Squash is a fast game requiring high levels of agility combined with strategy. Players vary the power and direction of their shot in order to move their opponent around the court. Their objective is to dominate the T (centre of the court). Use the video files below to complete the following questions to help you gain a better understanding of this sport. Quintic Video Files you will use for these questions: 1) Service lob 2) Service hard 3) Forehand Drive 4) Backhand drive 5) Forehand lob 6) Forehand Drop shot 7) Backhand volley 8) Forehand volley 1 9) Forehand volley 2 PLAY AND PAUSE Open the video file Service lob 1) Play the video at all the different speeds. (i) What are the advantages of playing the clip in real-time? 143
(ii) Play the video first at speed Slow *2, then at the speed Slow * 16 (iii) Name three things you notice about the shot when playing at Slow * 16 that you didn t notice when playing at Slow * 2. 2) Imagine that you are teaching a young squash player to play this shot (service lob). Watch the video frame by frame and describe it to them using the following sections; (i) Preparation before the shot. (ii) Speed of the arm. (iii) Feet movement. (iv) Direction of the ball after impact. (v) Body movement after playing the shot. TIMING Open t he video file Service lob 3) Using the markers and stopwatch, (i) Calculate how many frames are played in one second? (ii) What significant event happens 1.88s after the start of the clip? (iii) What is the frame number at this time? 144
Open the video Service hard 4) Below is a list of frame numbers from this video clip. Describe the action occurring at each of these frames. Consider the movements of both players and any key events that happen in these frames: Frame 4:.. Frame 12:. Frame 35:. Frame 50:. Frame 76:. ANGLES AND SHA PES Open the video Forehand Drive Scroll the video to the start of the marked shot Forehand drive Set the zoo m at 1.3. 5) Using this angles button; find out the angle of the player s right knee in the following frames. Do this by joining points on his hip, knee and ankle. Frame 258. Frame 262. Frame 264. Frame 267. Frame 272. Open the video Backhand Drive 6) (i) Set zoom factor at 2.0. Every 10 frames draw a red circle round the head of the player wearing a dark t-shirt and a green circle round the head of the player wearing white t-shirt. You should use this button. (ii) This will create a trace of the path of the players throughout the rally. 145
(iii) (iv) (v) ( vi) (v) (vi) Create a Single Image Capture of the finished image and save it as a JPEG. Open this JPEG in Microsoft Word and give it an appropriate title. Save this document and ask your teacher if you may print it. Which player moves furthest left during the rally? Which player moves furthest right during the rally? Which player do you think moves around most during the rally? Explain your answer. Open the video Forehand lob. 7) The ball impacts with walls and the rackets several times during a rally. You are going to trace the path of the ball by using these buttons: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Each time the ball impacts with a wall or a racket draw a circle around the ball in that frame. (Complete question (ii) at the same time) Draw lines to connect these points so that a trace of the ball s path is created. (Hint: It is best to do this as you go along rather than waiting until the end). Take a Single Image Capture of this image and save it as a JPEG. Open this JPEG in Microsoft Word and give it an appropriate title. Save this document and ask your teacher if you may print it. 146
SYNCHRONISATION Open the video Service Lob in the Main window Open the video Service hard in the Best window 8) Synchronise these two videos at the point of ball contact. Play the videos through together and comment on the similarities and differences in: (i) Body position of the server before service. (ii) Ball speed after service. (iii) Ball height after service. ( iv) Type of shot used to return. 9) Which serve had the better result for the server? Explain your answer. 147
BLEND Open th e video Forehand Drive 10) Set the zoom at 1.5 (i) Play the video and pause it at frame 258. (ii) What key point in the action does this represent? (iii) Set background at this frame so it can be used in the blend function. (iv) Play the video frame-by-frame through this shot until frame 265) (v) Use the blend scroll bar at the top of this window to alternate your view between frames 258 and 265. (vi) What do you notice about the difference in the player s right knee angle? OVERL AY Open the video Forehand volley 1 in the Main window Open th e video Forehand volley 2 in the Best window 11) Set the zoom for both videos at 1.5 (i) Scroll the video in the Main window to frame 222. (ii) Scroll the video in the Best window to frame 215 (iii) Synchronise the videos and press the Set Overlay button under the Blend tab in the Main window. (iv) Watch the players between frames 200 and 263 only (v) Under each of the following categories, name one similarity and one difference you notice about the shots: 148
Frame Similarity Difference Body position Path of left arm during shot Arm speed Ball height after shot Where the ball lands after the shot Movement of the opponent in response PHOTO SEQUENCE Open the video Backhand Volley 12) (i) You are going to allocate titles to 6 frames (between 80 and 140) throughout the backhand volley. Write down the frame number of an image which shows the following stages of the shot: Start of move ment Frame Preparation Frame Top of back swing Frame... Feet leave ground Frame Ball impact Frame Feet landing Frame 149
(ii) Create a 6 frame Multiple Screen Capture of these frames. Each time draw a coloured box with the title you have given it written inside it in the top right hand corner of the frame each frame should look similar to the example below. (iii) (iv) (v) Save this Multiple Screen Capture as a JPEG. Open this JPEG in Microsoft Word and give it an appropriate title including your name. Save this document and ask your teacher if you may print it. DIGITISATION (Quintic Coaching & Biomechanics only) Open th e video Forehand Drop shot 13) A digit isation template has already been completed for this video, which tracks the whole body of the squash player. (i) Start a new trace. (ii) Load the digitisation template squash.qrm from the squash video file. (iii) Complete the digitisation trace for frames 240-266. (iv) Save the trace. (v) Open the analysis window. (vi) Fill in the tables with the correct number of stars to produce the following graphs. Choose 1 star, 2 stars or 0 stars for each box: 150
a) Horizontal acceleration of all points without exact values displayed. Acceleration of the left elbow with exact values displayed. Velocity of the left knee without exact values displayed. b) Vertical distance of all points without exact values displayed. Horizontal acceleration of all points with exact values displayed. Distance of the left shoulder without exact values displayed. c) Velocity of the left elbow and left shoulder with exact values displayed. Vertical distance of all points without exact values displayed. Horizontal acceleration of the left toe without exact values displayed. 151
d) Vertical distance of all points with exact values displayed. Horizontal acceleration of the left hip without exact values displayed. Vertical velocity of the left shoulder without exact values displayed. 14) (i) (ii) Open the animation window. Display the trace using the following combinations of buttons pressed down: (Each time save the image as a JPEG) a) b) c) 152
(iii) In Microsoft Word, open all 3 of the animation windows you have just created. Adjust their sizes to ensure they all fit onto one page. Type in an appropriate title and your name. Save this document and ask your teacher if you may print it. 15) Open the digitisation data in Microsoft Excel and answer the following questions: In frame 254, what are the values of: (i) Horizontal distance of the right shoulder? (ii) Vertical distance of the right elbow? (iii) Distance of the left wrist? (iv) Vertical distance of the left knee? (v) Horizontal distance of the right 3 rd finger? (vi) Distance of the right ankle? 16) In frame 263, what are the values of: (i) Vertical velocity of the right hip? (ii) Vertical acceleration of the left toe? (iii) Horizontal distance of the left wrist? (iv) Velocity of the vertex of the head? (v) Acceleration of the right elbow? (vi) Horizontal velocity of the right ankle? 17) Look at the graphs and data that have been produced by the digitisation that you have just completed. Use your experience and sports science background to suggest interventions and training methods to improve the athletic performance of the squash player 153
"Quintic is an invaluable coaching tool as it enables a coach and player to analyse technique in fine detail. This provides the viewer with a unique opportunity to analyse and improve their technique and compares their game to the world s best. The best players in the world never stop working at their game. Quintic video analysis software is the latest technology to help you improve yours." Good luck with your game." Quintic would like to thank Peter Nicol. All Video footage was taken from The Peter Nicol Squash with Quintic CD All video footage was captured and edited using Quintic Biomechanics 9.03v9 by Quintic Consultancy Ltd. www.quintic.com/coachingcds/squash/ 154