Hanging back is easily one of the biggest downfalls of amateur and club level squash players (myself included).
Hanging back is most commonly seen during longer matches and slower length rallies (especially after repeatedly going deep into the back corners).
It basically refers to when a player doesn't move all the way back to the T after their shot, instead, they position themselves two or three steps behind the T instead (just for clarity, a good T position is about half a step or a step behind the mid court line).
This often isn't a conscious thing, so, most players aren't necessarily aware that they're guilty. This also means that it can be quite a difficult thing to fix.
This is a topic I believe that I've written about before (quite a long time ago now), however, I didn't go into that much detail and didn't give too much in-depth advice about some of the best ways to fix it.
So, in this blog post, I'll talk a bit more about what hanging back is, why it can be so detrimental to your game, why having a positive T stance can be so beneficial, and, finally, I will give some of the best drills to fix the problem!
Why Do Players Hang Back?
There are several reasons why players hang back (it’s not necessarily just because they’re lazy, so don't get yourself down)!
As I mentioned in the introduction, players often aren’t aware that they are hanging back, however, this isn’t always the case.
For example, during the latter stages of tough matches, it’s pretty normal for players to start hanging back to conserve energy (or maybe just because they’re too fatigued to acquire a proactive T position).
Now, during this stage of the match, it can also be the case that both players are hanging back due to the rallies being longer and both players playing less risky shots too.
In cases like this, hanging back is excusable to a certain extent, however, it’s important to be aware that you may be punished for it.
Other times, in the early/middle stages of a match, your opponent may realise that the more deep lengths they play, the further you start to hang back without noticing.
This may become part of their strategy for winning, to draw you back and then suddenly take you in short forcing you to scramble. But, more about that in the next section.
Generally, most people hang back because it’s easier in the short term, but, can easily end up costing them in the long term during the match.
Also, another thing that’s important to note is that, if we don’t stay on top of our T position in our training, hanging back becomes more and more engrained into your game that it becomes a harder and harder problem to fix.
So, let’s hope this week’s newsletter is a bit of a wake up call to those of you who do struggle with their T position during rallies.
Why Is It So Bad?
Well first off, as I touched on before, the most obvious reason why hanging back is bad is because it gives your opponent the opportunity to do much more damage with their attacking shots to the front.
You’ve got to move a heck of a lot further into those front corners if you’re more than a step behind the T, plus, as I mentioned above, you may conserve energy in the short term, but, in the longer run, it’ll actually have the opposite effect since you’ll be scrambling so much to reach your opponent’s shots to the front.
Hanging back often ends up using a lot more energy with very little benefit to you.
Taking that extra step forward might seem tough since you’ve got a bit further to move into the back corners, however, unless your opponent is cracking low hard lengths again and again (which is rare), rallies to the back are generally slow and steady anyway, so you won’t be using tonnes of extra energy during them.
Now, those factors are more orientated around your opponent and the ways they can capitalise on your poor positioning with regard to pressure and fitness, however, hanging back also makes it much harder for you to put pressure on them too.
A volley from far behind the T does a lot less damage in comparison to a volley that’s played from, or just behind, the T.
The best way to put pressure on your opponent is by taking time away from them, and this is done by taking the ball as early as possible again and again. This is also how you keep yourself situated on the T and in that attacking position.
So, to sum things up a little bit, hanging back removes your ability to you’re your opponent under pressure, instead giving them the opportunity to essentially gain (and keep) control of the T by taking your shots earlier and pinning you even further in the back.
They can then go for their short shot or kill, and you’ll have to take a lot more steps to reach it than you would have if you’d been more proactive on the T.
Why Is A Positive T Position So Good?
I guess I can keep this section kind of short, as all of the positives of a good T position are essentially the opposite of all of the negatives that come from a bad T position.
You have the opportunity to put repeated pressure on your opponent and they are a little more restricted when trying to put pressure on you (given that your shots are accurate enough)!
I should probably mention what I mean when I talk about a good T position too. As I briefly touched on in the introduction, a good T position is about half a step or a step behind the mid court line.
But, contrary to what some may believe, you don't always have to be right slap bang in the middle of the court at all times.
If you ever watch professional squash players, during straight length rallies (which is a big percentage of most rallies), you'll see that most pros will be half a step over to either the forehand or backhand side (depending on which side the rally is being played on).
This gives them more opportunities to intercept with a volley and begin to apply pressure, something that is even more effective when you're further forward.
Also, there is one more thing I haven't touched on yet, and that’s the mental side of things. There's a significant mental advantage that comes with holding a strong T position.
Squash is a game of momentum and controlling the T puts you in the driver's seat mentally. When you're on the T, you’re dictating play, you’re the one forcing your opponent to move, and this keeps the other player under physical and mental pressure.
Standing firm on the T shows that you're confident and up for the match (rather than passive and laid back). It can be a great way to get into your opponents head but the key is to ensure you're in a positive position as often as possible throughout the entire match, which can be tough.
In contrast, when hanging back, it subtly wear away at your mental state, leading to hesitation or playing too conservatively, which often ends up being costly in the long run.
Also, by maintaining a positive T stance, you give yourself more time to read the game.
While waiting for your opponent to play their next shot, you can quickly assess their body language and make your prediction on their shot selection, allowing you to anticipate and react to their play.
You can of course try to do this while hanging back, however, if they look like they're going to take it into the front, you'll have to really scramble to get to their shot, and, you might even get your prediction wrong!
This ability to "see the whole court" is invaluable and much harder to achieve when you're stuck far behind the T and scrambling to recover.
A positive, assertive T position also helps to make your own game more efficient.
You’ll cover less distance overall, regardless of what shot your opponent plays.
When you’re behind the T, the angles get bigger, the gaps widen, and you’re forced to execute more frantic and energy-draining movements.
On the T, everything feels more contained and manageable, which will help preserve your energy for the entire match.
Photo credit: Steve Cubbins
Fixing Your T Positioning...
Before I give my three favourite drills for fixing your T position, I just want to reiterate the fact that fixing your T positioning is a process that requires a lot of patience and consistency.
It's not something that will change overnight, but with purposeful effort, both in training and matches, you can start to build better habits.
The key is to actively focus on your positioning during practice sessions, making sure you're consciously moving back to the T after each shot. This can be mentally tiring at first, but like any other aspect of squash, it will become second nature with time.
Also, yes, these drills are important, however, if you want to work on your positioning, you also need to be aware of your T position during matches too.
This is something that can't be coached, you just need to be fully focused and have the presence of mind to move back to that positive position again and again, however hard it may be.
When you're under pressure or fatigued, it’s easy to revert to hanging behind the T, but these are the exact moments when you should push yourself to keep up the positive habit and engrain it into your movement, muscles, and mind.
With each match, the more deliberate you are about holding that T position, the quicker it will become a part of your game, and before long, you'll notice the positive impact on your ability to control rallies and pressure your opponent.
Then, further down the line, you will barely have to think about it at all!
Anyway, let's dive into the three drills...
Touch the T
There's one drill, in particular, that's great for stopping you from being lazy and hanging back.
The drill is basically just a conditioned game to the back of the court where the ball's first bounce has to be behind the short line and you're not allowed to volley (at first).
However, the main condition is that each player has to touch the T with either one of their feet or their racquet after every shot they play.
Physically, this is a pretty tough one so you'll get a good workout too!
This forces both players to push up the court after every shot and attain their rightful position on the T.
That's about all there is to it really. You can score this drill if you want to make it a little more competitive, or, you can just do it as a timed drill for three or four minutes at a time with some short rests in between.
It's one of my favourites, but, it's one of the more brutal drills out there.
One thing that you should be prepared for is the breakdown of your shot accuracy during the drill. As you get more fatigued, your body and mind will begin to struggle too and, what usually happens, is that both players start floating the ball to give themselves as much time as possible to get back to the T.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but, it probably means it's time to have a break.
Not only will you both begin to lift the ball, but, neither of you will be keen to volley and apply pressure on your opponent when you are in that good T position.
This defeats the entire objective of getting back to the T!
Remember, this isn't meant to be a fitness drill, that's just an extra benefit, however, as soon as it starts to deteriorate, give yourselves a break.
If you don't want to play a competitive game of 'touch the T' and would prefer a slightly lower pressure version of this drill, you can also introduce the touch the T rule into a lot of drills.
For example, you can get your training partner to be your feeder from anywhere on the court, and, you would then have to retrieve their feed (wherever they hit it) and hit the ball back to them, then, you would have to get back to a good T position.
In this case, your training partner is responsible for how difficult they make it. They can give you a good amount of time between feeds, and, once you get used to that, they can start giving you less time to get back and touch the T.
Just have fun with it and try out a few things to see what works!
Egyptian 3/4
This is a drill I've mentioned a few times in newsletters, however, the benefits of this drill really can't be understated.
It's generally meant for practicing a high-paced, attacking type of squash (that is often associated with the 'Egyptian' style of play). However, to execute this attacking style involves having a very positive T position.
When you first think about a squash court, you think of it having four corners (front left and right, and back left and right), however, many coaches refer to a fifth and sixth corner too.
These are the corners where the floor meets the wall directly to the left and right of the T. This is where most 'kill' shots are played (where a player hits down on the ball low and hard just above the tin).
These are the corners that you're likely to be using and covering during Egyptian 3/4 and to use and cover them, you need to be in a pretty far-forward position on the T.
The rules to this drill are pretty simple, after the serve (which is played normally), you can only play the ball only in the front 3/4 of the court. The ball is out if it bounces anywhere behind the back line of the service box line on the first bounce, or if it hits the back wall first.
If you want to make it even harder, you can make it so the ball has to bounce second bounce in front of the back line of the service box too, meaning shots need to be lower and even shorter, but that's up to you!
The aim of the game is to apply as much pressure on your opponent as possible and not to let the ball go past you at all. As soon as that ball is behind you, you're going to be struggling and on the back foot.
A positive T position is your only option if you want to win this game!
Again, it's a pretty taxing drill to play. I'd advise maybe only playing up to 7 or so before having a break and maybe trying it again.
Remember, you're working on your T position, so, as soon as you start to feel yourself slacking in this area, it's time for a rest!
One shot to the front
Another super simple one, this conditioned game involves both players having to hit every single shot to the back of the court either first bounce behind the line (if you want it to be a bit slower paced) or second bounce behind the line (if you want to speed up the pace).
Then, both players get one chance to take the ball in short per rally (if you want to restrict it even more, you could also say that this shot to the front has to be taken on the volley).
If you're unsure whether you're guilty of hanging back, this might help you figure it out!
With this drill, both players want to make the absolute most of their one shot to the front and they want to make sure they plate it at the right time too.
For that reason, the rally often goes on for quite a long time before a player decides to take the risk and go for their short shot. If it's not a winner and the rally carries on, they just need to hang in there as long as possible.
However, this one is interesting from a T positioning perspective. This is because, since both players are so aware and focused on the rules of the game, they will often always be poised and ready for their opponent to go for their short shot.
I find that it takes a lot longer for either player to fall into a rhythm and get sucked into hanging further back during a rally in comparison to a real match situation where the mind is focused on so many other things at the same time.
The fact that you're so focused on being ready for your opponent to play their short shot forces you to move as far as possible back up the court again and again, it's quite a mental thing really!
So, you can use this drill to get used to moving as far back up the court as possible and really applying the pressure on your opponent by volleying often and picking the right time to take your short shot in.
Keep them in the back corners and, you never know, you might catch them hanging back too!
This article was taken from our On The 'T' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!
