Want To Start Boasting About Your Squash Boast? – Yes Then Read On
The squash boast is basically any shot that hits the side or back wall before hitting the front wall. It is commonly played as a defensive shot. Often when the ball has been played tight to the back wall. However, it can also be played as an attacking shot.
Squash is a game of angles and experienced players can use the angles in order to put the ball in a position that makes it as hard as possible for your opponent to return it.
The squash boast is basically any shot that hits the side or back wall before hitting the front wall.
Side Wall Boast
This is the most common boast played in the game of squash. In the video below Bob Jaffe from Dulwich Squash club, London UK demonstrates how to play the side wall boast…
The common form of the sidewall boast is sometimes referred to as the three wall boast, this is because it is played against the sidewall from the back of the court, it then hits the front wall and the opposite side wall – three walls.
Attacking Squash Boast
The most common attacking boast is a two-wall boast. Basically, the aim of the two-wall attacking boast is for the ball to go from the sidewall to the middle of the front wall. This way the ball bounces and starts to die before hitting the opposite sidewall. It’s a good shot to play if you feel like your opponent is slightly out of position.
The two-wall attacking boast has a further advantage in that it’s a shot that can easily be disguised. Simply set up to play a straight drive and then at the last instant play an attacking boast.
The video below shows how to play a two-wall attacking boast…
The three-wall attaching boast is much harder to play and usually takes a lot of practice to master effectively. The three-wall attacking boast is played from the back corner and should ideally nick out of the opposite front corner.
Play attacking boasts to break up the rhythm of the game or if your opponent tends to be hanging around the back of the court a lot. It’s also a good shot to play if you’re not confident about your drop shot. Also, use an attacking boast if your opponent is stuck near the sidewall, it’s an effective way to get the ball to the other side of the court quickly.
Don’t play an attacking boast if your opponent is in front of you and closely watching the ball, don’t play it they’re generally quick at moving and picking balls up from the front of the court.
Below is a video demonstrating how to play a three-wall boast.
Defensive Boast
A defensive boast is usually any boast that’s played from the back of the court with your opponent in front of you.
Played very well it hits the sidewall, then the front wall and then hits the nick in the floor of the opposite corner to where you played it from. It is usually a three-wall boast but can be a two-wall and in cases of last resort defence, it can be a back wall boast. Please see further down this article for details of a back wall boast.
See the video below for details of the defensive boast including routines you can practice with a partner in order to perfect the shot.
Trickle Boast
A trickle boast is played in the front corners and is often played as an alternative to a drop shot.
It’s quite a good shot for people to play who aren’t too confident about their drop shot abilities.
The best way to play this shot is to hold it for as long as possible and then flick it towards the front sidewall. You have to be quite confident that your opponent is either out of position or is going to misread your trickle boast as if they’re on top of it you will find yourself scrambling across a full court diagonal chasing a ball that you have a high chance of missing.
The following video will show you how to play a trickle boast…
Back Wall Boast
This squash boast should really be used as a last resort. It’s a last line of defence when basically the ball is so tight to the back wall that you can’t play anything else.
To play the shot you open the racket face in order to play the ball of the back wall in such a way that it arcs up high and relatively slowly towards the front wall. You want it to be high and relatively slow to give you time to get yourself back on the T.
This shot often leaves your opponent in a very strong position and so you need to be well placed on the T to have a better chance of anticipating what your opponent’s next shot might be. The video below demonstrates how to play a back wall boast…
Reverse Angle Boast
The reverse angle boast is played against the opposite sidewall to where the ball is, it then hits the front wall and comes back to where you first played it from.
It’s a shot that should be played very sparingly. Most squash coaches would advise against ever playing this squash boast. Played with a bit of disguise though it can work in terms of it making your opponent think you’ve played a cross-court shot only to see the ball fly back to where it was first played from.
Skid Boast
The skid boast is played from the back corners. To play it you need to play the ball hard and fast high up on the sidewall near the front of the court. The ball then lobs cross court to the opposite back corner. Here’s a video that demonstrates how to play a skid boast…
Philly Boast or Corkscrew
The Philly boast is usually played from the front of the court. It is played high up on the front wall and then it hits the sidewall and travels to the opposite back corner.
If played very well the ball ends up with a lot of spin on it and it can sometimes make the ball appear to almost hug tight against the back wall. Ramy Ashour hitting a perfect backhand Philly boast…
Nick Matthew playing a forehand version of the same shot…
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Featured Image Photo Credit: Flickr – Darla دارلا Hueske
Article Written By: Martin Gilliard
What’s your favourite boast? Can you play a skid boast or a Philly boast? Let me know in the comments below…