What's the One Thing You Can Do Today That Will Improve Your Squash in a Year?

We've all been there: staring at the court, wishing we could elevate our game, break through that plateau, or just play with more ease and effectiveness. But with so many aspects to squash – technique, fitness, strategy, mental game – where do you even begin? To answer this perennial question, we went straight to the source: Our dedicated Open Squash community members and to some of our expert coaches. We asked them a simple, yet profound question: If you knew a year ago what one thing you should have worked on to improve your game today, what would it have been?

The insights were as diverse as our community, yet a common thread emerged: focused, consistent effort on a specific area can unlock significant improvement. Read on to discover their invaluable advice and perhaps find the "one thing" that will transform your squash in the next year.

Open Squash Member Insights

Daraius Sumariwalla: The Quest for Cleaner Shots

Daraius, a 4.43-rated member at Open Squash, quickly pinpointed his area for growth: "hitting cleaner shots." He admitted, "I hit too much rubbish in the middle even now". His solution? "Just lots of consistent solo hitting". He highlighted that often, issues like depth aren't just about the swing, but fundamental movement. "The depth isn't necessarily because of the swing, it's because of my footwork, at least in my case. Very often I notice my feet are in the wrong place, and that's a problem". While he acknowledged that solo hitting can be "a little boring", he playfully conceded that his lack of consistent practice might stem from being "old and lazy" at 30. This underscores the importance of discipline, even for the seemingly mundane drills.

Matthew Stapylton: The Power of Professional Coaching

For Matthew, a 4.25-rated player, the most impactful change would have been to "take lessons with (Open Squash coach) Peter Creed". He explained that for much of his squash career, he "undervalued" lessons, but seeing others improve dramatically changed his perspective. "I saw a bunch of people like really improve after taking lessons with him. Like Stefan (Richter, a 4.42 rated player),” he noted. Peter’s guidance provided clear, actionable feedback; the "biggest thing" Matthew learned was "not to turn up my wrist, like let my wrist go too loose when I'm hitting drives". Matthew has since committed, investing in a five-pack of lessons with Peter and intends to continue them "periodically". He feels it's crucial to keep pushing his game.

James Green: Solo Practice

Open Squash co-founder James Green (rated 4.18) recently interviewed Women’s World Number One, Nouran Gohar, who said a U.S. woman would need to be more consistent to win a major title. James does yoga, eats right, does strength work and ensures he’s getting enough rest. But when it comes to improving, he just can’t do the solo practice he knows he needs. “I try to solo once a week but I probably do it once a quarter,” he said. For example, recently he had even planned a solo session and ended up hitting with the guy who was on court when he showed up. “I’ve realized I need to work on my backhand, and particularly my backhand return of serve,” he said. “Because my opponentes have been exploiting that recently. The good news is I almost always go back a little before I get better.”

Gonzalo Chavez: Finding the ‘Extra Lung’

Gonzalo (a 4.2-rated player) highlighted the critical role of consistency in play. He openly shared his previous erratic schedule: "sometimes it's like two times a week, sometimes it is three times a week, and then the next week I don't play," he said. His ambition was to build "that extra lung that this sport really needs". He firmly believes that if he had played consistently a year prior, he would be "on a solid 4-4 or 4-5" today. What changed his mindset? Squash evolved from "just a sport" to something more profound: "this is something that is keeping me alive" and "keeps me sane," and "away from work," he said. Now, he's actively working on this, playing "four days a week."

Dan Temel: Strategic Energy and Winning Shots

Dan's battle as a 4.02 player is a "constant" one, he said: "conserving energy, knowing when to use speed for defense versus offense". He's learned a fundamental truth: "when you hit better shots, you run less. You have to cover less ground." His current focus is "learning how to put people away more instead of keeping rallies going". He emphasizes the shift from merely returning balls to actively seeking winners as players improve. "You can't count on someone else making a mistake... You've got to play to win, and I never do that," he confessed. A significant part of his strategy involves "knowing your opponent and knowing their tendencies", even observing them during warm-ups for "counter intel." He recalled a decisive win against one opponent by making him run, and against a strong opponent, he shifted from long rallies to hitting more drop shots when his initial strategy wasn't working. Dan, at 33, sees plenty of time to refine this aspect of his game.

Hazim Mukhtar: Fifth Game Fitness

Hazim's candid self-assessment of his 4.33-rated game pointed directly to fitness as his primary obstacle. "Work on my fitness for sure," he said, admitting his struggle to follow through with at-home workouts. The impact of this became starkly clear in matches: "when I look at my five game matches, I lose all of them,” he said. “Because of a fifth game. And if someone watches the video, they tell me, oh, you just ran out of steam." He found a breakthrough, however, in Open Squash's offerings: "I started going to (Coach) David Hughes movement classes,” he said. “Taking that the first time is a huge benefit. I suggest everyone takes it once." He has also noticed that Thaisa Serafini’s fitness classes are consistently attended by players who improve their game rapidly.

Mikey Rogers: Stretching and Strength for Longevity and Mobility

Mikey, a 4.18-rated player, 51, offered a potent, if painful, lesson: "Stretch more". Neglecting stretching led to severe consequences: "I couldn't walk in the daytime,"  he said, and "the stiffness gradually built up and to the point where I couldn't walk for three months outside of squash". He even joked about wanting to walk with crutches. Now, he commits to stretching "before each game and I stretch every day," focusing on his legs, for ten minutes. Beyond stretching, he advocates for strength training, especially for injury prevention. "That's keeping the injuries away," he shared, explaining that while he can't do high-impact exercises like lunges due to knee soreness, "doing all the other strengthening around that, like I'm doing the machines on the legs" has significantly helped his hips, which used to seize up after returning to squash five years ago.

Mike McConnell: Mastering the First Impression – Serve and Return

Mike McConnell (rated 4.72) highlighted a specific tactical area for improvement: "serves and return of serve". He observed that he "loses a lot of points right at the beginning" due to loose serves that are either "killed right away" or give his opponent "complete control." His goal is to hit the ball "tighter on the wall, deeper, basically you're serving to win the point rather than just get it going". While acknowledging the "boring work of hitting a lot of serves", he talked about a practice session rating each serve for quality, ensuring focus on getting the ball "on the wall" and "deep". Such structured practice can yield significant returns.

James Thorman: The Discipline of Solo Practice

James Thorman, who dramatically improved his game from 4.2 to 5.2 when he came back from a recent injury, discovered the necessity to "solo more". His aim was to "improve consistency and stroke." He now commits to "a 45-minute session once a week of soloing," complementing his regular play. During these sessions, he specifically works on rails and volleys and drops. While admitting solo practice "is boring," he finds it crucial for "correcting those bad habits" that can develop from just playing matches alone without practicing shots. His play is a "constant balance" between playing and refining technique through solo drills, he said.

Coach Perspectives

Our coaches, with their expert eyes, offered core insights to help members improve.

Coach Ashgar Abbas: Control Through Movement

Coach Ashgar Abbas echoed the importance of footwork, emphasizing its inextricable link to control, especially for those aiming to play longer rallies. "The control, you can't have it without footwork," he asserted, explaining that without proper movement, you simply "can't play that shot" effectively during a demanding game. To develop control, he advises focused practice on each shot, including volleys, if drives are already strong. His recommended drill is "drop-drop-drive" with a partner, which forces players to "adjust, get your racquet back, make your footwork better, and then play a better shot". He stressed that for players looking to advance their game (e.g., from 4.2 level and up), these foundational elements are "very important".

Coach Juan Santos: The Mental Game – Visualizing Success

Coach Juan Santos presented a refreshingly different perspective, focusing on the mental aspect of the game and visualizing goals. Despite being fit and having good footwork, he found himself struggling in tournaments. His breakthrough came when he started "visualizing myself enjoying playing" and directly confronting his capabilities and weaknesses, which included his backhand, shot selection, and a tendency to "break down" at championship points (like 10-10 in the fifth game). His solution: consistent "affirmations every day". Instead of the self-defeating thought, "if it's 10-10, I'm probably gonna lose," he trained himself to say, "I'm gonna win". He realized the importance of "the value of my time" on the court, asking himself, "Do I want to lose, to waste it? Or do I want to win?".

Coach David Hughes: Creating Space for Success

Coach David Hughes emphasized a foundational skill: "Learning how to give yourself space to hit the ball". This involves ensuring "enough room for a full swing." He identified common mistakes: players are "too close to the walls because they're not coming back to the tee," or they're "leaving the tee too soon or they are over-running the ball" by taking a sub-optimal line. The best way to practice this spatial awareness and movement is through "ghosting and drills that involve moving around". He recommended drills like "boast and drive," "boast, cross-court, drive," and "boast, drop, drive." These are often neglected because players prefer to use their limited court time for matches, “which is fair enough,” but David stressed that if "you want to improve, this is the thing".

Coach Julie Lillien: The Unsung Hero – Footwork

Coach Julie Lillien firmly believes that for most members, the key to improvement lies in footwork. She observes a common deficiency: "They just don't move their feet. They're not getting back to the middle to do a split-step." Many players tend to sit "back on their heels" instead of being "on the tee, on your toes." The benefits of good footwork are profound: it helps you "be on the ball earlier," "getting in position, getting the next one." Julie likens footwork to any other skill that needs practice – it needs to be consciously trained until it becomes natural. "If it's not coming naturally every time, you gotta think about it every time," she said. This means active focus on returning to the ‘t’ on your toes, with a split step before retrieving one of your opponent’s shots.

Coach Josh Easdon: How to improve your footwork

Coach Josh recommends jumping rope for five minutes, three days a week, if you wnat to improve your footwork.  “Your first step will be lighter and quicker in no time,” he said. 

Your One Thing for the Next Year

The common thread among these varied insights is the power of intentional, consistent practice. Whether it's refining your shots through solo drills, committing to professional lessons, prioritizing fitness and stretching, mastering your serve, or strengthening your mental game through affirmations, each piece of advice points to a specific action you can take.

So, what's your "one thing" for next year? Pick one area that resonates most with your game, commit to it, and watch your squash transform. Come down to Open Squash, leverage our coaches, join a class, or book a court for some dedicated solo practice. Your future self will thank you.