Agility & Footwork
Agility & Footwork The way you move around the court is just as (or more) important as what you do with the ball once you get to it. If you are light on your feet & move with a spring in your step, you’ll find you can change direction much quicker than if you are clomping around the court flat footed! One way to help get you get up on your toes is to work on some simple exercises. Start off by simply running from end to end of the court (court sprints), changing direction as you go – forwards, backwards, sideways. Then progress to shuttle runs, running sideways & lunging down to touch the floor at ¼; ½; ¾; & at the end of the court, returning to the start point after each lunge. Try building yourself an obstacle course with cones (or pieces of rope), get up on your toes & step around the cones using small steps, aiming to get quicker each time you go around. This should improve your agility heaps! A way to get your footwork right in the front half of the court is to imagine a child’s drawing of a Christmas tree. The trunk of the tree runs down the centre of the court & the branches fan out to the side walls. If you run down the strong trunk & then turn to step out along the branches with your front foot, keeping your back foot anchored as close to the trunk as possible, you will be in the correct position to play the ball. On the other hand if you run straight out to the weaker tip of the branch, you put yourself too close to the ball & therefore not in a good position to play a clean shot. Try some footwork exercises at home – it’s fun! Happy Squashing - Dawn