Category: Tactics

Some of the most effective players in the squash clubs up and down the land are the drop-lobbers. They tend to be really accurate, really deliberate in what they do and really frustrating overall to play. They have the ability to really take all the pace out the game and make the court long, wide and high. They attempt to use every spare inch of space available to them and try and get you into the extremities of the court to test your physical and skill levels in these situations. This blog will point out some ways and strategies to cope with these players and nullify the weapons they bring to the game.

Most players would have come across that really tall opponent that feels like they take up all the court space, dominate the middle, volley everything and just take one step to reach any ball you play. This can feel one of the most frustrating opponents to play against as you feel that whatever shot you play or how much you want to get him or her moving they nullify everything. It can almost feel like you are running around like crazy, doing all the work, trying all the shots and they are just casually reaching for each ball you play treating it like a Sunday stroll.

So how to combat this opponent who has the feel of Go-Go Gadget arms and legs (80s reference there for the kids)?

Often you will come across an opponent who is what is described as a retriever. This type of player is generally very fit, relatively quick, strong legs and has the lung capacity of a blue whale. These assets tend to favour a more attritional and retriever style of play meaning that they are happy to scurry around the court, getting balls back again and again and generally not really looking to attack as they know the longevity of the match will give them a greater chance of wearing down their opponent and winning.

When you watch top-level squash, or any sport, executed with grace, flow, timing, rhythm and skill do you ever wonder “how are they able to do that time and time again so effortlessly?”

We’ve looked in depth on SquashSkills before at patterns of play in squash. Lee Drew has been going through some common patterns in his recent playlist to help you understand the likely outcome of certain shots to either take advantage of a situation or recover from a difficult position.