Squash is a great game because it requires aspects of endurance, speed, agility, flexibility, durability, and game sense. In the off season when we take a break from working on our drop shots it is time to focus on the physical aspects of the game. It is tempting to want to focus solely on cardiovascular conditioning but this will get you only so far. Injury rates are high (because of the repetitive and uni-lateral nature of the game) and as listed above squash requires more then the ability to run far!

When developing a training strategy for a 1 hour session I think it is important to work on and identify the following.

1. Focus on any areas of reduced mobility. Areas of importance in squash are the calfs, hips, and trunk.

2. Train both the left and right sides of the body. Squash is a right (or left) leg and arm dominant sport!

3. Shadowing and ghosting to improve control of squash specific movement patterns. Good footwork leads to better court economy.

4. Once good mechanics are mastered a progressive plyometric program can be started to increase speed and power.

5. Strength training can reduce muscular fatigue, provide better support for the joints, and reduce the likelihood of muscle imbalances (see number 3).

What are you going to be focusing on in the off-season?

Yours in health,

Dave Carter