FEATURE Odds in coach's favour Rob Owen, the former British Open quarter-finalist turned professional gambler, tells Rod Gilmour about his colourful career, which now includes becoming a squash coach reached 30. He purchased his own Owen has built up a solid stable of opticians’ practice, but the bright lights of players at his own academy, who train at the capital soon gave way to full-time the West Warwickshire Club in Solihull. He gambling. currently has eight under his wing, “You look at sport slightly differently including Jaymie Haycocks, George through gambling and I have applied Parker, Nathan Lake and Joel Hinds. some of these attributes to my coaching,” “I am not doing it for financial gain,” says Owen. “A lot of it is logical and I look continues the former British Open at life in odds. If someone hits six drop quarter-finalist. “I never really charge shots from the back and only two go up, them for my time. I do it for the love of I’ll say don’t play that shot. the sport, as I always thought for a long “I’ll look at it simply what works and time that players like myself weren’t what doesn’t. The attention to detail is putting anything back into the game. key, for example wrist and movement “People like Peter Marshall and Del positioning. These are technical aspects I Harris have been lost to the game. There also apply to gambling: a jockey’s riding were some very good players in the 80s position, a tennis player’s footwork. That and 90s who were highly ranked but who has been very useful to me.” have completely left the game.” There are no algorithms or Owen came into coaching by Rob Owen at his day job as a professional gambler spreadsheets. For someone who started out coincidence. He had watched Chris Ryder in chess (quitting aged 14 to pursue run a squash camp a few years ago and he career of Rob Owen has been one squash), maths and, crucially, patterns of saw a few areas that could be bettered in of vision and numbers. He started play are all in his head. “What I can do is his game. The recently-retired Ryder took T out as a chess fanatic, played evaluate an eventuality into a price,” he it on board, asked him to coach and it squash professionally, retired aged 26, says. “I can make quick decisions and spot grew from there. became an optician, then professional talent. I am looking for weaknesses and Owen says: “I believe in attacking gambler before offering a sideline in free strengths, and I can apply that to the odds.” squash, but I tailor to each individual squash coaching. His dedication was honed from hours player. Some need an arm around them, His life has been as colourful off court of self-motivation spent on court. In the others need a rocket up them. I don’t like – he has clearly enjoyed the trappings of beginning the gambling was a “24/7 complicated squash. It’s all about vision success – as it sometimes was on it. operation, watching cricket in India to and imagination.” Never tell him that gambling is all luck, horse racing in Australia.” For example, he used to revel in though, and that squash relies on talent, “Mathematics is part of daily life,” he cutting the ball – Owen will sometimes especially when he is paying the lunch bill says. “People say there’s nothing more use a wooden racket in his coaching, as it at a swish London restaurant on a risky in what you do. But I don’t actually offers better instruction in how to swing – freezing December day! gamble. The odds are always in my favour “People misunderstand the word when I bet. I’m odds-on to win every time talent,” he says. “The press once said I and the percentages are on my side. It’s was the most talented for my age, but I impossible for me to lose.” disagree with that. I just practised more How so? “Over a period of time if you and hit more balls.” give heads or tails, I will have a grand on Owen is thankful for meeting the great heads at 2-1,” he replied. “I will keep Jonah Barrington, then aged 40, as a 15- doing that all day long, as the odds will be year-old in Solihull at a time when he in my favour.” used to practise on his own. “I was a bit There is also a refreshing tone as to rebellious and perhaps he saw a bit of how Owen views his second job as a him in me,” he recalled. “Under him I coach. “I’m happy to put my hand up and went from being very average (the first say I have a lot of strengths and round of the British under-16s) to the weaknesses,” he admits. “A lot of British Open under-19 final, beating coaches might not do that, as they are Jansher Khan in the semis.” scared of losing players. That’s not having Owen’s career was marred by various confidence in your own ability.” disciplinary problems, though he says he His friendly influences in London enjoyed a reasonably successful career, included Rob Wright, The Times racing reaching a high of 19 in the world before tipster, while he has also been eager to quitting the sport. learn off the squash greats too. He recently The Midlander says it was a “privilege” spent two weeks with Australia’s former to play when he did, but he soon came to world champion, Rodney Martin, who realise he wasn’t as good as his peers. opened his eyes to the sport. “It was the Even aged 22, he knew that he wasn’t way he talked about squash,” Owen said. going to go on forever (he never reached “As a player [Martin won the 1991 World British no.1) and quit four years later. Open], he would always look for Rob Owen comforts George Parker after the teenager’s He studied for four years in London weaknesses against the top players and you defeat in the British Junior Open semi-finals and gained a degree in optics as he could see his brain ticking the whole time.” 20 THE SQUASH PLAYER FEATURE whereas many of the top juniors hit the ball too flat. THANK EVANS “You look at all the top players: Ramy Ashour, Jonah, they all used to cut the FOR SQUASH! ball,” he says. “George hits the ball too flat and it always used to sit up the whole Dan Evans, the British tennis no.2 and a time. Although he is exciting, his squash West Warwickshire member like Rob hitting isn’t great, but physically he is Owen, tells Squash Player of his love fantastic. He has immense talent, but he for squash and how it has improved his needs to know that his racket work has to tennis increase.” “My parents were always at the club, Despite Owen’s growing stable, he is so I played squash before I started playing quick to look away from the mainstream tennis. I picked up a racket and it went headlines generated by the success of from there. triple world champion Nick Matthew. “I always used to play in a higher age “We are being left behind by other group, but when I first started to play countries,” he says. “We don’t attract the tennis tournaments, it began to take over. talent pool that other sports do.” “I only played when I was young so it Can he see future success for wasn’t that physical. But it has definitely England’s next crop, though? “I see small helped shape my game. I learnt how to signs at a much younger level and Chris hit certain shots. Robertson [ESR national coach] seems to “I use my hands more on the squash be doing a fantastic job at the top of the court and that aspect has definitely gone game,” he replied. into my tennis. Squash has also benefited “Chris is bringing that ethos back to my backhand slice, for example. the game and getting back on court with “I watched the World Championship the bigger players. We are starting to see final in Manchester. If it’s on TV, I will the results.” always watch it and if there is a Premier Just like Owen has done on a daily League squash game on at the University, basis since quitting as a player and then I will go and watch.” returning to the sport as a coach. Ryder’s remedies hris Ryder, the Hertfordshire player which would allow a more profitable and added: “Ultimately, I'd love to own and who retired from the PSA Tour at sustainable tour for more players.” run my own squash club.” Cthe end of last year, is leaving the Ryder, who reached a career-high of That keenness to put something back full-time scene generally optimistic for the 33 in the world rankings in 2008, is into the game is matched by the likes of sport’s future, but also with some advice speaking from a position of strength here. Hadrian Stiff, Jon Kemp, Jonny Harford for its rulers, writes Simon Redfern. “At a lower ranking it's tough to make and Ben Ford – and makes him hopeful Having been on the Tour for 14 years, ends meet sadly,” said the six-time PSA for the future of the game in England.