Practice without a partner may seem boring and unproductive; however, by making good use of your practice time it can actually become an efficient training method to increase speed and accuracy.
Here are a few tips on how to make solo squash practice enjoyable and fruitful: – Set goals for yourself; tracking statistics can be very helpful here.
1. Counting Shots
Counting shots is one of the most valuable yet underutilized drills for any squash player’s game. By tracking your progress over time, counting shots allows you to understand both your strengths and weaknesses as well as setting realistic goals for yourself.
Aim: This drill requires hitting as many nicks (shots that directly off the front wall without hitting either floor or sidewall) within 30 seconds as possible. A great fun challenge that forces you to be honest with yourself and focus on hitting each volley smoothly with no pauses or hitches in its swing; also useful for improving cross court volley quality by encouraging a high percentage of nicks across court.
This drill is ideal for honing your movement around the court, as it requires you to shift through various positions on court. Furthermore, this exercise helps develop stamina by forcing you to lunge after each volley to build stamina quickly and recover more quickly between rounds.
This drill is an effective way to develop the quality of short straight drives. By working together as a group, this drill allows you to hit softer and more accurately; otherwise it would be difficult for one person to accomplish alone. Furthermore, you can also use it for boasting purposes by hitting short straight drives into back corners in response to their crosscourt length boasts; forcing them into more runs while exerting more pressure and taking control of your match with this move.
2. The Longevity Drill
Assuming an empty court can feel daunting to many players, walking onto one with no partner or coach to guide your drills can often feel like starting from scratch. But by approaching solo practice with clear goals in mind it can become one of the most productive parts of your training regimen.
Ghosting exercises are an excellent way to build fundamental movement skills and racquet preparation. Mastering them will improve balance and movement across the court, leading to enhanced racket control and shot selection as well as more fluent and efficient volleying by forcing you to strike with square shoulders and cocked wrists.
The Length Cross Drill is another simple but highly effective solo squash drill. Simply hit a straight length from behind the court, then cross when the ball returns; this drill can help improve both forehand and backhand drives and their speeds as well.
Timing is key when it comes to this drill: don’t overdo it by practicing for too long or you risk becoming disinterested and creating bad habits. Aim for 50 consecutive points without making mistakes (this would start over at zero).
Finding motivation for solo drills may be difficult, but they are essential if you want to improve your game. To fully immerse the drills into your subconscious and form lasting automatic behaviors. Sessions lasting an hour-plus should work best.
3. The Back-Court Drill
Squash requires players to drive the ball with precision and accuracy into small targets on the court, and solo drills and training sessions are an effective way to develop this ability. Following is an Squash solo practice routine designed to develop this ability – it should help players improve their shots into back corners with greater ease!
Squash players often focus on its technical elements – footwork and stroke technique – yet spending time playing solo is equally as crucial to improving mental resilience and self-reliance. Furthermore, this form of playing fosters independence and autonomy for people experiencing stress or depression; helping them navigate obstacles within a controlled environment may provide comforting relief.
One of the best solo squash drills is simply standing in front of a back wall and hitting a straight shot directly at it. This will force your eyes up during each shot and help improve timing; for added challenge you could also try volleying against it!
Cross court nicks can be an excellent solo squash drill to build focus and power. By keeping yourself focused on hitting your target during each shot, cross court nicks help develop consistency and power while building focus. As an advanced step of this drill, add in hitting cross court boasts off of drives to partners followed by backhand volleys – this way both of your shots remain focused while building power!
When training solo, it is essential to be wary of potential injuries. Proper warm-up and cool-down exercises, selecting a safe training environment, wearing appropriate gear, listening to your body and altering intensity and rest periods as necessary, along with having an emergency plan can all reduce risks significantly and allow you to enjoy all of the advantages of solo exercise without risking potential injuries. By taking these measures, solo workouts can continue while working toward injury prevention.
4. The Side-Wall Drill
Squash is typically played as a two-player sport, but those looking to advance their game must devote some of their training time towards solo drills as well. Solo training provides several benefits in terms of match preparation such as increased speed, increased muscle memory and enhanced physical endurance.
The side-wall drill is an invaluable way to practice short hitting, making it a critical part of any squash solo practice routine. Simply stand on a T and hit the ball into the front wall such that it hits and bounces back off of its respective sidewall before being caught back onto your T and repeated until your forearm strength increases and you become more adept at consistently hitting shorter shots.
Additionally, this drill can be used to develop your short volleying technique – an essential element in improving overall game. We discussed another volley drill in a previous newsletter that involved standing with one foot in the service box and hitting volleys repeatedly with either your left or right hand; you can set a timer and see how many you can hit in one minute.
Another advantage of this drill is that it helps develop your mental resilience and sense of independence, since you must push through difficult moments without someone to motivate or encourage you. This may help boost performance during matches while building up a more resilient mindset that could carry over into other aspects of your life.
5. The Figure of Eight Drill
The Figure of Eight Drill is one of the most frequently seen professional players performing. This exercise helps develop shot selection, movement and control. Furthermore, it will aid you in improving your ability to predict ball trajectory on both backcourt and backhand side courts.
To perform this drill, stand at the back of the court with your legs shoulder-width apart. Hit a ball into a wall behind you using your backhand then play it to another wall in front of you using your forehand – repeat until all shots have been played successfully in a short amount of time. Make it more challenging by adding in some volleys for more intensity and to test your ability to hit controlled volleys while on the move.
Improve your backcourt game by practicing the Figure of Eight drill with straight shots added into it. This will add much-needed variety and test your ability to make good decisions under pressure.
This drill can be completed solo or with a partner and is aimed at developing your cross-court nick shot. To make this effective, attempt hitting five consecutive cross-court nicks that you think would have been point-winning shots if they had come off of the front wall.
Solo squash practice is an essential component of the game and should form part of every player’s regular training regime. Solo training not only hone technique, but it allows a player to take time out to reflect upon mistakes they may be making and correct them without the stress and pressure associated with an actual match.