Introducing Someone New To Squash!

Court Layout and Rules

First off, the main thing I want to emphasize in this section and throughout the whole newsletter is that it's vital to keep things simple.

You don't want to scare a new player off by trying to explain the unique differences between no lets, lets, and strokes, for example. It can be very easy for people to become overwhelmed when trying anything new, so just put yourself in their shoes.

A good comparison is learning a new card game (at least it is for me).

Whenever I learn (or try to learn) a new card game, I know I don’t want to be bombarded with a dozen rules before we even start playing. I find that it’s much more fun to learn as I go.

Although everyone learns differently, I think that generally, players just trying squash for the first time would much prefer to get hitting the ball as soon as possible.

Of course, they do need a little bit of knowledge before they get started!

Start by giving them a simple overview of the court layout. Explain the front wall, back wall, side walls, out lines, tin, and service boxes.

Make it clear where they should stand to serve (with one foot in the box) and the basic idea of alternating serves every point.

In terms of the actual rules, just give them the essentials: the ball must hit the front wall and land within the play area, and players take turns hitting it before it bounces twice.

If the ball hits any of the out-of-bounds lines, it's considered out, and that's a point lost.

You don’t even have to dive into the scoring system right away. Maybe start with simple rallying, letting them get used to the movement and the court itself.

Then, when they feel more comfortable and if you think they're ready, you can gradually introduce more of the rules.

This step-by-step approach keeps the learning process light and fun, and it allows the new player to focus on enjoying the experience of squash rather than getting stuck in the details.

If the issue of interference does come into play, I'd say just play a let for everything and just explain that there are other decisions, but, in friendly play, most players just play the point again (especially if they're unsure).

That's all you really need to get started!

Fundamental Techniques To Hitting The Ball

Next up, now they know the rules, they can get started on hitting the ball.

Depending on whether or not they've played other racquet sports before, they may struggle at first when it comes to hitting a squash ball, getting used to the racquet, and getting used to the way the ball moves and bounces.

Squash is pretty different from other racquet sports especially when it comes to the ball. The fact that squash balls don't bounce very much at all when they're cold makes things very difficult for new players to get into the swing of hitting multiple shots in a row.

But, it's also very hard for newer players to warm a ball up as this requires the ability to hit the ball reasonably hard back to yourself again and again.

One workaround for this is to leave your squash ball on a warm radiator or in some hot water before you play so it'll bounce a bit better when you do come to get on the court.

Then they can get started on actually learning a proper swing.

The best place to start is with the grip as many new players will just grab the racquet tightly with their fingers all touching.

It's important to show them a proper squash grip. It's quite a hard thing to explain in words and without a demonstration, however, I'd say the key things to do are to form a V with your thumb and index finger, resting it on the open side of the racquet, and, to have the grip sitting across your fingers, not in your palm.

The index finger should be slightly away from your other fingers, almost as if you're about to pull a trigger.

Then we look further up to the racquet face and ensure that it's slightly open (and that your grip is aligned with that openness). Most shots in squash are sliced so it's important to hold the racquet in a way that adds a little bit of slice.

Then you get to briefly explain the swinging motion itself.

Explain that it's a sweeping motion that should be executed with your wrist cocked and a high backswing at first, then, as you swing and follow through the ball, your swing will end high.

This goes for both forehand and backhand sides.

For most new players, however, it's unlikely that they will have a smooth swing, but, even if you can tweak a few of the main issues with their technique to enable them to hit the ball more consistently, it'll work wonders for helping them get into the game easier.

Get them to hit a few balls back to themself against the front wall over and over again until they're able to get a good amount in a row. This will help them tweak and change their technique to find out what works for them.

You could also stand near the front of the court with them and hit a shot or two back to yourself, then hit a cross-court to them (and get them to do the same). This will get them used to controlling where the ball is going and guiding it, rather than just hitting it aimlessly.

The Serve

Now we can step into gameplay itself!

When explaining the rules, you'll have mentioned that one foot should be in the service box and that the serve should be above the middle line on the front wall, landing in your opponent's side first bounce behind the mid-court line.

A good approach is to do a serve from either side of the court yourself to demonstrate just how it's done.

Get them to try a few serves without rallying after so they can practice the serve on its own and the angles they need to hit on the front wall that carries their serve over to the other side.

It can be a little bit frustrating for newer players to learn how to serve, however, if you remind them that the serve is the only shot they have complete control over, it highlights the fact that it's a shot worth getting right.

Show them that they don’t need to hit the ball too hard too. Accuracy is far more important than power. Explain that a well-placed serve can be far more effective than a fast one. Hitting the ball too hard might just end up with them losing control and their opponent getting on the front foot straight from the off.

Encourage them to focus on aiming for the upper third of the front wall too. This area is the sweet spot that will help the ball bounce high enough to cross into the opponent’s side while landing deep in the back of the court.

If they hit too low, the serve is less likely to land deep in the back corner, however, too high, and it risks flying out of play!

You can also go back to technique here and show them how they can slightly open the face of the racquet to guide the ball higher onto the front wall and close it a little if they want the serve to stay lower. Let them experiment with a few different racquet angles to see the difference in ball trajectory.

It's also important to introduce them to the concept of body positioning during the serve.

If they're right-handed, firstly note that you'll generally want to serve from the right service box first (to their opponent's backhand), then, explain the proper stance of having one foot in the box and one foot out the box with your body and shoulders pretty much facing the front wall.

Then, when serving from the left box, they'll be standing facing the side wall doing a kind of lunge movement on their left foot as they play their services. This means they can walk right to the T.

Depending on whether or not they're left or right-handed, the serve positioning will be the opposite, of course.

Beginners often stay flat-footed or off-balance while serving, so encourage them to stay on their toes, keep their knees slightly bent, and shift their weight slightly forward as they make contact with the ball.

A balanced stance will help them control the serve better, move straight to the T, and be ready for the next shot once the rally begins. Additionally, mention that the direction your shoulders are facing directly impacts how much width you're able to get.

Once they’ve hit a few good serves, point out the variety in serving options available, explaining that they can mix up their serves will make the game feel more dynamic and exciting for them. Even at the beginner stage, a little variety can make them feel more confident and creative with their shots.

Let them practice serves from both service boxes to help them feel comfortable from either side of the court, which is key once they start rallying. It's all about building their confidence, and getting the serve right can set the tone for the rest of the game.

Movement & Positioning

This is another area in which it's easy to fall into the trap of explaining too much unnecessary information.

All the new player needs to know is the fact that you should nearly always be facing the front wall (or sometimes the side wall), you should always get out of the way of your shot, and you should try to get back to the T after every shot.

If you want to get a tad more detailed, you could also show them how to lunge in and out of their shot, however, I wouldn't say this is necessary.

I think explaining that the T is the central point of the court and that it's important to try to be on there as much as possible is the most important thing.

Of course, the newbies' movement is most likely going to be all over the shop.

Squash is a fast game, and players can feel pressured to chase the ball around the court without much thought, but with a few basic pointers, a beginner can start to feel more in control.

Just highlight the fact that positioning and movement don’t need to be perfect right away. For a beginner, it's more about building awareness of where they need to be and gradually improving their footwork.

Reassure them that as they play more, their movement will become more instinctive!

Getting Started With Basic Rallying

Once your friend has a grasp of the rules, serve, and basic movement, it’s time to get into the fun part—rallying! The main objective here isn’t to make things competitive right away, but rather to focus on keeping the rally going and giving them a feel for the rhythm of the game.

You can also explain scoring to them if you like, however, it's pretty straightforward in squash with games being up to 11 points and a player generally having to win by two clear points if the score reaches 10-10.

When you start the rallies, let the beginner serve every single time (even if they don't win the previous point), as this is the most important shot for them to get right.

During rallies, aim to hit the ball at a comfortable pace that your partner can handle, even if it means hitting it a bit slower than you normally would. This allows them to adjust to the speed of the ball, anticipate its bounce, and get used to making contact without feeling rushed.

It kind of goes without saying, but, try to resist the urge to put pressure on them by smashing the ball into the corners or playing difficult shots.

Your goal here is to give them a chance to practice returning the ball and moving around the court. Keep the ball in play for as long as possible, and if they miss a shot, just reset and encourage them to keep going.

They're not going to enjoy their first squash experience if you're battering them!

A key thing to teach early on is the idea of moving your opponent around the court and hitting into open space.

Explain to them that, over time, they'll want to focus on positioning the ball where you're not standing, rather than just hitting it straight back to you. As you rally, you can start to guide them through how to place their shots to make you move, hitting the ball cross-court or into different areas of the court.

Also, don't forget to emphasize the importance of staying patient.

Especially when you're new, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to hit a winning shot, trying to hit the ball unnecessarily hard, or being too aggressive, but the real challenge (and joy) of squash comes from the back-and-forth of a good rally.

Let them know that the longer they can keep the ball in play, the more they'll learn about movement, timing, court positioning, and, hitting the ball cleanly.

As they get more comfortable, you can gradually pick up the pace and move the ball into different areas, but always remember the main focus is on helping them improve, not beating them down with winning shots.

Keep it light, keep it fun, and most importantly, encourage them throughout.

Some Mini-Games To Get Used To The Ball

Now, in hindsight, we've progressed quite quickly from a player's first experience jumping on the court to a game-style situation.

In many cases, it can take new players a lot longer to get used to the way the ball bounces, moves, spins, and propels off of the different angles and walls.

As a coach myself, I know plenty of fun little mini-drills to help players become more consistent and get into the swing of things.

The first one is to put down some kind of target (literally anywhere on the court, but most likely near the front in the middle). Just a piece of A4 paper will do the trick.

Then they can hit the ball back to themselves over and over again aiming for the ball to land on that piece of paper. Of course, it's quite a small target for them to hit, but, it gives them something to focus their mind on.

Another option is for them to try to hit every shot back to themself above the service line on the front wall (so they get used to hitting with height).

Once they get a little more consistent, maybe it's time to start measuring things and tracking their improvement a bit more. For example, if they're capable of hitting volleys, you could see how many volleys they can play back to themselves (or with you) in a row without letting the ball bounce.

Another thing that I forgot to touch on was the options for different squash balls. You can get a single dot, red dot, and blue dot balls (and even beginner balls) that vary in size and bounciness.

So, if a new player is maybe struggling with the deadness of a double yellow dot ball, maybe they'd benefit from practicing with a more bouncy ball!

KEEP THINGS SIMPLE!

Above all else, just remember to keep things as simple as possible when introducing someone to squash.

It’s easy to get caught up in giving technical advice about swing angles, shot selection, or footwork, but for a beginner, less is more.

Focus on the basics and avoid overloading them with too many details. The aim is for them to have fun, get a feel for the game, and build confidence.

The finer points will come later. For now, let them enjoy the experience without too much pressure, and they’ll be much more likely to come back for more!

Helping Them Take The Next Step

Now, hopefully you've done a good job introducing a new player to squash and that they enjoyed their first experience (I'm sure they did).

Next is to try to encourage them to play again!

Of course, you can try to get on court with them whenever you can, however, they may want to come back again on their own and get a bit better at hitting, or, they want to try playing with some new players.

Depending on their standard and seriousness, it could be a good opportunity to introduce them to a local coach or even get them started in your club's box leagues or teams.

Of course, standard is a big thing and it's quite a big step to take to get started playing more competitive matches against strangers. Try to make sure they aren't just going to get beaten 11-0, 11-0, 11-0 over and over again as this could really damage their confidence.

Just try to be encouraging and help them on their journey as much as you can, however, it's important to remind them that it's rarely about the winning (especially if they're just trying to improve their game).

Playing players who are better than themselves is the surefire best way to get better, but, they may need to get used to losing more often than not. This is completely normal, especially for a new player.

We were all beginners at one point so it's not like you don't have any experience in the area. Draw from what you did when you first got started in squash and try to remember what worked for you when you were trying to improve and get better.

You'll do great!

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