Can you play squash on your own? Yes, and it's even good!

Squash is fun, challenging AND you hit a ball against a wall. It will come back on its own, so can you play it alone?

Squash is one of the few sports that can be successfully practiced both alone and with others. It is extra easy to practice this sport on your own because the ball comes back from the wall automatically where it is not the case with other sports.

In this article I look at a few possibilities to get started and how you can even improve your game.

For example, in tennis you should use a machine that serves the ball every time, or table tennis you should raise one side of the table (I've done it at home once).

Playing squash together or alone has several advantages:

• For example, solo play is probably the best way to develop technical play,
• while practicing against a partner is preferred in developing tactical awareness.

If you play several times a week, it's a good idea to turn one of these sessions into a solo session.

If you can only do a ten or fifteen minute solo exercise once a week, before or after the competition, that is an excellent way to move forward.

Squash is already relatively expensive because you have to rent a court with two people, so playing alone can become even more expensive although it is also included in the subscription at some clubs.

Squash Coach Philip has a good solo training routine:

Can you play squash on your own?

You can practice squash on your own, but not play a game. Practicing solo helps refine the technique without outside pressure.

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Muscle memory is increased because you get double the number of hits in the same time. Errors can be analyzed in depth and at your convenience.

All professional squash players advocate solo practice, and in this blog post I'm going to explore many of the reasons.

Can you play a game alone?

New! All the information in this blog is about how to practice alone, and the benefits that come with doing so.

What are the benefits of playing alone?

There are many key areas that are developed at a faster rate by playing solo than any other form of practice.

That's not to say there's no benefit to practicing with others. It certainly is, and practicing with others is at least as important as practicing solo.

However, there are some benefits that lend themselves much more to practicing on your own.

The first is:

muscle memory

Simply put, twenty minutes of solo practice is as much hitting as forty minutes with a partner.

That means you develop muscle memory faster if you exercise for the same amount of time.

Muscle memory is the ability to successfully reproduce a particular skill without conscious thinking.

The more strokes, the more the muscles are conditioned (if you do it right).

Building muscle memory is something what you can use in any sport.

Repeat

Linked to muscle memory is repetition. Playing identical recordings over and over helps train your body and mind.

Solo squash exercises lend themselves well to this level of repetition, something that can be a little more difficult in some partner exercises.

If you think about it, many solo exercises involve hitting the ball straight against the wall and then taking the same shot as it bounces back.

Drilling with a partner or coach requires more movement between shots.

Movement is obviously great for endurance and agility training, but not so good for sheer repetition.

Development of technology

You can experiment more freely with technique during solo practice because there is much less to think about.

You can put technique more central and this really helps to align and get your entire body in the most efficient way.

This will really help the quality of your forehand, especially your backhand.

Analysis of your mistakes

When playing or practicing against an opponent, an enormous amount of time is spent observing their play and thinking about every shot they play.

In solo play, this mindset is completely removed. It's a perfect time to think about your own target areas and mistakes you seem to be making.

• Do you need to tense your wrist a little more?
• Do you need to be more side-on?

Playing solo gives you time and freedom to experiment a little in a pressure-free environment.

Dare to make mistakes and experiment

In solo practice, no one can look at or analyze your mistakes. You can think completely relaxed and become more in tune with your game.

No one will criticize you and that also gives you a lot of extra freedom for experimentation.

Work on weaknesses

Many players will clearly know what is holding their game back. For many beginners it is often the backhand.

Backhand solo exercises can be one of the best ways to go about this.

Are there any other benefits?

We all know that feeling where your partner leaves you out in the cold and doesn't show up.

We all lead busy lives, and unfortunately this is only part of life. In most other sports, that would be the end of training, you can go home!

But in squash, why not use that court booking and get out there and practice a little. Turn the obstacle into an opportunity.

Another benefit of playing solo is to use it as a warm up before a game.

It is squash etiquette to warm up with your partner before a squash match.

But why not take the time ten minutes before that to get your rhythm going.

Some players often take the first game in a match to really feel like they're loosening up and getting into the right zone.

By extending your warm-up, you at least give yourself a chance to cut down on this lazy period of wasted points.

Benefits of playing with a partner

However, it would be wrong to only list the benefits of playing alone in this article.

Practicing the same act repeatedly can bring you a lot. You hear the 10.000 hour rule regularly. Still, it's good to to practice purposefully and that means making sure someone is there so you know what to work on.

Let's take a quick look at some of the things that playing solo just can't offer in the same abundance as practicing with a partner.

Here's a list:

• Tactics: This is the biggie. Tactics are all about observing or foreseeing events and setting up actions to counter them. You just have to get other people involved to enable tactics. Tactics can be devised prior to a match or created on a whim. Either way, they are ideas and actions necessary to gain advantage over an opponent. In short, an opponent is a must.
• Thinking about your feet: Squash is so much about the reaction to different situations. This is learned much better by playing with others.
• Variation of shot: Playing solo is more about repetition. But repeat, repeat, repeat in a squash match and you'll be pickled. Variation of shots comes much more through match play than practice, solo or in pairs.
• Some things can't be practiced alone: A good example of this is the service. You need someone to serve you the ball. Practicing pairs is much more effective for this.
• Returning to the T not so instinctive: This is quite important. After a stroke, your first priority in a match should be to get back to the T. Many solo exercises do not include this part. Therefore, you learn the muscle memory associated with the shot, but not the secondary muscle memory, and then effortlessly return to the T.
• Endurance: There is often less movement in solo exercises than exercises with a partner, and thus less emphasis on fitness.
• Fun / humor: Of course one of the main reasons we all exercise is to interact with others who have the same interests as us in a fun environment. The humor, the comedy of playing against others is of course absent during solo playing.

Also read: What is the best age for your child to start playing squash?

How often should you play alone?

There is no hard and fast rule about this. Some sources seem to recommend that if you're practicing three times a week, a solo session should be one of those three.

If you're practicing more or less than this, try to maintain this 1:2 ratio.

Practicing solo doesn't necessarily have to be an entire session. Just a short session before or after games, or while you're waiting to play a match, can all make a difference.

What kind of exercises can you do alone?

Here are some of the most popular solo squash exercises, with a description of how to play them:

• From left to right: This is arguably the best solo practice, and probably the one that helped me improve my game the most. Just stand in the middle of the field and hit the ball towards one of the side walls with a forehand. The ball bounces back over your head and hits the wall behind you before bouncing in front of you and you can backhand it back to where it came from. Repeat, repeat, repeat. To make it more difficult, you can extend this activity to volleys.
• Forehand drives: A nice simple exercise. Simply push the ball along the wall using the forehand technique. Try to hit it deep into the corner and as tight against the wall as possible. Just play another forehand drive when the ball comes back and repeat (to infinity).
• backhand drives: Same ideas as for the forehand. Simple strokes along the sidewall. For both forehand and backhand drive, try to hit from a good distance back of the lane.
• Eight-figures: This is one of the more famous solo practices. Here you are in the middle of the field on the T. Hit the ball high on the front wall and hit that wall as close to the corner as possible. The ball should bounce back to you from the side wall and you then hit it high on the other side of the front wall. Repetition. The easiest way to do this exercise is to bounce the ball. The more difficult way is to play volleys.
• Forehand/backhand volleys: Another simple idea. Volley the ball straight to the wall along the line, whichever side you're on. You can start close to the wall and go backwards to finish at the back of the field, hitting volleys.
• Practice serving: There may be no one to hit them back, but solo squash is a great time to practice the accuracy of your serves. Try some lob services and try to bounce them high on the side wall, then drop them at the back of the field. Try some hits, and you might even add a target to the part of the wall you're aiming for to see if you can actually hit it. Bringing several balls with you for this exercise is useful.

Also read: everything explained about the right squash balls for your level

Conclusion

We are all lucky to play a sport that we can play alone.

Not only can this be an excellent practical solution if you're struggling to find practice partners, but there are also many advantages of playing solo that will take your playing to the next level.

Solo practice develops technical skills better than any other form of practice.

They are also fantastic at developing muscle memory by repeating key shots repeatedly in a pressure-free environment.

What are your favorite solo squash exercises?

Also read: the best shoes for agility and fast action in squash

Joost Nusselder, the founder of referees.eu is a content marketer, father and loves to write about all kinds of sports, and has also played a lot of sports himself for most of his life. Now since 2016, he and his team have been creating helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with their sports activities.