THE
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SQUASH
By Cicelia Prudent, Coach at Presentation college and former Trinidad #1
1. HIT THE BALL TO A GOOD LENGTH
- HIT
BALL FIRMLY AT SERVICE LINE TO HIT FLOOR NEAR BACK OF SERVICE BOX
2. AIM TO THE BACK CORNER
- THAT’S
THE ONLY WAY TO MAINTAIN THE T AREA.
3. KEEP THE BALL CLOSE TO THE
SIDE WALL
- THE
BETTER SHOT IS A STRAIGHT SHOT.
-
IF YOUR SHOT CLINGS TO THE SIDE WALL, YOUR OPPONENT HAS TO PLAY STRAIGHT
SO YOU CAN ANTICIPATE MORE EASILY.
4. RECOVER TO THE T
- FROM
THE T YOU CAN REACH 60% OF YOUR OPPONENTS SHOTS IN ONE STRIDE.
-
IF YOU ARE ON THE T YOU ARE CONTROLLING THE RALLY.
5. WATCH THE BALL AT ALL TIMES
- WATCH
BALL UNTO YOUR RACKET.
-
WATCH BALL UNTO OPPONENT’S RACKET.
- WATCH
BALL WHEN IT GOES BEHIND YOU.
6 MAKE YOUR OPPONENT RUN.
- BE
AWARE OF YOUR OPPONENT’S POSITION ON COURT
- PLAY
THE BALL AWAY FROM IT.
- MOVE
OPPONENT UP AND DOWN THE WALLS.
7. VOLLEY WHENEVER POSSIBLE
- GIVE
OPPONENT LESS TIME TO RECOVER
- KEEP
OPPONENT AT FULL STRETCH
- VOLLEY
TO A GOOD LENGTH UNTIL THE OPORTUNITY TO VOLLEY SHORT
- DO
NOT GO FOR A WINNING SHOT EVERY TIME THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOLLEY.
8. KNOW WHEN TO DELAY SHOTS
- THAT
WILL WRONG FOOT OPPONENT
- MAKE
HIM WAIT FOR YOU TO PLAY AND THEN MAKE HIM RUN THE LONGEST DISTANCE
- STOPS
AND STARTS CAUSES FATIGUE
9. GO FOR THE SHORT SHOTS
- GOOD
LENGTH GAME AND GOOD SHORT GAME WINS MATCHES
- DON’T
PLAY SHORT UNTIL YOU FIRST PLAY LENGTH
10. CHANGE THE PACE OF THE
BALL
- KEEPS
THE OPPONENT GUESSING
- BREAKS
UP OPPONENT’S GAME
- HELPS
YOU RECOVER WHEN TIRED
ASPECTS OF MATCH PLAY:-
- AIM
FOR GOOD LENGTH
- PLAY
SOME DROP SHOTS
- VARY
THE PACE OF THE BALL
- STUDY
OPPONENT’S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
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More on court strategy
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