Coach’s Corner – Footwork Fixes

There is a brutal truth in squash, and it arrives early, breathless, and without apology:

If your feet are wrong, almost everything else is harder.

Your swing feels rushed.
Your recovery feels slow.
Your decisions feel panicked.
And suddenly the rally is not being played on your terms at all — it is dragging you around by the shirt collar.

That is why footwork matters so much.

Good footwork does not just help you reach the ball. It helps you arrive balanced, recover efficiently, protect your body, and make better decisions under pressure. OLIVER’s recent movement guides consistently frame efficient movement as the link between better shot quality, better recovery, and fewer wasted steps.

The good news is that most footwork problems are fixable.

Not with magic.
Not with endless mindless ghosting.
But with a few smart corrections, repeated consistently.

Why Footwork Breaks Down

Most players do not struggle with footwork because they are lazy.

They struggle because they fall into a few common habits:

• they move too late
• they take too many steps
• they arrive too close to the ball
• they recover too slowly
• they watch their shot instead of moving out
• they chase the ball instead of moving with purpose

When that happens, everything starts to feel rushed. That fits closely with OLIVER’s advice on rushed shots, which highlights poor positioning and off-balance movement as major reasons players hurry their swing.

1. Stop Standing Too Tall

One of the most common footwork issues is moving with a body position that is too upright.

If you stay tall and stiff, your first step is slower, your changes of direction are clumsier, and it becomes much harder to adjust when the ball does something awkward.

A better starting point is:

• knees slightly flexed
• chest relaxed
• weight ready on the balls of the feet
• body prepared to push in any direction

You do not need to crouch like a sprinter waiting for a gun. But you do need to look and feel ready to move.

2. Fix Your First Step

A lot of players waste time because their first movement is hesitant.

That half-step of uncertainty is costly in squash.

The first step should be clear and purposeful. If you read the ball early and move decisively, the rest of the movement becomes easier. If you are late to the first step, everything after it becomes a rescue mission.

This is one reason Squash Movement: Efficiency, Flow, and Recovery is such a useful companion read. It focuses heavily on efficient movement patterns, acceleration, deceleration, and recovery habits.

3. Give Yourself the Right Distance From the Ball

Many footwork issues are really spacing issues.

Players often get:

• too close, which jams the swing
• too far away, which stretches the contact
• too square, which limits shot options
• too upright at contact, which weakens balance

Good footwork is not just about reaching the ball. It is about reaching it in a position where you can still play a quality shot.

If your swing often feels cramped or rushed, the problem may not be your swing mechanics at all. It may be that your feet have delivered you to the wrong place.

4. Recover Immediately — Don’t Admire the Shot

This is a huge one.

Players hit a decent shot, pause for a moment, and then react late to the reply. That tiny delay is enough to lose the T, lose control of the rally, and lose the next exchange.

Your recovery should begin as soon as the shot is gone.

That is why OLIVER’s T-control series places so much emphasis on movement and positioning after the shot, not just getting to the ball in the first place. Master the T: Why Controlling the Heart of the Court Will Transform Your Game sets up the core idea, while Dominate the T – Part 2: Footwork and Positioning focuses directly on efficient recovery and central court positioning.

5. Do Not Rush the Last Step Into the Ball

A common mistake is doing the hard work to get near the ball… and then ruining it with a rushed final approach.

The last step matters because it determines:

• balance
• reach
• body control
• shot options
• recovery potential

Especially in the front corners, a poor final step can leave you falling into the ball, reaching, or getting stuck after contact.

A controlled final step gives you a much better platform to strike from and recover out of.

6. Learn to Slow Down Into the Shot

Good movers are not just quick. They are controlled.

A lot of players can sprint toward the ball, but fewer can decelerate well enough to arrive balanced.

That ability to slow down under control is massive for squash. It helps with:

• cleaner contact
• fewer slips and stumbles
• safer lunging
• quicker recovery
• less physical stress over time

OLIVER’s broader movement content repeatedly makes this point: efficient movement is not just about speed, but about balance, body control, and recovery rhythm.

7. Make Your Recovery Route Smarter

Some players recover in huge looping patterns.

Others drift too wide.
Others walk out of the corner.
Others recover to the wrong spot entirely.

Strong footwork means recovering efficiently back toward a useful central position, usually the T or a position that reflects the likely next shot.

That is exactly why Dominate the T – Part 2: Footwork and Positioning and Part 3: Tactical Awareness & Decision-Making work so well alongside this piece. Good footwork is not separate from tactics — it gives your tactics a platform.

8. Balance Before Brilliance

Players often think better footwork means moving faster.

Sometimes it does. But often it means moving better.

Balanced movement gives you:

• more options on the ball
• a calmer swing
• more accurate shot selection
• better recovery after contact

This also links beautifully with FAQ Friday – How Do I Stop Rushing Shots?, because rushed swings are very often caused by rushed feet.

Simple Footwork Fixes Coaches Can Use

If you are coaching this, keep it simple.

Do not drown players in ten cues at once. Start with one fix, repeat it, then layer in the next.

Good coaching themes include:

“Move earlier”

Encourage players to read and react sooner rather than relying on late speed.

“Arrive balanced”

Make the goal not just reaching the ball, but reaching it ready to play.

“Recover straight away”

Train players to move out of the shot as part of the shot.

“Small adjustments matter”

The difference between a poor contact and a clean one is often one extra adjustment step.

For juniors and developing players especially, this sort of foundation work is vital. OLIVER’s Coaching Corner category continues to centre fundamentals like movement, control, and technical habits across its coaching content.

Drills That Help Fix Footwork

A few strong options:

T to Front Corner Repeats

Start on the T, move into one front corner, shadow the shot, recover, and repeat. Focus on the final step and the first recovery step.

Straight Drive Recovery Drill

Feed or hit straight drives and focus on recovering properly after every strike. This builds rhythm between shot and movement.

Split-Step Awareness Drill

Build the habit of being ready as your opponent hits, instead of reacting late after the ball is already on its way.

Controlled Ghosting

Short, sharp ghosting patterns with a focus on quality, not just exhaustion. OLIVER’s solo drill guide specifically recommends structured movement patterns from the T with emphasis on efficient return steps. What Squash Drills Can I Do Alone?

Final Thoughts

Footwork fixes do not need to be dramatic to be effective.

Sometimes the biggest changes come from small improvements:

• a better first step
• a calmer final step
• cleaner spacing
• quicker recovery
• better balance into the ball

Fix those, and suddenly everything else starts looking better too.

Your swing improves.
Your timing improves.
Your shot quality improves.
And the court starts feeling a little less frantic.

Because in squash, great footwork does not just help you get to the ball.

It helps you arrive there ready to do something useful.

If you want to keep building this area of your game, read Squash Movement: Efficiency, Flow, and Recovery, Dominate the T – Part 2: Footwork and Positioning, and explore the wider Coach’s Corner or full OLIVER Blog. Those pages are all currently live on the site.