Getting Back into Playing Squash After a Long Break: Tips and Strategies
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we haven't been able to play squash for many months. As such we have lost a lot of squash fitness and strength in our bodies, and we need to build it back up again. Squash is a very intense sport so players need to ease back into it to avoid injuries. Squash requires many areas of fitness such as strength, endurance, agility and reactions, and it is important not to go straight into playing games or tournaments as doing this will risk injury, which may put you out of the game for even longer! You might be feeling apprehensive about the prospect of playing squash again after such a long break. If so, don't worry! There are lots of great ways to ease yourself back in without doing too much at once and risking injury. In this article we'll discuss getting back into squash and give you some strategies and activities that will help make your return as smooth as possible.
Solo Practice
Squash is a great sport to play by yourself. Solo squash practice can often be seen as being a bit limited as there isn't another player on the court for you to hit with or rally with. However, if you are creative with your ideas you can create endless drills and activities. Solo practice will allow you to get back into squash at your own pace, and get used to playing again before challenging someone to a match. Solo squash practice is important and fun because it gives you time to work on your technique without having to worry about anything else going on around you. In addition, during your solo playing sessions you'll find that your coordination will start coming back again very quickly which will help build up your level of confidence in being able to move fluently when playing games or tournaments.
Take advantage of being able to stop at any point during your swing so if something isn’t right, you have an opportunity to fix it. If there is too much power on the shot then slow down until accuracy comes first before speed again becomes an issue.
Make sure that when solo training by yourself on the wall that you set target and keep track of your statistics. Setting targets will add interest to the activities, and give you something to aim for. Statistics allow you to have a clear picture of where your shots are going, so if something needs work then there will be no doubt. Solo squash practice gives room for improvement in every single area of the game, but even more importantly it allows you any extra time needed to get back into the game without any pressure!
Three of our favourite drills for solo squash practice sessions:
Straight Drive Targets: Standing behind the short line hit the ball straight back to yourself as many times as you can in a row, focusing on your swing consistency, front wall height variations and feeling the pace of the ball off your racquet, and how it effects where the ball lands. You can set targets of different sizes and locations on the floor to give you something to aim for. This drill can be done on both forehand and backhand sides.
Cross Court Drives: Standing on the short line using short fast swings hit the ball from your forehand swing across the court to your backhand swing. This drill will help to get your feet moving, and increase your reaction time. As you get comfortable with the drill you can increase the speed you are hitting the ball and get into a flowing rhythm.
Moving Volleys: Standing a couple metres from the front wall start volleying the ball back to yourself on either the forehand or backhand side of the squash court. Once you can do this consistently you can start moving back as you are hitting the ball. See if you can get all the way from the front wall to the back wall without the ball touching the ground!
Squash Fitness and Movement
Squash is a fast-paced, highly physical sport that requires technical ability, physical stamina and mental agility. Squash players are constantly running around the court, hitting balls at high speeds and volleying for hours on end. Squash also requires intense focus. Squash players must be able to anticipate where the ball will land before it does - this means that squash has an aerobic component as well! Squash can leave your muscles sore and your joints stiff, so it's important to have a decent level of fitness and mobility to help you stay on court longer, and recover faster.
The first step of preparing yourself before getting back into squash after time away from the game is making sure you are able to start out gently with some stretches, fitness and movement. Doing some light running, court movement patterns, mobility stretches and coordination drills will help prepare your body for more challenging practices in future weeks/months down the track! Squash involves all parts of the body so it’s important every part of your body is ready to go when starting out again on court or even just warming up before matches against other players - there's nothing worse than an injury after just returning to playing again! Squash is a high intensity sport so it’s important to make sure you are able to last for a full match.
If you can get yourself used to playing lightly and smoothly with no pressure, then when the time comes that you feel comfortable enough again on court and confident in hitting shots harder or faster than before, then go ahead and give it a shot against other squash players - but be gentle because the first few times back will be tough!
Guidelines for warming up properly:
Warming up is essential to improve performance and reduce the risk of injuries.
Warming up is a very important part of any training session or match preparation, it prepares your body for more intense activity by increasing heart rate, blood flow and muscle temperature. This will help prevent injury during exercise as well as aid in exercises being performed correctly without causing damage to muscles due to coldness. Squash warm ups are an ideal way of preparing the entire body for squash activities with dynamic stretching movements that can be done before each game or practice on court so they should include a wide range of components.
Practice with a Squash Cannon Ball Machine
A Squash Cannon Ball Machine can be used for practicing by yourself or with a partner. The best part is that you can set up the cannon to practice exactly what you want and work on any shots, drills, or game scenarios. Squash Cannon's take away some of the human error found in regular squash games so it's always great to use these tools when working alone. Try playing any shot with the cannon - notice how much more consistent this shot becomes after just a few minutes!
You can adjust the settings of the cannon based on your level, what shots you want to work on, as well as if/how often you want it to shoot out new balls at different intervals so that there's no need for someone else to be there during practice sessions - perfect when trying to squeeze in workout time alone!
Practicing with a Squash Cannon you can change the ball heights, speed, intervals or bounce height to vary the practice session for yourself, which is great when you're looking to add some new shots into your game arsenal, or trying to get back into playing again after a break! Squash Cannons give players unlimited opportunities for practice by themselves which is also great for working on the mental game and focus. Squash Cannons are also loads of fun and can be like having your own personal ball feeder!
If you're looking for a Squash Cannon Ball Machine to use for your next practice session, send us a message to book at time!
Conclusion
Squash is a game that takes some time to get back into after taking a long break. You may be so excited you want to jump straight in and play full matches again, but this can put too much pressure on your joints and muscles which will lead to an injury. It’s best if you ease yourself back by doing solo practice and fitness activities until you feel ready for regular squash games with other players. Practicing with a Squash Cannon in your solo practice is a fun and effective way to get your shots and movement going again, and prepare you for matchplay!
If you want any help with this process of getting back into playing squash again, give us a call or send an email - we're happy to provide assistance that can be helpful in making the step.
