rackets NEWS

Rackets Development Squad 2022

The day included:

• Alex DV who is currently World Singles no. 7 helping with a Rackets-specific warm up.
• Richard Owen the current World Doubles Champion helped the ladies with doubles practice.
• And Mike Bailey World Doubles no. 5 structured the session and gave the group an initial fitness blast.

Tom Billings the World Champion will be leading the charge next session.

The purpose of the Development Squad is to train the next generation of top players. Rackets is a predominately amateur-led game and the aim of the Development Squad is to equip top male and female youngsters with the court skills and fitness regime required to compete and improve when playing adult Rackets. We have arranged for three training sessions to be held in the 2021/22 season which will be run by top 10 players including the current World Champion and number one ranked player, Tom Billings. These sessions aim to:

• Show how top players practice on and off court and introduce a couple of drills to their training;
• Introduce the squad to some of the top ten players;
• Allow free practice time at the famous Queen’s Club;
• Provide a network of former top players to Whatsapp for strategy and advice; and,
• Introduce the squad to other young players so that the may take the game forwards.

The dates for the next sessions are:

12th February 2022 & 19th March 2022

Past development squad attendees have included Alex Titchener-Barratt (Doubles World Champion 2011-13 & 2015- 16) and James Coyne (Doubles World Champion 2013-15).

Congratulations to all of those players that were successfully selected for the squad.

The Squad has been set up and funded by a combination of Tim Cockroft’s (World Doubles Champion 2011-3) generous Development Squad Fund, John Prenn (World Singles Champion 1981-4 & 1986-8) and the T&RA.

The development squad team were incredibly grateful for the support from Tim and John in enabling this to happen.