It's Summertime! by Bob Hanscom, Arroyo Seco Squash Professional July 2, 2013
- It's summertime! I find it strange that so many “golfers” seem to
have enough leisure time to go out onto the driving range (for hours)
just to drive balls, (not “play” 9 or 18 holes) while “squash-players”
claim they don't have enough time to go into an air-conditioned
squash-court and practice their shot-making skills. Why is this so!?
All you need is yourself, a ball and racket!
In both golf and squash...and many other sports, “perfect practice
makes perfect.” In both games, you're able to do a quality practice
(and in squash, get a great workout as well) without the need of a
partner. Why don't more squash-players do it!? Is it that “playing” the
game is just too much fun? Perhaps that's the answer!
Let's face it, by solo practicing, a player can learn to refine their
strokes and bring great consistency to their game without having to
rely on having someone (or a machine) feed the ball to them.
When watching any professional male or female squash-player, one can
immediately see that they're able to hit the ball straight up and down
the walls accurately and consistently many, many times in a row. Should
the ability to do this be reserved for the professional player only? I
think not!
Not only are the pros able to hit the ball with great length and pace,
but also play drops and volley-drops with accuracy, making very few
errors. They're also able to hit cross-courts with consistent width.
Believe it or not, although it does take a certain amount of
self-discipline, you can do it too!
Of course the pros spend many hours working with their coaches, but
proficiency in their game also occurs because of spending hours on the
court alone, hitting the ball over and over again, refining whatever
shot they're working on, which eventually becomes an automatic
response/conditioned reflex, not requiring a conscious thought process
while playing.
There are a multitude of solo drills one can do to help improve your
game - which can easily keep you in the court for as long as your
interest and energy lasts. Need assistance with these solo drills...see
your teaching professional! GOOD LUCK!
