For beginner players, it’s good to almost think of the “T” as your home and while ever you are in your home then it’s difficult for anyone else to get in. Posted on March 31, 2019 by Peter Heywood. If all squash followed the above rules, then the game would be very predictable. A fast shot will often carry around the court giving your opponent multiple opportunities to return it. A drop shot can be played straight or as a cross-court shot. Just like any sport, the more you practice, the better you get. Beginner's guide to squash Squash is a fast-moving game that requires skill, speed and supreme fitness. So as a beginner, these are the strokes/shots you should focus on: In Squash, whenever the ball hits any wall on the side before it hits the wall in the front, it is known as a ‘boast’. In this essential beginner’s guide to squash, players who are new to the game will learn a mixture of technical and tactical tips that will help them make giant leaps forward. Squash Training and Drills. A defensive lob shot would be useful if you were positioned near the back of the court and the ball was too tight too the corner for a straight drive. It is always better to start with the more basic strokes. Learning to "dig" squash shots out of the corners can be puzzling for beginners. Accuracy The most common method that squash players use to improve the accuracy of their shots is to do frequent target practice. Squash shots for beginners - It might be difficult to understand what strokes to learn and when. The ball can reach speeds of up to 170mph and players can burn off up to 1000 calories per hour of squash - higher than most other sports. It is always better to start with the more basic strokes and build on that. Simply put, squash is a game played between 2 individuals who alternate between hitting the ball with a racket. Here practice and patience is required. The boast can be used as an attacking shot or defending shot. It can either be played from the front of the court to force your opponent to race into the front corner, or it can be played long from the rear of the court, taking your opponent by surprise as they expect a straight drive. The easiest and most simple shot to learn is the straight drive. Rules of Squash . In squash, there are some shots which help keep you in the rally and then there are shots which deal a killer blow to your opponents and can win you the point. Work on having the ball hit the front wall, then the floor, then fade into the side wall. Reply . This could be a two-wall boast (where the ball is hit at the nearest wall, strikes the front wall and bounces twice before hitting the far-side wall), or a three-wall boast (this requires more force that the two-wall boast as the intention is for the ball to strike the far-side wall). The last shot of squash is the variation. This will put them in a position of difficulty. Beginner Squash Starter Set (Ultimate Value), Dunlop Intro Beginner Squash Ball (single ball), Dunlop Intro Beginner Squash Ball (one dozen), How Learning the Language can Improve Your Game. How To: Do a squash forehand recovery deep in back corner By Robin Mansur; Squash; What is the benefit of having a full backswing? It involves hitting the ball parallel and close to the side wall, so that it travels to the back wall of the court, hence making it travel a good length. Rail Shot. Volley. So reach out for the ball, play a weaker shot but maintain your position on the “T” by stretching and/or taking the ball early. When the game becomes predictable your opponent can easily anticipate your shots and get to them faster. This shot allows you to move your opponent backwards so you can seize the T. A boast shot is any shot that hits a side wall before striking the front wall. It’s a really nice way to counteract sheer power in your squash game. Terms used in Squash. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! At its heart, the principle of this drill remains the same. This is one of the most powerful squash shots! Squash for Beginners aims to introduce beginner players to the game of squash with helpful information and tips on rules, equipment, technique and safety. It involves a lighter touch, sending the ball gently into a front wall corner. Drop Shot can be played from the front of the court as well as from the back of the court. A sneaky shot off the side wall into the corner that has no more force than needed to reach the front wall may be all that’s required. The ball is struck with sufficient force so as to hit the front wall and return close to the side wall, making its first bounce in the service box. Let look at some of the best squash shots you should be playing: Different types of shots in squash. When to use: Move your opponent forward to tire them and force weak shots. Check out the story to learn more about rules and regulations regarding the playing area, scoring, and gameplay. Here are a few squash shots that will help you take your beginner game to another level. Yellow: Super Slow. The closer it is to the wall the more difficult it is for your opponent to return. If it is played from the back of the court, it should be played long. Here your opponent may move closer, expecting a more gentle shot, like the drop shot, only to find out that a more aggressive shot has been played over their heads, sending them to the back of the court. Here the ball should be hit with just the right force in order to make it strike the front wall as it returns close to the sidewall, and the first bounce it makes should be in the service box. Feed the ball short to yourself and then hit a drop shot off your own feed. The 3 basic shots in squash are the straight drive, cross-court, and drop shot. The court of squash is smaller than the court of racquetball. Dunlop Biotec Xtreme Ti ($29.95 Value) Python Intro 2000 Eyeguards ($7.99 Value) 2-Black Knight (Single Blue Dot) Balls ($5.50 Value) Full Racquet Case Included in Purchase! Once these shots become easy then start to learn the more advanced shots. They will have to let the ball drop in the corner, which is a particularly difficult shot to return as a beginner. A boast can be two walled or even three-walled. A kill shot is usually played from mid-court where the ball is played hard and fast at the front wall so that it rebounds low and strikes the side wall so low that it sends the ball rolling across the floor. For most beginner/intermediate level players the first answer that comes to mind is: To hit the ball where the other guy isn’t. Training Drill #4 . Consider where your opponent is on the court. The straight drive is the simplest of all squash shots and its purpose is to get the ball to the back of the court and your opponent away from the T (the prime position in the centre of the court). When hitting drop shot, the ball is hit softly to the front wall with the goal of making it fall softly to the floor in the front corner. A perfect kill shot will see the ball land in the “nick”, the juncture where the side wall meets the floor. Drop shots. Drop Shot can be played from the front of the court as well as from the back of the court. Drills for Beginners Serve Drills. There are more variety of shots in squash than in racquetball. This way, you get a chance to move towards the’ T’, which will put you in a better position on the court. Medha Godbole Aug 24, 2020 . As they dart forward it becomes very challenging to change direction and get behind the ball to return it. Squash 4 A Brief History of Squash Squash originated in the United Kingdom. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! If hit correctly, the two wall boast can send the ball quite low, making any sort of return very hard. Straight Drive. The first, taken from the 2016 tournament, is from a match between the eventual champion, France’s Mathieu Castagnet, and England’s Joe Lee. The drop shot is used to attack, while the drive and cross-court are used to move your opponent away from the T ; Beginners Guide to Squash Transcript. It is hard for other beginner squash players to hit shots that are so close to the wall. In a two-wall boast, the ball is hit on the closest wall then continues to hit the wall in the front and bounces twice before striking a far sidewall. The purpose behind this shot is to keep the ball in play and to keep your opponent as far away from the’ T’ as possible. During a lob shot, the ball is hit high against the wall in the front with force sufficient enough to send the ball over the head of your opponent and making it land at the back of the court. It doesn’t require much force, and it should send the ball gently into the wall in front. It can be used as an attacking shot when you are positioned in the front of the court, as your opponent is lured in close expecting a gentle drop shot, only to have the ball lobbed over their heads to the back of the court. There are 5 different types of squash balls, with the colour implicating the speed of the ball. 7. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A drop shot is one of the most challenging shots for you opponent to face. This is an ultimate value set for the beginner squash player. It should be played when your opponent is expecting to play a straight drive but instead is faced with a drop shot. Since squash is won by winning more rallies than the opponent, being able to hit the ball and volley is very important as good shots helps a player to win rallies. The lob shot is played high against the front wall with just enough force to rebound high over the heads of the players, making it fall into the back of the court. This is the most basic of all squash shots, and is frequently known as the good length shot. Squash originated in the mid 19th century in England and grew in popularity around the 1920s. The rail shot is a shot that is hit close to the wall that will rebound tight off the wall. Line up again near the back of the court. A Guide To Squash Balls - The Dots, Colours, Speed, Bounce, and the Best Brands! Serious Squash offers a training video called Secrets of Solo Hitting that gives you tons of solo hitting drills. A lob can be played defensively too. It is also known as the good length shot. Earlier in this segment, we explored bouncing the ball into the bucket. It is one of the basic squash shot where the ball has to be hit parallel and close to one of the side walls to travel deep back of the court. The ball rebounds softly staying close to the front wall or side wall. In squash, player cannot hit the ceiling but this is not the case with racquetball. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram to join our community of sports lovers. Learn these basic shots and build a foundation for yourself. 1. This is, arguably, one of the most essential tips that you could get as a squash beginner. Learn about the equipment needed to play squash. Each squash tip is backed up by a full-length video or PDF that offers up a deeper, in-depth explanation of the teaching point. In the series you'll learn about - The squash court - The squash scoring system - The knock up - Lets, no lets and strokes - The grip -The wrist position - The forehand swing - The backhand swing - Movement timing. You will be learning to play drop shots at an early stage in your squash development with this drill. The best rail shots will be deep in the corner. In 1830, it was invented in Harrow school before spreading to other schools. Do not break the cycle. These are the shots you should spend good time practising until you can execute when the time is right during a match. Tap to Read Squash Rules for Beginners. The closer the ball is hit to the wall, the more challenging it gets for your opponent to return the shot. The intention behind the three wall boast, is to hit the ball onto the far sidewall. Squash Equipment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The straight drive is the simplest of all squash shots and its purpose is to get the ball to the back of the court and your opponent away from the T (the prime position in the centre of the court). It would be useful only when it’s been played from the backcourt where the ball was too tightly played to the corner. Blue: Fast. The nature of the boast is dual; for attack and defense. In this instance a high lob would still send the ball to the rear of the court but buy you time to get to the T. A kill shot takes great skill and practice and is so named because when it’s pulled off perfectly it often “kills” the rally! This shot is a great one to learn, and it must be played in order to catch your opponent. Below I’ve listed some of the basic squash shots that you’ll find are most commonly used in the game of squash. It can be very challenging for someone to face the drop shot. As a beginner, it might be difficult to understand what strokes to learn and when. This shot can be used as an attacking one when you are in the front. This kit comes with all the essentials to get playing on the court and get into the game. All videos can be unlocked with a SquashSkills subscription. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email. … Once again, as is the case with any drill, the key is to keep the routine going. Experience doesn’t come solely from playing against other players; there are several drills you can perform on your own to improve your stroke and footwork. It began in the 19th century and was originally called squash racquets, to distinguish it from the game of racquets. All the terms and words used in squash that you need to know. This week Peter explains what a boast is & discusses some of the different boast varieties. Below I’ve listed some of the basic squash shots that you’ll find are most commonly used in the game of squash. Learn more about the rules that govern how squash should be played. In a sport like Squash, you learn a basic stroke, and once you’ve mastered that, only then do you try to learn the advanced version of that stroke. Learn tips and drills about technique and how to practice the crucial parts of the game. It can bring your opponent to the front, which permits you to return their shot using the straight drive. Stay Rackonnected and learn more about sports, Login to add posts to your read later list. This is because the’ T’ is the ideal position on the Squash court. If it is played from the back of the court, it should be played long. White/Green: Slow. By always being around the “T”, you’ll be better positioned to hit the next ball. Full Squash Match Video By Richard Millman, Director of Squash, Kiawah Island Club So what it is ‘the primary purpose of a squash shot’? A boast is a fast way to wrong foot the other player, and get them lunging into the front corners. Bucket Drop Shots. It should be played when your opponent is expecting to play a straight drive but instead is faced with a drop shot. Take a look at the following two rallies, both taken from Canary Wharf Squash Classic matches played in London. Tag Archives: Squash Shots Squash in Sixty Seconds. This will put them in an awkward position. Squash rules are not very difficult to understand. The beginners guide to squash explains the rules , the basic techniques and some simple tactics that will improve your understanding of how the game is played. As a beginner, you can get started with the blue one to get the bounce quickly. Quick as it can be, you do have time in squash. If your boast ends up not being an outright winner, you’ll have worn down the legs of your opponent, and you may get a weak shot … Red: Medium. This video shows you how to approach the ball, and how important it is to keep away from the walls when playing shots close to the wall and corner. The next thing that you need is squash balls. Now we focus on taking the ball off the bounce and landing it in the bucket. The drop shot is a fantastic shot to add to your game if you’re looking to mix up your shots and really keep your opponent on their toes. Here are some useful tips and ways to improve your shots. He also gets to practise the boast, a shot that no serious squash player can really do without. There are several other versions that we … Squash for Beginners. The ultimate squash shot for creating angles on the court, the boast hits the side wall first, followed by the front wall, and moves your opponent forward quickly. It can pull the opponent to the front wall allowing you to return their shot with a straight drive that they are not in position to return, or, if hit just right, a two-wall boast can send the ball too low against the far-side wall to return. Squash – Overview . After every shot try to always recover to the middle of the court; this will, literally, position yourself for success. Therefore the variation shot is simply any shot that is not expected and meant to break a pattern of expected play. Find out how to play the most important shots in squash. Both players will get a healthy workout and develop their movement on the court. , making any sort of return very hard shots at an early stage in your squash game ’. 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