Solo

I haven't played all week and I won't until Saturday when I play for the team tournament. I'm not concerned. I will have a good opportunity to put my solo drilling to the test. Over the previous two weeks, I've put in a little bit of solo and ghosting. I read the article in Squash magazine about solo practice at a tournament and I want to put it to the test Saturday. I saw my game rise over a couple of days after doing some ghosting and solo. I felt my footwork was rusty and awkward during the start. Slowly it began coming into the groove. This time around I added some corrections to my ghosting. First I corrected the timing for raising my racquet into preparation. I'm raising the racquet at the moment I load up my knees now. Secondly, I created two different varieties of the same drill. One variant is for situations when I have more time and I get to the ball early. In this drill I plant my foot first and then swing. The second variant is when I have little time to get to the ball and I have to lunge farther. In this drill I swing the racquet as I lunge so that I plant my foot at the same time as the racquet strikes the ball. I'm creating other variants for different shots too. For now I'm working out variations for choking up and hitting the ball behind me off the back wall and hitting cross courts. I could conceivable add boasts and drops for back court drills and lops and drops to front court drills too.

As I think over the reasons for my inconsistency I noted a few contributing factors. I don't drill often enough and I don't drill long enough on each drill. I have just a few drills that I have done.

1) straight drives

- hit off the back wall

- hit half volley

2) boast and cross court lob

3) straight volley

- from service line

- downwards above the tin

4) figure eight

- high

- high - low

A new drill I read in the article sounded like a really good addition. It is a lob - long drop - short drop drill. This drill moves you up and down the alley and changes the pace and height.

Lastly I have to set targets for my solo sessions. Richard called for doing 15 good quality ones, but I think maybe first I should try to achieve 50 continuous non-stop repetitions.