than my previous job! Squash is still a very living entity in Los Alamos and many of us are playing often. It remains a fact that playing squash is still more fun than writing about it, although the latter may be more fun than working!
In this newsletter we have contributions from Richard Hammer, Julie Kahn, and Chris Lang. I have also contributed another excerpt from Smart Squash, the old hard ball book by Austin Francis. The book has in fact been updated more recently to include the soft ball game, but the original edition still has a lot of interesting material.
I did not get a chance to play in the Albuquerque Open this year, and to my understanding many Los Alamos players didn't make it down either. There is another chance however... The Green Dot Dessert Classic will take place the first weekend in February and more information can be obtained by contacting Chris Lang. (See the article in this issue.)
I would like to point out the interesting racquet analysis results which appeared in Squash News last issue. Most of the popular and new racquets were tested along with interesting comments. Head has recently marketed a 120 gram racquet!?!
With respect to NMSRA membership, it occurs to me that many of us are probably playing regularly with non-NMSRA members. Stop that! No, but seriously, this is our best opportunity for new membership. I can think of three people I want to talk with right now.
Finally, due to lack of internet access of my part, the NMSRA homepage has been returned to the care of face@arizona.edu at the address http://ptoon.ccit.arizona.edu/NMSRA/NMSRA.html
See you!,
Mike Hawrylycz
by Richard Hammer
Chris Lang and the Midtown Sports and Wellness Center should be commended for putting on another excellent squash event. Last weekends Albuquerque Open gives me hope that New Mexico Squash is still alive and well! It was nice to visit with friends that I have not seen for a while. Squash events like this one are the best mechanism for "Squash People" from different locations in the state to get together. It also reinforces my belief that the NMSRA must encourage more "League Like" activities to facilitate inter-club play. In the past we have tried several kinds of activities, 1A,1B,1C,2D format, and also a Bring your 5 best format. Too much scheduled travel always seemed to be the most common reason for failure in either case. We had a little more success with the league tournament concept. I have asked the NMSRA officers to think about ways to create more NMSRA sanctioned events and would ask all members to contact one of us with your ideas. Living in Los Alamos isolates us from the rest of the states squash activities, except for these events. I am relying on NMSRA members outside of Los Alamos help me stay in tune with the rest of the state. I view the NMSRA as a bunch of people that love squash and want to help support local squash tournaments, clinics, leagues, ladders, etc. I hope you will promote joining the NMSRA to your partners. A strong NMSRA is good for squash in New Mexico.
This years NMSRA membership is way down from last year. In turn, the number of dollars that the NMSRA can use to promote squash events is down. The following is a breakdown of the NMSRA membership:
34 Members Total
11 - Albuquerque
11 - Los Alamos
8 - Santa Fe
3 - Arizona
1 - Socorro
Charlie Perkins tells me that the Kiva Classic already has 82 members with very few slots left! I hope to see you all soon. I can always be reached at (505) 662-5144 (Home) or by e-mail at hammer@lanl.gov
by Mike Hawrylycz
I would like to contribute another excerpt from Austin Francis's Smart Squash. This is from the chapter "Gamesmanship."
"There are all sorts of tricks that have been used on the squash court to gain a psychological advantage. Reggie Dumpshot, the quintessential gamesman, knew most of the them. He had refined squashmanship to a lethal art. One of this ploys was to arrive late, hit one shot, and say, "I have a train to catch, let's get this match over with." His opponent wouldn't know that he had been warming up for fifteen to twenty minutes on a nearby court."
"Another trick of Dumpshot's was to take a couple of frayed pieces of gut, weave them into a newly strung racquet, and place the racquet in his squash bag outside the door of the court. At an appropriate moment he would switch racquets, play a couple of quick points, and then exclaim loudly over the "broken" strings. He refused to switch back, however, and somehow he managed very crisp shots in spite of his equipment"
"A favorite tactic Dumpshot used during play was to miss a volley intentionally and let the ball hit his opponent for an easy point, or if his opponent had already started to intercept the bogus volley, Dumpshot would drop back and hit an entirely different shot off the back wall. "
"Every one of these pieces of gamesmanship has been used in real matches. Only their perpetrator has been fabricated, in order to avoid libel. When I began this book, I hoped that my panel of experts would rally forth with plenty of Pottermanlike stories of ploys and counterploys, but I was rather disappointed. I was sure that Goldie Edwards (Canadian Women's Open Champion 1975-1977 ), with her rich descriptions of the sport would come through for me, but probe as I did, she would only say "Gamesmanship is not part of my arsenal at all." I'm very direct and uncomplicated. There's a neurosurgeon I play with and we have fun, but if it's a match, I am serious and very straight."
"The same with Vic Niederhoffer (National Singles Champion 1972-1975) : "I don't use gamesmanship. I don't believe in it. It's used on me. For example, many players believe they can upset their opponent's concentration through various nonsquash tactics. Sometimes when I am playing, my opponents will start out with the spin of the racquet. I will spin and they will walk over to see if I gave them a correct rough or smooth call. Or even before the spin, they might hit some fantastic shots or do a tremendous amount of running to give the symptom of great energy on their part. During the match itself there can be all sorts of states such as pretending to be extremely hostile, feigning injury, delaying the game, arguing with the referee, and pretending to be indifferent. When they do this, my opponens are just using up their own energies and admitting that they cannot win on squash alone."
"My conclusion, after hearing the same story from each of my panel members, is this: the best players don't rely on gamesmanship, and they try to ignore it when it is used on them. Your opponent's state of mind, whether it be one of malice or guile, should be no concern of yours. Your are usually being tested for susceptibility to distraction when these tricks are employed, and to pay attention to them is to surrender a part of your mind that should be working on the game."
"The way to avoid being psyched out by your opponent is to arrive in a psyched- up condition yourself. You go on the court with positive thought as to your own ability and with a focus on the aspects of your game which you feel are going to be key in gaining victory. With this kind of attitude, and by paying attention to the singular importance of winning, attempts at gamesmanship by an opponent can ony sharpen your will to win."
"Reggie Dumpshot got his comeuppance one day when he pushed matters a little too far. It seems that he was playing in a tournament at Merion Cricket Club against national champion Donald Strachan. Reggie was parking out in the middle of the court every time Don wanted to take a shot. And Don was having to call let or go around him. Reggie was taking advantage of the situation, and Don, who had quite a temper, finally had had enough, and yelled, "Dumpshot, if you don't get out of the middle of the court when I'm taking a shot, I'm gonna drive this ball right up your ass!"
"There were women in the gallery, and so naturally everyone was quite shocked, and it was a very embarassing moment. Play finally resumed, however. Strachan serve, Dumpshot hit a medium speed ball back down the line, there followed several hard cross-courts until one by Dumpshot angled a little too sharply and came of the back wall, and there he was parked right on the T. Well, Strachan would up and hit a devastating backhand right into the crease of Dumpshot's backside, and, amazingly, the ball stuck there for a full five or six seconds before it fell to the floor. No one could believe it. There was a gasp, followed by dead silence. Then, the entire gallery dissolved in laughter as Dumpshot stood there, red-faced and smarting- assed, having lost both his dignity and the point. Babe Ruth would have been proud...."
By Julie Kahn
Seattle hosted the Rolex National Softball Championships on Thursday though Sunday, September 21-24, 1995, during an unusually pleasant spell of weather for this time of year. The tournament itself proved to be most pleasant, as well, owed to good organization by cheerful directors, five fine clubs, excellent attendance, a very nice all-suite "headquarters" hotel, and lots of social fun. The headquarters club for the tournament, the Seattle Club, is located right in the heart of what is probably the most trendy part of Seattle, the Fish Market area--certainly most popular with tourists. It was lots of fun to go "check out the scene" in between matches--seeing the famous "flying fish" was something to cheer you, even after the most agonizing of defeats. In fact, the tournament food, to include breakfast and lunch, was provided by some local fancy cafe located in the trendy Fish Market area--not just "cheap eats!" Those who chose to skip the "free" tournament lunches were known to have dashed over to the market, picking up a baguette, some smoked salmon, and fresh cheese and veggies for a picnic at the park overlooking the bay--just across the street from the Seattle Club.
NMSRA members participating in the event included Julie and Randy Kahn, Chris Lang, and Charlie Perkins.
Julie Kahn, the number one seed in the Women's C division, fell during the first round after a very tough five games to an awfully tough C player from the east-coast. Julie went on to do pretty well in the consolation round, convincingly beating two good players to take her to the semis, where she lost in another tough (and very long) five games to a Seattle player. In the Mens 35's, Randy Kahn maintained his record of having never lost to an American in the Nationals. In the first round he lost to foreigner (and good friend) Rick Stappa from South Africa (currently residing in San Diego) in an exhausting five-game match that featured very long rallies and lots of great gets and patience on Randy's part. In the consolations, Randy beat nationally ranked pro Johnny Laguna from Mexico in a hard-fought match (yeah, USA!!!). Next round, Randy lost to the San Francisco Pacific Club's Scottish pro in another five-gamer.
Chris Lang, playing in the professional S.L. Green bracket, lost first round to previous national champion Will Carlin. In the consolation round, Chris lost to Ted Matthias.
Charlie Perkins played in the 65's and won his first round match 3-0 against an Oregon opponent. Although he played well, he lost his second round match 1-3 to an opponent from CA.
As is typical at the Nationals, the United States Squash Racquets Association (USSRA) held a number of important meetings. The Executive Committee meetings were supported by Randy Kahn, the USSRA Vice President responsible for the Central States Region. The Central States Region includes the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Louisiana. For information on the results of these meetings, as well as on-going regional efforts, visit the Central States Region's World Wide Web (WWW) site at URL http://www.geopages.com.Colosseum/1956/dispatch.html.
On the social side, it was certainly a lot of fun (as it always is) to meet up with old squash "fraternity" friends--many of whom have been regularly attending nationals for many years. Once play ended, groups of friends gathered to make the tough decision of where to dine--Seattle is famous for its innumerable fine restaurants, many of which offer tremendous seafood that we just don't get here in the southwest. The Saturday evening social event was a wonderful buffet dinner at the absolutely beautiful city convention center, followed by comedy entertainment and dancing.
Add to all of this the fact that the tournament rewarded each player with a terrific "goody bag" that contained a quality sports bottle, a Rolex hat, two very nice shirts (one a collared polo), a Power Bar, and a coupon for one free pound of Seattle's Best Coffee!
by Chris Lang
Thirty one players converged on the courts at the Midtown Sports and Wellness Center in Albuquerque the weekend of November 3rd-5th for the 11th annual Albuquerque Open.
The competition was fierce as participants battled it out in the five round robin divisions. In the Men's A division five of Albuquerque's finest, Chris Lang, Randy Kahn, Rick Jackson, David Collie and Dominic Rodriquez went head to head. A strong fight ensued with Chris Lang and Randy Kahn rising to the top. After an hour and twenty minutes in the finals match, Randy's tenacity triumphed. He defeated Chris by two points in the fifth game and won the match 3-2.
In the men's B division four competitors battled each other. Albuquerque's Rick Hunt defeated Shaun Dakin from Phoenix 3-2 in the final.
The Men's C division consisted of 2 five-man round robins. Julie Kahn dominated her side of the draw losing only 2 games in four matches, while in the other half of the draw Hal Hudson was the victor losing only one game in four matches. The two met each other in the final. Hal Hudson had Julie on the ropes and defeated her 3-0.
Nine foes, soon to be friends, competed in the Mens's D division. David Siegel of Albuquerque won his half of the draw and advanced into the final without losing a game. He met is match however when he was defeated by a hungry John Robertson, 3-0 int he final.
The Men's 40+ division was captured by David Neal over a weary Josef Dolejs of Albuquerque, 3-0.
Thanks go out to all who participated in the 1995 Albuquerque Open, namely everyone from Albuquerque, the faithful and always welcome Arizona connection, and the good 'ole boys from Soccoro. The next tournament in this neck of the woods will be held during the first weekend in February... the infamous Green Dot Dessert Classic! Look for entry forms in the mail or telephone Chris Lang at (505) 888-4811 for more information. Until then, REMEMBER TO KEEP IT DEEP!!!
by Mike Hawrylycz
I would like to contribute an article which appeared in a less recent issue of Squash Player Magazine (November 1993). The article is interesting because it concerns Front Wall Freedom.
"A players obligation to avoid interference include; You must make every effort to get out of your opponent's way and allow him /her to move directly to the ball; allow him a fair view of the ball; enough room to hit it; and to do so directly to the front wall. The fourth obligation a player has here is called Freedom to play the ball directly to the front wall, this is Rule 12.2.4".
"This is one of the more difficult rules in the modern game. Its intention is clear, but at its extreme implementation by referees it can encourage some players to go "stroke hunting", and has led to the demise of the forehand straight drive from the frontcourt."
"The rule places an obligation on you not to, by your position in front of an opponent, restrict the range of shots he may wish to play - for example, you must allow the cross-court. If the striker is in position to hit his opponent with the ball going directly to the front and does so unintentionally he wins the point. The rules discourage this (even penalize it under Rule 17) and a new Rule 12.8.3 states that the Refereeshall award a stroke to the player if: " The player has refrained from hitting the ball which, if hit, would clearly have struck his opponent going directly to the front wall; or to a side wall but in the latter case would have been a winning return (unless in either case turning, ball passing around player or further attempt applies)."
(Note: This last point is interesting where often we play any side wall ball is a let. Mike H.)
"Where under the "every effort" principle not providing an opponent with freedom to hit an result in a let, depriving him of freedom to play the ball directly to the front wall often results in a stroke under the winning shot principle. It is a severe sanction, often exploited, occasionally over-zealously refereed."
"The modern rules provide an obligation on a player to allow his opponent to play directly to the front wall - generally the whole front wall is assumed, although this can lead to difficulties."
"The 1984 rules contained the useful explanation: "A player must make every effort to allow his opponent, as far as the latter's position permits, freedom to return the ball directly to the front wall.."
"Although this is now covered differently in the legislation, the same principle applies. A referee penalizing a player with a stroke for not "giving his opponent freedom to play the ball directly to the front wall" needs to have seen that he "would clearly have struck his opponent going directly to the front wall", and must be very sure that he was in position to do so. If the referee is doubtful, it is a let. If he is certain it is a stroke."
"In general practice, this means that a player must clear the front wall and allow his opponent to go cross-court. Referees must consider a player's position in relation to the ball and have a clear idea that a shot would, under the aforementioned Rule 12.8.3 phase, "clearly have struck his opponent going directly to the front wall."
"In summary, players are obliged to make every effort to provide their opponents with "freedom to play the ball directly to the front wall." "However, the significance of the "every effort" principle is severely diluted under this rule because if a player is clearly in a position to hit an opponent with the ball when it is going directly to the front wall, it is a stroke."
OK, OK, already, let's play!! Mike H.
Kiva Classic, CALL (505) 471-0272
February 2-4, 1996 Green Dot Dessert Classic, Contact Chris Lang (505) 888-4811
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