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.