After the pandemic ended and courts resumed play, many amateur tennis players are looking to hone their training. A great place to begin would be with ghosting drills.
Warming up is vital to minimizing muscle imbalances, preventing injury and increasing exercise tolerance – not to mention improving performance on the squash court!
Warm-up
Assimilateing the physical demands of squash requires a comprehensive warm up program. A proper warm up reduces injury risk while optimizing performance – yet many players forgo this aspect of training by just walking onto the court and beginning playing right away without proper preparation.
Squash is a high intensity sport requiring lunging and sprinting movements as well as frequent changes of direction and trajectory, often changing frequently throughout a match. These movements can strain groin, knee and ankle muscles as well as lower back muscles if your body is not sufficiently prepared.
To prepare their body for these movements, players need to first activate key muscle groups by engaging in low intensity exercises like jogging or skipping as well as dynamic flexibility drills – these should last until a light sweat has formed or their heart rate reaches 60-70% mhr.
These low intensity exercises will also help get the blood pumping, providing oxygen and nutrients directly to your working muscles. This will prepare your body for higher intensity activities like playing matches or more strenuous training sessions.
Gradually increasing exercise intensity over time is important, allowing your body to adapt. Too much intensity too quickly could result in early fatigue that impedes player performance.
At this stage, it is also essential for players to mentally prepare themselves for competition ahead. This may mean thinking through strategies they will employ against their opponent or thinking of ways that they can enhance their own game.
At this stage, it is vital for players to stay hydrated as this will boost immunity and aid recovery after matches. Water or another easily digestible beverage are preferable to sports drinks containing sugars or caffeine; players should also be wary about what they eat before games as certain food may hinder performance.
Stretching
Squash is an intense sport that places strain on leg and back muscles, particularly knees and ankles. Playing incorrectly may place further stress on these regions. That is why it is crucial to warm-up and stretch all key muscle groups involved with squash in order to reduce injury risks as well as optimize training sessions and matches.
An effective warm-up routine will gradually raise your body temperature prior to engaging in more intensive exercises, helping prepare muscles for the intensity of a match or training session while increasing blood flow to working muscles – increasing performance by up to 25%!
Warming up is also designed to activate and mobilise joints while increasing synovial fluid around them, helping lubricate them for the high-intensity movements required in squash. Therefore, an appropriate warm-up should include dynamic movements rather than static stretching (holding positions) since research shows this decreases power and agility.
At this stage, it is beneficial to practice short court drills which simulate the movement patterns necessary for squash, such as front-court to back-court shuffles or side-to-side lateral movement exercises. This will help prepare joints and increase mobility of hips, ankles and shoulders that tend to tighten during matches.
Final step in any effective squash warm-up should include more intense squash-specific activities designed to raise your heart rate and prepare the muscles for what lies ahead in a challenging match. These activities might include explosive drills that give an extra edge that can give you the edge you need over opponents.
Now that lockdowns have eased and courts are opening up again, many squash players are beginning to focus their training and preparation towards getting back onto the court and playing matches again. A five minute hit up with friends before your match should never serve as your only warmup; doing this increases risk for injuries and subpar performances.
Cardiovascular Exercises
Squash can place great demands on the body; numerous muscles are involved in sprinting and changing directions quickly. Therefore, to prepare appropriately for matches with an effective warm-up routine. First warm your muscles up through low intensity exercises such as jogging around the court or skipping, and later dynamic or static stretching; consult a qualified fitness professional for advice about which combination of exercises would best meet your individual requirements.
Though many athletes search for that elusive supplement or exercise ritual to boost their performance, a thorough warm up can make an immense difference to physical readiness. A thorough warm-up increases heart rate, raises muscle temperature and increases blood flow to them resulting in physiological changes that optimize both cardiovascular and muscle systems simultaneously.
Patel et al. (2014) have recently reported results that indicate higher-ranked players possess superior submaximal aerobic conditioning qualities as measured using the SPPT, which allow them to work harder during matches without reaching the second ventilatory threshold before fatigue-causing metabolites accumulate, thus increasing their odds of winning matches.
Squash can be an exhausting sport that requires physical strength to play well. Matches often last 40+ minutes and maintaining physical endurance is critical if you want to win at this sport; often this factor determines who comes out victorious!
Maintaining high levels of flexibility are also integral in avoiding injury and performing at a higher level. A good stretching routine should incorporate both static and dynamic exercises, with more emphasis placed on dynamic activities to enhance flexibility.
An effective exercise for increasing flexibility is the lunge toe touch; this exercise involves placing your feet close together while resting your hands on your hips, before moving your legs back and forth in an attempt to touch each foot’s toes with each leg. It’s an excellent way to warm up for squash’s demanding lateral movement requirements, making it suitable for use both before matches or training sessions as well as pre-game warm-up.
Strength Training
As any player knows, squash can be an exhausting game. Recreational players in particular find maintaining physical fitness a daily challenge when taking part. Footwork and core strength play a pivotal role in successful shots so it’s essential that any comprehensive training regime includes some form of strength training as part of its program.
One of the primary advantages of functional training for squash is that it helps develop movement patterns unique to the game. This in turn can increase a player’s overall physical performance on court. This is important as it increases their ability to move quickly and efficiently while staying ahead of opponents while keeping energy levels constant throughout a match.
One of the best exercises for squash strength training programs are exercises that mimic the movements and demands of playing squash. Therefore, dynamic lunge toe touches may be beneficial. This exercise involves standing with feet together then moving laterally while trying to touch one or both toes (see image above).
Bulgarian Split Squat is another great squash-specific strength exercise, specifically designed to strengthen hamstring muscles. Studies have revealed this particular bodyweight exercise significantly increases their strength – something which could significantly lower risk of hamstring injuries associated with playing squash.
As with any training program, it is wise to seek advice from a certified coach or trainer before developing a tailored strength training routine that fits within your squash warm-up routine. Once this plan has been put in place, commit to it and track its effects over time; this will allow you to see whether strength training has any positive effects on your game while simultaneously helping identify any areas where additional attention may be necessary.