Now that you’ve gotten started, how do you get better? How quickly you get better is up to you, but here are the key steps you should take to improve your game.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: As long as it takes
Here's How:
- Find time to practice as well as play
• It is only by hitting the same shot again and again that you can master the shot. Hitting the shot many times in a row can help you ‘groove’ in the shot, and gain the ‘muscle memory’ needed to hit the shot well during an actual game.
- Take some lessons so you practice effectively
• Unfortunately, practice does not make perfect. In squash, as in many disciplines, perfect practice makes perfect. Therefore, you must take some lessons so that you learn what to practice, and how.
- Arrange matches with some players who are better than you
• While it is fun to win matches, you can learn more quickly by playing better players. Find someone who is a bit better than you, yet is willing to play with you.
- Get fit to play squash
• Squash is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. Jogging, running, rope-jumping, and light weight-lifting are all good cross-training activities for squash.
- Play and practice regularly, not sporadically
• Playing or practicing once a week can help you improve. Playing or practicing three times a week, or every other day, will help you improve much more quickly.
- Get rated
• In the US, there is a rating system in squash with numbers from 2 to 6, corresponding to players’ skill levels. The higher the number, the better the player. Many squash pros have been certified to rate players’ skill levels and can rate you. If you know your rating, you can more easily meet players at your level, and enter tournaments at the right level.
- Build a network of partners by joining a league or a ladder
• It helps to have a lot of squash friends, so you have opponents who play with different styles. Also, joining a league or ladder is a good way to commit yourself to regularly-scheduled play.
- Participate in local tournaments
• When you’ve learned your regular opponent’s shots, tricks, and patterns, you can learn a lot by participating in a tournament. You will see new shots and tactics, and make new friends.
- Keep learning and set goals for improvement
• You can always get better at squash since it is a very deep game. Set yourself some challenging goals, and then define some achievable milestones along the way to your goals.
- Learn the mental game, strategy and tactics
• Although there’s no time for reflection during a fast squash point, there is plenty of time off-court to read books. Theories abound concerning the most effective squash strategies and tactics. Read books, and talk with good players about what works for them, and why they do what they do.
- Persevere and have fun! • You will hit plateaus, seem to get stuck at a certain level, and even regress as you try to master new shots or skills. Keep practicing. Have faith in what you are doing. Remember that squash is just a game, and have fun!
What You Need:
- A squash professional
- partners and opponents
- time to practice
- time to play matches
- a bit of money for tournament entry fees