Bryan Patterson's Candid Views On The Scoring System
from DailySquashReport.com
July 27, 2011 - DailySquashReport recently noted the brevity of the matches in last week's Women’s World Juniors Individuals.
Fordham Coach Bryan Patterson was kind enough to weigh in on the topic.
Bryan competed on the professional tour in the 1970’s and was ranked #2 in England and #16 in the world. He was a founding member of the ISPA, which is now the PSA, and he has been a director of the US Junior National teams.
BP:
It's an interesting predicament that squash really has - scoring.
I remember when the scoring changed, Jonah Barrington saying that they had
basically changed what squash was about. It was tough, mentally and physically, and demanded a level of skill and concentration/focus to outplay your oppoenent.
In essence it was a battle. Now with PAR scoring the discrepancy between players is magnified and, as has been seen in tournaments. some matches have not lasted very long.
It does seem to make a mockery of the essence of squash, of that physical battle, of the battle of minds, and of skill.
I am in the UK right now and know that some clubs' internal leagues still use the old scoring system, for the very reason that you have given - games don't last long enough.
Whereas before, a match almost invariably lasted over 35 minutes and longer, and players got a true sweat; nowadays the match is over almost before you start.
Something is missing. Remember the old game - no doubt not many, if any of the younger generation will.
But there used to be two serves. And of course you won a point only if you served, which really did make the game a game of two tactics - hand in and hand out. I'm not knocking the new generation and the PAR game they play, I'm saying that I believe the game actually could be better.
What are my suggestions?:
1) Two serves - let's get in line with doubles - Oh and Tennis!!
2) Scoring to 15 points with the next point the winner, period, no win by two.
I firmly believe that doing this will make the game better - you will be able to use the serve, and not be frightened of losing the point on that first serve. (You'll see corkscrew serves again on the first serve!!!).
And lengthening the points per game brings it into line with doubles and makes the whole game easier for Joe Bloggs to understand - right now 11 points in singles and 15 in doubles! What's that?
Let's get some consistency into this great game of ours.
As a footnote: Earlier this summer, Bryan orchestrated and led a 2,800 mile coast-to-coast charity bicycle ride, during which he discovered mysterious squash relics at a southern Missouri campground.
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