Squash Magazine

By Chris Walker, PSA No. 10

One of my favorite shots—the backhand volley drop. I think most professional players would prefer the backhand side if they wanted an opportunity to really finish a rally off in a positive way. I have certainly played many matches patiently waiting for the opportunity to set up a backhand volley drop to put my opponent under an immense amount of pressure.

The key elements to piece together by practice, and video analysis if possible, are:

Ensure your racquet is up and prepared as early as possible. When you play a volley, there is less time to get set up for your shot. HUNT THE BALL.

Racquet is back and up

Keep your wrist firm through the shot. The more wrist movement you have through the impact of the ball, the more margin for error you create, especially when you get into a pressure situation.

Firm wrist, short sharp swing

Always get the racquet back and get behind the ball to play your swing. Try to avoid “jabbing” the ball without swinging the racquet at least a little bit. Keep the racquet face open—the side of the racquet that will hit the ball should always face to the front wall or upward. Hence cutting the ball becomes more natural as the racquet face moves across the ball. Generally I will play a better, more positive, backhand volley drop when my racquet is up, starting behind the ball, and I play it with a short sharp swing towards the front corner.

Racquet is behind the ball

As you prepare to swing through the ball, transfer your weight forward. Be firm and positive when swinging and “follow through” in the direction of the top of the tin.

Try to hold your position firmly with both feet on the floor so you are balanced. That way there is less body movement to interfere with the striking of the ball. Keep balanced through the shot. If you have to lunge or partially dive toward the ball in order to meet it, you should probably be playing an easier and safer shot.

Always watch the ball and don’t be anxious to play a winner. They will just happen and should be a bonus.Practice as much as you can to find a groove by feeding yourself repeatedly. Try and stay on your toes throughout these practices and move your feet to meet the ball each time trying to simulate game play; try not to be static.

Even though you might be supremely confident that, when a backhand volley drop opportunity arises, you will play an outright winner (like you’ve done a hundred times before), I believe your mindset should be that you are placing the ball in that front corner “again” to put your opponent under pressure. The moment you start thinking that this is the opportunity for another winning shot is the moment when the execution of the volley can start to deteriorate. I have seen many times when a player’s “best” shot during a match becomes the shot that costs him the match. It’s close in the fifth and one player knows he has hit a load of winners on his backhand volley drop and then another one comes along. This time it’s a really important point (maybe match point), and it goes in the tin instead of the nick where the last five backhand volley drops have gone. Just a little control of the emotions would have enabled a quality execution of the backhand volley drop to extend your opponent even more. Each time you play the shot, you are putting it in the same place in the front corner, to do the same job as the one before. Remember: if it’s a winner, it’s a bonus.