The ability
to anticipate volleying opportunities and to volley competently so that you can
dominate the T are crucial. Volleying skills are easily improved with solo
practice and your ability to react to volleying opportunities can be developed
with pairs practice. The ability to use the volley in matches can be developed
in easier practice games where a player specifically looks for and sets up these
opportunities.
An easy way
to practice volley opportunities in pairs is to move to the short line (the line
that goes across the court) or further forward if necessary and practise
volleying across to each other. Initially feed the ball for your partner within
reach but clear of the body so you can both get into a rhythm.
Step back
from each shot, leave room, bounce on your toes, snap your racket up early, hold
it there and then punch with a short swing. Gradually build up pace and vary the
shots, perhaps even playing into the side wall or body to test each other’s
reactions.
Initially if
you are starting out with this practice you may move to the front of the court
and see how many you can play together. This is great for concentration and
children love it.
One of the
things we would like to be able to do in squash is volley straight off
crosscourt shots. This needs a little adept positioning to the side of the ball
and we must let the ball come to a later impact point than the one for the
easier crosscourt volley. You may like to volley straight once or twice off the
crosscourt, then volley crosscourt again. One of the really important things you
can practise while you do this, is to study your opponent and try to read when
the crosscourts are coming – the key is in the ball position in relation to your
opponent’s body. Watch both ball and body!
Change your
partner into an opponent with the volley crosscourt game. From one back quarter,
volley crosscourts to land the ball in the opposite quarter, that is your
opponent’s territory. Your opponent volleys to your quarter. If you land the
ball within the quarter, that is beat your opponent’s volley, you win a point;
if you hit outside it, your opponent wins a point. (The first shot, that is the
serve, doesn’t count. Adapt the rules as you wish – maybe you will exclude shots
that his the backwall on the full.)
1. Player A boasts;
2. Player
B straight drives;
3. Player A boasts;
4. Player B straight drives.
With
practice and experience Player A will quickly swivel out of the set-up
position and attempt to recover a ready position on the T (that is astride
the half court line in front of the lines marking the back of the service
boxes), before setting off to boast on the opposite side.
