Squash Tips - OPENING A.K.A. PREPARATION OF THE SHOT

Squash is fast, and half of the game is in being prepared...

To open means taking your squash raquet over the shoulder, In order that you're ready to hit the ball whenever you want.

A common error in squash is to run to the ball without being ready to hit it.
Let me be clear on this one. You always have to prepare the shot before going to the ball!
From Now on you should be always opening before moving for the ball.

Getting the Habit of always preparing the Shot Before Moving will increase your efficency a lot!

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPENING AND JUST TAKING YOUR RAQUET UP

As I said before you have to be ready to hit the ball before moving to it. Taking your raquet up is not necessarily going to let you hit a good shot. In order to be ready you have to be able to swing your raquet from the point in wich you're taking it when you open.

This means that if you have to prepare the shot again when you are near the ball, you are doing it wrong! 

To fix this follow this simple tips 

1) Position your raquet  in the correct impact point

2) Take your arm up so that you can give more strenght to the shot.

Being always ready to hit the ball will have a tremendous impact on your game!

Two other great exercise are:

1. Staying in the T, preparing the shot and then making a step to the side. (wich could be refered to ghosting) I'm going to make a article on ghosting so stay tuned!
2. Lean your back onto the back wall,
   take a step in front and then open you righthand shot,
   make the shot, and let the raquet go as you follow through and use it's momentum to open yor backhandshot, then swing the backhand and reopen the righthand, and so forth.
   If You hit the back wall you are opening/swinging too much and you could hit someone, reduce your swing if necessary.

Taking the Habit of doing this exercise to warm up can be very good for a novice player.