Squash Magazine: Look for the Volley

Look for the Volley

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in the sport of squash is the tendency to allow every ball to go through to the back of the court rather than hitting a volley. For some, the reason is lack of confidence; for others, it's simply that they have become so accustomed to hitting the ball after letting it hit the back wall, that they don't even think about it. Now's the time to think 'Volley!' Click For Larger View Overview: The purpose of this drill is twofold: to start thinking about volleying the ball and to work on hitting the volley to good length. Volleying the ball into the nick is exciting but, until the volley becomes second nature to you, focus on working it into your game as a tool for applying pressure on your opponent. Volleying puts more pressure on your opponent by reducing the amount of time he/she has to get back into position from his/her last shot, and you will spend less time in the back corners. Execution: Start the drill with the worker at the T, and the feeder in the back corner. The feeder hits a medium paced rail, which the worker will volley straight to length. The feeder then hits a medium paced crosscourt, and the worker volleys a rail on the opposite side of the court. The feeder then restarts the drill from the other side. The key is for the feeder to hit the ball just above shoulder height for the worker so that the ball will be in a good comfort zone—it's much easier to volley the ball about head-high than it is with balls hit lower. As the worker gains more confidence, the feeder can try varying the height of his/her shot and increasing the pace. Notes: The worker should focus on hitting the volley to good length so that the ball bounces just past the service box. If you are already comfortable with this drill, try variations where the feeder hits a rail and the worker alternates between straight and crosscourt volleys. A more advanced variation has the feeder randomly hitting straight or crosscourt while the worker always volleys the ball straight. These variations will be good for reflexes, movement, and watching the ball.