We’ve got top Aussie coach Shaun Moxham back on SquashSkills this week, taking us through the basics of the serve – a shot that is often undervalued at the amateur level, but which plays a key role in being effective on the court.
Shaun is one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the game, and currently operates as director and head coach of the Msquash accelerator programme in Port Chester. He’s worked with a whole host of top professional players in his career, but is perhaps best known for his partnership with David Palmer. In a relationship which spanned over 10 years, Shaun guided David to 2 World Championships, 4 British Open Titles, and 10 uninterrupted years ranked inside the World’s Top 10 players – ultimately helping him achieve the ranking of World No. 1.
In this fascinating new series, Shaun brings his knowledge and experience to bear on all things related to the serve. As well as looking at the main types of serve including the lob serve, the punch serve, the backhand serve, and the body serve, Shaun also shares what he considers to be the key requirements for an effective serve, and what exactly we should be looking to achieve with the shot.
A good serve allows you to start the rally on the front foot, giving you the opportunity to take a dominant position ahead of your opponent, and to command the T from the off. Taking the time to really consider your targets for the serve gives you an immediate advantage – the serve is the only ‘free’ shot in the game that you are in complete control of, yet too many players still think of the serve as just ‘getting the ball into play’.
For Shaun, a good serve will get the ball onto the sidewall, limiting your opponent’s volleying opportunities, and forcing them backwards. It may sound simple, but there are many layers to consider – how exactly to go about the task of serving the ball confidently and effectively, is the base of this brand new playlist.
The purpose of this blog is to give you suggestions on sessions you can use to practice your serve, and bring some of Shaun’s tips and tricks into your own game!
To start trying to groove in some these ideals into your own skillset, check out below our specially created solo and pairs sessions. Take the time also to check out the PSA footage in the playlist, and see some great examples from the very elite of the sport.
Put it into practice
This session is based around drilling and testing your serving proficiency, in a solo practice format.
In this pairs session, you’ll work through a series of condition games, focusing on practising different variants of the serve in a competitive environment.
Looking to get some extra conditioning work in around your serving practice sessions? Check out our latest intermediate bike sprint session.
Related content
Paul Carter teaches you everything you need to know about the serve.
Backhand return of serve with Jesse Engelbrecht
Jesse takes us through how effectively return serve on the backhand side using the soon to be released Stingray ball machine.
Pressure drills with Shaun Moxham
In this series, we learn a selection of drills he uses to sharpen up his players’ response to pressure on court.
Let us know how you get on with the sessions, we’d love to hear your feedback!
Want to learn more about the serving basics?
In this brand new series, Shaun Moxham returns to get back to the fundamentals of squash with basic service technique featuring the Interactive Squash wall.
Watch the series