The Squash Tennis stroke is more closely allied to the Squash Racquets
swing than to the Tennis swing.
Ground Strokes: The wrist and grip should be kept loose at all times.
The grip will automatically be tightened at the moment of contact with
the ball.
The forehand and backhand ground strokes should be hit with a short, snap
of the wrist--as though you were cracking a whip. There is no time and
no reason to employ a long, high follow-through.
The head of the racquet at the moment of impact with the ball should be
slightly "open" and you should feel the gut "biting" the side of the
ball. This slight side-spin cut, with the racquet head tilting back and
hit like a short, chip shot, will tend to keep the ball low and
inexorably "grabbing" for the floor. The spin will produce many "nicks,"
which are shots that hit a side wall and floor practically simultaneously
and die. (See fig. 3 [Racquet open when contacting ball.] for position
of racquet at the moment of contact with ball.)
The follow-through is low and abbreviated. The racquet head should go
straight out or up the court rather than be wrapped around your body.
The best way to "groove your strokes" and to keep the ball low is to
consciously aim your racquet head on your follow-through at the very, top
of the "telltale."
As in all racquet sports, the racquet should do the work. The ball
willingly goes where the racquet head directs it. Do not flail or
attempt to push your shots. Hit them crisply with the snap of your
cocked wrist, and at all times attempt to regiment your swing.
Ideally your body should be out of the way, which means whenever possible
on your ground strokes you should turn sideways. Your weight should
shift toward the direction in which you are hitting at the moment of
impact, and you should have your feet planted firmly. Because of the
high velocity of the ball, however, you frequently will not have the
time to turn sideways and will be required to stroke in awkward and
off-balance positions. Your aim, however, is always to be in the correct
position of play before the ball gets there, thus allowing time for
adjustment and proper stroking. Move to your position with short, quick
steps rather than long, tiring strides. Consciously maintain your weight
on your toes, with the knees slightly bent. This will help you to move
in any direction necessary as quickly as possible.
In following the ball around the corners, do not stand still and pivot.
Go after it, again with a series of short steps with your racquet head up
and cocked, and your body in proper position so that you are ready to
make a quick and meaningful stroke.
Volleying or cutting off the ball before it hits the floor is similar to
the tennis stroke. It calls for lightning-like reflexes and the ability
to move the racquet head practically in any given direction in a fraction
of a second.
The volley is a short "jab," with the racquet head traveling forward no
more than, say, 24 inches. Once again, your aim should be in the
direction of where you want the ball to go, and low.
The main purpose of the volley is to keep your opponent constantly on the
run, moving him about, and preferably up and back, by cutting off the
flight of the ball. Most players can run all day sideways, but will
eventually tire if you make them run up and back. Like body punches in
boxing, forcing your opponent up to the front wall with deftly placed
volleys will eventually take its toll.
Miscellaneous: Generally all Squash Tennis strokes should be hit as low
as possible--within a few inches of the front "telltale." This will take
time and practice, but pays high dividends. A low ball invites the
aforementioned nicks and keeps your opponent hurrying and scurrying. The
chances are better that, when hit with the proper amount of pace, a low
ball will die before it gets to the back wall.
When a ball is hugging the side wall, don't attempt to "pick" it off. It
is far easier, and your percentage of success is far greater, to "scrape"
the ball off with a very loose wrist. Your other alternative is to hit
the ball right into the wall and hope it will angle off and travel to the
front wall (see fig. 4 [To retrieve wall hugger, hit ball right into
wall.]).
Service: The proper position prior to serving is with the feet as close
to the "T" as possible. This location will help you to put your service
in the desired place, which is parallel to the side wall. In other
words, you reduce the angle. In addition, the "center" of the court is
the ideal position from which to cover your opponent's return (see fig. 5
[Forehand and backhand service positions.]).
Since the ball must land short of the service line, it is obviously not
possible to overpower your opponent for a service ace--as contrasted to
the services in Squash Racquets or Lawn Tennis.
The most effective service, therefore, is hit as high as possible on the
front wall to a "spot" that will place the ball after bouncing (and your
opponent must wait for your service to bounce on the floor--he cannot
volley it) as high and also as close to the side wall as possible. Your
opponent will have a difficult time hitting the ball well because of its
height and its closeness to the side wall. A great deal of practice and
experimentation will be required before you discover exactly where that
"spot" is, and with what degree of effort you should hit the ball.
The service is hit with a slight cut, which will usually make the ball
grab the wall and hug closer. A semi-overhand, side-spin service is best
employed from the right court, and a sliced underhand shot is used from
the left side (see fig. 6 [Forehand and backhand lob services.]).
For an occasional "surprise" or change of pace, you can vary the service
by hitting the ball somewhat harder right at your opponent. This can be
done either as a straight shot right down the middle (fig. 7 [Service
straight down the middle.]) or at a sharp angle that breaks off the side
wall and lands right at his feet (fig. 8 [In and out service angling into
opponent.]).
In addition, reversed cuts can also throw your opponent off, since you
can make the ball bounce off the floor in the opposite direction than
expected.
Finally, the service is practically the only stroke in the game of Squash
Tennis which permits you the luxury of time prior to hitting. You
should, therefore, take advantage of this time to get settled, anchor
your feet comfortably, pause, even take a deep breath, and concentrate on
how you are going to hit the ball toward your "spot" in order to make as
good a service as possible. Don't aimlessly just put the ball in play.
A careless server loses many points by allowing his opponent to make an
offensive return. A deliberate, concentrating, purposeful player, on the
other hand, will actually win many important points with well placed
serves.