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By Peter Langmaid
Successful squash demands two fundamental skills, one mental and one physical: knowing where to hit the ball, and being able to hit it there, repeatedly.
 For those of us who experience fear and dread as the ball approaches, because we have no idea what to do with it once it reaches us, play more (experience breeds wisdom) and get instruction. For those of us who flatter ourselves as strategically sound, but not always able to execute, consider your racquet preparation as a potential contributor.
Proper racquet preparation allows you, as they say in baseball, to play the ball rather than letting the ball play you. It allows you to cut more shots off; hit ‘straighter’; disguise your shots better; hold your opponent longer; improve your footwork; and quicken your court coverage.
To monitor your racquet preparation, first pay attention to where you hold your racquet between shots—is the racquet head ankle high, waist high, or chest high? If you’re not carrying your racquet chest high, you’re increasing the amount of time it takes you to prepare to strike the ball. Imagine swatting flies: Are you quicker if your hands start in your pockets or chest high in front of you? The colonists won the Revolutionary War because their protocol for shooting at the enemy was aim and fire, while the British labored through ready, aim, fire.
Second, notice whether you take your racquet back before you move to the ball, as you move, or when you arrive at the ball. Good players, when they arrive at the ball, have their racquet ready to play not only the shot they intend to play, but also any shot they might want to play. This creates deception and prevents an opponent from reading (anticipating) your shot and forces them to wait or guess, either of which gives you the advantage.
About the Author (In his own words): Peter Langmaid is a sixty year old squash player who came to the game in his mid-thirties. He loves the intensity and competiveness of the game. Like most squash players, he has more opinions than skills.
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