S Q U A S H
B E G I N N E R S
GRIP BASIC DRILLS FOREHAND BACKHAND SERVE VOLLEY TIPS WORDS OF WISDOM
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The videos below are designed to help you begin your Squash journey. Please ensure you have read our DISCLAIMER prior to starting any of the exercises/drills shown in the videos.
Welcome to Squash Beginners
Getting Your Grip Right
Just starting out? One of the key issues in Squash is having the correct grip when holding the racket. If you get this right then it’s going to be much easier for you then to control the ball when you hit it. Check out the different grip videos below and also the traditionally correct footwork to adopt when you hit the ball. Good luck and good hitting!
How to hold your racket. Check out how to hold your racket and how to use your wrist
The Grip by England Masters o35s International Ian Cox. How to hold the racket with the correct grip as outlined by Ian Cox.
Get a Grip! You can never get enough grip videos! This clip takes you through pictorially how to grip the racket as well demonstrating it with a pupil.
Footwork & your racket swing. What should I do about my footwork and my racket swing?
Basic Drills
The following 9 drills have been designed for you if you are just starting out and have not really been on the court and hit a ball before. They take you through the basics for hitting all the standard shots and give you routines to practice. They may look simple but if you can master these then you will be well on your way! Ideally go on court by yourself to do these routines or if you have a friend who is just starting they are designed so you could both do them at the same time but make sure you give each other enough space on court to do the routines. Good luck and good hitting!
Practice 1. Hitting the ball at the front of the court below the service line and above the Tin - forehand & backhand.
Practice 2. The same as practice 1 but now you need to attempt to hit the ball from the forehand to the backhand continuously.
Practice 3. Now starting at the short line look to hit your forehand & backhand above the service line.
Practice 4. From the short line hit the ball above the service line from your forehand to your backhand continuously
Practice 5. This drill helps you get a feel to hitting a basic boast, by hitting the ball on to the side wall and then back again using your forehand & backhand.
Practice 6. This practice helps you get the feel of hitting a drop shot and helps you develop your 'touch' on the ball by having to hit the ball consecutively into the service box.
Practice 7. The starting point for your volleys! Just practice bouncing the ball on the face of the racket on both your forehand and backhand side. Great for your eye racket / ball co-ordination.
Practice 8. The next stage for your volleys is hitting your volley on the side wall. Practice controlling the ball from side to side.
Practice 9. Hitting volleys on to the front wall above the cut line. working on both your forehand & backhand.
The Forehand
The 2 basic shots you will need to master as you start getting used to being on the squash court is your forehand and your backhand.
The Basics 1 - Why it’s good to work on getting the basics right.
The Basics 2 - working on your correct footwork for both your forehand & your backhand.
The Basics 3 - Your forehand, a basic explanation.
Forehand into the service box. This solo drill helps you start to control the ball as you hit it deeper into the court. Can be used for forehand & backhand.
The Backhand
The 2 basic shots you will need to master as you start getting used to being on the squash court is your backhand and your forehand.
The Basics 4 - Your Backhand, a basic explanation.
The Serve
The serve is the way that you start a game. Whoever wins the point then serves to start the next rally. Level 1 gives you the basics that you need to try and do when hitting this shot. It is one of the few times in squash when you can take your time to hit your shot but there is also pressure as if you hit it below the cut line (service line) on the front wall or above the out of court lines then you lose the point! You only have 1 chance to get your serve right therefore you need to work out what you need to do to be successful!
1. The Serve L1 What you need to know before you serve. Helping you to work out the basics.
2. The Serve L1 How to do a basic practice. Use this to practice your serve either by yourself or with another beginner.
3. The Serve L1 The Forehand Serve. How to hit a basic forehand serve and where you should try to aim on the front wall.
4. The Serve L2 The Forehand Serve. How to improve on your basic forehand serve. Looking to hit the side wall and moving to the T.
5. The Serve L1 The Backhand Serve. How to hit a basic backhand serve and where you should try to aim on the wall.
6. The Serve L2 The Backhand Serve. Working on your backhand serve, where to hit on the wall and your movement to the T.
The Volley
The main shots you will be hitting are your forehand and backhand BUT you will also probably want to hit volleys where they are appropriate. If the ball is in the air then volleying (hitting the ball before it bounces) can work well as it puts pressure on your opponent and you don’t have to try and get the ball out of the back of the court as by volleying you will have cut the ball out before it can get to the back of the court.
Using the leading edge to make sure your racket face is open. This can be used for your volley as well as your forehand and backhand drive.
Volley off the wall. This practice is designed for you to get used to volleying the ball off the wall as well as giving yourself the correct space to hit the ball in.
Other Tips
So how do you change a squash grip? When the grip gets old it becomes difficult to hold as it goes smooth (due to sweat) and you’ll want to change it! This video explains how.
2. One of the basic mistakes beginners make is not watching the ball, sounds obvious but easily done! This video works on what you need to try and do.
If you are now sure how to change your squash grip then check out this video.
Watch the ball. A major issue for beginners and some club players is watching the front wall and not the ball in between shots! Watch this video to see how to correct this mistake. Equally important for squash or racketball players.
Words of Wisdom
Tips from top players to help you improve your game …
