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| The Swing | |
| Second in a series of tips for beginners [see selecting a raquet] |
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By Elliot Beck © 2008 , Writing from Berlin, Germany. July, 2008:
Not everyone has access to a professional coach to teach them the basics of a squash swing. This, however, is not a bad thing. The squash swing used to be very standardized. There was one correct way to swing at the ball, and all others were exceptions, usually worse than the standard. This made it difficult to for a person to teach themselves a swing that would be acceptable when they later turned to the help of a coach. However, in recent years that attitude has changed. Now, different coaches around the world teach different swings, and there is no agreement on which swing is the best. This article is intended to provide ground rules and guidelines for a new player’s swing. A very important part of the swing is the preparation. Your racquet must be up, ready to swing, almost before you step towards the ball you mean to hit. This is a tough skill to master. A player’s instincts often lead them to run toward the ball first, and worry about what will happen once they get there later. Although this can work for a time, it is not an effective way to improve at the game of squash. There is also disagreement about what constitutes having one’s racquet “ready” to strike the ball (at what angle, open faced or flat). This is fine; it’s not the specifics that matter, but that a person is always aware of their readiness to strike the ball. When you start developing your own version of a ready racquet, always keep in mind that your swing should be comfortable. If you attempt to force your swing, your results will never be as good as sticking to what comes naturally. This is a mistake often made. People develop an unnatural swing that will not stand up to pressure situations. Under pressure, a person is most likely to revert to something that comes quickly and naturally, and if done right, that person will revert to the same swing they’ve been practicing outside of the match. One mistake many beginners make is that they don’t control their wrists during the swing. Unlike a baseball or golf swing, two experiences people often draw on and adapt to squash, one’s wrist should be firm and immobile during a squash swing. On the backhand especially, the wrist should be “cocked”, that is one should hold their wrist at a 90 degree angle, as if doing a push-up. This allows a person to have the same grip for forehand and backhand, while still being able to open the racquet face and hit the ball upwards towards the front wall. A racquet face is considered “open” when at least some of the face points towards the ceiling, though of course the racquet should be angled somewhere between pointing directly forwards and directly upwards. It is important for every player to discover their own preference for this angle, as each person’s swing develops differently. A next key factor is the elbow. The classic coach had the beginner hold a squash ball between the elbow and the side of the body, when practicing the swing, to emphasize the importance of keeping the elbow bent and in close to the body. The first reason for keeping the elbow in and bent is to allow the swing to develop rapidly and for the correct backspin to be applied. The second reason relates to safety - an arm extended (as in a tennis swing) creates a "wide swing" and danger for the opponent in the close quarters of the court. Beyond these simple guidelines, watch a lot of higher-level players playing, and concentrate on their swing, to understand the differences in styles. You will have to select one style to practice and perfect. A third factor that will affect your swing will be footwork - but that's a whole separate subject. Perhaps the best coverage of footwork is Mike Way's new video on footwork. And of course, a fourth factor is keeping an eagle eye on the ball. If you don't watch the ball you can't react fast enough, get your racquet back, get into position, and execute your swing! So next time you’re on court, trying to teach yourself the game of squash, work on your swing. It may be more fun in the short run to just play a game with a friend, but in the long run developing a swing will lead to longer and more fulfilling games. Once you’ve mastered the swing you will see how much easier it is to dissect the game of squash and truly learn how to enjoy the game. [SEE ALSO: Selecting a Racquet]
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