How to Analyze Squash Game Performance

One size fits all does not apply to squash play. "Squash is open to a lot of styles and strategies, and there's not a good way to play or a bad way to play," says Alex Hurwitz, squash pro at the Maryland Athletic Club Harbor East in Baltimore, Maryland. "It's very individual." Still, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced player, and regardless of your style, you can analyze your performance as a means of improving your game.

Instructions

    • 1

      After every point, ask yourself, "What just happened?" "You really need to be aware of yourself and your opponent," Hurwitz says. "Ask why did you win that point, why did you lose that point, why did the tide turn in that game, either positively or negatively?" Your goal is to be present and aware during the game. "Don't just go out there and whack the ball and lose and not know why," he says.

    • 2

      Examine whether you detected a weakness in your opponent and whether that helped you win. Review the game overall for specifics as to why you won or lost. Deciding your opponent just hit some good shots is not sufficient. Hurwitz says to look for reasons the game went the way it did.

    • 3

      Look at where you placed the ball during the game. "Ask, 'How often did I get my opponent in the back corners and force them into back where I have an advantage?' " Hurwitz advises. "Hit the ball at a good depth to the back corner, so even if your opponent gets the ball, you are forcing him back and then he is exposed. It doesn't have to be a winner to be effective, it just has to move him back. You set him up for a drop shot and run him again."

    • 4

      Check whether you varied your angles and degree of power, especially if you are a converted racquetball player. "A lot of beginners hit the ball crosscourt back and forth to each other, without taking control of the point," says Hurwitz. "They're just the hitting the ball, like in racquetball, where you slug the back and forth until someone smashes the ball and the point is over. The good thing about squash is you have many options at hand, and there's no reason to just hit the ball to the other person."

    • 5

      Review whether you maintained an awareness of your opponent's placement on the court. "During points, you have to always, always be aware of where your opponent is," Hurwitz says. "A great shot to an opponent is not a great shot." And note who had control of the "T," the valuable real estate where you want to return to after every point to be best prepared for the next shot. The "T" is near where the half-court line meets the short line that extends to the back, forming a T.