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Squash Tips
Beginner Tips
START TO WIN: THE SERVE
The point starts with a serve; it continues into a rally for position; and then either you or your opponent finishes the point with a winner or a mistake. Let's discuss how you should start a point.
The point starts with a serve. This makes the serve important, but many squash players focus on the wrong aspect of the serve. I have seen players try to get their serves tighter and tighter. But, you should know that developing an ace serve is a waste of time. A good serve should be hit close to the walls to restrict your opponent's swing. That is all. Nowhere will you find that you need to develop a service ace. You should concentrate more on your opponent's return. You need to differentiate a rail return from a crosscourt or a drop. What I'm getting at, is that, squash serves don't count as much as reading your opponent's return of serve and the way you prepare for the return.
The best way to prepare for a service return is to get in the crouch position. Get ready to pounce on the ball and make sure your opponent sees this.
It'll add mental pressure to his or her return. Mental pressure works best when your opponent sees you hovering on the "T" in the crouch position right after a tight serve. Try it!
Controlling Squash Temper and Anger on the Court
Squash can be a very frustrating game, particularly when one is training hard but not seeing any results. As soon as you start to smash racquets and scream, it usually means that you are trying too hard to get things perfect when you are physically and mentally not 100% ready. Best thing is take a break from the game and use the time off to relax. If you don't feel like being on the court, then don't be there.
Remember that there is another player on the court and that you have no real control over what he/she is doing - you can put them under pressure by good shot placement but you can't control their thoughts. Go out there and play basic squash. When you find concentration waning, "look for the dots on the ball" - in that way, you are looking for little yellow dots on a little black ball, not a little black ball against a big white wall. What happens is that it brings your focus back into the court and helps to clear the head.
Good breathing techniques also help. Try this one - empty your lungs as much as possible by blowing out through your mouth then breathe in deeply through your nose and hold your breath for a few seconds. This does two things - helps to drop the heart rate quickly and clears the head. This will help to keep you calm and curb your frustrations. It's very hard to think clearly when you are shallow breathing after a hard rally.
You should understand that squash is a like any other sport, a better player/team can lose to a worse player/team. Of course, a better player/team can win more often. So, do not underestimate the situation.
Realize that if you lose the game, you just lose a game. If you lose your temper, you lose your image too and which is far harder to regain.
Try to focus on the errors you've made and try to figure how to prevent similar errors from occurring again. Your partner is looking for fun too. Don't ruin his/her day.
You also have to set realistic expectations about your play. It's good to have lofty goals, but a day in which you nail all your shots, place them all well, etc., is an exceptional day, NOT an average day. One has to expect some bad days, too.
GRIP FOR POWER
Holding the racquet
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 racquet 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 players 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 racquet 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
racquet 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 racquet. This will increase power. I always slide my hand
down to the end of the racquet for that crushing power sometimes needed. But,
since the racquet 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 racquets will
never improve your wrist or power game unless you know how to do it
yourself.
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 floor of 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 racquet.
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".
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