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Squash · Basic · b3

Grip, movement and drives

Park or court 12 min 1 player One room, yard or lane, hall or court

Ready when: Hit the wall and catch (b2) started.

Start a session

What you are learning

The handshake grip and the drive, the main squash shot: a short backswing, a smooth stroke and a follow-through, then moving straight back to the T mark in the middle. Getting back to the T after every shot is what squash players do all game.

Words on this card T, Handshake grip, Drive, Let
T
The point in the middle of the court where the floor lines cross, where players return after each shot.
Handshake grip
Holding the racket as if shaking hands with it.
Drive
A straight shot hit hard and deep along the side wall.
Let
A let means the point is played again because a player was in the way; a stroke gives the point to the player who was blocked.

Set up

A racket; a ball; a floor mark for the T.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for squash

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Hold the racket as if shaking hands with it.
  2. From the side, take the racket back a little, swing smoothly and follow through toward the wall.
  3. After the hit, step back to the T mark and get ready.

Your part while they practise

Feed gently from behind and to the side, never in front of the swing.

Step by step

  1. The handshake grip.
  2. A short backswing, a smooth stroke and a follow-through.
  3. Hit the fed ball as a drive.
  4. Step back to the T mark.

How much: 10 drives, 3 rounds 12 min a session 3 days a week

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

The game: Floor targets

Chalk zones on the floor worth 1 to 3 points; the drive must hit the wall and land in a zone.

Who plays: the player against their own best, or 2 players taking turns; you feed.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. Chalk 3 zones on the floor: 1 point near, 3 points deep
  2. Feed one ball at a time
  3. Drive it off the wall into a zone, then return to the T
  4. First to 20 points
Fair play
A grown-up plays backhand only.
Points
1 to 3 points for the zone the ball lands in.
Fouls
No points for that drive
  • The ball hits the wall below the line
  • No return to the T before the next feed
  • A swing with the feeder in front
Winning
The first to 20 points, or beat your best number of drives to reach 20.
Stars
  1. 8 points for 1 star
  2. 14 points for 2 stars
  3. 20 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

A feed on the bounce.

Harder

A feed in the air.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the grip is a fist Shake hands with the racketLoose fingers.
  • the player stays at the wall Go back to the THit, then home.

Self-check

5

5 drives of 10 land above the line and the player returns to the T each time.

Stop and get a coach when

Repeated pain in the wrist.

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 grip, drive, movement.

awiseathlete.com/sports/squash/squash-b3