Get The Ball Out Of The Back Corners

[@huntrichardson]

Well done Coach. I find that the most common errors that beginners and low intermediate players make when learning how to do this are 1. not bending their knees enough; 2. keeping their striking shoulder too high; and 3. closing the racket face in the downswing. Also, it's vital to bend the elbow and snap it straight behind the body just prior to striking the ball, in order to accelerate the racket head to the proper speed. A shorter swing needs more snappy explosion than a full swing, from the elbow through the forearm and wrist into the racket. The triceps must extend and flex (to power the racket down) in addition to the brachioradialis which is responsible for pronating/supinating the forearm which causes the racket head to rotate. Finally: knuckles up/palm down for the backhand; knuckles down for the forehand!

[@BetterSquash]

I like your final phrase.

[@pokerboy72]

Thanks a lot coach.. you are a blessing for people like me at corners of the world looking for improving our game without any sort of guidance

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. I am gald to help. Keep working hard and smart on your squash!

[@profarchanachahal9165]

​@@BetterSquash I m delighted to see such an elaborated and vital clarification, thankyou

[@Mahmoud_Gabr]

This channel has always been my go to for such thorough videos and drills suggestions. Excellent as always!!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you like them!

[@mvwmark8955]

Very helpful coaching. Hopefully I can take what I have learnt to the court next week. Been back playing squash with my son and still haven't won yet in 12 matches. MUST get better. Thank you very much. Appreciated.

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you for your support. The parent/child sports competition is a complicated one. Depending you your ages and therefore age difference, you might want to play smart squash instead of power squash. Easy enough for me to type, but harder for you to do, I know. Anyway, good luck and make sure your son has to work hard for every single point.

[@mvwmark8955]

@@BetterSquash Hahaha. Long story short…… i played in my 20s, (53 now) …. My son is 29. It is him who is making me work for every point…… and i dont think he gets out of 2nd gear! 😆 Must get better and make the matches closer. He has younger knees though! 😊

[@gabrielmircea2096]

Very well explained. Thank you so much for helping us to improve our skills! Your efforts are appreciated! 👍🏼

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad to hear I have helped.

[@davidjsutherland]

Great video Coach Phillip! This might be the best yet. Great technical presentation on a tough topic for squash players looking to get to transition to the next level. You're on a roll. Cheers and thanks again.

[@BetterSquash]

Glad to hear you liked it. If I can keep the production quality this high and keep posting interesting content every couple of weeks, I will be happy.

[@parttroll1]

Great demonstration. The racket head drop when I was shown it was the key element for me.

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you. yes, that drop is so important.

[@Haroldvschouwen]

Great excersices, also the fact that these are pairable makes it outstanding for class purposes. I'd like one more drill where you perform the strait drive but let the ball bounce for the second time on the floor before having to hit it, that gives the player a little more time to work with.

[@BetterSquash]

There's certainly an option for that, but I feel it should only be used for learners who really struggle with the timing. Like many aspects of my videos, I need to focus on the average club squash player, and there could be plenty of devolutions or evolutions involved in each drill. Those things are why on-to-one on-court coaching will always be better than a video.

[@Haroldvschouwen]

@@BetterSquash You are right, I mainly teach recreational players 👍

[@pipepardo10]

you really are a great coach! love the way you deliver your videos!! good teaching and video edition are flawless!! all my respect and gratitude!!

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you for your kind words.

[@tourdetor]

Very well made go through and tips. Enjoyed the outtakes on the end 😊

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you enjoyed it! I was really angry at that guy. he had 5 metres of space behind the camera to use.

[@markn.7914]

Thank you very much, I’ve learnt more in your videos than actual coaching at school!

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Thank you for your kind words. Let me know if you have any squash questions.

[@MrHectAgs]

Thanks so much for the video! Great tips & excellent way of explaining everything!

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Thank you for your kind words and support. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@braishermosilla8951]

I've have recently started to watch your videos and found them very useful and of great quality! Thanks a lot!! Pd: what a nice surprise to hear you speaking euskera!!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you like them! At first I couldn't remember speaking euskera in the video, but I suppose it was when the children nearly knocked over the tripod.

[@geoffswavley9787]

Great video. Excellent attention to detail.

[@BetterSquash]

Thanks!

[@agarwalarti]

Omg, thank you so much. This is exactly what I needed!

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@iamjimfan]

Nice hair cut, coach. And this video is superbly useful to beginners like me. It is also a nice demo on forehand / backhand posture.

[@BetterSquash]

I was wondering whether anybody would notice the new hair cut, which is visible in some clips. I recorded most of the video in one day, then realised I forgot to record some things and recorded some more the following week, but had had my hair cut in between! Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed the video.

[@mikaelpyka7702]

This is gold, as usual. Big thank you for the tips!

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you found it useful.

[@abplus3928]

Fantastic video...the best lesson I've had yet! Thanks

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support.

[@willgoldstein1067]

Your videos are incredible. Thank you!!

[@BetterSquash]

That's very kind of you to say so, thank you.

[@oscardrago9260]

Excelente video. Es muy completo y detallado!!. Gracias

[@BetterSquash]

Me alegra saber que lo disfrutaste

[@BubblesPothowari]

Thank you for the Lesson.

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Let me know if you ever have any questions.

[@nitinnandwani304]

Excellent can’t wait to try it out

[@BetterSquash]

Great, let us know how it goes.

[@naaza-z6k]

Excellent drills and tips, thank you

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome.

[@laurentyves9538]

Fantastic lesson. The decomposition of the swing is very clear and helpful. Now 2 questions if I may (1) what about hitting harder and lower than the red line to get the ball to bounce in second in the red zone and avoid the volley of your opponent? what would you advise to gain power ? It is all in the rotation of the forearm ? (2) if indeed your opponent is sending the 2nd bounce in the red zone (according to your flash evaluation), what is the best choice (a) catch it on 1st bounce or (b) try the boast

[@BetterSquash]

I'm happy to hear you liked the video. here are the answers to your questions: 1. Hitting the ball harder and lower is a great objective. As you say, it makes it harder for your opponent to volley. However, by trying to hit harder, you often lose accuracy. It's a subjective thing though. My 80% maximum, might be your 95% maximum. That's why I recommend spending some of your training time hitting the ball as hard as possible - to increase your strength. The power comes from the whole body, but with emphasis on the forearm. 2. Yes, if you see that your opponent is hitting shots that will take their second bounce in the red zone, then do your best to hit it early so that you don't have to boast. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@Ali4451_]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you liked it!

[@harrythesimulationguy]

Thank you, your videos are awesome!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you like them!

[@mariusztarasek1371]

Well explained. Thanks a lot!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hooshawn]

Thanks

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome and thank you for your kind "Super Thanks", it is much appreciated.

[@1000000trs]

Thanks coach: extremely useful as always.

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. I am very glad you liked it.

[@Mariya_golubeva]

Thank you the red area idea and explanation, never thought about that)

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Please tell me if it helps.

[@asadmughal1324]

Excellent video!!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you liked it.

[@0274222907]

So helpful thank you! 👍🏾

[@BetterSquash]

Glad to help.

[@matteomasella4934]

Very useful, many thanks. 😄👍

[@BetterSquash]

Yiu are most welcome.

[@aleksflores9016]

what a good channel! Thanks!

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. I'm glad you like it. Please let me know if you have any questions about squash.

[@boingaloing5128]

Fantastic video

[@BetterSquash]

That's very kind of you to say so, thank you.

[@PEatCC]

Love the drills...I'll definitely be practicing those. Thanks.

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you like them!

[@swmtd9484]

Best tutorial ❤❤❤❤

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you for your support

[@OlivierKAMEL]

Super video!

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you think so.

[@coolastronut]

great video!

[@BetterSquash]

Thanks!

[@IslamZenbaei]

Thanks coach 👍

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome.

[@reneecarver4202]

Big one I believe is if it’s tight to back wall choke up a lot. Can almost grab it around the throat if needed. Still play shot with correct technique

[@BetterSquash]

Yep.

[@captainzork6109]

I think to advance this skill, you can learn how to different shots from the backwall instead of drives But more importantly: I think it's important to also learn how to approach the ball, since it can bounce in different ways depending on how it got to the back corner. A bit the same like how boasts can be unpredictable, i think Anyway, great tips! If anyone asks me how to do it, I know what source material to refer to (:

[@BetterSquash]

I know that hitting a boast after the ball has hit the back wall can seem easier, but I have found that it's better to start with a straight drive as it absolutely sets the correct technique from the beginning. I agree that players should be able to play different shots from the back corner. It's also true that the ball can bounce differently depending on the angle it comes in at, but I decided to focus on the basics first.

[@captainzork6109]

@@BetterSquash Oh, I like the point about correct technique. Thanks for the reply, coach!

[@markorazanj]

Audio is so good on this video

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you noticed. I have tried hard to improve it. It still not perfect, but it's acceptable.

[@drmido5771]

Impressive !

[@BetterSquash]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@Ajfitness143]

Youe all vides is awesome sir

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you so much 😀

[@krystalzhang1073]

Thanks for the video. Why not go for power?

[@BetterSquash]

Because without the proper technique, power is useless. The proper technique allows you to get behind the ball and control it. Always control before power.

[@TheOnlySF49erFanInNewZealand]

Love the outtakes. Are you somewhere in Spain? 😂

[@BetterSquash]

Glad to hear you enjoyed them. Yes, I live in the Basque Country.

[@fridge_magnet]

Thanks for the great content. I am beginner and trying hard to get the grip correct. I feel its unnatural.

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Yes, the correct grip does feel unnatural at first, and I recommend watching my grip video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naCaeIqliK-ErqM

[@robertwoodward1682]

Don’t forget 4 wall handball!! Back wall is much more friendly in handball, but totally there and totally offensive.

[@BetterSquash]

Well, my channel is focused on squash, so I don't cover any Handball content.

[@simonndlovu-ht5rz]

Good

[@BetterSquash]

Thanks

[@paulamanning290]

Love watching your videos. However, being a left hander it would be really useful for you to show certain things left handed. eg the grip.

[@BetterSquash]

That is an absolutely fantastic point. The next video was recorded back in April, but for all future videos I will endeavour to show both sides. The facetious side of me would say watch it in a mirror, but it really is a good point. Thank you.

[@jamesshong966]

Coach, am confused. At about 4.05 u mentioned racquet head parallel to the floor. Do u mean like as if the racquet is on horizontal position where the string is facing upwards? And the racquet is athead is vertical when in contact with the ball? And when u mentioned a compact swing is when my elbow is closed to the body, does that also mean my body is closed to the wall. Like instead of a badminton lunge, in squash, the elbow needs to be close to the side of my body?...

[@BetterSquash]

Hello confused, 1. racket head parallel to the floor: Yes, the string side that you will contact the ball is facing up. 2. Racket head vertical: no, not quite but at an angle to ensure the ball moves in a slightly upward direction. The top part of the frame is "behind" the lower part of the frame. 3. Body close to wall: Maybe. A lot depends on where the ball is and how far it has bounced off the back wall. Ideally, you should try to keep away from the back wall as it will limit your swing and therefore your options. 4. Badminton lunge: We can do the same type of lunge in squash, but getting the ball out of the back corners normally requires you to be standing with your feet closer together to allow you to rotate a little and generate some power.

[@jamesshong966]

@@BetterSquash thk u coach for such a detail reply! much less confused now. Now, to put that into action in my next game.. hopefully. Another clarification , in a backhand, following your steps..would u change your grip slightly from the racquet head parallel position to the ball contact position? And during the parallel head position, I would assume my racquet position would be between my shoulder and my head?

[@BetterSquash]

Before you put things into action in games, remember to spend some time practicing them first. 1. Grip Change: I don't recommend new players to change the grip at all. As you get better, grip changes should happen more naturally. 2. Head and Shoulders: I'm not sure I understand your question. The racket head will really only be parallel in the lower. part of the swing, near the point of contact. Higher up, don't even try to have it parallel.

[@davidtzazu]

didi you play squash in Amorebieta in Basque country?

[@BetterSquash]

Yes, I live there.

[@toptrump1499]

Were you saying ‘juntos’ at the end?

[@BetterSquash]

No, I was saying "kontuz", which is Basque for "Be Careful".

[@toptrump1499]

Ah cool, you know Basque. Respect

[@zachminto7220]

I have wrists problems so can’t grip it the correct way is all ways going to hinder me? Cheers

[@BetterSquash]

Sorry for the late reply, I was on holiday and didn't check the comments very much. The answer to your questions is yes and no. There are some small variations of the correct grip, but in general, if you can't hold the racket properly, you will be limited in your ability to control the ball on court. However, without knowing and seeing first hand exactly what wrist issue you have, It may be possible that a solution could be found. What I will say is that you shouldn't let any potential issues stop you from trying to become the best player you can.

[@marianaonetto4163]

Subtítulos en español por favor ! 🙏

[@BetterSquash]

Hola, KZbin tiene la opción de traducir automáticamente mis subtítulos en inglés a muchos idiomas. Acabo de probar las opciones pero no me funcionaron. ¿Has probado la traducción automática? No tengo tiempo para crear transcripciones manuales, lo siento.

[@ianfairweather7192]

Hi. I'd really like to see a video of acceptable returns of service. I was playing a few months back, and my opponent purposefully returned my serve with an overhead smash shot to return service to his side of the court. A club player watching us,said that I should have won the point as the return should have allowed me to continue playing, which this shot didn't. Is this the case? I can't find any information on the web about acceptable returns of service, or legal returns of service. Please help! Thanks. I really enjoy watching your coaching tips as I feel I'm improving a little each week.

[@BetterSquash]

Hi Ian, unfortunately, you won't find the video you are looking for because the issue is not with the returns, but your opponents movement. It's covered in the "Interference" section of the squash rules: www.worldsquash.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/201205_Rules-of-Singles-Squash-2020-.pdf Now, as I am sure you can understand, what the rules say and what happens in most courts around the world day in, day out, are two very different things. I teach it like this: If your opponent stops or delays you GETTING to the ball - it's a let (play the point again) If your opponent stops or limits you from HITTING the ball - It's a stroke (point to you) Players are allowed to return a serve with an overhead smash and can hit the ball to ANY part of the court they want - they just have to make sure that they are not in your way. I hope that helps and don't hesitate to ask any more questions.

[@huntrichardson]

When it's your turn to hit the ball, the rules require your opponent to give you direct access (a straight line movement) to the ball and space to hit it with a reasonable swing. If he doesn't make the amount of effort needed to clear for your movement to the ball and swing, and in so doing prevents you from moving to the ball and hitting it this way, you get a Stroke and you win the rally!

[@rgomezp63]

Could you give tips when ball is closer to the back walls?

[@BetterSquash]

Well, the first thing, as I mention in the video, is to recognize that the ball is going to take its second bounce in the red zone. If you do and can hit it before, that is your first option. If you can't hit it before the red zone, you have 3 options: 1. Boast. There are a few different types of boast but the chances are you are in a defensive situation, so you should play a high boast (the ball hits the front wall above the service line) to give you enough time to get to the T. 2. Hit it *AT* the backwall. Also called "hitting it off the back wall". Aim for the opposite front corner. Do this because the angle and spin of the ball makes it stay close to the side wall. This shot takes practice because you may hit the back wall with your racket. 3. Loosen your grip and hold the racket almost on the shaft and try to hit it straight. This is an advanced technique, so avoid this if possible. Nobody likes to admit they did something wrong, but perhaps I should have included these points in the video. I think I will make a video just about these three points.

[@rgomezp63]

@@BetterSquash thanks very much,looking fwd for next video

[@123xyzabccba]

👌👌👌

[@BetterSquash]

Glad you liked it.

[@gaganpartapsingh8787]

It's been now almost 1.5 year and I'm still waiting to return to court.

[@BetterSquash]

Yes, it is very frustrating, isn't it. Are you keeping fit? Are you doing any hitting, even against outside walls?

[@gaganpartapsingh8787]

@@BetterSquash l left my racquet back in my college hostel. And now I'm just waiting to return. You know situation in India in not pleasant.

[@BetterSquash]

That's bad luck about the racket. Yes, I can see on the news that the situation in India is very hard - Stay safe!

[@ThatGardener]

Don’t know what you are talking about. There are many courts in India to play at. It’s a upcoming game and popular and many places much cheaper than developed countries actually. Don’t know exactly what’s his excuse haha

[@MsPritisingh]

got 4 correct

[@BetterSquash]

Well done. Now turn that ability to the court and make the right choice early.

[@micger]

What do you do when the ball goes to red zone?

[@BetterSquash]

Well, with experience, you learn to see that a ball will go into the red zone and attempt to hit it earlier. If that is not possible, you could boast off either the side wall or back wall, or alternatively get your racket head behind the ball and "push", although that really is a more advanced solution.

[@BetterSquash]

Good question. Assuming that you have done everything in your power to not let it get there, there are generally two things to try. 1. Hit a back wall boast - that means hitting the ball *at* the back wall. AIm high and not too hard. 2. Somehow try to very quickly slip the racket into a position where your grip is much higher than normal. This reduces the circumference of your swing making it possible to get behind the ball in the red zone. Neither are easy and most times for amateurs the ball getting to the red zone means the loss of the point. BTW, Your comment has only just be shown to me as new, but I see that it is 5 months old. It was shown with a bunch of other old comments, so this might be a bug or something. Anyway, sorry for the delay in replying.

[@wutzzz138]

💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪

[@BetterSquash]

That's a lot of biceps.

[@oscarsalas456]

Great video! But, he don´t have a lot of friends I assume

[@BetterSquash]

What do you mean?

[@MrCoresom]

Lula atrapalhou meu video....

[@BetterSquash]

Desculpe, não entendi o que você está tentando dizer.

[@misosoric3368]

Lol why filming in 4k? Are you gonna use the projector to play this video on a giant screen?

[@BetterSquash]

I occasionally record in 4k as it allows me to reframe in post-production. However, you are confusing recording and rendering. I generally render in 4k because an important percentage of my viewers actually watch on TV, and while I don't know if those TVs are. 4k, I feel it's better to have that quality available than not.

[@misosoric3368]

@@BetterSquash trust me as I am a video producer. Full HD today hasn so much quality that you won't have any problems with croping and zooming in. People are too concerned about technicalities. It's not that you're making a music video ;)

[@BetterSquash]

No, I don't trust you, this is the internet! I do agree that FHD is incredible quality nowadays and still allows for croping and zooming in. I was responding to your "filming in 4k", which by the way is possibly future-proofing if I decide to use the footage in a few years. I'm pretty certain that this video was recorded in FHD anyway as I like to record at 100fps to allow better quality slow motion and my camera is limited to 4k @ 25fps.

[@misosoric3368]

@@BetterSquash you don't trust me that I'm a videographer/video producer? Mmmkay... All the best in your future work

[@BetterSquash]

You started this conversation thread with a passive aggressive comment, insinuating I was a fool for filming in 4k. You also got the fact that I filmed in 4k wrong. There's nothing wrong with recording in higher resolutions. Yes, most of my viewers will watch on a mobile phone, not all - as I mentioned. If I were sacrificing something by recording in 4k then perhaps you would have a point, but I'm not. Then you asked me to "trust you" - a complete stranger on the internet. It's irrelevant whether you are a videographer or video producer or not, it hasn't affected you nor my recording. And if I want to render in 4k, just in case a few people want it, how is that a problem?

[@AMPFEAST]

Beer Pong?

[@BetterSquash]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[@foreign-patriot]

Nice...but were you ALONE in a room and wearing a mask?!

[@BetterSquash]

Yes, silly I know, but the rules of the facility at the time required everybody to wear a mask at all times within the building - I'm not sure about the changing rooms.

[@bashinwari]

Excellent. Thank you

[@BetterSquash]

You are most welcome. Let me know if you have any questions or doubts.

[@mattbarker269]

Why are you wearing a builders dust mask on your own in a squash court...bonkers. good lessons though

[@BetterSquash]

I am wearing a KN95 mask because at the time of the recording, everybody had to wear a mask while in the sports centre where I record. It was pretty annoying considering it was just me on court, but I could risk being thrown out as it is the only court around.

[@11Itchyknuckles]

You’re a good squash coach but might not have a bright future in child care.

[@BetterSquash]

Thank you. I spend a significant portion of my working day looking after under 18s, perhaps I should rethink my profession!

[@Hajirafaisalz]

Why is he wearing a mask

[@BetterSquash]

I'm wearing a mask because when I recorded the video, the facility where I record required all users to wear one at all times in the sports centre, except in the swimming pool and showers.

[@KINGKURT14]

Why the mask?

[@BetterSquash]

Because the facility where I recorded the footage required everybody who entered to use one, even if you were exercising alone.