Squash is trained on length and width (drives and lobs into the back corners), on front-court attack (drop, boast, kill, nick), on the volley and on movement out of and back to the T. Pairs routines (boast-drive, drive-drive-drop) and conditioned games turn technique into tactical decisions.
The program is built from the PlanSports training catalogue for Squash: 53 techniques in 10 families, 27 drills and 10 tactical principles. In the app you pick what you work on today, log attempts and successes per technique, and your coach sees the progress.
Three sessions built from the drills below, from beginner to advanced. Durations are indicative; in the app you swap drills and log each one.
Day 1
approx. 55 min
Day 2
approx. 74 min
Day 3
approx. 53 min
53 techniques in 10 families. For each: what it is, key points and common mistakes. Open a family to see them.
The ball hit parallel to the side wall, travelling deep into the back corner on the same side. It bounces a second time before the back wall or just after it.
The ball crosses the court and reaches the opposite back corner. Good when your opponent is pulled over to your side.
A cross-court that hits the side wall around the short line, so your opponent on the T can't cut it off with a volley.
A straight drive that slides along the side wall without leaving the channel. Your opponent can't swing the racket freely.
Getting the ball out of the back corner to length after it has passed you; hit open towards the wall, with a turn of the body.
A fast drive, low on the front wall, hit from mid-court to hurry your opponent and take away their time.
The ball hits the side wall on the same side, then the front wall, and dies in the opposite front corner. Used to attack from mid-court or defensively from the back.
A higher, harder shot onto the side wall, the front wall and then the other side wall; the ball drops close to the opposite wall at the front.
A boast played low and short from mid-court when your opponent is at the back; ideally it dies in the front nick.
A way out of the back corner when you can't get the ball out to length: the ball hit upwards onto the side wall, towards the front wall.
The ball hit cross-court onto the opposite side wall, then the front wall, dropping into the front corner on your side. A surprise shot, and a risky one.
A very delicate boast from the front court, prepared like a drop, that just touches the side wall and dies near the front wall.
Emergency save: the ball hit into the back wall, from where it flies to the front wall. Used only when you have no other option.
The ball touched softly with slice, dropping just after the front wall, close to the side wall.
A drop into the opposite front corner; ideally the ball hits the side wall on the second bounce or dies in the nick.
Answering your opponent's drop with an even better drop, taken early, from the front court.
A drop played from the back of the court when your opponent is behind the T; requires very good pace control.
Prepare a full drive, hold the racket up for a split second (hold) and play the drop: your opponent heads for the back.
A straight volley towards the back corner, from the T area. Keeps you in the centre of the court.
A volley sent cross-court with width, to change direction and make your opponent turn.
A soft volley that brings the ball into the front corner, played from the T when your opponent is at the back.
A fast, downward volley that dies at the front or in the nick. A finishing shot off a weak ball from your opponent.
A boast played on the volley, usually from the T area, when your opponent is expecting a volley to length.
Intercepting the lob or the high cross-court overhead, before the ball reaches the back corner.
A defensive volley with almost no swing, on a hard ball hit at the body; the ball is redirected to length.
A lob from the front court, straight, dropping into the back corner on the same side.
A high cross-court lob that hits the side wall high up, away from your opponent, and drops into the opposite back corner.
A lob played at full stretch, after a good drop from your opponent, with the ball close to the floor.
A hard, low straight shot that bounces a second time before mid-court.
A hard, low cross-court shot that hits the opposite side wall as low as possible (ideally in the nick).
The ball that, after the front wall, hits exactly the join between the floor and the side wall and rolls out: impossible to return.
A high ball (short lob, high cross-court) hit overhead, hard and downwards, towards the nick or the front corner.
A fast, low two-wall boast, aimed at the front nick on the opposite side.
The standard serve: a high ball that hits the side wall high up, behind the short line, and drops into the back corner.
A mid-height serve that hits the side wall level with your opponent, at shoulder height, hard to volley aggressively.
A serve hit hard, overhead or side-arm, straight at your opponent or into the corner, to hurry them.
A serve from the right-hand box played on the backhand, standing closer to the middle, giving a better angle into the back left corner.
A hard, high serve close to the front/side-wall corner that ricochets unpredictably off the side wall towards your opponent. Rarely used.
Intercept the serve on the volley before it reaches the side wall and send it to length, tight to the wall.
When the serve is too good to volley, let it come out of the corner and play it to length.
A cross-court return with width, when the server has stayed on the ball's side or is slow getting to the T.
A weak serve is attacked immediately with a volley drop or a volley boast.
Simulating movement from the T to the corners, with a shadow shot and a return to the T. Builds step efficiency and sport-specific fitness.
Getting back immediately to the centre of the court, just behind the short line, after every shot, facing the ball.
A small hop on the spot exactly as your opponent hits, so you can push off explosively in any direction.
Two or three steps from the T to the front corner, finishing with a lunge on the racket-side leg, then pushing back.
Pivot and two or three steps to the back corner, body side-on to the ball, then back to the T.
A side step or crossover step from the T to the side wall, for a volley or a drive in mid-court.
A ball that gets past you into the back corner is followed by turning fully and hit with the forehand/backhand on the opposite side. Mind safety: your opponent may be hit by the ball.
A single grip for forehand and backhand: the "V" between thumb and index finger on the top edge of the handle, racket face slightly open.
Racket raised early, with the wrist cocked (racket at a right angle to the forearm), before the last step to the ball.
A short swing from the forearm and wrist, with a controlled follow-through in front of the body, for safety and disguise.
The same position and preparation for the drive, drop and boast, so your opponent can't anticipate the shot.
27 drills by kind: warm-up, technical, tactical, physical, play. Duration, volume, what you need, the goal and how you know it worked.
The ball (especially the yellow-dot one) needs warming up: straight drives at increasing pace, then volleys. Between sets, dynamic mobility and a few movements to the corners.
What you need: Partner or solo, one ball.
Goal: Ball at playing temperature, body and eye ready.
Success: The ball bounces normally, you hit cleanly on both sides.
Works on: Straight drive, Volley drive (length)
Easy jogging the length of the court, skipping, lunges with rotation, side steps, split-steps and short accelerations to the corners.
What you need: Empty court.
Goal: Preparing the joints and muscles for stops and lunges.
Success: No stiffness on the first deep lunges.
Works on: Split-step, Movement to the front corners, Movement to the back corners
Continuous straight drives on the same side, with the ball coming back behind the short line. Count consecutive shots without the ball leaving the side channel.
What you need: Solo, one ball; optionally a target (towel) in the back corner.
Goal: Consistency and length on the drive.
Success: Number of consecutive drives in the channel (target: 30+).
Works on: Straight drive, Tight drive (rail)
Forehand volley into the opposite front/side-wall corner, the ball comes back, backhand volley into the other corner, and so on, tracing an "8".
What you need: Solo, stand on the T or slightly in front.
Goal: Reactions, compact volley on both sides.
Success: Consecutive volleys without the ball touching the floor.
Works on: Cross-court volley, Block volley
Straight drive, the ball comes back to mid-court, straight drop, go to the front and lift the ball with a lob or drive, then repeat.
What you need: Solo, one ball.
Goal: Pace control between the hard shot and the delicate one.
Success: Drops land in front of the short line, close to the wall.
Works on: Straight drive, Straight drop, Straight lob
The back player boasts, the front player runs from the T and plays a straight drive to the opposite corner, where their partner has already arrived and boasts again. The classic squash routine.
What you need: Two players; one at the back, one at the front.
Goal: Length on the drive and a consistent boast, front-to-back movement.
Success: The drive gets past the short line and stays in the channel; the boast doesn't come back to the middle.
Works on: Two-wall boast, Defensive boast from the back corner, Straight drive, Movement to the front corners
A boasts, B plays a straight drive, A (at the back) plays another straight drive, B boasts. The roles alternate naturally.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Length from both areas and recovery to the T between shots.
Success: The ball doesn't sit in the middle; both players recover to the T.
Works on: Two-wall boast, Straight drive, Drive from the back corner, Recovery to the T
Two players exchange straight drives, and the third drive is a cross-court to the other side; the routine continues on the new side.
What you need: Two players, both at the back on the same side.
Goal: Choosing the moment for the cross-court and its width.
Success: The cross-court reaches the side wall behind the partner.
Works on: Straight drive, Cross-court drive, Wide cross-court
The back player plays a straight drop, the front player plays it out with a drive to length. Variation: drop – lob.
What you need: Two players; one at the front, one at the back.
Goal: The drop from the back and getting the ball out of the front to length.
Success: Drops land in front of the short line; drives get past the short line.
Works on: Straight drop, Long drop (from the back), Straight drive, Straight lob
A boasts from the back, B plays a cross-court lob from the front, A plays a straight drive from the other corner, then boasts. Work on the lob and on getting the high ball out of the corner.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: High lob with width; playing the lobbed ball out to length.
Success: The lob gets past volleying range and dies in the corner.
Works on: Two-wall boast, Cross-court lob, Drive from the back corner
The front player volleys straight, the back player returns with a straight drive. Then the roles swap.
What you need: Two players on the same side: one at the short line, one at the back.
Goal: The compact volley and holding the forward position.
Success: Sets of consecutive volleys without the front player dropping back.
Works on: Volley drive (length), Straight drive
A plays a high cross-court, B plays a volley drop from the T, A runs and plays a straight drive, B plays another cross-court.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Attacking volley drop from the T.
Success: The volley drop bounces a second time in front of the short line.
Works on: Volley drop, Straight drive, Cross-court drive
The server alternates lob, semi-lob and hard serves; the receiver returns straight on the volley; the server, now on the T, plays the third shot to length or short.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: A serve that forces a weak return and a return that neutralises.
Success: Percentage of serves hitting the side wall behind the short line; percentage of returns tight to the wall.
Works on: Lob serve, Semi-lob serve, Hard serve (smash serve), Straight volley return, Return from the back corner
The coach feeds balls to mid-court; the player plays a straight or cross-court drive aiming at the target in the back corner.
What you need: A target (towel/tape square) in each back corner; coach or partner feeding the ball.
Goal: Length accuracy.
Success: Number of balls hitting the target or landing behind the service line, close to the wall.
Works on: Straight drive, Cross-court drive
The player gets balls at knee height or higher and goes for a straight kill, a cross-court kill or the nick.
What you need: Coach/partner playing high balls to mid-court.
Goal: Putting away weak balls.
Success: Balls bouncing a second time in front of the short line, without hitting the tin.
Works on: Straight kill, Cross-court kill, Nick shot, Overhead kill (smash)
Every shot must go past the short line (no drops or boasts). Whoever leaves the ball at the front or in the middle loses the point.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Patience on length and winning the T with good drives.
Success: Points won from your opponent's weak balls, not from your own errors.
Works on: Straight drive, Cross-court drive, Tight drive (rail), Volley drive (length), Cross-court lob
Player A may only play to length; player B may play any shot. A learns to keep up the pressure, B learns when to attack at the front.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Choosing the moment to attack at the front.
Success: B wins points only from attacks played from mid-court or the front, not from the back.
Works on: Straight drive, Straight drop, Attacking boast from mid-court, Straight kill
All shots straight, in the channel on one side: drive, drop, lob, volley. Ball in the other half = point lost.
What you need: Two players, playing only on the left or right half of the court.
Goal: Straight accuracy and varying length and short.
Success: Balls stay tight to the wall; drops are played only after a good length.
Works on: Straight drive, Tight drive (rail), Straight drop, Volley drive (length), Straight lob
Normal game, but a point won directly from a volley counts double; optionally, each volley played adds an extra point at the end of the rally.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: The habit of taking the ball on the volley and holding the T.
Success: The number of volleys per rally increases from game to game.
Works on: Volley drive (length), Cross-court volley, Volley drop, High volley (intercepting the lob)
In every rally, each player's first 3 shots must be to length; only then can you attack at the front.
What you need: Two players.
Goal: Building the point: pressure on length first, then attack.
Success: Attacks come after a weak ball from your opponent, not at random.
Works on: Straight drive, Cross-court drive, Straight drop, Attacking boast from mid-court, Straight kill
The back players exchange drives; the player on the T must intercept on the volley any ball that isn't tight to the wall. Whoever gets intercepted goes onto the T.
What you need: Three players: two at the back, one on the T.
Goal: Pressure on the quality of length and interception from the T.
Success: Tight balls that the player on the T can't intercept.
Works on: Tight drive (rail), Volley drive (length), Volley drop
From the T, move to the indicated corner, shadow shot with a correct lunge, recover to the T. Fixed order at first, then random.
What you need: Empty court, stopwatch; the coach calls out or points to the corner.
Goal: Movement efficiency and sport-specific endurance.
Success: Number of corners reached per set, with full recovery to the T and technique maintained.
Works on: Ghosting (movement without the ball), Split-step, Movement to the front corners, Movement to the back corners, Lateral movement to mid-court (volley), Recovery to the T
Sprints from the back wall to the short line, to the front wall and back, touching the floor with the racket at each turn.
What you need: Empty court.
Goal: Acceleration and change of direction.
Success: Time per rep maintained throughout the set.
Works on: Movement to the front corners, Movement to the back corners
Forward and diagonal lunges (as into the front corners), squats, lateral jumps. Keep the knee over the ankle.
What you need: Dumbbell or bodyweight, open space.
Goal: Strength and stability for the squash lunge.
Success: Every rep with a stable knee and an explosive recovery.
Works on: Movement to the front corners
The coach feeds balls quickly into the 4 corners; the player must get there and return them with the required shot (length or drop) at maximum pace.
What you need: Coach with the ball, on the T or at the front.
Goal: Technique under fatigue and movement speed.
Success: Percentage of balls returned correctly in the last 15 seconds of the set.
Works on: Straight drive, Straight drop, Defensive lob under pressure, Movement to the front corners, Movement to the back corners
Games start from tight scores; the trailing player has to come back, the leading player has to close out the game.
What you need: Two players, the coach sets the starting score.
Goal: Decision-making on big points.
Success: Games closed out; few unforced errors in the final points.
Works on: Straight drive, Straight drop, Lob serve, Straight volley return
A match under official rules (PAR to 11, win by 2). The coach notes unforced errors, winners and where the T was lost.
What you need: Two players, optional referee.
Goal: Applying technique and tactics in match conditions.
Success: Ratio of winners to unforced errors.
Works on: Straight drive, Cross-court drive, Straight drop, Two-wall boast, Volley drive (length), Lob serve
The tactical principles of the sport and the drills used to train each.
Whoever is on the T has the shortest path to any ball. Every shot aims to pull your opponent off the T and give you time to recover. Shots through the middle hand them the T.
Drills: Three-player rotation (drive – drive – boast), Conditioned game: behind the short line only, 6-corner ghosting
The foundation of the game: balls that die in the back corners and cross-courts that hit the side wall level with your opponent. Until you have good length, attacking at the front is risky.
Drills: Conditioned game: behind the short line only, Drive – drive – cross-court, Length targets
Alternate length with drops and boasts so your opponent has to cover the court's diagonals, the longest distances. Their fatigue brings you weak balls.
Drills: Conditioned game: A at the back, B anywhere, Pressure session (feeding under pressure), Boast – drive
Attack with a drop, boast or kill only when you're in front of your opponent or on the T and they're at the back or off balance. An attack played from the back or from a poor position hands them the ball.
Drills: Game with 3 length shots before attacking, Conditioned game: A at the back, B anywhere, Kill and nick off a fed ball
By taking the ball on the volley, you cut your opponent's recovery time and stay on the T. Your opponent's weak cross-courts and lobs get intercepted.
Drills: Volley bonus game, Volley – drive (one on the T, one at the back), Volley drop – drive
Under pressure, play a high lob or a tight drive to length, not risky shots. The aim is to regain your time and your position on the T.
Drills: Boast – cross-court lob – drive, Pressure session (feeding under pressure)
The same preparation for drive, drop and boast keeps your opponent pinned on the T. The hold forces them to commit first and move the wrong way.
A good serve (lob or semi-lob into the corner) gets you a weak return and the T. A good return goes to length, tight to the wall, or cross-court with width; attack on the return only against a short serve.
Drills: Serve – return – third ball
Change the pace: slow lobs to recover or break your opponent's rhythm, low, fast drives to hurry them. The player who dictates the pace controls the match.
Drills: Game with 3 length shots before attacking, Practice match
When the score is tight, narrow your options (simple plan: length, then attack the weak ball) and avoid shots with a high risk of hitting the tin.
The criteria your coach grades from 1 to 10 in the app, in four directions.
Create a free account, pick Squash and "what are you working on today". Log attempts and successes per technique, the watch measures the effort, and your club coach sees the session and suggests the next drills.
I want a 4-week program made for me (AI coach) › Gym exercises for physical preparation ›The content is compiled by PlanSports from the sources above and checked by coaches; it does not replace your coach. The personalised week-by-week program comes from the AI coach.
