4 Times British Open Champion David Palmer provides his Top Tips to improve your squash exclusively for Black Knight Rackets and Ashaway Strings, we will be publishing a new tip each month.
David's 1st Tip .....
1. Keep your racket up and ready
It is vital that your racket is in back and ready in position inbetween points, during the rally and while you move to the ball. So many players run to the ball and then rush to get their racket into position just before they play the stroke, this is much more likely to produce a poor quality shot.
If your racket is back, ready and set before you even move to the ball, a clean accurate shot is much more likely.
More tips to follow ...
2. T-Position = Pole Position
A common mistake is standing too far back, it can take a little courage to force yourself forward, but the further forward you can get, the more often you can volley. It is as simple as this, the person who stands on the T the most during a match, wins the match. So be brave, get forward and volley.
More tips to follow ...
3. To control the ball, 1st control your body.
Having your body positioned in a comfortable, strong and well balanced position before you hit the ball will have a superb effect on the quality of your squash. While you are warming up, practice getting yourself set and balanced before each shot, when you are balanced don't forget tip 1 (keep your racket up and ready).
4. Look after your key equipment
Your racket, it is an extension of your arm:
Racket Grip, it is the contact point between you and your racket, it should be comfortable and not slip. Changing your grip every 2 weeks is good practice. You can do everything right with your shot, but if you have an old grip and the racket moves in your hand as you hit the ball, it's uncomfortable and may cause a miss hit.
Racket Strings, it is the contact point between your racket and the ball, they must be in top condition, use a qualified stringer and a quality string (such as Ashaway's Powernick 18) a good stringer will ensure a consistent tension across all the strings and maximise the life of the strings. A good practice is to have your restrung as many times a season as you play a week, if the strings go slack, don't wait for them to break - get it to your stringer. You wouldn't wait for your car tyre to burst!
Your footwear, is the contact point between you and the floor you are trying to cover as efficiently as possible. If you are slipping and sliding around with blisters, it seems obvious, but essentially, it makes it a lot harder than it neds to be. Ensure your shoes are comfortable and the grip is not worn.
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