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Well this sounds like an impossible task. After all, by definition, if they are better than you then however it may be that they have the advantage, they can use it to out manoeuvre you, to win. This is why they are classed as better than you.

Well this is all true, at least most of the time. However, there will be days when they are not feeling too good, or are distracted, or simply don’t play quite so well. Equally, there will be days when you are inspired and play your socks off. If you could just contrive to get both of these days happening at the same time, then could you squeak a win? Quite possibly.

So we’ll look here at how you might help bring these two unlikely things to pass at the same time, and create an even more unlikely thing – you beating someone “better then you”.

First of all, let’s take care of you. Let’s face it; if you don’t play completely to your potential, you have no chance, so we need you to be right at the top of your game. The good news is that when you are playing someone who traditionally plays a better game than you do, it can often help your game.

There are no expectations on you to win, so there is no real pressure. You can relax, and anything that is achieved is a bonus. It’s with this care-free frame of mind, that one’s best play may be expressed. On top of this, being on court with and competing with a “superior” player can often inspire you to greater heights. You know that nothing other than your best squash will do. There are small margins for error and no room for anything loose or sloppy. It’s amazing how with this in mind, it can actually help you play in exactly the way you need. To help matters more, there is much less chance of your opponent playing sloppy squash that might beat and frustrate you. By this I mean the shot that comes so far into the middle that you can’t get out of the way of it, end up getting too close and consequently play a loose shot, resulting in losing the rally. And there will be less of those really annoying miss-hits that creep above the tin.

So all is not completely hopeless, you are in with a shout, so long as you believe.

I often hear sportsmen talking about their all conquering colleagues in words such as “he’s still got to put socks on both feet every morning.” By this they mean that they are not playing against some alien being or an android with zero weakness. You are playing against a human, who just like yourself has two arms and two legs, and along with everything else that is human, they are fallible.

Do they make mistakes? Yes. Do they sometimes feel less like playing than others? Yes. Do they have bad days? Yes.

The reason that holds many players back from winning against the better players, and I was very guilty of this, is that they have consistently lost to them in the past, and they lack belief that they can actually beat, or deserve to beat this player.

With this attitude, even if you opponent severely under performs you are almost certainly going to lose. If you watch sport, you will see that massive upsets are possible. Federer and Nadal do occasionally lose to players outside the top 15. Ireland have beaten England at cricket. Y.E Yang held off Tiger Woods over 18 holes to win the US PGA championship 2009. Nicol David lost to Madeleine Perry from 2 sets to love ahead in the British Open 2009. So you see upsets are possible. Therefore you should really believe that you have a chance, and then when it comes around, you will take it.

You’ll also need to step onto court 100% prepared to play, and to be able to play at a level that you are not usually accustomed to. This means a very thorough warm up. Have a look at the article about preparation, and follow the advice. There is a possibility that given your opponent has had better results in the past that he/she will be a little complacent. Maybe they haven’t warmed up quite as well as they might. Maybe they are not quite taking you seriously enough. If you are fully warm and prepared then you are in pole position to take advantage of any lack of preparation or respect from your opponent.

Have a plan. It’s possible that there is one area of your game that is better than your opponent. If you can draw them into playing your game, then your chances increase. Do they like a slow or fast paced game? Are they strong on the back or forehand, front or back? Play in the way and in the areas of the court that suit you and you lessen the difference between you.

Do your research before you play, make your mind up how you are going to try and win the rallies and go for it. You will probably need to be flexible to, so be prepared to adapt and change your game plan as the match progresses.

Presumably, if you are keen enough to be reading this, you actively work on your game, and think about how you might improve it. This hopefully means that you are improving. So the premise that your opponent is better than you might be flawed from the start. Perhaps you have improved enough, and maybe they have got worse by a big enough margin that he or she may no longer be seen as better than you. If you continue to strive to improve then surely one day it is likely that you will catch up with and overtake most of you rivals, so bear in mind, the next time you play might just be that time you reel them in.

How might we have an impact on how our opponent plays?

You can’t change their preparation (legally!), nor how they are feeling or their skills with the racket and their fitness. What you can affect is their state of mind, and perhaps put it into one that is not conducive to them playing their best squash.

You can do this by surprising them and giving them a much harder run for their money than they expected. If they are not properly warm, or not expecting a certain tactic or style of play might be enough for you to take the first game. Perhaps if you can raise your game for just one set, you could beat them if they are not 100% there. Even better, if you can maintain your level and stay with or even ahead of your opponent for the first part of the next game, you may well have done enough to throw them from their game.  This is what we are trying to achieve. Raising your game for long enough for your opponent to start to worry. Now their level could easily drop, and you have successfully created an opportunity to take down a more highly rated player.

Once you have one game on the board, particularly with PAR scoring, you are never too far from the finishing line. We all know that if you go to 2-2, then it can be a bit of a lottery. Well your opponent will know this, they will have all the weight of expectation and pressure on their shoulders. This is not going to help them put the wheels back on the wagon. Here is where the belief really needs to kick in. Do you truly believe you can win this match? If the answer is yes, then if your opponent is not capable of pulling themselves back to their normal level of play, then you should win.

There will be occasions, perhaps more often than not, where you manage to play to your potential maybe take a game, and sustain some pressure, and your opponent still manages to beat you, despite your best efforts. You can relax knowing you did your best and gave yourself the best chance of success. At the end of the day, of your opponent does what they can, you have little chance. The key is that in doing everything you can, you give yourself a chance that they may not. And when they open the door for you that you have the belief to step through it.

Of course the easiest option is to be better than them! Watch the clips, work with your coach, do appropriate work on your fitness.  Eventually hopefully you’ll improve sufficiently to not need to hope your opponent will be slightly overconfident, or that you’ll play in an inspired manner. Just that you’ll be able to perform to the level that you know you are capable of consistently, and that will be too much for your unlucky opponent!