If you want to get better at squash you might want to try practising some solo squash drills on court on your own.
We all know the old adage, ‘practice makes perfect’, but in a traditionally two person game like squash you might assume that practice means with a partner. To really improve, however, to really build a strong forearm and a variety of shots, to develop power and a clear feel for how to play the court you’ll need to develop a solo practice routine. Doing this will really take your game to the next level. Try the following solo squash drills and you’ll see results in no time.
1. The Straight Drive
This is a chance to build strength and coordination through repetition and accuracy by varying your aim. For accuracy you can place a target and vary the height and speed of your drives.
Try to watch the yellow dots on the ball to improve your concentration and make sure you’re keeping your head still. Hit drives hard aiming for the back line of the service box. If you can, hit it again before the ball hits the back wall.
2. The Short Hit
For this exercise, stand in front of the short line and repeatedly hit the ball below the service line. As you get better, you can speed up and lower the height of your short drives. This really works your forearm and will groove your swing. Switch between hitting off your left and right foot to improve weight transfer into each shot.
3. The Short Volley
This is much the same as short hitting, though without letting the ball bounce. Try to get faster as you go. You can even try moving closer and further away to the front wall to make this drill more of a test.
4. The Side Wall Drive
This is fantastic for building technique. First hit the ball from your forehand into one sidewall so the ball hits the other sidewall, then hit a backhand into the sidewall so it goes back to where you began. This works on racquet preparation, stepping into the ball and spacing.
When you have got this, try and hit all your sidewall drives within the service box width and if you get really good you can try and hit the service line on each shot. That’s a tough one.
5. The corner & hard low
This drill is more difficult and lets you to hit the ball with more pace. Stand in front of the short line and aim into the front right corner (if you’re a right-hander). Keep this drill going for a minute or two with pace.
6. The Figure of 8
You should should start on the bounce and work up to a volley. When the volley gets easy, try hitting the ball harder and below the service line. See how many you can get in a row.
7. The Drop
This is a short game drill. When you get an opening in a match you need to tap the ball in short with real precision. Drop into both corners from your forehand and backhand, then try these drops with a different angle, where a 3-wall boast is coming back towards you and the 2-wall boast is going away from you.
8. The Volley Drop
Hit 2 or 3 volley drives, then hit a volley drop and repeat. We recommend solo hitting after a tough workout once in a while as you’ll see how tough it is when you’re body is tired. You might want to yourself and study your technique.
With all these tips and solo squash drills you are sure to improve your squash game.
For the latest and best in squash equipment including some great deals, go to our squash equipment homepage where you can find all the gear you need.
And if this hasn’t inspired you enough, maybe you want to hear some tips on technique from squash ace Nick Matthew in this interview here. He states that solo squash drills are an “underused tool” even among professional players. Read about some of the drills he suggests, how to set them up and all the benefits solo practice can bring, and get an insight into his training routines both on and off the court in his interview with Men’s Health.
