July hits differently in squash. No Nationals looming next week, no Worlds qualifier breathing down your neck — just training blocks, maybe a tournament here or there, and actual time to work on the stuff that gets ignored when results are on the line.
So let’s talk about movement, because movement is the one skill that quietly wins or loses matches — and almost nobody trains it intentionally.
Here’s the thing about elite juniors: you’re already fit. You can run all day. The problem is rarely your engine — it’s your efficiency. Watch any top‑20 PSA player and count their steps to the front corner. Then count yours. That gap is where matches are won.
1. Stop Counting Strides, Start Counting Steps
Most young players take one big lunge to reach the ball. It looks aggressive, but it’s actually slow because you’re then stuck on one leg with no way to adjust or recover.
The pros use small, adjustable stalls until the last step. Think of it like parking a car — you don’t floor it into the spot; you creep and correct. Try this: next time you shadow, force yourself into three to five smaller steps to each corner instead of two big ones. It’ll feel weirdly slow at first. It isn’t.
2. Your Split Step Is Non‑Negotiable
If you’re not split‑stepping as your opponent makes contact, you’re starting late every single rally. It’s a tiny hop, barely visible, but it loads your legs to move explosively in any direction the moment you read the shot.
Drill it stupidly simply: have someone feed balls randomly while you split‑step on their racket contact — every single time, no exceptions. Make it boring. Make it automatic.
3. Train the Recovery, Not Just the Lunge
Everyone drills getting to the ball. Almost nobody drills getting back. But the recovery step — pushing off that front leg back toward the T — is where lazy footwork shows up under fatigue in the third game.
Add “ghost” recovery reps to your shadow routine: lunge, hit an imaginary shot, and explicitly focus on the push‑off and first two recovery steps rather than jogging back on autopilot.
4. Loosen Up Your Hips
Squash asks your hips to do things most sports don’t — deep lunges, rotation, sudden direction changes. Tight hips mean shorter, stiffer steps and more load on your knees and lower back.
Ten minutes of hip mobility (90/90 stretches, lunge‑to‑rotation, deep squat holds) before you even pick up a racket this month will pay off more than an extra ghosting session. Boring, unglamorous, essential.
5. Watch Your Eyes, Not Just Your Feet
Elite movement starts before your feet move — it starts with where your eyes are. If you’re watching the ball, you’re reacting. If you’re watching your opponent’s racket face and body shape, you’re anticipating their next move.
Next practice match, try consciously shifting your focus to your opponent’s shoulder and racket prep instead of ball‑watching. You’ll be shocked at how much earlier you start moving.
6. Get Comfortable Moving Backwards
Everyone drills forward movement to the front corners because that’s where the “hero” shots live. But watch where juniors actually lose points — it’s backing out of the front or retreating to cover a length with feet crossed over and eyes off the opponent.
Practice moving backwards from the T without turning your hips square to the back wall too early. Stay side‑on longer, keep your racket up, and only fully turn when you have to play the shot. This alone fixes many rushed back‑corner errors.
7. Build a Deceleration Habit, Not Just Acceleration
Everyone trains to explode toward the ball. Almost nobody trains to stop. But the ability to decelerate under control — especially into the front corners — is what keeps your knees healthy and lets you actually swing properly instead of poking at the ball off‑balance.
Try lateral bound‑and‑stick drills: jump sideways, land on one leg, hold it dead still for two full seconds before moving again. It feels unrelated to squash until you notice your front‑corner balance improving within a couple of weeks.
8. Use the Off‑Season to Fix Your Weaker Side
Under match pressure, you default to your dominant movement pattern — usually stronger on one side, whether that’s forehand corners or backhand corners. July is the time to notice which side that is and load it deliberately.
Spend an extra ten minutes each session ghosting only your weaker corner. Not because it needs more volume long‑term, but because right now it needs to catch up.
Your July Checklist
- Small adjustable steps into corners, not one big lunge
- Split step on every opponent contact — no exceptions
- Dedicated recovery‑step reps, not just ghosting the shot
- Ten minutes of hip mobility before every session
- Eyes on the opponent’s shape, not just the ball
- Backward movement drilled deliberately, staying side‑on longer
- Deceleration reps (bound‑and‑stick) alongside acceleration work
Plus: extra ghosting time on your weaker corner, not just your favourite one.
None of this is flashy. Nobody posts a video of good split‑step timing. But this is the stuff that separates the player who’s still moving well and pain‑free in game five from the one who isn’t. Use the quiet month. Your legs — and your ranking — will thank you in September.
Achieve better performance come return
As you step into this July movement reset, remember that refining how you move is just as important as refining how you hit. Every drill, every footwork pattern, and every moment of intentional practice builds the foundation for a faster, smarter, more resilient game. Commit to these upgrades now, and you’ll carry sharper instincts, cleaner lines of movement, and greater confidence into every match that follows. Your next level isn’t somewhere in the distance — it starts with how you choose to move today.