Now that the lockouts have eased and courts are opening up again, squash players’ focus has returned to training and they are increasing physical preparations such as conditioning and drills that simulate match situations.
Learning new skills should always be conducted independently and without fatigue; this is particularly relevant when conducting footwork drills.
Ladder Drills
Ladder drills can serve both as a warm-up exercise to prepare the body for more intense training, and as a standalone workout that really gets your heart racing and legs moving. Furthermore, ladder drills can be fun family activities.
Lader drills are a fantastic way to develop lateral agility, balance and footwork speed. Their flexibility makes them ideal for athletes with limited time or space who want a way to test these elements of their game.
A basic ladder drill starts by crossing one foot over the other into the first square of the ladder and two stepping sideways to step forward into its next square, repeating this pattern until reaching the end.
As well as using forward, backward and lateral motions in this drill, in-and-out toe taps can also help increase lateral movement and footwork speed. To perform this drill, use a regular ladder while standing sideways. Start off by tapping your right foot in one ladder square at a time before quickly following suit with both feet – keeping this pattern of in and out toe tap movements throughout your entire ladder!
This drill can help increase your footwork speed, but maintaining proper form while moving at an increasingly rapid pace may prove challenging. To maintain proper form while on this drill, focus on placing each foot correctly in each box of the ladder while keeping knees slightly bent for stability.
Performing straddle hops is another effective variation on the traditional forward, forward, back ladder drill. To accomplish this task, stand sideways onto the ladder with feet hip width apart and perform two jumps per direction: forward two squares then back two squares until complete.
An entertaining way of performing ladder drills is with the Icky Shuffle motion. To perform it, start by stepping with both feet into the first square of your ladder before leaping out with both feet separated so they land on either side of its first box before returning back up again for repeating this sequence.
Sideways Shuffles
Squash players need to be adept at rapidly shifting their feet between positions on the court. Tacking this movement quickly is essential in improving court coverage and positioning when chasing balls or guarding corners. Like all racquet sports athletes, squash players use various drills and exercises such as dynamic stretching, lunges, and lateral movements in order to warm-up before matches or training sessions.
Lateral shuffles are an excellent way to increase speed and accuracy when changing direction on the squash court. As this drill doesn’t require partners, players can perform it themselves. When starting this drill for the first time it may be beneficial to start slowly until building confidence with it.
To perform a lateral shuffle, begin by standing with feet hip distance apart and hinge forward at your hips, bending knees slightly. Your chest should be lifted while arms may either be extended out to either side or in a loose fist in front of it. As you move into and back from right corner using ball of left foot for pushing off from ground as small shuffle steps side to side occur – be sure to engage your core throughout this drill to help keep torso tall while shifting side-to-side on squash court!
Once you become proficient at performing lateral shuffles at a faster pace, you can add another challenge by touching the ground between each shuffle. This will make the drill more like a shuttle run and force players to be more accurate in their foot placement; ultimately the goal should be making as few errors and being as consistent during each shuffle as possible; also note that these should be conducted using small, fast steps rather than wide ones as this will decrease its effectiveness.
Jump Lunges
Jumping lunges provide an effective exercise to develop and strengthen powerful movements from the lower body that are necessary for effective court coverage and positioning in squash, as well as provide a great cardiovascular workout. They engage glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and hip flexors as well as improving balance, stability and coordination.
Jumping lunges can be an excellent complement to other training methods, like ladder drills. For example, when used alongside agility ladder drills for lateral and rotational speed drills, jumping lunges with similar conditions can make training sessions feel more realistic – like real match play!
Executing the Jumping Lunge correctly takes both focus and discipline. Begin with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and core muscles engaged. Step back with left leg until front thigh is parallel with floor while toes of backfoot are off ground; explosively jump switching legs in midair (right foot forward, left leg back), repeat for desired number of repetitions or time duration.
As with any plyometric exercise, starting slow is key and gradually building to higher jumps as you gain confidence and fitness levels. When performing any plyometric exercises it is wise to consult a qualified trainer or coach to ensure you’re moving safely within your limits.
Beginners and intermediate players may prefer doing walking lunges which replicate its movement without the explosive component, making it more suitable for beginner players and intermediate players. Jumping lunges have been found to significantly enhance lower body power and athletic performance and should form part of any sport-specific or general conditioning program.
Jump lunge is an effective and beneficial exercise for all sports, challenging the lower body’s quadriceps which control knee extension. At the same time, it also stimulates hamstrings and hip flexors which provide strength and power when performing jump lunge.
Ghosting
Squash is a sport of rapid and frequent movements, and mastering these movements quickly is essential to high performance. Unfortunately, however, some players find this form of movement challenging to master; adding key drills into your training regime could help speed up both movement around the court as well as positioning on the ball.
As a general rule, practicing drills or movement patterns regularly will make you better at them. Unfortunately, due to limited time and resources available to us all, fitting as many physical training sessions into our busy lives as possible may seem an impossible feat – this can especially be true for recreational squash players juggling work commitments alongside their playing commitments.
There are ways you can make more time for squash training, including passive warm-up protocols that focus on mobilising the body without demanding active movement. This blog explores their benefits for squash players and how they can maximize on-court performance.
An effective ghosting drill involves setting up six cones on the front wall of your squash court and moving into each as though your opponent were feeding you into them. For an added challenge, vary their distances while changing up their feeds for maximum movement training!
Ghosting is less physically taxing than other squash footwork drills mentioned here, making it suitable for players who struggle with more dynamic warm-up protocols. Still, adding in hitting will give a more realistic experience of what might happen during an actual match.