Northcliff Country Club Squash

Northcliff Country Club is a small community club situated in Northcliff and strives to service the sporting and social needs of the commmunity. Northcliff Squash is part of Northcliff Country Club

There are four well maintained and clean squash courts, fully equiped change rooms, small gym and social area all protected by a secure access system.

There is ample access controlled parking.

Our club strives to be socially interactive and we achieve this by hosting a number of fun tournaments and playing social pitch and play times usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm to 7pm.

There is also professional squash coaches available for tutoring we support the local schools in training their children.

Before you warm up

Body Activation

1. Start supine (lying on your back)
2. Deep breaths in and out; follow the rhythm: Breath in through the abdominals, expand the chest and open the shoulders Breath out chest, squash and belly button
3. Stretch and find neutral position.
4. Stand up, continue breathing and rub activation points
  Forehead
  Back of head and neck
  Behind ear and down neck to sternum
  Clavicle inner end and base of neck
  Across Clavicle
  Down sternum and ribs
  Across rib ends and up side of ribs
  Back of armpit
  Front of arm
  Flanks
  Abdominal muscles up and down
  Groin
  Inner thigh.
 5. Continue the focus on the breathing as you begin the warm up process.

Warm up before

Warm up up to 45
minutes before you play

1. Slowly get heart rate up with a jog.
Get the joints and muscles moving during the jog with “ankle flicks”, “knees up”, “kick the bum”, “side steps” etc.
2. Do a gentle stretch – focus on dynamic stretching and muscle activation.
3. Combine with running on the spot, star-jumps or other stationary exercises that increase heart rate.
4. Anyone who has a specific injury should now put the focus on that with a specific exercise – stretch or activation.
5. During this process small sips of water are important.
6. Fitness training can be included during this as long as there is a slow and steady increase in the pace required.

Cool down after

Should take 15-20 minutes

1. Start immediately with getting water on board.
2. Work to slow heart rate and breathing rate down with good deep breaths in and out. Focus on blowing out as this removes the Carbon Dioxide.
3. This can be combined with a slow jog – it is important that this jog slows the heart rate down and does not lead to being further out of breath.
4. End off with a walk – during this start loosening everything up. Wobble everything you can.
5. Form into a circle and run through the static stretches. Stretching is easy – “think of what movement the joint makes, stretch those movements”. Remember Form is more important than how Far you can stretch!

Neck – drop forward, backward, side to side. The weight of the hands on the head provides an additional stretch
Shoulders – arms above head, arms open out and squeeze backwards, shoulder circles, In and outward rolls, triceps stretch, back scratch
Back and Spine – abdominal activation, knees to chest, one knee at a time, roll knees to the side, rugby stretch, prayer position
Hip and Buttocks – Hip stirs, Figure four, knee to opposite shoulder, butterfly, splits, ballet side bend, hip flexor lunge
Knees and Thighs – Standing Quadriceps stretch, active hamstring stretch
Calf – bent knee, straight knee
6. Hit the showers – start off cold and then warm up.
7. Any area that remains tight or has a specific problem should now be the focus. Remember to ice an injury first before you have your shower.

This information was provided by Dr. Travis Mitchell of Aspire Happyness

Membership

There are Family Memberships, Single Memberships and Junior Memberships

Squash Full Memberships include a Northcliff Country Club Membership, use of the tennis courts and reduced rate venue hire.

Northcliff Country Club

Squash, Tennis, Bowls and Air Rifle

A small non-profif sports club servicing the sporting needs of the surrounding communities.

Squash Facts

Positioning

Play more Effective Strokes by getting to the "right" position. Why do some shots go straight and others cross-court? It's all about your position relative to the ball.



Shortest Route

Under pressure we take the shortest route to get to the ball but depending on our position, the direction and power of our strokes are dramatically affected. It is possible to hit the ball in a different direction but the power and accuracy may be affected

Straight Drive

Stand facing the side wall and strike the ball between your front foot and the side wall. RESULT The ball travels parallel to the side wall.

Cross Court Drive

Line up your shoulders with the front corner furthest away from you. So if you are on the left of the court and you are right handed, face the left hand corner. Line up your shoulders with the far right, front corner. Strike the ball, when it is between your right foot and the front left corner. RESULT The ball will strike the middle of the front wall, rebounding to the back right corner.

Don't get Too Close to the Ball

Modern advice is to move directly to the ball, then reposition yourself to aim the ball where you want it to go. The most common fault in all players is getting too close to the ball.

Solo Squash Practice

Groove Your Swing

Execution:
Begin by standing near the back of the service box. Hit easy/slow rails to yourself, and concentrate on being able to hit the next shot on one bounce without allowing the ball to go through to the back wall. Gradually work your way forward until you are hitting straight drops. After reaching the frontcourt, start working your way backward until you reach the backcourt. Once you have mastered this routine, work on repeating the drill but volley each ball. Both versions of this drill will help you develop excellent control and concentration as well as just getting loosened up. The bottom line is you want to feel as though you are “ready” to play.
Notes:
While this “drill,” which is more like a routine, is designed to help you prepare for matches, each phase of it can be used for the purpose of working on your stroke. As with all drills, going through motions that are typical of match play (i.e., rails, dropshots, lobs) will help make these shots automatic. To increase the intensity and emphasize reflexes, simply pick up the pace and hit shots that will force you to prepare for the next ball quickly. The goal is to work your way all the way to the front and to the back without missing a single ball.


1st September until 30 April the following year

High Altitude Ball Use

Mens 1st, reserve, 2nd, and 3rd league are required to play with the green dot ball all year.


RULE REGARDING THE BALL:
15.1 All matches shall start with a new ball provided by the home team.

15.2 The Dunlop High Altitude (green dot) ball will be the official ball for Men's 1st, Reserve, 2nd and 3rd leagues and Ladies 1st league and is to be used for the entire season. All remaining leagues (i.e. Men's 4th league and lower and Ladies 2nd league and lower) will be required to use the High Altitude ball from 1st September until 30 April the following year.

15.3 The Dunlop, Wilson or Prince Double Yellow dot ball as approved by Squash SA, shall be used in all league matches (Men's 2nd league and lower and Ladies 2nd league and lower) from 01 May to 31 August.

Central Gauteng Squash

What Is CGS?

One of the key points in understanding transformation in sport is that it refers to the overall vision, objectives and functioning of the sports organisation. It therefore applies to:

  • Player Development (Life skills and skill development) - this includes junior, senior and masters squash
  • Coaching (Development of coaches and players)
  • Leagues and tournaments (Competition)
  • Club Development
  • Marking and refereeing
  • Recruitment of players (League and social)

    • Central Gauteng Squash has already embarked on this transformation process by carrying out a strategic planning session with members of the Central Gauteng Squash Committee. Each member has been given a portfolio and each portfolio was tasked with compiling a basic business plan. During this and next season we will be following this plan to transform Central Gauteng Squash.

    Northcliff Squash Supports these Initiatives