There are few names more synonymous with the sport of squash than Jonah Barrington, and we’re delighted that he agreed to sit down with us at the back end of last year to share some knowledge and experience from his many years within the sport. It’s been an incredible privilege for us here at SquashSkills to work with someone of Jonah’s stature, a man who has had as much of an impact on the way we play and understand the game of squash as anyone in the history of the sport.
In this ‘Origins’ series, the topic of focus is ghosting – a practice widely known to players of every level today, but a training concept that just didn’t exist until Jonah came along. He’s joined in this series by his son Joey, one of the best-known figures in the sport in his own right, owing to his commentary position on PSA Squash TV and a successful professional playing career that saw him represent his country on a number of occasions.
In the first part of the series, Jonah discusses how and why he developed the practice of ghosting. He also takes us through some of his thoughts on more specific topics including movement patterns, footwork, and balancing both sides of the body. There’s plenty of his customary anecdotes as well, including tales of ghosting in the garden in his underwear, and his rather inventive utilisation of camel dung as floor markers when squeezing in a ghosting session while on holiday in some far-flung outreach!
It’s fantastic to hear Jonah share his experience from a lifetime within the sport, and a wonderful reminder of just how far ahead of his time he was in respect to his understanding of the game, his work ethic, and his utilisation of advanced physical and psychological training strategies to gain an edge on the competition.
In parts 2 and 3 Joey takes the lead – discussing ghosting from a practical sense in part 2, and looking at how the practice applies to the modern game. In part 3 he then calls upon his training expertise to guide us through how to best structure a ghosting session the Barrington way for maximum impact!
Joey’s is a fascinating personality to listen to, and he provides a captivating discussion of the different schools of ghosting, some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the practice, and his opinions on key differences between technical ghosting practices in comparison to more physical focused sessions. Depending on your goals, there are a number of different ways you can arrange the parameters of a ghosting session to best address your target goals.
Based on Joey’s advice and insight, we’ve put together a great ghosting session for you to try in your own training. Check it out below, as well as links to some other great ghosting related content:
Put it into practice
Try this comprehensive ghosting session following the themes and ideas presented by Joey in his practical playlists.
We also have a number of other great physical ghosting and technical ghosting sessions on the site.
Related content
Origins – Ghosting in practice with Joey Barrington
In this playlist, Joey explains the more technical practice side of ghosting including the different types and why to do them.
Origins – In practice – Structuring a ghosting session
Joey shows how to structure common ghosting sessions with the help of Peter Creed demonstrating.
How to ghost correctly with Paul Carter
In this playlist, Paul will focus on how to ghost correctly and keep it relevant to matchplay.
Let us know how you get on with the sessions, we’d love to hear your feedback!
Haven't seen the full Origins series yet?
Watch the new ‘Origins’ series with Jonah Barrington now! A must watch for any squash fan who has an interest in the history of our sport.
Watch now