Session theme
Serve and Return — grooving lob serve placement and the deep straight return, then learning to read serve type under pressure and pick the right response.
Timeline
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Warm-up: Serve Placement |
| 0:10–0:30 | Drill 1: Lob Serve & Deep Return |
| 0:30–0:50 | Drill 2: Return of Serve Pressure |
| 0:50–1:05 | Games 1: Serve Battle (conditioned) |
| 1:05–1:20 | Games 2: Open Play |
Warm-up: Serve Placement (10 min)
Server practices lob serves from both service boxes, no returner yet — just serve reps into an empty court, alternating boxes. Aim to land the ball high on the side wall and let it drop into the back corner without touching the back wall on the fly. This is about grooving the toss and swing shape before anyone has to deal with a return.
Drill details
Drill 1: Lob Serve & Deep Return
- Setup
- 2 players, one serving, one returning. (3-player adaptation: rotate the server every 4 serves so the returner faces different toss rhythms and paces, with the third player waiting at the back as next server, cycling through all three. 4-player adaptation: run two simultaneous server/returner pairs at each end of the same court for this feed-and-reset pattern — there's no live rally yet, so the paths don't cross.)
- Pattern
- Server plays a lob serve from either box; returner lets it drop off the back wall/side wall as needed and returns it straight and deep back down the same wall, aiming to pin the server back. Server retrieves and the pattern resets (a feed, not a live rally, for reps). Run 8–10 serves each box, then swap roles.
- Coaching points
- Server: height and width are the target, not pace — aim to hug the side wall on the way up.
- Returner: take the ball at the top of the bounce or as it drops off the wall, racket prepared early.
- Returner: return with depth over pace.
- Success criterion
- Server lands 7 of 10 lobs in the back quarter without hitting the back wall on the fly; returner sends 7 of 10 returns behind the service box.
- Regression
- Server aims for a bigger, more generous target (whole back third instead of tight to the wall); returner allowed extra bounce/space before committing.
- Progression
- Server varies which box and how tight to the wall; returner must also touch the T after each return.
- Duration
- 20 min.
- A plays a lob serve high into the back corner
- B returns straight and deep down the same wall
- B recovers to the T
Drill 2: Return of Serve Pressure
- Setup
- Same pair, live pattern. (4-player adaptation: switch to one pair at a time on the court for this live-pressure version, after both pairs have run Drill 1 together.)
- Pattern
- Server now varies between the lob serve and a firmer, lower hard serve, unpredictably. Returner must read serve type early and choose the appropriate response — deep straight return off the lob, or an aggressive volley return off the hard serve if it sits up — then the point is played out live for 2–3 more shots before resetting.
- Coaching points
- Returner splits their ready position between "wait for the drop" (lob) and "step in and take it early" (hard serve) — the read starts the moment the server tosses/prepares.
- Server should vary rhythm, not just serve type, to avoid becoming predictable themselves.
- Success criterion
- Returner picks the correct response type (deep return vs volley) on 7 of 10 serves.
- Regression
- Server announces serve type just before serving, isolating the technical response from the read.
- Progression
- Play the point out fully live after the return (not just 2–3 shots), turning the drill into serve-and-rally practice.
- Duration
- 20 min.
- Option one: a lob serve dropping into the back corner
- Option two: a firmer, lower hard serve
- B recovers to the T after the return
Games details
Games 1: Serve Battle (conditioned, 15 min)
- Condition
- Every point starts from a proper serve (no rally warm-up feed); server rotates after every single point regardless of who won it, so both players get maximum serve and return reps.
- Scoring
- First to 15 total points across both players combined, or 15 min, whichever comes first.
- Rotation
- Server rotates after every point, per the condition above.
- Duration
- 15 min.
Games 2: Open Play (normal, 15 min)
- Condition
- None — full rules, applying everything from the session. Remind players to actually serve properly (from the box, foot-fault rules) rather than just tossing it in.
- Scoring
- Games to 11, standard PAR scoring.
- Rotation
- Round-robin if more than one pair is sharing the court.
- Duration
- 15 min.
Court split
Written for 2 players on 1 court. The 3-player and 4-player adaptations live inline within each drill and game above rather than as a separate parallel session — see Coach's notes for when to reach for them.
Coach's notes
- Return of serve is one of the most under-drilled shots in club squash — resist the temptation to rush past Drill 1 into live play, the deep straight return habit needs real reps before adding decision-making on top.
- With 3 players, rotate the server every 4 serves in Drill 1 and Drill 2 so the returner sees different toss rhythms and paces; cycle all three through server, returner, and waiting.
- With 4 players, run two pairs simultaneously for Drill 1's feed-and-reset pattern, then switch to one pair at a time for Drill 2 and both games so the live pressure work gets full attention.
- Standing that close to a returner mid-swing is a Turner & Rhodes Solicitors case study waiting to happen.