INSPO Fitness Journal May 2017

SQUASH
TIPS
BY JOANNE WILLIAMS
Accredited exercise physiologist,
squash coach
I have watched many great squash matches played by the
world’s best, yet some of the most exciting matches I’ve seen
have been between lower grade players. When you watch two
evenly matched players giving it their all, totally focused, this
is a truly entertaining epic battle of wills and tactics.
No matter what your standard is, you
will develop your own style of play
depending on your strengths, weaknesses
and experience. The best players in
the world are constantly making changes to
improve technique, tactics, fitness, control of
body movement (mobility and stability), lifestyle
and mental skills. Each small improvement
at this level can be another step up the
world rankings.
It is no different for players of any age or
level; a small change can bring large gains.
It is strongly advisable to have some
coaching from a qualified coach to avoid bad
habits and identify the areas to work on for
maximum gains.
As with all aspects of life a healthy balanced
lifestyle, good sleeping habits, good
nutrition and a well hydrated system are
essential for peak performance and recovery
when playing squash.
Squash technique
Squash is a technical and fast-paced sport. If
you do not have your body in a correct and
balanced position each time you play the
ball, errors (points lost) and poor accuracy
will result.
A most common error is having a closed
grip; meaning you hold the racquet so the
face of the racquet points down. This results
in many shots hitting the tin (out) at the front
of the court or the accuracy of the shot is
compromised. Holding the racquet like this
also means you need to lean back to compensate
for the closed face, which disrupts
the natural flow of the swing and slows your
movement before and after each shot. This
proves to be hard habit to break so it’s best
learned correctly at the start.
The palm of your hand should be parallel
to the face of the racquet so the racquet is
then an extension of your arm. This grip
enables players to play more shots and have
more ball control.
Squash tactics
There are numerous styles of play in squash.
While some players are satisfied chasing
the ball around, belting it as hard as they
possibly can and sometimes without too
much thought of where the ball is going,
others prefer to try and win by making their
opponents work harder than themselves to
tire them out and force them into making
errors.
Squash to the purist is an art. It is playing
with freedom, utilising all the shots and
playing them at the right times. An adept
player of this skilful style can be someone of
any age, so it’s not unusual to see players in
their 40s and 50s beating much younger and
fitter opponents.
The skilful player can stay in the centre
of the court sending their opponent twisting,
turning, and running all over the court;
wearing them down and forcing them into
making mistakes by mixing hard and soft
shots.
Efficient movement
Ease of movement around the court and
a relaxed swing require good rhythm and
timing.
You need a relatively supple and balanced
body to achieve this. An efficient body will
enhance your skills and likely enjoyment of
the game. This means ensuring your body
can move through the movement patterns
required for squash smoothly without major
compensations.
Whatever your age, ability and goals, you
need to prepare and care for your body to
get the most out of your time on court and
avoid injuries.
Squash players tend to have a dominant
side (the side the racquet is held) so it is
important to make sure this dominance
does not become too great as this can cause
problems. Common overuse injuries, for
example; knee, hip, lower back, shoulder and
elbow are often resolved by correcting these
asymmetries.
To avoid this it is important to make sure
you don’t always play off your dominant leg
so you develop strength and balance on your
non dominant side.
The following mobility exercises maybe
useful for alerting you to asymmetries and
maintaining or improving mobility and
22 INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL MAY 2017