Win at Squash
These tips presume you already know the basics of how to play squash: the rules, the basic techniques, and how to move. This is how to win, not how to play squash. When you decide you're ready to win, start playing tournaments where there is no mercy, and no apologies needed. Where every single point counts, no matter how you get it. Note: this isn't a guide on how to cheat - at serious tournaments there will be a referee.
Contents
Steps
Before the Tournament
- Eat! Study sports nutrition to learn the best foods to eat, and when, so that your body will have peak energy levels at match time. Without energy you simply cannot play at 100%, and in close games, you will need 100%. Drink water (hydrate) before the match. If you wait until match time, it will be too late.
- Check your gear. Make sure your racquet and your strings are in good shape. Bring a back-up racquet of the exact model and the same strings.
- Changing to a different racquet in the middle of a tournament will screw up your game.
- Use a check-list so you don't forget anything you need.
- Have the right equipment. When in a tournament, you don't want to find yourself without the proper shoes, socks, shirt or shorts.
- Bring extra shirts. Squash is a sweaty game, and you'll want to have dry shirts available when you need them. Also, bring a towel to wipe off your sweat. Use a sweat resistant grip on your racquet, so it does not slip out of your hand.
- Allot extra travel time to get to the tournament. Being late will produce unnecessary stress. Get there in plenty of time to change, get familiar with the location, and use the toilet, etc.
- Compile your scouting report. Figure out who your opponents will be. Maybe you know them already from earlier games. If not, maybe you can watch them playing. Ask other people about their playing styles and weaknesses.
Tournament Play
- Warm up. There is a five-minute time limit before the game. Hit 2-3 shots and then pass the ball. Don't keep the ball too long - it's considered rude. This is a good time, to observe your opponent, if you never played him. Every time you pass the ball, use a different shot, and see how he deals with it. You can judge his weak and strong shots before the match even started.
- Start slow. Remember that squash is all about energy - the player who runs out of it first will lose. The goal is to wear your opponent down before your own energy runs out. If you find yourself in an uneven match in the first round: don't waste your energy on a match, you can't possible win. Chances are, you'll be in for a much more competitive game in the next round. If you're matched against a much weaker opponent, take it easy. Don't rush it. Use the easy game as a prolonged warm-up.
- Stick to your game. In a closely-matched game, it gets down to preparation, battle plan, tactics, and nerves. Keep a cool mind and don't let the opponent force his game style upon you. You only need to win by two points.
- Watch the score. This will help you conserve energy. If you are five points ahead, you don't need to run after a well-placed stop. Let it be and conserve your energy for the next point. You still lead by four points. If the opponent is ahead, you need to fight for every single point to get even. Don't let him escape. With the new rule, where each point counts, it is very hard to overcome a five-point deficit if the opponent is playing at your level, and playing a steady game without errors.
- Never give up, even if the opponent leads by many points. Many games turn around, because a player with a big lead, thinking he has already won, relaxes and thus lowers the pressure on you, waits for your mistakes without going for winners, hits loose balls, stops paying attention. On the other side, the opponent who has nothing to lose, goes into berserker mode, suddenly the game evens out at 10-10, and the nerves kick in. Remember: it's over when it's over, and never before. That's where the cool mind comes in. Concentrate on every single swing, on every single shot, always maintain a good body tension and light feet, even if you think it is an easy shot. Because...
- There are no easy shots! You can fail on the simplest of shots if you don't concentrate, and every unforced error is a free point to the opponent, and a potential point you missed. If you feel nervous and shaky, don't take risks. Go back to the basics and play it safe. Avoid loose shots, so your opponent can not attack you, play the shots and style you play best to get your confidence back on track.
- Keep the ball in the game. Don't try to score a point with each shot. Be patient and wait for an opportunity to attack a loose ball. Return the ball into the corners, keep it close to the walls, to force your opponent away from the "T", and get yourself on the "T" in a comfortable pace.
- Don't be greedy. The need to play a winner, to kill the ball, take highly risky shots, and put yourself in a bad position, usually comes when you get tired and desperately want to end a rally. Observe the state of your opponent. If he gets greedy and starts to attack a lot, plays a lot of stops, trying to end the point early, he is getting tired - unless that is his playing style from the start on. If you have an energy advantage, then exploit his tiredness, and make him even more tired. Speed up the game - make him run, but do not give him the opportunity to volley. Pass up opportunities to attack or to kill the ball in favor of extending the rallies to make your opponent run even more. He'll run out of air and have to stop running. If you don't give him a chance to catch his breath, you should win the match.
- If you find yourself running out of energy faster than your opponent, you are in trouble. Now you need to buy time, to catch your breath, and to get your heart rate down. Slow down the pace. Play long lobs to the back corners. If your opponent starts to hit hard and low, take out the speed and lob every ball. But be careful, don't allow him to volley it. Practice these shots - they are safe and very effective, but few players use them. These also have the effect of disturbing the pace of hard and fast hitting, aggressive players.
Tactics
Know your own strengths and weaknesses, and take mental notes on your opponent. What kind of shots does he use the most? What shots does he have trouble with? In which situations does he make most of his errors?
- Play to his weaknesses and avoid his strengths. If he is a slow runner, for example, exploit that weakness and play a lot of stops. If he is a fast runner and likes to run, don't risk too many stops if you are out of position. If running is his only strength, let him run, eventually they will run out of breath at some point. Look for any kind of weaknesses, such as a weak backhand, or weak volleying skills. If he has weak volleying skills, exploit his weakness with high lobs. When he catches your lob in the air, he will offer you a weak ball you can use to put pressure on him. On the other hand, if you see that your opponent is very good at a particular shot, avoid it. If he is very good at volleys, for instance, then keep the ball low.
- Not every shot is a candidate for a winning shot. Most shots are safe drives along the walls, a classic long line rally. Only attack when you have a good opportunity to succeed. A poor attack may end up giving your opponent control and the upper hand in that rally.
- Vary your game. Do not allow your opponent to get used to your shots. Vary the speed and placement of your shots. Mix low and high, long and short, left and right, boast and long lines. Use deception when you have the time, hit at the last moment, don't let your opponent read you to anticipate your shot.
- Maximize your options through practice. The more options you have, the less predictable you'll be. With just 2 options, chances are 50%-50% for your opponent to guess your shot and prepare. So practice different shots from the same position, using the exact same swing. In the best case, you will see or hear your opponent move towards the corner he thinks you will play the ball. The longer you wait, the better the chance he will move before you hit the ball. If that happens, simply play the ball in the other direction. For you the same principle applies, and that is why it is crucial, to stand on the "T", before your opponent hits the ball. If you dominate the "T", you are in control and can reach any ball the opponent decides to play.
- Many times, if you play long long line battles, most people start to "cheat" and don't get back to the T, lag behind because they will anticipate the next long line. In that case, play a boast, a drop or a short cross into the nick. Those are great opportunities for a winner.
Skills Spotlight: Cross Shots
This is the most common mistake for intermediate players. A poorly played cross is the one that goes directly to the racquet of the opponent standing on the T. That presents your opponent an easy shot and possible point or at least a lot of pressure to put on you. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this aspect of the game.
- A cross should either pass your opponent so he can not volley it, hit the nick at the side wall, or a lob cross which is high enough to not get volleyed, and dies in the corner. Which one you choose, will depend on the situation (the position of your opponent and you)
- Volley cross stops aren't easy, but with practice you can achieve a reasonably good hit rate, and they can result in easy points, without much running.
- A cross can surprise the opponent when he is expecting a long line.
- When your opponent is still on the move to the "T", and playing the cross is against his moving direction, that is always a pain for him.
Reading & Telegraphing
- You should not only watch the ball at all times, you should also watch the opponent. He may be telegraphing his shots. Watch his feet. He may position them differently for a long line than for a cross. Watch his racquet and his stroke. He may swing differently if he's about to hit a hard drive or a soft drop.
- On the other side of the coin, try to make yourself unreadable. Work to make your swing the same for every different shot you play. Fool your opponent by positioning your feet for a long line drive, but play a cross drop. This is easily done, with no risk involved, if the ball is close to the front wall and off the side wall. If you catch your opponent on the wrong foot, preparing for a shot you will not play, you've got a good shot at a winner. Keep your racquet up and wait as long as possible before you swing. Learn to place the ball in different corners with the same kind of preparation and swing.
- If you opponent fakes a lot, then you must wait until he plays the ball, and then move. If you move to early, he might catch you on the wrong foot.
With opponents who are hard to read and vary a lot, the only way is to be at the T before he plays the ball, ignore his position and swing, and only move after you know where the ball is going.
Warnings
- Know how far you can push yourself.
- Listen to your body. Sometimes the mind says "yes," but the body says "no."
- Most importantly, don't get hurt! If you get too tired, it's better to slow down or even stop before you risk an injury.
- No game or tournament is worth an injury.
