Doubles clearing......the next level

All

Now that you have digested the previous post in it's entirety.  Right?  I would like to take this opportunity to describe how to properly clear to the side-wall without ever taking your eyes off the ball.

You're saying, "IMPOSSIBLE!"  But you would be wrong.

If you're a right wall player positioned in the mid-court, reacting to a well-struck angled cross-court shot by your left court partner, you must prepare to clear to the right wall (if you are near that wall) if the ball makes it way to the center of the backcourt and allow your opponent to take a straight shot from the middle of the back-court directly to the ENTIRE front wall. By following the path of the cross-court shot as it makes it way to the back-court, one's initial rotation to the right wall is performed in a CLOCK-WISE fashion which allows one TO ALWAYS KEEP one's eye on the ball.

The opposite is true for the left-wall player reacting to one's partner well-struck angled cross-court shot from the right side towards the back-court.

If proper clearing is not performed, the striker, to avoid hitting the non-clearing player, is compelled to hit the ball into the side-wall thus creating a winning opportunity for the opposing team.

Try it.  It's an instance that is uncommon in the game of singles and is unique in doubles.

Awhile ago, a few quirks of the game that I witnessed left an indelible impression on me.  During a rally, a player needed to clear to the side wall.  After clearing, the player then TAPPED the wall a few with his racquet thereby alerting the other players that he was NEXT to  the wall.

And to add the finishing touches to his clear, the player raised his racquet and positioned the open face of the racquet in front of his face to protect it as he was surveying that moment in the rally.

It's another example of squash etiquette and a nuanced look at an experienced player performance.

Most seasoned observers upon seeing players engaged in a match exhibiting proper clearing will nod approvingly and say, "By Golly!  These jocks in the court really know how to play the game."

John