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The Nick Shot There is a single shot in squash that stops your opponent in his tracks. It creates astonishment even from otherwise unbiased referees. It can make a silent gallery of spectators leap with applause. It can boost your energy and dissipate your opponent's. It is the shot to strive for as far as winners are concerned. I'm talking about the spectacular nick. A nick can be described as a shot that deflects off the front wall where the ball's trajectory is so severely angled that the ball strikes close to where the sidewall and floor meet. Keep in mind that if the objective is to get the ball as close as possible to where the sidewall and floor meet that the angle must be calculated not only how far horizontally the ball must travel but also vertically. The combination of the two should create a downward angle. There is a hint of a slice in the shot to help steer the ball into this downward angle. The nick by definition is the meeting point of the standing walls and the floor throughout the perimeter of the court. This fact attests to the wide variation in the types of nicks a player can attempt. This is also the reason why the nick is one of the most creative shots in squash. It can appear as a delicate drop nick or as a crushing slice volley into the nick. If executed correctly, a nick is the finest way to end a long rally. Hitting the nick on command borders a higher plateau in the touch game. A player capable of regularly hitting the nick denotes the precision of a craftsman. Like all craftsmen the tools, the materials and the environment are in direct relation to the end product. This is no less the case for nicks. With ample practice, a good racket, and a nice court with uniform walls much like the new ASB courts, the potential for the nick is greater. Yet, the most crucial factor is the set-up. A squash player capable of hitting nicks must have that certain set-up for successful completion of the shot. Spotting a potential nick is half the battle. Once that's done, actually hitting the nick is next. In some nicks the ball has a trickling bounce with some sort of hope for the other guy. Other nicks are hit so well that there's not even a hint of a bounce and the ball literally rolls off the sidewall. These are rare. Again, hitting a nick is all about the angle or trajectory of the ball off the front wall - not your racket. The easiest nicks are located in the two front corners. Designate these areas as your initial target zones. Unlike all other shots, the nick comes from the heart. You must feel the nick a split second before hitting it. Visualising perfect nicks can help a great deal. Let's take it a step further. Create a vivid scenario in your mind. Envision yourself as a hunter stalking the court for the chance to kill a nick. You must look for it at all times. It must become an obsession. You must experiment by hitting nicks from all angles of the court and find your personal target zones. Start with the two front corners but then expand to the rest of the court. Remember the nick first begins by spotting an opportunity. The best opportunities are when you force your opponent to hit the ball in the middle of the court. Keep in mind that the angle into the nick is the key. Internal alarms should alert you when nick opportunities reveal themselves. Be on the lookout and be ready to fire! In short, you must chisel the nick concept into your mind and keep it with you during every rally of a match. Executing a nick is regarded as either courageous or foolish. This depends on whether the nick attempt is hit well or not. If hit well, you feel like a champion. When it misses, your opponent is usually set-up for a winner. This is the foremost reason why players avoid trying the nick shot. The fear of setting up your adversary and looking like the fool who took the gamble can eliminate any kind of nick attempt from your mind. My advice is to get rid the fear and keep trying! But, it's a fact that when you miss a nick attempt, you'll pay. This fact should not instill fear, but should make your attempt that much better. However, one thing does happen after your first nick attempt - your opponent realises he or she is playing a unique kind of shooter. With this realization he or she will make every effort to prevent your next attempt. Every pro knows that a successful nick can be a displacing moment for your opponent. It is characterized as a temporary elevation for the player who hits the nick. This elevation, although temporary, can breakdown the mentally toughest competitors. The pros hold the nick shot in esteem. Although, all pros practice the nick shot, some hit it well while others seem to struggle. In the Khyber Pass area, which is my family's place of origin, the high attitude keeps the ball in play forever. The squash players there discovered early that the nick was the fastest way to kill the ball, especially against some of the fittest players in the world. Although it's the best shot in the sport, no one has found an effective way of teaching it. This is primarily due to the lack of importance given to the shot, and the desire lacked by most squash players to add it into his or her repertoire. It can be one of the hardest shots to learn, but it's not out of reach. The secret is to make it one of your personal missions in squash. Once the nick becomes part of your game, it will make all your other shots seem ordinary. You will have scratched the realm of the squash wizards like Qamar Zaman, one of the finest nick masters ever. Yet, Zaman and other nick masters will admit that the nick, while being the deadliest weapon in their arsenal, can betray you. Nevertheless, the nick became one of their legendary strokes. Make it one of yours. As we speak, the squash courts in the Khyber Pass are being riddled with nicks by some of the best up-and-coming professionals in the sport. What's good for them is good for you! Make it a habit of going for the nick! Or else all your shots will just be ordinary! Back to top of page |
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Squash Strategies There are two types of squash strategies. One is the offensive attacking game, and the other is the patient defensive game. The offensive game is primarily all imaginable squash shots close to the floor of the court. The defensive game is primarily all imaginable squash shots that linger up high in the court. One strategy uses the lower court area while the other focuses on the upper court area. The lower court encompasses 75% of all squash shots, while the upper court utilises only 25% of all squash shots. To build a strong overall squash game, we need to focus on the often-neglected upper court. Two things need to be kept in mind when concerning the upper court. The first is learning to utilise the upper area by hitting shots that have high contact points on the front wall. The second is returning a shot that lingers in the upper area of the court. One is execution - the other is retrieving. The best upper court shot is the lob. Therefore, the lob must be perfected! This shot is best executed from the front of the court. Usually when retrieving a high drop or boast. When hitting a lob, make sure it makes contact with the front wall approximately one meter above the service line. Also, try to hit crosscourt lobs at first. A good lob has a significant arc. Since the purpose of upper court shots is to extend the time between an exchange, the ball should linger in the air as long as possible. The lobbed ball should deflect off the sidewall one meter from the back wall. Because the lob can die in the backcorner, the lob can become one of the most devastating shotsin your arsenal. If executed correctly, the lob will get you back to the T. The lob can also break you out of any fast paced rally by abruptly changing the tempo. The difficulty regarding the lob is that it can't be practiced alone. Of course, one can try, but it should be combined in a sequence of shots using a rail, a boast and then a lob. It's important to keep the ball warm or else your touch will be off. But, practicing with two players is easy. One player boasts while the other lobs. The ball remains warm, and the rapid succession of attempts only improves your accuracy. The next shot is the crosscourt that deflects high off the sidewall into your opponent. This shot should only be attempted when your opponent is in the backcourt and close to the sidewall. If this type of crosscourt is hit when your opponent is in front, he or she can volley it before the ball reaches the deflection point. Also, if your opponent is not next to the sidewall and more in the middle, he or she can let the ball go to the back wall. If this happens, you become trapped as the path of the ball revolves into the middle of the backcourt. These are just two examples of the types of shots you can use in the upper area of the court. In short, any high shot that lingers out of your opponent's reach, namely his or her sweet spot, will have the same effect. The main points are that upper court shots change the pace, get you back in position, and use less energy. In the long run, you'll confuse your opponent, add pressure by getting back to the T more efficiently, and have more stamina for the rest of the match. Although this sounds easy, upper court shots require a great deal of accuracy and timing. Practicing is the first step. The next is to make a conscious effort to use upper court shots during a match. Remember to stay cool and maintain good concentration at all times. Championship squash starts in your head. Only then can you effectively incorporate tactics. When attempting upper court shots, notice the lag time between exchanges. Observe how the rhythm is interrupted. Also, become aware of your opponent's reaction. Discover how the soft arc of a lob can add tremendous pressure during a point. Let's change scenarios. If your opponent attempts to use this strategy against you, remember that upper court shots are your opponent's way of getting back in position. You need to keep yourself out of the danger by reciprocating with an upper court shot yourself. As your opponent tries to buy time and gets you out of position, you need to buy time with a lingering upper court shot to neutralize his or her attempt for control of the rally. Although, lower court shots like a drop and a boast can slow the pace, upper court shots like the lob and high crosscourts are better ways of getting back to the T after a blistering exchange of fast shots. Winning a point using devastating power and fast exchanges can feel great. But, keep in mind that the best players can not only hit with sustained fast pace but also can lob and use the upper court to retain position. Besides, Pace falls drastically behind Position by comparison in a squash professional's rulebook. Furthermore, winning a single rally is not the goal - it's winning the match! So, don't sacrifice 25% of your squash game by neglecting the upper court area. Believe me, it will eventually come back to haunt you. My advice is to build a stronger squash game by using high upper court shots as part of your strategy starting today. Back to top of page |
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Blind Spots - using them to your advantage We are repeatedly told to watch the ball to the point of contact and to watch our opponents as he or she hits the ball. This method of watching is told to further improve our anticipation. Better anticipation is said to gives us a jump on the next shot. All is true. But, there are times when you can't see the ball or your opponent. These are called the "blind spots". Here's a typical squash scenario: An opponent serves deep into a backhand corner. A blind spot will occur when the receiver twists to hit a standard rail length return. There are two things to keep in mind during this episode. The first is how the receiver will interpret the last peripheral sight of the server before executing the shot, and the second is what the opponent will do during the blind spot. First, as the receiver focuses on the ball to hit the backhand rail, the server has the advantage because he or she can move undetected. As receiver focuses on the ball and watches it drop into the corner, his peripheral vision will see the server in the corner of his eye. If I were the server, I would move toward the receiver's backhand side as he began to twist into the backhand corner. Once I realise the receiver has stepped into the shot and the blind spot is initiated, I will silently move back to the forehand side. Why? From the receiver's perspective the last image of me is moving over to the backhand to cover the rail length return. Realizing that I'll be on top of the next shot, the receiver will try to outsmart me by hitting a different shot. Let's say he hits a boast believing that if I'm hovering for a backhand return that the boast off the side wall will land furthest from me in the front forehand court. However, during the blind spot I've moved to the forehand side of the court. The boast return will feed into my racket for a drop winner. I've exploited the blind spot to my advantage. This may not happen all the time, but the point is to attempt to do something unexpected during a blind spot situation. Timing is critical. If done correctly, this will put added pressure on your opponent. Using the same squash scenario, let's say instead of having my opponent peripherally observe me moving over to the backhand, I deliberately stay in the service box area. My opponent, using his last images of me as a reference point, will undoubtedly try to hit a rail so that not to feed me. I, on the other hand, will wait until he starts his shot execution. Once out of sight, I will speed over to the backhand side of the court for quick cut off. Here I have changed my opponent's game plan by exploiting his peripheral vision and blind spot to my advantage. Another example is when a player hits a great boast to fully stretch his or her opponent. As the opponent moves up to get the boast, the other player can move up behind his or her opponent until the blind spot occurs. The opponent's last peripheral sight was that the other player was coming up from behind for a drop. The opponent is forced to lob or crosscourt since a drop is what is expected. If the other player has exploited the blind spot correctly, he or she will not be on their opponent's heels but will fade back at the last second to hit a quick volley as his or her opponent feeds the ball. The opponent is taken completely by surprise. Using this scenario again. Let's make the player not appear to follow his or her opponent up. Let's deliberately stay back and have the last peripheral view showing the player on the T. As the opponent focuses in on the boast retrieval, the blind spot is initiated and the last image of the other player was back on the T. The opponent will drop the ball thinking the other player is too far back to make a good get. The other player, meanwhile, will stay on the T until his or her opponent is in the midst of the blind spot to start silently forward. When the opponent hits the drop, the other player will pounce on it driving it deep to the back of the court. Again, the opponent is taken completely by surprise. Peripheral vision will undoubtedly eliminate most blind spots. Nevertheless, the fact remains that whenever your opponent is turned away from you in the corners, during crosscourts, and when they're in front that blind spots occur. As you become a better observer of what your opponent sees, you will discover the realistic use of blind spot attacks. The top pros use blind spots as the best time to catch his or her opponent off guard. Usually, when you begin to exploit this type of strategy, you'll find your opponent less at ease when you're not in his or her peripheral sight. His or her concentration becomes unstable and you start to control the rally. Once you gain momentum, you become less concerned with hitting great shots, but rather start to hit more shots that get you out of your opponent's peripheral view. As you move up in rank, you'll need to create blind spots. Once you realise that a blind spot episode is about to occur, you must plan your movements accordingly to fully exploit and fool your opponent during such events. On the other hand, when you become victim to a blind spot, use every sense of awareness to track your opponent's movements. During blind spots I have been astonished to discover opponents silently crouched next to me. Or even three feet from the front wall volleying my shot into the nick. Pros wait for such blind spots to initiate an attack. It can prove to be mentally devastating. When you become invisible for that split second during the blind spot, you become a formidable attacker at any level of squash. Start to use blind spots as a weapon in your game because I can guarantee they'll be used against you. Back to top of page |
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Improve your stroke The most important element of your squash game is your stroke. There are several areas we need to discuss regarding a proper squash stroke. First, you need to find your particular sweet spot. This has nothing to do with the racket. It is the specific area of contact in the motion of the swing that produces your maximum punch. Depending on your height, weight and athleticism, this point can vary. No one has the same favourite point of contact. Discovering this point will be the best thing you'll ever do for your overall squash game. But, keep in mind that it may take years to fine-tune your swing so that this point actually reveals itself. The best method in discovering your particular sweet spot is practicing alone. Second, once you discover your sweet spot, you must shorten your swing. The shortest swing that can get the same job done will undoubtedly use less time and energy for shot execution. Furthermore, this means you'll have a better attacking game when you need it. So compact your stroke by remembering to keep your elbow in and to use your wrist as much as possible. Raise your shoulders, making your head position lower between them. Keep your knees bent and stay in the crouch position. A good practice technique is to crouch and have your elbow and knee meet at the point of contact with the ball. Not all players can do this. But, with time and with good footwork, it can be done. Practicing volleys can also help shorten your swing. But, the wrist is the best mechanism in getting your swing and power to potential. The third element of the squash stroke is your grip. Your hand can squeeze tightly and loosen on command. In squash, the control you have over your grip is crucial when making contact with the ball. A tight grip at the exact point of contact and then a looser grip in the follow-through are the desired goal. You must be aware of your sense of touch to attain this kind of grip coordination. Your racket control will be at its best if you can sense when to tighten and loosen your grip during a stroke. Some players like a relatively tight grip throughout the stroke. Most pros will recommend this in the front of the court when time is restricted and when optimum control is needed or in a full power shot. But overall, a constant tight grip will weaken your arm as the match progresses. Learning to tighten your grip at the point of impact takes practice and conscious effort. The secret in practicing alone is to isolate a specific aspect of your swing. For example, practice grip control in one session, and in another try to focus on a more compact swing. Finally, keep in mind that all squash players have two types of strokes that need an equal amount of attention. You must incorporate and develop all three elements of the squash swing to both your backhand and forehand! The sweet spots, compactness and grip may vary considerably for both the backhand and forehand. Therefore, developing each side evenly over the course of your squash progression will undoubtedly be a challenge. Your test is to keep both sides balanced as you chart your course through the higher levels of play. Not an easy test! So keep in mind, a great forehand means more backhand practice to balance the sides and visa versa. Both sides must be equal in strength and shot control not only today but also a year from now. My advice is to keep everything evenly balanced at all times by practicing each of the six areas - one at a time. If an uneven backhand or forehand develops, as it most likely will, your overall squash strategy will be affected. For example, a strong forehand and weak backhand will affect the way you concentrate. Meaning that the weaker backhand will subconsciously make you look more attentively for backhand protection. Once this happens, you're immediately in the defensive by defending your backhand more so than your forehand. When both strokes are equal in strength, only then can you focus on building an effective squash strategy. The pros know this is the only way to play squash at its best! Back to top of page |
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Shot Selection Shot selection is critical to good squash. Shot selection is not hitting winners; it's making your opponent cover the farthest distances around the court. If we divide the squash court into zones, we can better understand shot selection. Let's divide the court into front court and back court. Keep in mind that the player who stays in front during most of a match is likely to win; and the T is the best place to be between shots. This is a cardinal rule. The next cardinal rule is to keep your opponent in the corners. The four corners are where a rally will most likely come to its end. The front court comprises two corners, as does the back court. You should always aim for the corners when going for a winner. Keeping your opponent in the corners while you're hovering on the T is the best squash scenario. Once you get your opponent into a corner and gain control of the rally, the next best shot is the corner farthest from your opponent. For example, if your opponent were near the front left corner, the best place to send the ball would be the back right corner. Once you develop the art of manoeuvring your opponent, you'll discover that your opponent may retrieve a certain shot in game one but will not be able to get to the same shot in game three. Keeping your opponent on the run will weaken his or her ability to maintain the fight. Your perimeter of possible winners will widen due to this constant attack and weakening of your opponent. Patience is the key. If you find that you're controlling a rally, realise that there are three ways of keeping your opponent on the run. You can send him or her horizontally across the court from one service box to the next using crosscourt drives; you can send him or her vertically forward and back with straight drops and hard rails or lobs; and you can send him or her diagonally using boasts, drops and crosscourts. In each case your opponent is doing all the running and you have a clear advantage. This doesn't comprise all shot selections, but it does suggest what to keep in mind as a starting reference point for manoeuvring an opponent. Look for all possibilities, but try to master these. In the third instance I describe trapping your opponent in the diagonal corner manoeuvre, you'll notice that in this situation your opponent will have covered the most distance possible and you will have relative ease hitting to each diagonal corner. Relative ease suggests confidence in executing the correct shot with the highest probability of hitting the kill zone. Therefore set your goal to make your opponent run diagonally as much as possible. Furthermore, diagonal pressure keeps your opponent stretched and off balance while opening the court for you. Some pros can trap a competitor in this sequence and instead of putting the ball away will hit slightly higher so that the retrieving player will further exhaust more reserves. Younger players with less experience and high energy get trapped in this diagonal sequence becoming frustrated that a less fit player has overcome them. Whenever you find that you're running from shot to shot without gaining control, break off the pursuit immediately. Between corners and the T is the inevitable rail that needs to be mastered to perfection. The great Geoff Hunt states in his book that when he started playing squash, his father wouldn't allow any shot making other than hitting rails for a period of a year. Geoff Hunt later became eight-time British Open Champion. Take his advice! Let's examine the role of the tight rail. Good length is the best neutral shot in the game. Players exchange rails until one gets an opportunity to gain control. Good length can help you gain the upper hand, but keeping the ball as close to the wall as possible is by far much more effective. Get your ball tight to the wall rather than deep into the court. Of course, the best rail sticks to the wall as it dies in the back corner. But, this can take too much effort when off balance. A shot hit short but glued to the wall is just as good without the physical exertion of the deep rail. Thus, hitting shorter rails closer to the wall with consistency will develop the openings you need without depleting your stamina in the process. One final note regarding shot selection is exploiting a poorly executed shot by your opponent. For example, if your opponent hits a bad shot in the middle of the court, is it wise to select a shot that will give your opponent a clear path for retrieval? The answer is no! You should hit the shot that put you directly in your opponent's way. The reasoning is that if your opponent sets you up for a winner, you are entitled to go for the best possible winner and your opponent must be penalized by retrieving the next shot even if it means running around you. If you find yourself in this situation and your opponent runs directly at you and asks for a let, state that he or she set you up for a winner. Add that it's their responsibility to make every effort to get the next shot even if this means running around you. In short, whenever you have the advantage, hit shots that make your opponent run around you as a penalty. Use shot selection to weaken your opponent. Weaken your opponent by making him or her do all the running while you control the T. Make your opponent run diagonally as much as possible. Use the hidden rule of squash to penalize your opponent by making him or her run around you when you have the advantage. Remember to try to hit shorter rails that stick to the wall rather than deep length to help save your stamina. Both shot-makers and retrievers can gain a valuable insight if they focus on proper shot selection as part of their game. Back to top of page |
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Racket Control Squash is a game of footwork and racket control. In simple terms squash is running and striking. If both aspects of the game are perfected, you will achieve the height of your game. In the process of perfecting the two, a player can forget to unite the two and develops a bad habit. The bad habit of focusing on each separately will make running and hitting uncoordinated. Disjointed running and hitting creates segmented squash. This can carry over into concentration and strategy. To coordinate your running and hitting game you must develop a better way of swinging at the ball on your last step. There is a fine line as far as timing is concerned. You must strike the ball on your last step and then use the momentum of your swing to prepare for the next shot. For example, in a backhand shot, you should anticipate the shot and get your feet moving first. Wind up keeping the racket close to your body. This is the inner circle and is ideal for balance. As you approach the strike zone, mentally focus on your steps and try to calculate the distance it will take to get to the ball. On your final step shift your weight onto your correct right leg then strike the ball before all your body weight has been shifted to that leg. As the ball exits the strike zone off your racket, continue to watch the ball, but focus on your backhand follow-through. At the end of the follow-through bring the racket back into the inner circle close to your body. Notice how on all follow-throughs the racket naturally gravitates to the middle of the court. Don't fight the weight of the racket. Go with it and begin to shift your weight and turn to the middle of the court with the swing in synchronized motion. This is coordinated running and hitting. The trick is never applying your full body weight at any particular instance during a shot and keeping your racket close to you in the wind up. Remember not to step through the shot. Your feet on the last step are fixed, it's just the weight distribution that's in continuous motion. You should feel your weight centered only when on the T. This type of playing will keep your balance and racket control smooth. Again, smooth running and hitting develops better concentration. Better concentration makes for better strategy. Once you segment your running and hitting, your game and concentration will always lack that something you'll never be able to pinpoint. My advice is whenever you focus on improving your drop or crosscourt, do it in such a way that you're incorporating motion with the shot. Effective body weight distribution going into and out of the strike zone can only be created while moving. Develop a hitting style that is synchronized with not only the point of impact but also the follow-through. Use momentum to your advantage. Never just stand and hit. If you do, then trying to improve your game will seem elusive. Back to top of page |
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Mobility on court The first time I picked up a racket and started to play I can remember always running after shots. As I got better, I ran less and hit more winners. I realised that every squash player fell into the same pattern. As a low D player I started out as a retriever. As I learned to control the ball, I started to control the rally. At first it was one rally, then a series of rallies until I could control a game and then the entire match. My improvement reflected where I stood in the D category. I was a retriever at the low end; a mixture of a retriever and shooter in the middle; and primarily a shooter at the top of the class. This circle repeated itself in the C class and the B class and finally in the A class. With each class the retrieving and shooting had to be a degree better. This is obvious. But, due to lack of experience, I always felt discouraged when I became a renewed retriever entering the next level. For example, I worked my way up through the C class and became a decent shot-maker. I made my opponents do all the running as I hovered on the T. This was great and who would want to change things. Some players didn't. Others couldn't. I, on the other hand, had a desire to keep getting better. Like most players I didn't stop to think what was really needed to get to the next level. I discovered, the hard way, that it wasn't hitting better shots. That came later. It was making better gets and retrieving the ball throughout the rally until there was time to get back to the T. Every time I entered a new level, I ran from shot to shot without ever finding time to get back to the T. The first goal for you as you enter a new level is to get to the T during the rally. Sometimes this is easily said than done. But, this is the first hurdle. After this, keep yourself on the T as long as possible. Once you're able to get back to the T comfortably and continuously, then go for winners. The resulting conclusion - efficient mobility around the court had to come first. Learn the best stretching techniques you can. Use weight training for added strength in getting in and out of deep corners faster. Cross training always helps. But, most of all learn how to run efficiently on a squash court. If you run at full speed, you'll never make it to the end of the match. Pace yourself. This is something I also learned the hard way. The best court mobility training I know is to perform star drills. This is when you position yourself in the middle of the court on the T. You'll notice the six points of the court being the two front corners, the service boxes, and the two back corners. Run from the T to the left front corner. Run in such a way as to count the number of steps it takes you to get to the front corner. You should be able to get there in three to four long steps. Once in front, take a swing as if hitting the ball then back pedal back to the T. Then run to the right front corner; take another swing and back pedal to the T. Twist and run to the left service box and then back to the T. Twist and run to the back left corner and then back to the T. Then go to the right service box and then back to the T. Finally, go to the back right corner and then back to the T. This is one star. Remember that the running style should mimic the way you run in the court during an actual rally. If you're running correctly, you won't be able to hear your steps. So place each step; don't stomp. Concentrate on your braking ability. Do you brake with a single step or several smaller steps? Take my word for it; brake with several small steps. It'll save your knees. Work your way to four stars. Once you accomplish this, do two sets of four stars. The desired goal is doing four sets of four star drills. As you run the star, imagine hitting the ball as you enter each of the six points. Visualise making great gets at each instance. Designate each of the six points as hot spots. Memorize how well you move to each of the points and then recover to the T. Make your movement graceful. Try to feel the air pass your face as you start breaking into a sweat. Between each set take a minute break and walk around the parameter of the court. Even during this break period notice each of the points as you pass them. When you feel your heart start to slow, dive into the next set. Squash is a running game. Learn to move around the court smoothly and try to cover as much distance with each step as possible. Have a strong stride and good leg strength. Stretch to stay limber. Keep in mind if you want to get to the next level; be ready to run the ball down. Great gets will give you the confidence you need to hit those great winners. Remember you're playing squash - the ultimate mind/body sport. Back to top of page |
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Gripping the racket Holding the racket correctly is very important in squash. But, did you know that the speed of your wrist and power can be enhanced with a slight adjustment to your grip. The standard grip says to hold the racket at an angle as if shaking someone's hand. It also says to hold the middle of the grip. Combining both keeps your swing steady. But, sometimes a fast wrist is needed for a quick kill or a quick reflex shot; and sometimes a player needs that extra power to drive the ball deep into the corners. If you've ever fallen into this sort of a situation, which I'm sure all of you have, then a little grip adjustment could give you an edge. If you hold the grip up high or choke up, you'll notice a faster wrist immediately. Practice hitting the ball with adjusting your grip. Hit a few shots in the middle grip position, then hold the grip higher. You'll notice a faster and lighter racket head. This is ideal for a quick volley and digging out those hard to get deep back wall shots. The higher grip shortens your swing radius helping to make your wrist roll through a shot more comfortably. The more comfortable your wrist, the faster you'll snap it. Use the high grip for all tight shots from the back corners to delicate drops. For drops a quick wrist isn't needed, but the higher grip helps your racket handling to hit the winner. Keep practicing alone and now hit the ball while holding the end of the grip. You'll notice a shift in weight to the head of the racket. This will increase power. I always slide my hand down to the end of the racket for that crushing power sometimes needed. But, since the racket feels heavier, I use it when I have time to take a full swing at the ball. If you practice adjusting your grip, it'll become subconscious during match play. The best titanium or graphite rackets will never improve your wrist or power game unless you know how to do it yourself. Back to top of page |
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Stamina on court Squash is a sport requiring stamina. Every squash player realises this fact as soon as rallies get a bit longer. Many top players train outside the court. Some of them run. Others swim. But, did you know that the top players realise one thing before starting to train outside the squash court. They realise that there are two types of stamina in squash. Cardiovascular fitness is described above. But, striking the ball with consistency is by far much more crucial. And the pros know this. What I mean is that your arm needs the strength and endurance to hit the ball continuously for an hour with good control. If this is unattainable as of yet, don't waste your time training outside the court until your arm can endure an hour of hard hitting. The pros know that without ball control - you're dead on the tour no matter how fit you are! Have you noticed how much work your arm does as compared to your legs? If your arm goes, your legs can help you retrieve a bit longer before losing. If your legs go, your arm can still hit winners because you don't need to run for every single shot. But you do need to hit every single shot with your arm. So practice hitting the ball as hard as possible without injuring yourself and see how long you can do it. Keep in mind that you're not just blindly hitting the ball hard. Try to control a twenty shot rail drill and then crosscourt to the other side for another twenty shot rail drill. Keep the ball moving at a high rate. Hit boasts, crosscourts and rails and go for the nick. Watch the ball! Have you ever really watched the ball for an hour without interruption. It's not easy until you try it. Feel the lactic acid build up in your arm. Before you know it, you'll sense an improvement in your endurance and in your ability to concentrate on watching the ball. Time yourself! Lengthen every practice session by five minutes until you're able to hit relatively hard for a solid hour without let up. After you've achieved this, do what the pros do. Start training outside the court. Back to top of page |
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Improvement within your game Everyone improves at different rates, and everyone ends up at different levels. Furthermore, a high standard player today will undoubtedly become a lower standard player tomorrow. No matter where you are in squash, either on the rise or on the fall of your game, you will develop one thing - and that's "experience". An experienced squash player passes through three phases. The first phase of an experienced squash player is learning to keep the ball in play. Retrieving is good. Stroking is good. Even movement is good. But, everything is done at one standard pace you've chosen that best suits your game plan. This is fine. Everyone usually says you're steady and that you're consistent. The second phase of an experienced squash player is learning to stay consistent with all the qualities above yet also having the ability to mix the pace. A player can now speed the rally up and slow it down with the effective use of drops and lobs and boasts. This is great. Everyone usually says you're tough to beat. The third phase of an experienced squash player is a zone only a few can really enter. In this phase the squash player has all the characteristics above with an uncanny intuitive ability to fake. This player draws you in for a rail and hits a boast. He or she can wind up and appear to crush a shot when at the last second changes it into a crosscourt drop. Where do you stand? Back to top of page |
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Watch the ball All professionals say "watch the ball". But, did you know that there is a certain way of watching the ball. During a rally your opponent will be either in front, behind, or parallel to you. There is only one way to watch in each of these circumstances. When your opponent is in front of you, it is easy to see where and when your opponent is going to hit the ball. The secret is to stay as close to your opponent as possible, without crowding, as he or she is striking the ball. This adds mental pressure to your opponent because by doing this your opponent knows you're ready, especially for a drop. If your opponent is in front, remember the drop is the most likely shot to be executed. And this means trouble. So get close to your opponent when he or she is in front of you. When your opponent is next to you or behind you, try not to look directly at the ball. Use your peripheral vision. The reason to do this is that it may be physically impossible to follow a fast crosscourt and turn your head at the same time. Use your eyeballs instead of your head and neck. A good reference point is the serve line that runs across the court. Follow the ball with your eye to this line and then lock your eye at the serve line area and let your peripheral vision track the ball to your opponent's racket. The only exception is if you've hit a high length shot that comes off high on the back wall. In this instance you need to watch your opponent closely. Just make sure you're watching from the front while on the "T". Back to top of page |
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