Deception

There are two forms of deception. One is the generic type of deception. You are always in a good position with the chance to hit any shot you want, therefore, leaving you opponent unsure of what shot you are going to play. The other is where you show one shot and then you play a completely different one. This deliberately takes your opponent one way and hopefully he does not recover in time to retrieve the ball.

In this clip I have created the opportunity to deceive my opponent by hitting first (as is nearly always the case) a good length, forcing him to back wall boast. I get onto this ball early and then slow my body down. My racquet is up and face open, looking as if I am going to hit a hard and quick cross court drive. I delay the shot for a fraction of a second, at which time my opponent stops on the T, and then I strike the ball accelerating the racquet head quickly through the shot giving him no time to recover.

I have worked myself in to a very good position in the front backhand from playing solid conventional squash. I am onto the ball so early and my position is so solid that I can wait with my racquet raised for what seems an eternity. My opponent is left watching in the background with nowhere to go, awaiting the time when I decide to hit. If you go to key frame 205 you will see exactly what I mean. (Get your mates to guess where this one is going!). I hold it until my opponent starts to move for the straight drive and then hit it hard and low cross court for a winner. Deception is as simple as that. Try not to over complicate it.