Tactics– the game made simple
There have been many squash books
written about how squash tactics. There is no magic formula however, there is a
basic game plan that have seen many average players become very good
players.
You are in control
Hitting a straight drive will keep the ball
close to the side walls and in the back corners. A cross-court drive will
eventually get to the back corners however, the ball does not keep close to the
side walls and it runs straight past the middle of the court. Rather hit a few
straight drives first, get your opponent moving off the T and then hit a
cross-court when he is not expecting/ not ready for the cross-court.
Once you
have played a few tight shots to the back of the court, moved your opponent and
given him less time to play the ball, he is bound to make a mistake or play a
weak shot. Only then should you look at hitting the ball to the front of the
court. He will be behind you and will have to move quite quickly to get to the
ball. A drop and boast are two great shots to move your opponent to the front of
the court.
Try not to play your drop or boast too close to the tin. I do not
want you to lose the point while trying to play an excellent drop or boast. The
short shot can be one racquet head in height above the tin to be effective and
you will not be at risk at all of the ball hitting the tin. The short shot will
either be a winner or has put your opponent under a lot of pressure where he is
just able reach the ball and play a weak shot back. When he returns a weak shot,
move onto the ball quickly, hit a hard drive to the back of the court and close
to the side walls.
If your opponent was able to reach your drop shot with
ease then you must do the following: Ensure that your opponent is standing
behind you when going for the short shot Your short shot must not be too high
and must stay close to the side wall. Play the ball to the back first and only
then to the front of the court. He must not be expecting the short shot. Ensure
that your opponent is under pressure when going for the short shot. He must not
be waiting on the T for you to play the ball.Your opponent is
in control– You are playing a match, your opponent is winning and has taken
control of the situation. He is moving you around, taking the ball early and you
do not know where he is going to hit the ball. What should you now be
doing?
When you are in this situation you must go back to basics. In order to
get back into the match you must start hitting a good length to the back of the
court. A good length will start to give you more time and you will be able to
recover to the center of the court. Hit the ball a little softer and a bit
higher. When you are in the front of the court lob the ball to the back of the
court. Keep your opponent behind you for while. If you are forced to boast the
ball try and keep the ball close to the front corner. Allow yourself time to get
your rhythm back.
While your opponent is behind you and in the back corners
it will be very difficult for him to win the rally without taking an enormous
amount of risk. Keep him there for a little while longer. Patience never killed
anyone! Wait for that opportunity to strike.
Here are a few situations and
the solutions1. My opponent is a good shot player and winning the match from the
front of the court. I feel that I am consistently under pressure. What should I
do?
In this situation you must keep your opponent in the back corners. It is
very difficult to play a good short shot from the back of the court. Play a few
more good drives and cross-courts than usual. Keep the ball away from your
opponent. He will not be able to play a good short shot if the ball is tight and
away from him. Only go short when your opponent is out of position.
2. My
opponent is a hard hitter of the ball. I am not able to hit the ball as hard as
him. I feel that I am consistently under pressure. What should I do?
In this
situation you must slow the pace of the ball down a little. It is difficult to
hit the ball very hard when it is coming towards you at a slow pace. In order
for him to hit the ball hard he needs to have time and space. Keep moving your
opponent which will give him less time to hit the ball and keep the ball close
to the walls which will give him less space to swing at the ball.
3. My
opponent can run all day. I am not as fit as my opponent and I am always losing
on fitness. I feel that I am consistently under pressure. What should I
do?
Keep the ball tight. Force your opponent to make a mistake. Wait for the
weak return and then play a tight drop or drive. You may have to wait a little
longer but you will eventually will the rally.
4. My opponent is getting to
my drop shots and then winning the rally. What should I do?
Keep the ball
tight. Try and hit a few more drives before going short. If your opponent is
reading your drop shots it will be easy for him to get to and return them. Only
go short when your opponent is out of position. Aim a little lower. The game is
won from the back of the court.5. My opponent seems to be
volleying all of my drives and getting to my short shots. What should I
do?
You have become too predictable. Change your game. Play a few more
cross-courts, boast when he is not expecting and keep the ball
tight.- A good place to start when playing squash is at the back
of the court. Your opponent is restricted from playing good shots when he is at
the back of the court. You must first hit the ball deep into the back corners
and close to the side walls. When you do this you will be able to control the
center of the court, take the ball early whenever possible and give yourself
more time. Always move back to the T.
