Beginners can utilize squash drills to improve their footwork, shot accuracy, racket control and game strategy. Furthermore, these drills enable them to simulate different game situations and enhance overall strategy.
Squash requires the perfect balance of posture and body weight; this can be accomplished through regular strength training over an extended period.
Figure Eight & Catch
This drill can help develop consistent gun mounts and shooting from different positions. Set a target at 15 yards. Starting in low ready position, move around an “box” (heel-to-toe forward and toe-to-heel backward) firing one shot every two seconds – as your proficiency increases you may increase or decrease that frequency of shots taken per two second interval. As this drill also improves tactical shot placement.
Josh Borovsky provides this virtual masterclass on how to master this important musky fishing technique.
As the figure-eight retrieve is a timed technique, it’s vital that you practice this drill with a tan paster. Place any type of IPSC or IDPA target under a low ready position, and shoot each shot from low ready trying to hit its center each time. As your proficiency improves you can add time restrictions by shooting each shot within three seconds; this drill will help improve reloads as well as footwork. You could also try box drills which work on similar principles but focus on improving accuracy.
Split-Step Drill
The split step is an essential footwork move in squash that ensures early ball contact for both offense and defense, but can sometimes be challenging for some players to master – particularly when their game lags and they need to strengthen fundamental tactics to regain form. That is where drills like Split-Step Drill come into their own.
This easy, effective drill can benefit both beginner and advanced players alike. Simply set up six cones in a triangle on the court with two cones at either corner; two should be in front corners while two in back corners. Both players should position themselves along a T-line of the court; player one should operate front right cone while player two stays behind on T line and operates front left cone. When prompted, player one should run to front right cone while player two remains on T. Once they arrive there they should lunge towards wall in that direction before quickly sidestepping back onto T to repeat process in other front corners before repeating process on other front corners before repeating process on other corners.
Once you’ve mastered this basic split-step drill, you can advance it by adding steps to each repetition. For instance, instead of lunging to the wall without taking an action involving racket swing, try including one and see its impact in more realistic situations while improving timing on volleys.
Shadow training can also be an excellent way to hone your split step, providing a simple yet effective drill to use with partners or alone. Simply stand with feet slightly apart on a court with minimal floor contact while “tapping” (jumping up while keeping contact) your feet. This exercise helps develop both power and agility needed for split-stepping by keeping you on your toes while still creating enough speed to move around freely.
Back-Court Drill
This drill provides players with a fantastic opportunity to develop back court attacking and defensive skills as well as work on conditioning. Furthermore, this exercise helps improve lateral footwork as players must quickly switch sides of the court in order to stay active throughout.
Player 1 begins on the T line with racket in hand and quickly moves sideways towards the right-side wall, taking two or three steps before lunging into forehand drive position and hitting wall with racket. Immediately after hitting wall with racket, they return directly back to T line; repeat this sequence several times over for maximum effectiveness in improving footwork, conditioning, and movement patterns.
The next drill, the “nick” drill, is an effective way of practicing cross court shots. A successful nick requires landing as close as possible to where floor and wall meet without actually touching either surface; this takes considerable practice to achieve success.
Nicking is an invaluable skill for all players, especially those in the backline of a team. Being adept at it allows players to hit shots that would otherwise be unreturnable and score for their opponents by hitting shots that may otherwise go unanswered, leading to points for opposing sides.
For this drill, a group of players will divide themselves into two teams with each containing two defenders and four offensive players. Offense begins by getting the ball from the front wall and passing it to one of two wing players who run to outlet line where it is passed back to them; those players sprint down center court for lay-up. Next half will perform full court Z-drill where players speed dribble up right side while their respective defenders attempt to stop and turn as many times as possible.
Front-Court Drill
This full court drill is an ideal way for players to develop their shooting stroke while staying active on both ends of the floor. With constant movement from end to end, this competitive drill forces players to push hard.
Start this drill off right by pairing up two offensive players, each holding a basketball. Each pair dribbles up court while their defender trails behind and attempts to tip forward the ball during its dribbling process while avoiding contact. When they reach mid court they pass off to their teammate waiting behind.
Another teammate then picks up the ball and makes a layup while sprinting towards the basket, repeating this process until both players have completed five consecutive layups in succession.
Each pair is then placed into a 1vs2 situation against their previous defenders from the previous drill, forcing them to adapt their defensive tactics according to this new situation – attacking body to body, avoiding traps, and quickly making their way into the middle of the court. Their goal should be making good reads to keep the ball away from offensive players by staying between them and the basket.
If they cannot stop an offensive player, defenders will need to remain in an aggressive bunny-hop position and attempt to cover as much ground as possible while also remaining on alert for any quick offensive players who might come from off the sidelines looking for quick plays.
As an alternative variation of this drill, players can start in triple threat position and dribble towards halfcourt. When they get there, they should begin zigzagging towards the free throw line while simultaneously stepping with their front foot and sliding with their backfoot; this will develop their speed and agility as they transition the ball quickly into transition – which can then result in quick layups or mid-range jump shots.
