Often the obvious shot is the best one.
It’s very easy to get carried away and overcomplicate any sport in the modern era with all the analysis software, video footage and media platforms available. As coaches, who may be paid to make a living, it is very tempting and perhaps even expected, to build complex webs, terms and concepts around a discipline. Squash doesn’t always get the same level of analysis as some sports, but it is still a simple game which can be easily complicated. It’s actually oh so simple.
Play the obvious shot
If someone is behind you, play it short. If they are in front of you, play it long. Don’t be worried that they will know what you are doing. The real question is, will they get it back? And even if they do get it back, did they have to work hard to get it back?
It’s very easy to try and be too clever and look to start bluffing and double bluffing, but on the majority of occasions, you should just play the obvious shot that they know you are going to play and you know you are going to play.
I’ve talked before in the post ‘Skilled Player Problems’ about how I’ve been in situations where I’ve overcomplicated rallies. I’d put someone in the front corner, they’d play a loose cross-court length to me and rather than just playing a straight length shot and making them run, I tried to be clever. I would attempt to delay my shot, trying to get them to start moving to cover the straight length shot and then suddenly play it cross-court so that they would get their legs all in a tangle. I often either played a poor cross-court, played a cross-court to a strong volleyer or just allowed them time to get back on the T and get settled. If I’d just pushed it to length rather than trying to humiliate them, I might have won the rally instantly.
Make an educated guess about your opponent’s location
You won’t always know exactly where your opponent is, but you can always make an educated guess. Usually you will be relying on where they were most recently. For example, if you played a straight drive to the forehand back corner and your opponent scraped back a boast to the opposite front quarter, you will know your opponent must be somewhere between the forehand back corner and the T-Position. If they are particularly fast or hasty, they might even be rushing toward the forehand corner. You need to make a quick, educated guess on their rough location and then put the ball somewhere else. In this instance, the straight drop shot is still the best option in the majority of situations, as it’s going to make them run hard. Occasionally, maybe two or three of every ten shots, you might play a drive, lob or another shot to keep them on their toes. You won’t always get the educated guess right no matter how good you get, but you will learn the more you try. The most important thing is you make a quick and clear decision about what shot you are going to hit.
Squash is easy but it is also easy to overcomplicate it. Keep it simple and make quick judgements about where your opponent is or should be and then hit a shot into where the empty space will be on court.
