Coaching Blog : Racket Preparation
I have mentioned this before but feel it’s a really important aspect to stress. When preparing for your shot your racket needs to come back – not up.
When on the ‘T’ in a ready position, waiting for your opponent to hit the ball – your racket needs to be relaxed at a hip height. When your opponent strikes their shot your arm should immediately come back, rotate your hips as you begin to move to the ball – but keep your racket below head height, unless you are reaching up to play a volley. Backhand preparation should also involve a slightly cocked wrist (see ElShorbagy below)
In the past people used to shout “racket up” all the time, even when stood on the ‘T’. This is not right. “Racket ready” or “Racket back” are much better instructions.
A lower racket preparation gives you options to play drives and drops. A high racket promotes more error prone squash as you will either have to hit down on the ball, or loop underneath your shot. A higher swing also uses more energy. Also, in today’s squash, the ball is travelling faster and lower so you need to be prepared to this. A lower racket preparation gives you time to react to a hard drive near your feet.
ElShorbagy does this perfectly. This enables him to hit the ball hard consistently and for long periods, AND quickly touch in great drop shots from anywhere in the court.
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