Category: Technique

Spoiler alert! There is no single correct way to hit the ball. Before you belt some obscenities and close this screen, please read on. You’re likely thinking: “I’ve always been taught to set up with a cocked wrist and racquet up. You’re telling me that’s wrong?” Rest assured; you have not been practicing in vain. Here are some important distinctions to always keep in mind:

‘Training more slowly to move more quickly’ on the surface sounds perverse, and somewhat of an oxymoron. It’s certainly something that amateur players can struggle to get their heads around, but in the world of high-class sport, it’s not that uncommon a principle.

When you are playing an opponent who is brimming with confidence and is getting on top of you regularly you need to have a plan and a tactic to fall back on. 

One common fault I see in the amateur game is players responding in the incorrect way to this situation. A sense of panic sets in and players start hitting the ball harder and being a little more desperate in all they do. There are a lot of cross-courts and short lengths and the odd Hail Mary shot into the front.

We’re delighted to have squash legend ‘The Wolf’ Nick Matthew back on the site this week to bring us his latest coaching playlist, this time taking an in-depth look at the foundations of moving on and off the ball.

We welcome the ever-excellent Tania Bailey back to SquashSkills this week, as she brings us her latest series – this time focusing on the bane of so many amateur players, the high volley!

SquashSkills own Jesse Engelbrecht takes the lead with this week’s new content, bringing us a fresh playlist that focuses on linking movement to match play. As ever, Jesse’s detailed technical knowledge and analytical mind make these videos a must-watch for anyone trying to improve their on-court performance.

We’re delighted to welcome one of the in-form players on the PSA tour to SquashSkills this week, with the ‘Golden Tiger’ Joel Makin joining us for a great new playlist taking a look at developing attacking options.

We’re honoured to again be hosting 3x World Champion and Commonwealth Gold Medallist Nick Matthew here on SquashSkills for our latest playlist, where this time ‘The Wolf’ is turning his expert eye to the tactical side of the sport with a focus on game plans.

With the arrival of Women’s Squash Week, there’s no better time for us to welcome Tania Bailey back to SquashSkills with a great new playlist taking a look at movement in the women’s game.

Jesse Engelbrecht is back on the main stage this week, with the second part of his deep dive into the backhand – a shot that is often a significant source of frustration for the amateur player.

We’re thrilled to welcome back 3x World Champion and Commonwealth Gold Medallist Nick Matthew to SquashSkills for our latest playlist, this time taking a look at using height in your game.

Elite coach Paul Carter is back with us on SquashSkills this week, with a brand new playlist focusing on what he considers some of the foundations of technique – what he brands as the ‘non-negotiables’.

Jesse Engelbrecht is back in front of the camera this week, with another deep dive technical series introduced in his inimitable style. This time the focus is on all things backhand, with an in-depth analysis of a shot that is often a significant source of frustration for the amateur player.

We have SquashSkills regular Lee Drew back week with us this week, bringing us his wealth of experience as a coach, referee consultant, and PSA TV co-commentator. He’s created an excellent new series for us, taking a look at racket head speed.

We’re back with one of the greats of the game for our latest playlist, as 3x World Champion and triple Commonwealth Gold Medallist Nick Matthew joins us to share his thoughts on the subject of leaving the ball short.

We have our own Jesse Engelbrecht back this week, bringing us a great new playlist that focuses on the concept of ‘using the strings’. Jesse’s detailed technical knowledge and analytical mind help make his video series some of the most popular content we feature here on SquashSkills.

We have Lee Drew back with us this week, for part 2 of his excellent series looking at skill development and ball control. If you haven’t seen it already, you can check out part 1 of the playlist.

We have SquashSkills own Jesse Engelbrecht back with a great new playlist for us, this time taking a look at taking the ball in straight and short. Jesse’s deep technical knowledge and excellent communication skills, mean his video series are always some of the most popular content we feature here on the site.

Our featured content on the site this week comes on the physical side of the game, as our SquashSkills Fitness & Performance Director Gary Nisbet takes a deep dive into interval training.

We’re delighted to be able to bring in the New Year with one of the greats of the game, as 3x World Champion and triple Commonwealth Gold Medallist Nick Matthew joins us for our latest SquashSkills playlist!