Defensive play is key to having a successful squash experience at any level: whether a novice, improver, club player or professional.
Volleys into the back corners can buy you time and put pressure on your opponent, so it is vital to develop and practice various forms of this shot.
Back Wall Boasts
Back wall boasts are powerful shots designed to end long rallies quickly. But mastering them requires being hit with enough force and the correct angle so as to reach the front wall before an opponent responds with his or her shot – particularly effective early on in a rally when your opponent might expect drop shots.
Ideal of all, your shot should reach the front wall in one bounce before your opponent can reply. Therefore, it is wise to practice this shot in a quiet area so as to gain an understanding of timing and angle requirements, as well as foot position while playing this shot – some players tend to drop balls from close behind the back wall, which may work defensively but often results in no let on return playbacks.
Practice this shot from a standing position rather than sitting, as this allows for easier balance and positioning from standing stance. Furthermore, having quick footwork when playing this shot is crucial so as to move onto the ball quickly without your opponent counterattacking quickly.
Back wall boasts can be an effective way to break up a long rally and put pressure on an opponent, yet they require plenty of practice to perfect. Practice should take place in a quiet area and with someone nearby so you get used to its timing and angles – two wall boasts are more advanced versions of this shot which may be useful either offensively or as last resort defence strategies – it involves hitting both walls at approximately racket head height.
Side Wall Boasts
The side wall boast is an effective defensive shot for players to utilize. Beginners may overlook it, but this shot should be an integral component of your defensive game plan. Practice is required but reaps great rewards: this shot may help keep opponents with more advanced skills from dropping shots on you! Using it could keep more advanced opponents at bay!
Key to playing this type of boast successfully lies in your angle of attack. Aiming more or less in the center of the front wall, take an off-center shot that hits one wall before rebounding back onto it – this creates a “rail” shot which makes it harder for opponents to return if you play from this distance.
Another effective strategy when playing this shot is hitting it with slightly more force than normal, to add speed and catch your opponent off-guard. Just be sure to keep the ball within its center court as you play!
As a last resort when playing against your opponent and cannot hit a straight drive, three wall boast is often used. To use it effectively you should hit the ball so it hits first the front wall, then the opposite corner floor-side wall nick (sometimes known as three wall boast). This forces your opponent to run full diagonal and gives you extra time to return to the T.
As with a regular boast, it is also crucial that when playing an attacking shot from close to the wall you move closer than usual to ensure maximum impact and speed of shot execution. Otherwise, your opponent could better read your shot and strike an attack shot that may give you trouble. Finally, it is key that when taking this type of shot that you quickly transition onto your next shot – otherwise they have the ability to stay in a rally by hitting cross court lob over you and stay involved.
Front Wall Boasts
Front wall boasting is an effective strategy when you are behind and your opponent cannot reach the ball to drive it backwards. Simply hit the ball up high on either side wall so it lobs into the front corner, giving yourself time to return back to the T and stop your opponent from scoring on his return serve.
Practice this shot best through a pairs exercise. Have one player play front court straight drives while the other hits backcourt boasts to their partner; once this has been accomplished, have both players run up to the front court without being hit by straight drives, with you trying to move over without being hit yourself and then take turns hitting backcourt boasts yourself. Once these exercises have concluded, try playing some boasts yourself to see how effective you are at hitting straight drives or boasts yourself!
One effective technique for employing this strategy is playing front wall drops from the back corners. These softly played shots, usually played within inches of the tin, make it difficult for opponents to play an attacking shot, as they must wait two bounces before reaching it.
Quick volleys are essential when trying to defend and prevent your opponent from attacking. A strong cross court game will come into its own here; moving the ball quickly from corner to corner can really come in handy here.
Visualize yourself hitting the front corner of the court next door when practising your volley to help get the angle correct and make life harder for your opponent. If your ball keeps going into the tin on the front wall due to its angle of approach, try coming through more slowly so it clings more securely against its surface, giving more time for you to recover back onto the court and set up attacking shots of your own.
Cross Court Boasts
Cross court shots can be an effective defensive weapon, forcing your opponent to move and adjust in order to cover the ball. When played at just the right moment they can also help gain you an advantageous position for yourself. As with all shots however, when taking a cross court shot there are certain parameters you should keep in mind when making this shot.
First and foremost, it’s vitally important that the shots you hit have sufficient power and speed so your opponent cannot simply volley it back at you. Aim to hit cross court shots so close to the tin that they land directly into a front wall nick instead of simply bouncing back up out of your hands; this way the rally will come to an end more quickly.
When playing cross court shots, timing is of the utmost importance; that is to say, strike before your opponent has any opportunity to hit it with any accuracy. A simple way of accomplishing this is through providing short straight shots from behind towards the front wall in order to induce their opponent into moving back quickly toward T in order to cover your drop shot.
There are various boasts you can use to achieve this effect, with one such boast being the ‘2 Wall Boast’ which hits both side walls and centre front wall with the intention that the ball rebounds away from your opponent and into one of the far back corners. This tactic reduces how much area needs to be covered while forcing them to rush their movements to reach the front of court quickly.
Trickle boasting is another useful variation, consisting of a low, fast shot that hits both walls at once before dropping to bounce around in front of court before reaching far side wall. When executed properly, this boast can be difficult for your opponent to read and will force them to run in rapidly as an attempt at covering it – exactly what you’re after!