Mastering basic squash technique will significantly enhance all of your shots – especially when volleying.
Building an effective length and volley game gives players a significant edge against their opponents. But developing this aspect of your game takes time and practice – both solo as well as with partners of similar ability.
Hold the Racket in Front of You
Backhand volley is one of the key shots in squash but can be challenging for players to master. Achieve success requires having solid length to keep opponents at the back of the court while playing an aggressive volleying game that takes advantage of weaknesses in opponent defenses.
As it would be futile to hit every shot hard in a game if all shots within reach are not being volleyed, conserving energy by hitting frequently and accurately with volleying is essential in staying ahead.
Many squash players get the basics of volleying wrong, which can have lasting repercussions for their game. A common misstep involves raising their racket too high on initial contact with the ball which limits control and decreases power – this underscores why players need to develop smooth swings which allow them to generate power without overstriding and risking injury.
Volleying often presents challenges in getting into position quickly enough to exploit any gaps in an opponent’s defenses, something which may be resolved by spending some time practicing some of the drills outlined under forehand technique section of this website.
Volleying follows similar fundamentals to driving. Thus, being adept at both shots is beneficial as players can apply the knowledge gained when learning a volley to driving as well.
Remembering the backhand volley as an attacking shot requires playing it with an open racket face and striking just above the tin as it returns from side walls will help prevent ‘tin’ shots. Also important when making initial contact, is keeping elbow low to ensure a low arm angle to prevent raising racket too high and misshitting shot.
Keeping Your Eye on the Ball
For an effective backhand volley, it is crucial that you can detect the ball as early as possible. Being aware of where and when the ball will arrive gives you the best chance of intercepting and hitting it cleanly – keeping your eyes focused on the ‘T’ can help here, since looking around could signal to an opponent that you anticipate a drop, boast or cross-court volley and allow them to predict when you will hit it.
Players tend to get into the habit of looking around when volleying, trying to assess what their opponent is doing, which often results in missing balls due to being unable to properly assess spatial information at such short range. This tendency can be compounded if using their dominant eye, which often has better visual skills when it comes to distance estimation and spatial awareness.
Practice will help to combat this challenge; volleyballing is an intricate game and takes time to master its essential components. When practicing, try different racquets, grips and stances until you find what works for you best. Play against opponents who are weaker than yourself as this will focus your efforts on developing weaker areas of your game.
Many players use too tight of a grip when they volley, making it hard to control the racket at impact. The left hand should hold the racquet head in front of it and act as a brake to prevent too far swinging of the racket head. Furthermore, tight gripping of your left hand could reduce available power at impact as well as increase chances of it twisting under body weight and twisting apart more quickly than is ideal.
Accuracy is often more crucial when it comes to volleying, and aiming the ball tight to side walls may make it more difficult for your opponent to return it. Accurately judging ball speed may prove challenging if you are unfamiliar with playing against an opponent of similar ability; practice may be required.
Keeping Your Arm Smooth
As soon as a ball comes bouncing toward your backhand side, it can be challenging to maintain balance while simultaneously preparing a lunge volley. To maximize momentum from shoulder and hip rotations and create an extension of arm with which you can hit an impactful volley quickly and safely. When this occurs, take the necessary time to prepare by reaching with your top hand to position the racquet for contact – this allows you to maximize its use for contact with opponents!
This technique can be utilized for all forms of volleys, but especially useful when an opponent sends the ball directly towards you or when being forced to hit from an unfamiliar low spot in the court. By creating a lower center of gravity and creating more stability underfoot when hitting from such low locations. It will give your volley more oomph!
One of the key aspects of this grip is that it uses a “uni-grip.” This means you use only one hand to hold onto the racquet when playing forehand and backhand volleys, eliminating any need to switch grips – an especially helpful feature for beginners.
Bottom hand should adopt a Continental grip while the top hand should use an Eastern forehand or semi-Western backhand grip, to maintain a solid position of wrist support while still having access to rotating the racquet head upon contact with ball. This grip allows you to make contact with ball with ease!
Starting out using a Continental grip may feel awkward at first, and will take practice to get used to. Players that rely on an Eastern forehand grip to serve may require even more practice if they switch. But even with such a grip it is still possible to learn how to execute an effective backhand volley – even for those who do not consider themselves particularly strong volleyers – the key being patience as you work on developing this technique until it becomes second nature.
Keeping Your Shoulder Forward
The shoulder is one of the most complex and delicate joints in the body. To avoid overusing it and avoid injury, when playing squash it’s essential that movement in this area be minimized as excessive movement could result in further injury. When volleying it is especially crucial that your shoulder remains forward while not tensing any muscles behind the shoulder as this allows faster and more accurate movements as well as reduced risk from overuse injuries.
Top players typically limit the size of their swing on approach volleys in order to maintain quality and consistency, particularly on floaters where it can be difficult to generate power with large swings. Furthermore, it may also help lower unforced errors by restricting how far out your swing goes on any slower-hitting volley.
One of the hallmarks of elite players’ volleys is keeping their arms straight throughout, which allows them to keep their shoulder forward and closer to the sidewall and remain more compact, thereby helping prevent balls being hit past them.
Top players often exhibit a slight pause at the moment of contact, which is an inevitable effect of not pausing at impact to protect the head from continued forward momentum. This simple habit can be built up over time with practice.
Develop an excellent Squash backhand volley takes time and hard work. There are numerous factors involved, and taking your time on each part is vital to improving it and becoming an effective player at the net. By following these tips you can improve your volley while becoming a more efficient net player; experiment with various racquets, grips, stances and combinations until you find one that works perfectly for you – and don’t forget to have fun while learning!