Top 5 squash tactics to coach beginners

Always get back to the middle

Early on, encourage players to return to the T (centre of the court) after every shot. Explain to players that being in the middle of the court makes it easier to reach the next shot - wherever it goes on the court.

This can sometimes be tricky for beginner players to master when trying to play with a racket, so start with some simple ball drop games. In pairs, get one player to drop the ball to the left, right and centre, with the other trying to catch it before returning to a marker on the floor between each catch.

Hit the ball away from the opponent

It sounds obvious, but helping players to understand this key squash tactic early on can really help - don't assume players will know to do this.

Use a simple, fun game, like squicket to encourage players to think about placement away from opponents without the pressure of the movement and pace of a game. The fielding team feeds the ball to the hitter, who tries to hit the ball into space away from the 'fielders'.

When players master this, encourage them to think about scanning to see where their opponent is (or even listening to where they are running) before taking a shot.

Keep the ball in play

They say patience is a virtue - and that's certainly true in squash! If you watch the pros, they have long rallies, waiting for the right opportunity to play a winning shot.

Encourage players to focus on keeping the rally going rather than trying to force a tricky shot.

Starting with cooperative rallying is great way to encourage players to keep a rally going. You can add in trying to win the point after a certain number of shots in the rally to add realism and help them to see the opportunities to attack.

Watch the ball

Encourage players to track the ball at all times, even when they aren't playing a shot.

Players should watch the ball leave their racket and travel towards the opponent.

As they develop their perception skills, they'll also start to understand their opponent's body language and interpret which shot they might play.

Use a variety of shots

It's great to help players be able to play a shot consistently, but focusing on one type of shot - for example the straight drive - will make them predictable.

Using variety in their shots will help them to deceive their opponents. Encourage them to try new things and have a go when practicing -it's training so the result in a game doesn't matter!