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They will try to bash you off-court, with powerful shot after powerful shot.

The ball gets so warm you feel that your touch game is useless.

You get the feeling that the strong hitting is just remorseless and losing is an inevitability.

How do you break this cycle?

Well for starters, don’t try to compete with this sort of hitting – unless of course you know that you can do it better than they can. Fighting fire with fire in this case will only play into their hands, your shots will be loose, the ball will become even bouncier and you’ll be meat and drink. You need to play your game.

Let’s use the situation against our opponent.

1.       The ball will be difficult to put away. If you use pace sensibly, slow it down and defend where necessary, then you will become difficult to beat. If you don’t give your opponent clear chances to kill the ball, they will start to wonder where they are going to win the next rally.

2.       If you are struggling to react to their powerful shots, really focus on getting the ball to a good quality length. You will have more time to see the ball from the back, and a good length will mean that the side and back walls will impede your adversaries swing.

3.       Use the sidewalls. It’s not easy to hit hard and tight with a ball that’s on the sidewall. Use the pace sacrificed above, for extra control to put the ball on or near the sidewall each time. You never know they might even break their racket trying to swipe at one that’s too tight!

4.       When you get a chance at the front, use the pace that’s in the ball. Use a really short swing to pull your opponent forward to cover the drop, and then flick it by them. Using a big swing will limit your options as drops will be difficult.

5.       Usually in squash, pushing forward and looking for the volley is sound advice. Be careful here though, as it may ot be easy to pick off their shots, and the benefits are minimised by the super bouncy ball. Pick your times to push forward carefully.

6.       Break their rhythm. These sort of players thrive on a rhythm of hard hitting. Break the game up by varying the pace and direction of your shots. Use lobs – straight and cross court. A slow boast is always a useful weapon here. Now they're off-balance and will find it harder to generate pace off the slow balls.

7.       Play to the weak side. Invariably one side will be stronger than the other

8.       Hang in there and work them. Take Ali’s lead in the Rumble-in-the-Jungle. It’s hard work hitting hard, and if you can contain this with simple straight chipped drives, then your opponent might soon run out of steam.

Now you’ll find the temperature of the ball drop, and your opponent start to slip into your game – one where you will find it easier to dictate.