Though it may be known for its ability to connect like-minded people and offer a more social choice of sport, squash can indeed be practiced alone.
In fact, in recent years practicing squash alone has gained momentum with many fans of the sport.
However, there is a difference here between playing squash alone and that of practicing squash alone.
It isn’t possible to play a game of squash alone. This is for the simple reason that squash is a technical game which relies on working against a great opponent to outdo them to take the win!
However, for the best way to improve your technique, dedicating time to practicing squash alone is undoubtedly highly recommended.
Attempting Solo Play Squash
One of the few balls spots that can be played alone with ease, a vast number of people do in fact play what is called solo squash.
Solo squash or solo play, as it’s often referred to, is perhaps an excellent way of practicing, developing, and ultimately improving on your overall squash play.
An excellent way to develop a more tactical awareness of the sport, many experienced squash players tend to recommend you actively seek out a solo play squash session at least once a week.
Solo squash allows you to work on refining your technique but without that added pressure on playing a game against someone else. You can also look at the mistakes you may be making and analyse them for future reference. Furthermore, as practice indeed makes perfect for this ball sport, it certainly also helps to increase your muscle memory.
Therefore if you play the sport several times a week, look at making one of these sessions solo play. Otherwise, consider a ten to a fifteen-minute solo session before you play a match or even after it.
Practicing Solo Play Squash Drills
Several solo play squash drills have become hugely popular as more and more players take to the courts, and indeed walls, by themselves for a regular solo session. Here are just a couple of the most attempted:
1. Practice Serving
Preferred by many, these serves allow you to work on getting the accuracy of your serving better each time.
There may not be anyone to return your serves, but you can attempt here lob serves and drives.
Lob serves can be practiced to get a higher bounce up on the wall each time, while further getting them to die at the end of the court.
Drives are ideal here when adding some kind of target to the section of wall you want to aim at.
2. Side to Side
Considered one of the best when it comes to solo squash practice, a side to side practice can significantly improve your gameplay. Simply take your centre position in the court and use your forehand to hit the ball towards a side wall. This ball will then rebound over your head, thus hitting that wall behind you. It should then bounce back in front of you, allowing you to use a backhand to hit it back to where it came from.
All you then do is work on repeating this process over and over again for as many times as you can. Also, if you then want to make this practice a little harder, you can extend it to a volley.
3. Drives
Forehand and backhand drives can be practiced well during solo squash practice.
For forehand drives, a simple means is to drive the ball down the wall. Work at hitting it deep into the corner and as tightly to the wall as you can. Then when the ball comes back to you, play another forehand drive, and repeat this for several goes.
For backhand drives, you can use that same idea as the forehand drive and simply drive the ball down the backhand wall. For both drives, it’s good practice to work at hitting an excellent length to the back of your court.
4. Volleys
Yet another fantastic idea for solo practice, you can get in a great deal of squash practice here with both forehand and backhand volleys. All it needs is a volley of the ball straight at the wall and down the line for whichever side you’re on. Try starting as close to the wall as you can and moving backwards. This means you should end up at the back of your court while striking volleys as you go along.
5. A Figure of Eight
This is perhaps one of the most common and well known of solo squash practices. By standing centre court you can hit the ball to the front wall high up, and as near to the corner as possible. The ball will then rebound towards you off the side wall allowing you to hit to the other side of the front wall high up. You then simply repeat the process. If you want to make this solo session harder, you can play volleys throughout. This can also be made easier in practice by just letting the ball bounce.
We’ve found a great YouTube video below, 5 excellent solo practice routines – enjoy!
Solo Practice Can Take Your Squash Games to the Next Level
There’s no doubt that whatever level of squash you’re currently playing at, and however many sessions you devote to the game per week; implementing solo squash practice can offer significant improvements to your overall game play.
A game that benefits from a repetition of key shots and ongoing improved memory, why not see about adding to your squash performance and incorporating a solo session, next time you hit the court?
