Squash - Plyometrics

Plyometric exercises reduce the time spent on the ground preparing to move, with the primary emphasis of most activities focused on vertical and forward motion. In a squash game, the next move could be in the same direction or an infinite number of possible directions. The design of this training session hinges on eliciting a plyometric-based stretch-shortening cycle but then using this stimulus to isolate the multidirectional foot patterns specific to squash. To recreate "gameplay", each drill mirrors a movement on the court performed over short distances focusing on the development of both linear and lateral movements.

Session Drills

1. Barrier hop with a change of direction and shot

Barriers are formed in a row, with the last one placed so the athlete will land on the "T". The athlete completes the barrier hops as usual. While clearing the final barrier, the coach points to a specific area corresponding to a particular shot to be played (i.e. frontcourt: lob/drop shot/straight or cross-court drive; mid-court: volley/drive; backcourt: drive). All shots can be either fore or backhand. The athlete lands two-footed, reacts to the coach's visual cue with a split step, moves to the correct court position and plays the shot. After completing the shot, the athlete pushes back out of the "shot" in the direction of the T, but for one step only. This drill develops starting speed, acceleration, and vertical and horizontal jump capacity.

2. Lateral barrier hop with a 180-degree turn

Barriers are formed in a row. The athlete transverses the barriers sideways, landing on both feet, hips facing forwards throughout. While clearing the last barrier, the athlete turns 180 degrees, landing on the outside foot only, pushing off on this leg to change direction back down the row. The athlete lands two-footed back down the row. This is repeated until the required number of repetitions is completed. This drill develops ankle stability, acceleration and lateral change of direction.

3. Hexagon drill with a change of direction

The tape is creates a hexagon on the floor (sides of 20 inches plus), using the T as the centre. The athlete stands in the centre of the hexagon and responds to a starting signal by jumping two-footed across one side of the hexagon and then back to the centre. The athlete proceeds around each side of the hexagon in this manner for a prescribed period. A visual clue is given to the athlete at the mid-point of the prescribed time, at which point the direction of the hexagon travel is reversed. This drill develops ankle stability, acceleration, lateral change of direction and the ability to centre the body following a change of direction.

4. Split squat jump with cycle

This drill develops starting speed, acceleration and linear change of direction. The athlete begins in a split squat position. They then drive up, the main emphasis coming from the front leg. Mid-jump, the leg positioning is cycled so that the opposite leg comes through to the front and becomes the drive leg for the next repetition. This is repeated until the required number of reps is reached.

5. Barrier hop with 180 degrees turn

Barriers are formed in a row. The athlete hops two-footed over the barriers. While clearing each barrier, they rotate 180 degrees in alternate directions. On clearing the last barrier, the athlete reverses the rotation and traverses back down the row in the same manner until the required reps are reached. This drill develops turning speed, ankle stability, vertical jump capacity, horizontal jump capacity and linear change of direction.

Notes

All cues are visual - squash specific
The athlete completes all drills holding a racket - squash specific
Proper technique throughout is vital
The athlete makes minimal contact with the floor during all drills; there is no land and pause but rather an immediate explosive movement in the direction required (hot tin roof)
The primary objective is to target "first step" quickness and agility in all directions, but these drills also affect balance, coordination, joint stabilisation and foot speed.

This is an advanced session designed for the elite squash player. However, its advantage is that the intensity of each drill can be adapted to suit a particular athlete's specific skill level while retaining the original emphasis. The session intensity can be reduced by limiting the number of barriers, barrier height or the distance of each hop and breaking down each drill to its core movement (for example, removing 180 degrees turn). Conversely, the session intensity can be increased by including depth jumps or by adding resistance such as a weighted vest. Such variables should be modified for phases of the training calendar, injury potential and the athlete's experience base and level of participation. Progression should never be sacrificed for a breakdown in technique; this is counter-productive.

At each stage, monitor the athletes, allowing for comparison and immediate feedback. You can achieve this by timing the athlete to complete a single rep (drill 1), a set of specific numbers of reps (drills 2, 4 and 5), or by counting the number of foot contacts/hops possible within a set time (drill 3). This, combined with the fact that the athlete can see themself dealing with higher drill intensity and complexity, helps to maintain focus, reduce boredom, and thus maximise results.

Warm-Up and Cool Down

Before any drill work, athletes should complete a general warm-up that includes squash-specific dynamic flexibility movements. This produces several benefits such as improved coordination, balance, proprioception and movement speed. However, remember that for optimal results, the athlete should begin the main session entirely fresh, so the dynamic flexibility work must be designed so as not to be overly tiring. At the end of the session, undertake static stretching to reduce muscle soreness and increase flexibility.

Quantity

Quantifying the session volume by the number of foot contacts is advisable. The athlete's overall program will dictate the optimal amount of sets, repetitions, length of rest periods between sets and the frequency of completion.

Safety

This session is fundamentally plyometric-based, so suitable thought must be given to ensure its safe and effective use, such as training age, flooring, adequate strength level, participation in a conditioning program, and correct technique.

Article Reference

The information on this page is adapted from Harrison (1999)^[1] with the kind permission of Electric Word plc.

References

HARRISON, A. (1999) If you want to develop extra quickness and agility, this is the way to do it. Peak Performance, 122, p. 4-6

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2003) Squash - Plyometrics [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/squash/squashplyo.htm [Accessed