A major upgrade to the lighting fixtures has dramatically improved visibility. New trim has been added around the top of the court to clearly indicate the out line. And the netting on the upper back wall is now fastened securely in order to prevent the annoyance of lost balls.

At the same time, cosmetic changes have been underway in the waiting area outside of the courts. New paint and new signage make the whole area fresher and more appealing.

Congratulations to the staff and management for undertaking these badly needed upgrades.

The lack of light combined with the gray concrete ceilings and the unusual density of black-on-white ball marks on the side walls makes it difficult, at times, to follow the ball as it flies around the court. This, combined with the formerly dirty condition of the courts has caused some players to forgo playing at Southland completely.

Great news, though! The squash courts at Southland are now cleaner than they have ever been. Management at the SLC was receptive to lobbying by members of the Southland Squash Club last year and have since raised the standard for cleanliness on the facility’s two squash courts.

Lighting on the courts has also been enhanced (a little) by replacing bulbs and cleaning fixtures. And now comes word that the fixtures in both courts will be outfitted with new ballasts that will reduce power consumption and increase light in one fell swoop.

There is no word yet on the exact dates when this will occur, but we do know that each court will be done in turn. Court One will close for a few days while they replace the ballasts there. Then it will re-open and Court Two will close.

The Southland Squash Club has no say in when this will (or won’t) happen, but we have recommended waiting until indoor racquet season ends in April before undertaking this important maintenance.

If you know how to do it correctly, watching PSA pros play squash is one of the best ways I know to improve your own game.

The key is to pick out one thing and focus on that. For example, spend a few minutes watching this video, but watch only the players’ feet as they move around the court. Do not get caught up watching the ball or the game. Focus exclusively on their footwork.

Next, spend a few minutes watching to see how close these players come to the walls while playing. For example, how often do they touch or run into the side walls? When a player does touch a side wall, how often does he win the point and how often does he lose it?

Finally, spend some time watching what each player does after they hit the ball. Do they stay more or less where they were when they hit the ball or do the move to one particular area of the court?

I have my own collection of PSA DVDs at home. I purchased most of them through PSAlive.tv so that I would be able to analyze the best players and learn what I could from watching them. These days, however, Internet users have access to YouTube and other video services that give them access to pro squash videos free of charge.

Regardless of the way you are able to access professional squash video, take some time to watch the best players in the world. You can improve your own techniques and tactics by focussing in on what these players do in a variety of situations.