How to Play Squash Like a Pro

[Updated on 1 July 2022] Are you looking to learn how to play squash like a pro? There are plenty of steps that can be taken to improve the all-round game play from solo practice session to improving the fitness levels.

Here are three critical elements that help improve your training sessions:

Solo practice

Most amateur players are limited with their practice time, which can make it difficult to hone their skills and improve their game on the court. So whatever training time is available must be put to good use. There are several training elements to complete so time must be spent as efficiently and productively as possible.

A major part of squash training is the ability to complete a slow, relaxed, or high-intensity solo training session. Squash is unique to most other racket sports in that a partner is not necessary to complete a high-quality training session. Solo practice gives the opportunity to learn a specific technique or really learn a certain shot.

A typically pro player is likely to invest two or more hours on a weekly basis on performing solo training. But for the amateur, a 15 to 25 minute session of solo training before a weekly game can be a significant benefit to your all-round game.

Why not take a look at a few of the solo training routines that are listed elsewhere on our site to get some great exercise and drill routines.

Play more than one opponent

Don’t get into the habit of playing a single opponent. In an effort to improve as a squash player you want to play a variety of players. Try to incorporate a mix of opponents into your partner routines which can include players a little stronger than you, players of an equal standing, and players a little weaker than you. By playing a varied range of players with different skill-levels you have the option to focus on different areas of your game and develop accordingly.

When playing a game against a weaker opponent, this presents a perfect time to incorporate a few of the new moves and techniques that have been discovered in a training session. It rarely benefits to try this when playing a stronger opponent became you will be under a lot more pressure and have less time to think about the next strike.

If you intend to play an opponent with the more advanced skill-level this will give a perfect opportunity to really gauge your present level and whether or not your recent solo training drills are starting to pay off.

Improve your fitness level

Squash is a physically tough game that benefits from having a certain degree of fitness before starting out. Any squash player has to combine their tactical and technical prowess, as well as their physical abilities. One of the very effective ways to improve the squash game is simply to improve your physical attributes. However, the fitness routine does not need to be too extensive. For instance, a 15 to 20 minute fitness session added to your weekly match play or training sessions can go a long way to up the all-around fitness.