The fastest way to take control of a squash rally is to stop giving your opponent time — and nothing does that like the volley. Instead of letting the ball travel to the back and playing it off the bounce, you step in and cut it off in the air. The rally speeds up, your opponent is rushed, and you are the one dictating. Volley Rhythm is our routine for building that skill: six drills that groove early, compact volleys on both wings and then turn them into a weapon.
Before you take this routine onto a real court, play the drills online first to learn the rhythm. The volley is all about timing — meeting the ball out in front at the right moment — and that is exactly what a few reps on screen let you feel before you step on court.
What's in the routine
The six drills warm up your length first, then build the volley from a clean straight hit up to an attacking finish:
- Straight Drive Rail (R) and (L) — a controlled feed to each wall; drive it deep and tight. Grooving a solid length is the foundation every volley is built on.
- Volley Drive (R) and (L) — fast deep feeds down each side; step across and take the ball early, driving it straight to the back before it bounces.
- Volley Alternate (L/R) — feeds alternate left and right of the T; volley each one straight and deep, keeping your feet light between sides.
- Volley Drop (L/R) — cut the deep feed off at the short line and drop it soft into the nearest front corner. The volley turned into an attack.
Attack with touch, not just pace
Volley Rhythm has a deliberate arc. It starts with straight-drive length so you have a reliable base, moves through volley drives that add pace and pressure, and finishes with the volley drop — the same early interception, but instead of driving deep you kill the ball short. That contrast is the whole point: once your opponent is bracing for another hard volley to the back, the soft drop into the front corner is almost impossible to cover.
A few things to feel while you train it
- Contact out in front. A volley is met early, ahead of your body — not beside or behind you. Short backswing, firm wrist, and let the ball's own pace do the work.
- Hold the T. The volley only pays off if you are already in position to take the ball early. Stay high on the court and cover forward.
- Light feet, small steps. On the alternating drills, never cross your feet — small adjusting steps beat one big lunge, and they keep you balanced for the next ball.
- Block the drop, don't swing it. On the volley drop, a loose grip and a quiet racket kill the pace; a big swing sends it too deep.
Open the routine, watch each drill in 3D Court View or from above on the Tactics Board, then hit Train all drills to play the whole session in order. For more, browse the community's shared work on the Routines and Drills pages.