People say 'get on the ball.' Richard would teach this as volley the balls because you'll take time from your opponent. Recently though I've started to lean into my shots more and reach out to hit the ball early. What a difference that makes. Even when you volley, you can hit it square or in front with your weight behind it. I hit better cross courts too when I lean into the shot. I played some killer backhand cross volleys and drives against Keng and Jacinta the other night. I felt really good hitting the ball with my body leaning into it. That's the difference when I'm confident versus when I'm timid.
The chess like aspect of the game is best described by some of the styles I see played by the pros. Everyone teaches you to construct the point. By most definitions, it's all about playing good quality shots, whether it's a drive or a drop. James Wilstrop, world number 4, plays a text book game, a clinical game. He drives the ball straight and clean and slowly starts to move the ball around the court waiting for a loose ball to put in more pressure. He never quit goes for a winner, but he will change the tempo on the loose ball to draw that error or pass his opponent. You'll see a lot balls being played off the back wall and a lot more high defensive drives. Contrasting James' style is probably Gregory Gaultier who hits the ball with more pace and moves the ball around very quickly. He seldom plays down the wall for very long. Then there's the John White and Ramy Ashour. They play like Gregory with added attacks. Both John and Ramy will go for winners off the nick. Whenever the ball comes loose and opens up some angles, John and Ramy will shoot for a 2 wall nick. John White has a signature corkscrew 3 wall shot that lands to the back corner. Today's game is very much dominated by this style of play where you build attacks on a foundation of high tempo cross court and drop shots.
In a discussion of basics, footwork still comes up the most important and not the least complex. It's not just running really fast like a lot of 3.5 players do. It's accelerating really fast, but stopping really fast also. When I am in the zone, I decelerate almost as well as I accelerate. The ball comes into sight in slow motion as I stop to hit it, but it's a rush to get to the ball. This is very different from fencing which took me a long time to appreciate and perhaps why it has been so difficult for me to adjust. In fencing, I finish at the peak of acceleration. In squash I accelerate but then have to stop on a dime before I hit the ball. After hitting the ball, I have to accelerate again to the T and stop in time to see the other player hit the ball. Fast stop and go is crucial to playing good squash.
Working hand in hand with all the turning and pivoting is the importance of squaring off to the side wall. Even when I hit a cross I still have to square off to the side wall and not the front wall. But, you have to position yourself facing the front wall when you're waiting for your opponent to hit his shot, so you don't commit too early to either a forehand or backhand return. I have improved turns and pivoting, but they still need a lot of work. I'm facing the front too often when I go to hit the ball.
Concentration is one of the most taxing aspect of squash. You have to watch the opponent's swing, his position, and most importantly, the speed, direction, and angle of the ball. Watching the ball alone is the hardest thing to focus on. Your movement depends on where the ball will come of the wall or where it will bounce. Do you take it off the back wall, take it before it bounce, or half volley it? It all requires a trained eye and very focused watching. The big clue to how deep the ball will go is how high the ball hits the front wall. The higher and closer to the service line, the more likely it will come off the back wall. I've been seeing the ball pretty good lately. Seeing it early means I can hit more cross and punch the volleys for bigger impact.
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