By Chris Walker, World No. 12
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I frequently get asked questions from players who seem to be seeking that one sacred truth that will set them free and move their game to a higher level. I am not going to offer you any sacred truths here, but I want to try to give you some pointers to help improve your game.
Tactics are a vital part of the game, there is no doubt. If you watch the better club players, it doesn’t seem to matter that they may carry a few extra pounds or look a yard slower than their opponent—they always seem to scrape a win! I think squash is like a physical chess, where you try to out-fox and out-maneuver your opponent with cunning, disguise, patience, and anticipation, coupled with an ability to be calm under pressure and take those opportunities to get your opponent in trouble when possible.
Recognizing patterns of play:
When I watch a regular club game of squash, I see varying degrees of ball control, power, and thought going into the game. But it doesn’t matter what the style of the players: I always see certain patterns of play repeat within each game. I could bet that nine times out of 10, the same pattern of play would result the same.
For example, the rally begins and at some stage one player will play a straight forehand dropshot. The other player will tear into that corner, taking the biggest swing possible and try to pound the ball through the front wall with a cross-court drive. His opponent has already seen this coming like the 10 times before and will step across to volley the ball straight down the wall for a winner because his opponent is still getting his balance back from the gigantic cross-court he has just played!
If I were player one, I would continue looking for the opportunity to play that forehand dropshot to the front corner and then wait for the inevitable cross-court to volley again, and probably win another point from it. When you are playing you should try to spot these patterns of play and use them to your advantage. If you feel you are getting a dividend from one particular pattern of play, try to build rallies to generate these opportunities. If you feel you’re losing points from another pattern of play, look out for it; when you see it coming in a rally, consciously play a different shot to counter your opponent’s trap.
I believe that in this way you will start to learn a lot about your strengths (which you should exploit), your weaknesses (which you should try to protect), your opponent’s strengths (which you should play away from), and your opponent’s weaknesses (which you should also exploit). With this philosophy in mind, you will develop your tactics and court awareness, raising your level simultaneously.
The excitement for me, then, comes from what happens next. Once you’ve countered an opponent’s strength, if they are equal to you they will start searching for another pattern of play that creates opportunities for them. And if they counter one of your strengths, you must knuckle down to finding another pattern of play that will assist you in winning points. The game continues and changes as each of you respond to the other, setting new traps to win points and at the same time improving your tactics and court awareness.
Notes:
•Be aware of your mental attitude toward your game. I have always tried to play squash and select shots with the belief that the shot I will play is not going to be a ‘winner’ but another shot that my opponent will have to retrieve. In this way I am not putting unnecessary pressure on myself with expectations of playing a winning shot. Sure, I will get some winners from good shots, but I try not to expect them. I look at them as a bonus for being patient!
•Try to limit yourself to playing attacking shots and high-risk shots (generally these are dropshots and low shots to the front of the court) only when you are in a balanced and comfortable position to do so. In this way, you’ll play a better shot and reduce the risk involved with its execution.
•If you’re in trouble, use the lob! Put the ball up high to buy some time to recover to the T during a rally. It’s an underused shot and can turn defense into attack within seconds.
I hope this gives you a general understanding to developing your game and improving your tactics. It may be that, with these thoughts installed while you’re on court, you will spot certain areas of your game that you can improve. Make a note of them and practice them alone or with a partner to be ready for your next battle.
I have been playing this game for 25 years and I still find areas of my game to improve: shots, footwork, mental approach, and fitness, to name a few. It’s always a challenge to spot the weaknesses and ‘fix them up,’ then put them into my game and see the resultant benefit. Don’t you love it.
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