The Benefits Of Solo Practice In Squash

The benefits of practicing alone on a squash court are many and important. Firstly, it allows you to focus on your technique and swing without having to worry about winning a point. Of course, you need to know exactly how to swing and for that you should visit a coach if you can. Even if you don’t have good technique, practicing alone can improve your control, both of the ball AND the racket head.

It is important to note though that using bad or dangerous technique when performing solo practice will not help you in the long term, so find a coach if you can!

The next thing solo practice can do is make you fitter and stronger. You don’t simply have to stand around and hit the ball gently back to yourself. You can mix hard-hitting with some soft-hitting, you can mix standing and hitting with ghosting, which will improve your footwork too.

Being able to concentrate and focus for more than a few moments is a very important ability that can be improved when doing solo practice. If you notice yourself starting to think about school, work, Tv shows, family commitments etc etc, just bring your mind back to the hitting. Nowadays we call this “Mindfulness” and in this context it means only thinking about the hitting.

One way to improve your squash mindfulness is to listen to the sound of the swing and, the ball hitting the wall, floor and your racket. It can be very relaxing. In fact, I made a video essay about this exact topic called Solo Hitting is my Meditation.

Walking onto a court and not knowing what to do is one of the biggest reasons players don’t try solo hitting, but fear not! I have created plenty of videos and posters to give you a fixed-time mental, physical and technical workout when hitting solo on court!

The best way to approach solo squash hitting is to ensure you schedule it into your training programme. Make it a regular part of your skill acquisition training and even set yourself challenges.

Final Thoughts

Solo Hitting is one of the best things you can do to improve your skill AND concentration. Take it seriously and you will see the benefit.