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Squash · Basic · b1

Tap and carry

At home 10 min 1 to 2 players Yard or lane, hall or court

Ready when: nothing, this is the first card.

Start a session

What you are learning

Control of the ball on the racket: short, even taps up on the strings with both faces, and carrying the ball balanced on the strings while walking. Soft hands and a loose wrist come first.

Words on this card Length, Drop
Length
A shot that lands deep in the back of the court.
Drop
A soft shot that lands just above the tin and dies at the front.

Set up

A racket or bat; a soft ball; cones.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for squash

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Hold the racket face up and tap the ball a little way up, again and again.
  2. Turn the racket over and tap with the other face (the backhand side), then alternate.
  3. Lay the ball on the strings and walk round the cones without dropping it.

Your part while they practise

Count taps.

Step by step

  1. Tap the ball up on the racket with short, even taps, forehand.
  2. Then backhand, then alternating.
  3. Carry the ball balanced on the strings round the cones.

How much: 5 tries 10 min a session 4 days a week

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Beat your record

Count the taps in a row; never compare children.

Who plays: the child against their own best.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Tap forehand and count until the ball drops
  2. Then backhand, then alternating
  3. 3 tries of each; keep the best of each
Fair play
A grown-up taps with the other hand.
Points
1 point for each tap in your best try of each kind, added together.
Fouls
The count stops
  • A catch with the hand
  • Two touches on the same side when alternating
  • Stepping more than 2 steps to save it
Winning
Beat your record.
Stars
  1. 10 points for 1 star
  2. 20 points for 2 stars
  3. 35 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

A larger ball or paddle.

Harder

Walk while tapping.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the ball bounces away Soft hands, face the ballFlat and soft.
  • the wrist is stiff Loose wristRelax it.

Self-check

10

10 taps in a row and the length of the yard carrying the ball.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains racket control.

awiseathlete.com/sports/squash/squash-b1