Squash
Nuffield Health & Fitness - Porchester Centre Queensway, Bayswater, London W2 5HS
Tel- 020 7792 2919
2 squash courts, active leagues.
Resident coach: Lester Cantem, UKCC L2, mob - 07894 552894
http://www.gll.org/porchester-centre.asp
Advertise your squash club/coaching here for just £50 a year. Guaranteed position in top 3, with 70 word limit, incl. link to your website to boost your Google ranking.
Advertise your squash clubcoaching here for just £50 a year. Guaranteed position in top 3, with 70 word limit, includes a link to your website to boost your Google ranking.
Squash in Central London (WC1 etc)
Squash Coach - Jason Barry Mob - 07903 007419
Squash coach (Level 3 coach) at The 52 Club, Bonham Carter House, 52 Gower Street, London WC1E 6EB
Oasis Sports Centre 32 Endell Street, London WC2H 9AG
Tel - 020 7831 1804
3 squash courts
Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Mecklenburgh Place, London WC1N 2AY
Tel - 020 7813 0555
2 squash courts
Squash in the City (EC1 etc)
Virgin Active Moorgate Club Bunhill Row EC1Y 8LP
2 squash courts.
Tel - 020 7448 5454
Nearest Tube: Moorgate
The CityPoint Club 1 Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9AW
Tel - 020 7920 6200
2 squash courts
Squash coach: Peter Marshall, former world number 2 (mob - 07766 683337)
Squash coach: Rebecca Macree, former world number 7 (mob - 07971 451587)
Squash in the City Mob - 07956 870345
Squash coaching exclusively to members of Virgin Active Moorgate
All coaches SRA qualified (Squash Racquets Association)
Fitness First Monument Swan Lane, London Bridge, London EC4V 4HN
Tel - 0844 571 2905
Squash courts
Squash in West London (W1 etc)
Squash Coach - Lester Cantem Mob - 07894 552894
Level 2 coach. Coaching in W2 area, beginners to advanced.
Video analysis. Organises local competitions and league matches.
New Grampians Squash Club Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7LN
Tel - 020 7603 4255
Run by 4 times world squash champion Azam Khan and family.
3 squash courts.
Nearest Tube: Shepherds Bush (central line)
Hammersmith Fitness & Squash Centre Chalk Hill Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8DW
Tel - 020 8741 8028
3 squash courts
Charing Cross Sports Club Aspenlea Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8LH
Tel - 020 8741 3654
4 fully sprung squash courts, one glass-backed.
12 squash leagues, all members invited to play in the leagues.
Squash Coach: Ben Ford - 07946 557502
Nearest Tube: Hammersmith, or Barons Court
Squash Coach - Ben Ford Mob - 07946 557502
12 years coaching experience, World Top 85.
Coaching in Hammersmith, at Charing Cross Sports Club (Thursdays)
Squash Coach - Andrew Keen Mob - 07896 255886
Level 2 coach. Coaching in Hammersmith.
Squash Club at Portobello Green Fitness Club 3-5 Thorpe Close, London W10 SXL
Tel - 020 8960 2221
2 squash courts
Squash Coach: Michael Phillips
Nearest Tube: Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City Line)
Bath & Raquets Club 49 Brook's Mews, London W1K 4EB
Tel - 020 7499 9044
An exclusive private members' club (new members must be proposed and seconded), men only.
2 squash courts
Squash Coach: Zubair Jahan (former world number 8)
Squash in East London (E1 etc; Redbridge)
Old Chigwellians Club Roding Lane, Chigwell, IG7 6BE
Tel - 020 8500 2477
2 squash courts
Fitness First Spitalfields 2nd Floor, London Fruit Exchange Building, Brushfield Street, London E1 6EP
Tel - 0844 5712936
Squash courts
Squash in North London (N1 etc)
Coolhurst Tennis & Squash Club Court Side, Coolhurst Road, Crouch End, London N8 8EY
Tel - 020 8340 4272
4 squash courts
Finchley Manor Squash Club Lyndhurst Gardens, Finchley N3 1TD
Tel - 020 8346 1327
4 squash courts.
Nearest Tube: Finchley Central (Northern Line)
Squash Coach - Adam Fuller Mob - 07751 239472
PSA World Ranked 218, Hertfordshire county coach.
Level 3 coach.
Coaching in North London.
Squash Coach - Steven Davies Mob - 07814 429832
Level 3 fully licenced squash coach, Bedfordshire county coach.
Available in Beds, Herts, and North London.
email: steven.davies4 (at) virgin.net
Southgate Squash and Racketball Club Walker Ground, Waterfall Road, Southgate, London N14 7JZ
Tel - 07904 300288
6 Squash courts.
Professional squash coach: Paul Carter, former British national champion (mob - 07535 994066)
Squash coach (level 2): Lucie Colt
Squash coach (level 2) Craig Empson
Hazelwood Lawn Tennis & Squash Club Ridge Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London N21 2AJ
Tel - 020 8360 1384
3 squash courts (1 glass backed/air conditioned)
Head Squash Coach: Mark Worton
Squash in North West London (NW1 etc)
Cumberland LTC 25 Alvanley Gardens, London NW6 1JD
Tel - 020 7435 6022
8 squash courts (includes one glass-backed exhibition match court).
Resident Professional Squash Coach: Zubair Khan,former world number 8 (mob - 07971 122 013)
Mill Hill Sports Club Graham Park Way, Mill Hill, London NW7 2AL
Tel - 020 8959 0194
3 squash courts (includes 1 glass-backed)
Club squash coach: Derek Thorpe (mob - 07887 560601)
Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre Adelaide Road, London NW3 3NF
Tel - 020 7974 2012
2 squash courts
Squash in South West London (SW1 etc)
Dolphin Fitness Club Dolphin Square, Chichester Street, London SW1V 3LX
Tel - 020 7798 8686
3 squash courts
Club Squash Coach: Peter Genever - 07974 778064 (England Squash Level 3, Former World Top 25)
South Bank Club 124-130 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall SW8 2LD
Tel - 020 7622 6866
8 squash courts.
Parsons Green Sports Club Broomhouse Lane, Fulham, London SW6 3DP
Tel - 020 7736 1401
2 squash courts
Squash ladder.
Resident squash coach: Lester Cantem, UKCC L2, mob - 07894 552894
Grafton Tennis & Squash Club 70A Thornton Road, London SW12 0LF
Tel - 020 8673 2891
3 squash courts.
Squash coach: Phil Nightingale, PSA highest world ranking 141 (mob - 07815 095964)
Sheen Lawn Tennis & Squash Club Parklands Close, Fife Road, East Sheen, London SW14 7EH
Tel - 020 8878 7650
2 squash courts
Christopher's Squash & Fitness Club Plough Lane, London SW17 0BL
Tel - 020 8946 4636
7 squash courts
Squash Coaches:
Peter Grove - 07968 124630
Eric McAlpine - 07930 387016
Spencer Squash Club Fieldview, Burtwood Lane, Earlsfield, London SW18 3HF
Tel - 020 8874 7094
2 squash courts
Wimbledon Racquets & Fitness Club Cranbrook Road, London SW19 4HD
Tel - 020 8947 5806
6 squash courts (2 glass-backed)
Squash coaches (all are England Squash Level 3 qualified):
Philip Rushworth - 020 8947 5806
Dave Peters - 07779 808282
Jeremy Colton - 07967 392495
Wimbledon Lakeside Squash Club Church Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AG
Tel - 020 8971 8090
5 squash courts (4 glass-backed)
Head Professional Squash Coach: Stacey Ross (current UK rank 12) - 07811 465073
Assistant Squash Coach: Paul Reilly (England Squash Level 3) - 07787 122494
Squash Coach - Paul Reilly Mob - 07787 122494
England Squash Level 3 qualified coach.
Coaches at Wimbledon Lakeside Squash Club, and also available to coach in south west London.
Squash in South East London (SE1 etc)
Fitness First Cottons Club Cottons Building, Tooley Street, London SE1 2TT
Tel - 020 7403 1171
3 squash courts
Blackheath Squash Club The Rectory Field, Charlton Road, Blackheath, London SE3
Mob - 07747 642250
Elephant & Castle Leisure Centre 22 Elephant & Castle, London SE1 6SQ
Tel - 020 7582 5505
2 squash courts
Dulwich Sports Club Great Arches Road, off Burbage Road, London SE24 9HB
Tel - 020 7733 4186
4 squash courts
Squash club (meets on Sundays)
Looking for a personal trainer in NW3 ? Click on the link and accellerate your fitness goals.
If you want a squash partner in your area, check out Fitness Buddy.
Do we need more squash courts in London? Let me know and I'll add your comments here.
Danny in NW4 says: "Would be nice to see squash gain a higher profile in London. Definitely not enough squash courts in London. Decent courts are booked up so fast, it's hard to get a court when you want one."
Fitness Training for Squash
Because squash is such a dynamic and high-intensity sport, you need to have a basic level of fitness before you play squash competitively. Otherwise you're likely to get injured. Hence the old saying - 'get fit to play squash, don't play squash to get fit.' Although you can certainly play squash to stay fit, and boost your fitness levels.
As in other racquet sports, squash requires several elements of fitness: aerobic fitness (ie cardiovascular fitness which means strong heart and lungs, as well as muscular endurance over a longer period), anaerobic fitness (ie explosive muscle strength and speed), core strength (vital to protect your lower back), and very importantly flexibility (particularly calves and hamstrings). So make sure your fitness training incorporates all these elements, so you have no weak links.
There's another aspect of fitness that is crucial in raquet sports, and that is proprioception. This means agility, good co-ordination, good balance, fast recovery from an unstable position, ability to change direction quickly and safely, and heightened mind-body connection. Like all aspects of fitness, you can train to improve your proprioception. The better proprioception you have, the more you're able to conserve your energy, and make every movement as efficient and effective as possible. And you'll reduce your chances of getting injured too. A good personal trainer will place lots of emphasis on injury prevention if you're a squash player.
One of the easiest proprioception exercises is balancing on one leg and timing yourself. Then do the other leg. And when this is too easy, do it on a wobble-board, or bosu-ball. One of my personal training clients found balancing on one leg quite hard to begin with, but daily practice produces rapid results, and within two weeks she could do one minute on the right leg and 45 seconds on the left. One leg is often weaker than the other, but they both even up eventually.
If you watch a cat leaping around and correcting itself when it's about to fall, that's a prime example of good proprioception.
Top Tips from London Squash Coaches
Check out these tips and incorporate them into your squash game:
"To ensure that your grip is correct (the shake-hands grip), mark a V on your racket handle, between your thumb and index finger, and check between rallies that you've kept the right grip."
Lester Cantem, squash coach in London W2.
