“What are the three shots that a good player must perfect?” I asked the question to some of my squash buddies.
Most of them paused to think.
The top three answers that I got were: length, serve, and return of serve. The answers got me thinking – Squash is about strategy!
Tennis is more about the repertoire of shots that you have.
So, I asked the same question to my tennis buddies.
Without hesitation, they rattled off the first two – serve, and return of serve. The third one I got was the return of the-return-of serve, or, the third shot.
If you are saying to yourself “The third shot?” check out this video of some of Novak Djokovic’s service returns that leave his opponents stranded.
It’s a fact that most club-level tennis players have a weak second serve. If you don’t have a good third shot, you may be in trouble.
Hitting length in squash is more than a shot, it’s a strategy. Keeping the ball close to the wall while hitting a rail shot is another strategy.
The serve and return of serve are important but less so than in tennis. The concepts of aces, second serves, and double-faults are unique to tennis. So is the advantage or the disadvantage that you gain from a good serve or the lack thereof.
I would argue that in squash, the return of serve is more important than the serve itself.
Let’s take a quick look at some basic shots of squash and compare them with those of tennis. Some shots in tennis are definitive and can end in a point, unlike the equivalent in squash.
In the graphic shown here, you can see that there are at least two shots in tennis that can definitely end a rally. The only squash shot that can definitely end a rally and earn a point for the player is the nick. At the club level, not a lot of players can hit a nick at will and close out the point.
This definitely makes squash harder for players to get good at. Because squash is about strategy and it takes a while before players get it.
For a club-level squash player, there is no rally-ending shot that you can practice by yourself. If anything, you practice keeping the ball alive. On the other hand, a tennis player can practice hitting the corners with a big serve.
Lobs that get you out of tight drops, defensive boasts that let you dig the ball out from the back corners of the court, and getting back to the T are all part of the squash strategy.
If you are hoping to win at squash with a big serve, return of serve, or volley, you are playing the wrong game.
This does not imply that there is no strategy in tennis.
Serve and volley is a strategy; attacking the backhand is another strategy. So is “chip and charge,” when you get your opponent deep in the backhand corner.
However, there is a reason that tennis statistics are maintained for points won on serve, the percentage of first serves in, and double-faults. Serve is the biggest shot in tennis and even club players get the odd ace in a match.
There is no equivalent in squash. You have to win through hard work.
And, strategy!
