SQUASH DRILLS: TIPS TO CONSIDER

During off season, or if there are no available and capable opponents, squash players usually have their own routine of exercises in order for them to keep in shape and not lose their performance level. These exercises usually include jogging, running or biking for endurance and some weight lifting for strength.  The length of the exercise program will vary from athlete to athlete.  Most of them will do repetitions of these exercises for a more complete workout.

If you are a squash player and you are able to relate to these exercises, here's some not-so-good news for you:  While these exercises do help you keep fit and ready for the next squash season, it should be noted that these exercises alone may not be enough for proper training.  Squash involves a lot of body movement and quick starts and stops.  It needs agility, balance, strength, quick response and coordination.  No amount of aerobic exercises and weight lifting will give the athlete these abilities.  Repetitions alone are not enough for the usually explosive game of squash.

But this news should not discourage you from continuing with your exercise program.  As a matter of fact, you should continue doing it along with some other sport activity.  There are many sports games out there that can be cross-trained with your squash game.  If you cannot find an opponent in squash, then you can try tennis or badminton.  You can even try playing other sports which are totally not related to squash like baseball, basketball and football.  Any alternative sport can be beneficial for you because they all involve the abilities needed for a good squash game:  agility, endurance, coordination, strength, and many more.

Cross training is a very good way to improve your game.  Just make sure that you properly warm up and stretch before going to any sport.

SERVICE DRILLS

Service General Notes:

- Lob serve should be hit high on the front wall, aiming to hit the side wall near the back of the court and drop to the floor near the back wall. Hard serve is hit just above the cut line on the front wall, aiming to hit the side wall, low down, just behind the service box. It can also be aimed to a length straight at the opponent or close to the half-court line. 

Service-Solo

-Ten lob serves to target area at back of court from each service box.

- Ten hard serves, aiming for target areas near the side wall, half-court line and centre of back quarter.

Service-Pairs

- Service can be used to start many of the practices for other shots.

- Service competing with partner for points. Serve into back quarter for one point. Serve into back quarter behind back of service box for two points. Serve into back quarter behind back of service box off side wall for three points.

Service-Threes

- Third player in front of short line attempting to catch the ball. When scoring: Should a catch be made, no points for the server. Should the ball be stopped but not caught, one point. Should catcher step behind short line, three points. 

Straight Drives

Forehand & Backhand Drives General Notes

- All should be aimed to go close to the side wall.

- First bounce should be around the back of the service box.

- Second bounce near the back wall

- Ball should slide into the side wall near the back of the service box

- Ball should not be aimed too near the corner on the front wall, as it will hit the side wall too early.

Straight Drives-Solo

- Consecutive drives, aimed for a decreasing target area, progressing from the whole back quarter to the width of the service box, then a narrow channel along the side wall, or the service box.

- Consecutive drives to land behind service box.

- Drive alternately above and below the cut line.

- Drive alternately short and long to move backwards and forwards.
   
- Overhit drives-play ball continuously off back wall.

- Three good length drives, one short, continuously.

- One hard low shot, one higher recovery shot, continuously.
 
- Set number of good length shots, set up easy short shot, play next shot to perfect length into marked area in back corner of the court. 


Straight Drives-Pairs

- A feeds from behind, straight short ball for B on T to hit to good length.

- A feeds from behind, X-court short, for B on T to hit alternate forehand and backhand drives to good length.

- A feeds alternate forehand and backhand boast from behind for B on T to hit alternate forehand and backhand straight drives to a good length.

- A feeds any length X-court, for B to hit alternate forehand and backhand drives.

- A feeds any short shot from behind, i.e. b

- Better to practice hard for 40-60 minutes than 'dither about' for two hours.

-Target areas should get smaller as accuracy improves.

- Accuracy and consistency in feeding is important for partner to practice effectively.

 -In feeding and shot sequences the players hit alternate shots unless otherwise stated.

-If there is an even number of strokes in a set rally, then each player will play the same shot each time

- if there is an odd number of strokes each player will play a different stroke.

- Practices should be played at the appropriate pace for the standard of the players. Practices can be made more demanding with an increase in speed.

-Both players should feed for a specified time or number of shots: and rotate in three's practices.

- All practices should be performed on forehand and backhand side. Where appropriate, practices should be scored, using the American system, where every rally is scored, as this gives more incentive to the player.
 
- Where appropriate, practices should be timed. 

-Pairs practices can be used for more than two people by scoring a small number of points and then dropping one person out, or dropping one person out when they make a mistake; each player keeps their own personal score for each rally that they win, up to a target number.

- The practices and shots are described, but no points of technique are included.

- Many of the sequences can be progressed by adding the next shot or a choice of two or more shots that would be likely to occur in the game.

- In some practices, one player is feeding while partner plays the shot, and in other practices both have an equal function.

- These practices assume a right handed player.