How Does The Forehand Technique In Squash Work?

The one thing that each and every squash player must have at all times before going out onto the squash court is a set of good techniques and habits. Good habits can easily make or break a game. This includes a solid forehand technique and what you should do to be ready when you are faced with driving this shot. So how does the forehand technique in squash work?

The forehand technique is one of the more complex techniques to master. You must position your body correctly and have balance at the same time. You should step into the shot, bending your knees. Make contact with the ball with your wrist up and the racket in line with the target.

The forehand technique isn’t swinging your racket for a kill shot, and it most definitely isn’t just about speed and power. There are numerous other aspects that come into play when swinging a good forehand drive. Proper forehand technique requires that you utilize your shoulders, upper arm, forearm, and knees properly. Let’s look at each part of a good forehand technique.

How Does The Forehand Technique Work?

Mastering the forehand drive in squash is one of the most time-consuming skills for a squash player to learn. Just this one technique will have you spending hours and hours on the court, practicing the same shot over and over again.

Squash players know that not every drive will have the same precision each time. Getting to the point where you know that every shot of your racket will hit the ball in the right way will take a lot of hard commitment.

How To Implement The Forehand Drive

The analogy that is commonly used to explain the forehand technique best is to think of it as if you are preparing to skim a pebble on the water. When you skim a stone over water, your shoulder and body are usually relaxed, and most of the power will be coming from your wrist when you release the pebble.

The same goes when you are preparing yourself for a forehand drive. Your body and shoulders should be completely relaxed. You should bend your knees slightly in order for you to swing the ball at the right angle and for you to drive the ball against the front wall and above the tin.

You should always feel comfortable in the shot that you are about to play. If you don’t feel comfortable and you are at the point of putting your body under strain, you will probably injure yourself. For you to avoid this, you should be fully relaxed and comfortable.

Step into the shot, bending your knees. Stepping into the shot and bending your knees will ensure that you have the necessary balance to follow through with your forehand drive. Your elbow should come in first for the drive, but it should be slightly towards you; at this point, the hand holding the racket will still be in the air, at the ready to come in for the shot.

This is the point when you should bring your arm down while still keeping your elbow slightly inwards. Let your wrist do the work of generating the speed required for the forehand drive.

There is another way to implement the forehand shot, which can be slightly easier to achieve under certain conditions. You should still come in low with your racket and let the ball roll off of it. Let your body make the same movement as with the first technique. All that should change is that you give your body more reach by extending your arm more and letting your racket do the work.

When To Play The Forehand Drive

The forehand drive doesn’t always have its place. It is a powershot that can easily cause you to overswing, causing injuries, so wise squash players withhold from using it unless they see that it is really the ideal shot to play under the circumstances.

Too many players do not have their forehand technique down to a T. A forehand shot isn’t just another powershot; there is so much more that you need to keep in mind when going for the forehand drive if you want to execute it with accuracy.

Body Position

It is crucial to have the correct body position before you attempt to swing a forehand drive; this is the foundation of a good forehand technique. The only way for you to accomplish this is through practice. Condition your body and technique to swing the forehand shot with absolute accuracy.

Knowing that this is the fundamental baseline of the forehand technique, this is how you should follow it through:

Balance is the crucial element, and in this case, your balance should come from your feet. Step into position and then slightly bend your knees. You should face the front wall with your left foot and with your right foot behind your left. This is the stance if you are right-handed; the opposite should be done if you are left-handed.
Your step into position should be short. Do not stretch yourself out at this stage; your body should be relaxed and properly balanced.
If you are swinging with your right arm, your left arm should be out in front of you to help you aim and to aid with your balance. You should do this with your right arm if you are swinging with your left arm.
Your right shoulder (if you are swinging with your right hand) should be slightly higher than your left arm, which is held out to counter-balance.
Once you feel confident in your body position, you can now execute the swing.

Grip Control

You should grip your racket correctly. Do not grip it too tightly since this will lead to a loss of control. Hold it firmly but without choking it, and let your wrist do all of the work.

Executing Your Swing

Now that you have your position and grip right, you may feel like you should swing the forehand shot with all the power that you can muster. But you should first ensure that you will execute the forehand drive correctly:

You should slightly bend your right elbow while keeping it relaxed.
Bring the bent elbow towards the ball as it is approaching. As you move in for the shot, your right shoulder will drop for you to execute the forehand drive.
As your body moves through the motions, your hips will automatically rotate in order to avoid injury.
Your head should remain still; follow the ball with your eyes, but without rotating your head. Your arm should straighten out to make contact with the ball.
Finally, let your wrist swing the racket to make contact with the ball and drive it in the direction that you want to send it.

Conclusion

The most important lesson about the forehand drive is accuracy. Knowing the forehand technique is one thing, but without precision, you will not be able to follow this through and most probably miss the drive. Practice your technique, but combine it with practice to send the ball with accuracy. This combination, more than anything, is what will make the difference in the end.