In squash - The Podcast

Delighted to have Joel Makin on the pod for episode 216. 2022 marks his best season to date; winner of the Manchester Open, reaching his highest ever world ranking of 7, and very promising results across the board. Joel discusses his season up until now. There's plenty of squash left in 2022 as well, including two blockbuster events in the British Nationals and the Commonwealth. Joel and I take deep dives laying out how important these events are to him, and just how stacked the British Nationals are this year. Joel also speaks candidly about his game and the games of his biggest rivals on the tour. We even get into how he feels about officiating changes and coaching during and between games.

From one of the best players of his generation to one of the most sought after coaches of the current, Wael El Hindi makes a triumphant debut on the In Squash Podcast. We take a deep dive into the current situation on the pro tour in terms of improvements in adjudicating lets and strokes, the thankless job of officiating, and some of the recent drama in the World Championships and El Guona. Wael also speaks candidly on several other topics including the recent performances of Amanda Sobhy and Diego Elias, his impressive pro career, the growth of padel and how squash needs to change, the legend that is Jonah Barrington, and so much more. Huge props to Wael for the must listen pod that this one truly is.

David Baillargeon defends his title in Vancouver this week at the 2022 Oxford Properties Canadian Nationals. David is fresh off his first appearance at the World Open where he faced the best shot maker in the world, Mezan Hesham in the first round, and gave him a real run for his money. David and I talk about the significance of the Canadian Nationals, his World Open appearance, the Commonwealth Games and the benefits of training in both Montreal and Bristol. Of course, I would be remiss if I also didn't ask him for a Shawn Delierre anecdote, and he did not disappoint.

Vancouver Lawn and Tennis is hosting the 2022 Oxford Properties Canadian National Squash Championships, June 1st-5th. Van Lawn and Tennis' Head Squash Professional and good friend Viktor Berg gives us the low down on the event, which is the biggest Canadian Nationals in terms of numbers since the turn of the millennium. I also take the opportunity to look back on Viktor's impressive, eclectic professional squash career which saw him reach 44 in the PSA Rankings and # 1 in the world on the SDA hardball doubles tour. Viktor and I also take some time to catch up and relive some of the good old days.

As humble as they come, and a talent ready to make a move into the top 10, Patrick Rooney's stock has without question risen of late. With a number of big wins and well fought battles against the best of the best, Patrick is on his way to contending in all the major events. Patrick gives an honest appraisal of his game. We also discuss the current squash calendar which is running thick and heavy, Malcolm Willstrop's tremendous influence on him as a person and a player, the significance of the British Nationals, and much more.

Thierry Lincou achieved every pro squash player's dream: reaching world #1 and hoisting the PSA World Championship trophy. A tremendous career that saw him play in the Power/Nicol era through to the Ashour/Elshorbagy era, Thierry is now the head coach for the MIT Engineers CSA men's team, and they're fresh off their best ever season. Thierry and I talk about the Engineer's recent season and his past 9 years as head coach. Obviously, being the gentlemen that he is, Thierry indulged the host's laundry list of questions about his golden years, and as expected, his responses were pure gold. Everything from playing Jonathan Power, making necessary adjustments to get to the next level, getting to world #1 and of course his final event as a pro, The Bluenose Classic, an event which he went on to win. Incredible chat with one of our game's greats.

Squash Stories, without question, is the largest, most knowledgeable and most eclectic collection of squash enthusiasts on social media. Jamie Maddox is the mastermind behind it all and it's always insightful and highly entertaining whenever we get the chance to catch up. Jamie and I take a deep dive on the PSA season up until now and on the growth of Squash Stories over the past few years.

The Oxford Properties Canadian Open kicks off on April 11th, and CEO of Calgary's Bow Valley Athletic Club, host club for the event, drops by to to chat about the event. The men's and women's events boast world class talent inclusive of several current and past Canadian national champions. Local interest is there as well in the women's event with reigning Canadian women's national champion Danielle Letourneau and two time men's national champion Andrew Schnell, both Calgary natives.

John White led the Drexel Dragons men's and women's squash teams to landmark seasons in 2022, with the women reaching the Howe Cup final and the men finishing 7th overall. John looks back at how all of this unfolded, and how he's evolved as a coach since 2007 when he began on the US College squash scene. We also take a trip down memory lane by looking back at his illustrious playing career which saw him reach world #1 in 2004. John also gives his take on today's pro game and how the game has changed in terms of officiating.

Always a great chat, Jon Sharpe, aka the String Doctor, makes a return visit to the pod and I highly recommend taking notes. Jon takes us through what we all need to know when it comes to stringing our rackets, and perhaps most interestingly, how we should prepare ourselves when we visit our local stringer. We also discuss some of the pro player tendencies including whether there's any truth to the story that The French General strings his rackets at 16lbs. We end the pod with a quick look at the latest PSA tour events.