Ive played squash for 25 years and didnt know this so this is really helpful. More content like this please Josh, particularly about what shots to play when.
I appreciate your explanation with the two ball set up, I haven’t heard that analogy before and it makes sense that to get a straighter and deeper shot you need to hit through the second ball.
I really like this - the head coach at our club gave a similar talk but didn't have the target as far back. After his talk I did some coaching with our 6th team and it was a light bulb moment for them all because they couldn't return a ball hit there and most of them struggled to get it behind the service box. I've been using a target halfway between service box and back wall but will try your target. Looking forward to it as I can see the benefits already.
Great stuff! The thing about length targets is that they move depending on the situation. I would say 75% of the time it's best to go for the deep target though!
Watching this video and just realising that I have never actually aimed the depth of my straight drive before LMAO. I always judge and aim the tightness but never depth, just relied on instinct. Interesting
The width/tightness definitely plays a part in getting the ball past the opponent but hitting with good depth is a key component in gaining control over the middle. Thanks for watching!
@@James-sw9vm It's a good idea! My worry is that I don't play any Tennis so while I understand a lot of the theory behind it, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to make the comparisons as I wouldn't be able to demonstrate it. I'm planning on making videos about Padel in the future and can compare that to Squash as I have much more experience with it.
Great video. Could you comment on the fact that I observe in PSA matches the average ball length bounces short of your shoe, actually somewhere in the middle of the service box. Thanks. Also in terms of landing areas for cross courts, I like when the ball hits the wall about 2 feet high even with the back of the service line (I'm hitting the cross courts about 80% power).
Thanks! There are a few reasons why the top players often land the ball shorter: Firstly, because they're so consistent it means they're not catching the side wall so the ball will still travel deep in the court despite it landing shorter. Secondly, hitting a hard flat ball that lands shorter will increase the pace of play so if you're a player who likes that style then it can force the opponent into uncomfortable positions and give them less time to settle on each shot. They're so quick and fit that they can do this and know they can recover if they get it wrong. One thing I would also say though is that I believe they often leave the ball short unintentionally and aren't finding the right length on the court, they're not robots so they're not always hitting the place they're aiming for, especially when under pressure. As for crosscourts, there are so many variations that are all situational so it's hard to tell you in a comment. Hopefully I'll do a video on it at some point! I hope this helps!
Thanks for the response Josh, makes perfect sense. Your video was timely because I've been experimenting with where I want my ball to land on the first bounce. After seeing your video I played a houseleauge match and tried hitting that paper in the back nick, and I made several points off that very deep length! Thanks and look forward to more videos.@@JoshAttwellSports
Nice video. Keep it up :)
- Ahad
Thanks Ahad!
Ive played squash for 25 years and didnt know this so this is really helpful. More content like this please Josh, particularly about what shots to play when.
Thanks so much! I'm particularly interested in the tactical side of it all so I'll definitely make more videos about shot selection.
@@JoshAttwellSports Great thanks - that kind of content is sorely missing on UA-cam.
Really helpful Josh; intuitive and straightforward. Keep up the good work
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! So useful - thanks!
I'm glad it was helpful!
Great advice..thank you!
You're welcome!
I appreciate your explanation with the two ball set up, I haven’t heard that analogy before and it makes sense that to get a straighter and deeper shot you need to hit through the second ball.
Thanks for watching!
Awesome!
Love a back wall nick!
You do it on the serve though!
@@JoshAttwellSports I do also on my drives
@@curtismaliksquash7071 See if you can hit 5 back wall rollers in your next match!
great explanations and examples! thank you!
Thanks for watching!
I really like this - the head coach at our club gave a similar talk but didn't have the target as far back. After his talk I did some coaching with our 6th team and it was a light bulb moment for them all because they couldn't return a ball hit there and most of them struggled to get it behind the service box. I've been using a target halfway between service box and back wall but will try your target. Looking forward to it as I can see the benefits already.
Great stuff! The thing about length targets is that they move depending on the situation. I would say 75% of the time it's best to go for the deep target though!
Great video!
Thanks!
lit!
Nice! Can you coach the volley-drop (cutting out a drive)? I can kill the ball consistently, but it's so hard to place it softly!
Yeah, I'll make a video on that at some point! The secret is not to grip the racket too tightly, but I'll go into more detail in the video.
The child in me can't help hut chuckle anytime I hear anyone say "nice length" 😂
You must have loved the part about the 2 ball analogy then!
@@JoshAttwellSports I did.........my immaturity knows no bounds 😁
Great video though mate, very helpful and informative 🙂
You're not the only adolescent in the room! I've always suffered from lack of length and using old balls.
Watching this video and just realising that I have never actually aimed the depth of my straight drive before LMAO. I always judge and aim the tightness but never depth, just relied on instinct. Interesting
The width/tightness definitely plays a part in getting the ball past the opponent but hitting with good depth is a key component in gaining control over the middle. Thanks for watching!
@@JoshAttwellSports Will you ever do a video comparing the difficulty of tennis with squash?
@@James-sw9vm It's a good idea! My worry is that I don't play any Tennis so while I understand a lot of the theory behind it, I'm not sure if I'm qualified to make the comparisons as I wouldn't be able to demonstrate it. I'm planning on making videos about Padel in the future and can compare that to Squash as I have much more experience with it.
Great video. Could you comment on the fact that I observe in PSA matches the average ball length bounces short of your shoe, actually somewhere in the middle of the service box. Thanks. Also in terms of landing areas for cross courts, I like when the ball hits the wall about 2 feet high even with the back of the service line (I'm hitting the cross courts about 80% power).
Thanks! There are a few reasons why the top players often land the ball shorter: Firstly, because they're so consistent it means they're not catching the side wall so the ball will still travel deep in the court despite it landing shorter. Secondly, hitting a hard flat ball that lands shorter will increase the pace of play so if you're a player who likes that style then it can force the opponent into uncomfortable positions and give them less time to settle on each shot. They're so quick and fit that they can do this and know they can recover if they get it wrong. One thing I would also say though is that I believe they often leave the ball short unintentionally and aren't finding the right length on the court, they're not robots so they're not always hitting the place they're aiming for, especially when under pressure. As for crosscourts, there are so many variations that are all situational so it's hard to tell you in a comment. Hopefully I'll do a video on it at some point! I hope this helps!
Thanks for the response Josh, makes perfect sense. Your video was timely because I've been experimenting with where I want my ball to land on the first bounce. After seeing your video I played a houseleauge match and tried hitting that paper in the back nick, and I made several points off that very deep length! Thanks and look forward to more videos.@@JoshAttwellSports