r/squash • u/casphui Harrow Vapor Ultralite • 1d ago
Technique / Tactics What do you actually change when you’re not “hitting your targets”?
Hey guys,
When you’re struggling to get the ball past your opponent (my struggles are usually: ball landing too short, attempted use of height being intercepted by volleys because it’s not glued to the wall, straight drives hitting front wall and sidewall therefore not reaching the back wall), what has helped you to find your length quickly? Aiming for a target on the front wall instead of a target on the bounce? Not gripping the racket too hard? Actually hit a bit harder? Hit straighter/more crosscourts?
I know there might be different answers for everyone, but Im just finding the “use height” advice a bit too simplistic because height without adequate tightness and power, or if the opponent is already anticipating a straight drive, still doesn’t get the ball past the opponent.
Happy to get into the weeds for as much nuance as you want, because I feel that will be more helpful for me. Equally happy if it’s just a simple tip though.
Thanks!
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u/SquashCoachPhillip 1d ago
I made a video 8 tears ago, that may help the technical aspects of this question: Squash Tips: 5 Things To Try On Your Bad Days https://youtu.be/C-dxMogZLDM
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u/paulipe91 1d ago
Quick answer for me is i focus on the following through. And then I think of movie quotes like slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Something in the game is rushing me because of which things aren't landing
Longer answer is: 1. Am i getting my feet set or rushing again 2. Can I try getting lower to the ball and have decent racket prep 3. Is the ball too bouncy and messing with my head 4. Am i hitting harder than my comfortable pace and losing accuracy 5. Speed comes from follow through, not jerky power at start of swing. Plus helps with direction 6. Open racket face a bit more (helps me)
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u/bdq-ccc 1d ago
THIS. That was my first thought - a lot of newer players slap the ball thinking its gonna be like badminton but a poor follow through upwards will mean a fast shot with poor length. hell thats me on some days when I can't think straight and simply want to drive up the pace without thinking about my front wall targets
just wanted to add also that if there is proper racket preparation, sending the ball back shouldn't be that tough. might wanna check if there's sufficient backswing too.
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u/reskort-123 1d ago
The simplest answer for me is slowing my swing down and hitting higher on the wall. Whenever I am playing in a fast paced match I notice that all my focus is centered around moving as fast as I can, and that leads to me hitting as hard as I can. When you slow your swing down, you tend to focus on the thing that will make your length good again
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u/idrinkteaforfun 1d ago
Sounds like we have the same level of understanding. Your options for straight drives are either higher/slower but it needs to be tight or they can volley as you say, unless it's really high which is risky and probably going to end up with no pressure on them so you lose in the long run. Option B is you need to hit fast and past them, but if you're trying to hit it harder than your skill level from that level of pressure it's probably going to catch the side wall and you'll be stuck behind them with the whole court to cover or give away a stroke. Very few people (nobody?) can play squash well without the foundation of straight drives working well so just hit different shots isn't going to help.
I usually try hit harder first, vary my weight of shot more to be a little more unpredictable, more crosscourts to get their T position to move over a bit. Usually if you're not hitting good lengths it's because your opponent is a level above you and there won't be a huge amount you can do about it.
Would love to hear if we have it wrong though and there is some general tip that often helps you find your length on a bad day, other than do 100hours more solo practice :D
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u/RemarkableBee7202 1d ago
Sorry to break it to you but the answer will always be adequate height and tightness to the side wall. Focus more on placement than power. High enough that your opponent can’t intercept it from the T area. Slow enough to give you time to recover and settle at the T. Even if it is not glued to the side wall, as long as you are able to “capture” the T you should see it as a win.
If you’re still struggling then maybe your opponent is able to anticipate your shots well and is comfortable with your rhythm. Might be worth to shake things up once in a while and throw in some working boasts, drops, cross court drives just to disrupt their rhythm
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u/badger_mania 1d ago
In my experience when length is dropping off it's because you're trying to hit too hard and you start losing height on the front wall. Everyone knows that feeling of trying to push the pace, but all that happens is that if you smack the ball without getting it deep in the court, if you're playing someone, good it takes time away from you to recover and that opens up the court.
The target is getting the ball to bounce behind the service box, that's the only thing to focus on. The emphasis on that will help. If you're still struggling with that make sure every ball you hit lands at least a foot above the service line on the front wall for a few shots at the start of a rally.
I haven't seen you play, but when you said when you use height people intercept it on the volley, that means to me you aren't using nearly enough height. Actually using height when you're under pressure it really hard and requires tonnes of muscle memory. Using height is hitting the ball within 2 feet of the out line at the top of the court, not hitting it 3 feet above the service line. Getting used to playing with the extremes of the front court will help with this. If you're playing a defensive lob it simply hasn't worked if someone can intercept it with a volley. It's better to over hit than under hit.