In following the ball around the corners, do not stand still and pivot. Go after it, again with a series of short steps with your racquet head up and cocked, and your body in proper position so that you are ready to make a quick and meaningful stroke.
Volleying or cutting off the ball before it hits the floor is similar to the tennis stroke. It calls for lightning-like reflexes and the ability to move the racquet head practically in any given direction in a fraction of a second.
The volley is a short "jab," with the racquet head traveling forward no more than, say, 24 inches. Once again, your aim should be in the direction of where you want the ball to go, and low.
The main purpose of the volley is to keep your opponent constantly on the run, moving him about, and preferably up and back, by cutting off the flight of the ball. Most players can run all day sideways, but will eventually tire if you make them run up and back. Like body punches in boxing, forcing your opponent up to the front wall with deftly placed volleys will eventually take its toll.
Miscellaneous: Generally all Squash Tennis strokes should be hit as low as possible—within a few inches of the front "telltale." This will take time and practice, but pays high dividends. A low ball invites the aforementioned nicks and keeps your opponent hurrying and scurrying. The chances are better that, when hit with the proper amount of pace, a low ball will die before it gets to the back wall.
When a ball is hugging the side wall, don't attempt to "pick" it off. It is far easier, and your percentage of success is far greater, to "scrape" the ball off with a very loose wrist. Your other alternative is to hit the ball right into the wall and hope it will angle off and travel to the front wall (see fig. 4).
Service: The proper position prior to serving is with the feet as close to the "T" as possible. This location will help you to put your service in the desired place, which is parallel to the side wall. In other words, you reduce the angle. In addition, the "center" of the court is the ideal position from which to cover your opponent's return (see fig. 5).
Since the ball must land short of the service line, it is obviously not possible to overpower your opponent for a service ace—as contrasted to the services in Squash Racquets or Lawn Tennis.
The most effective service, therefore, is hit as high as possible on the front wall to a "spot" that will place the ball after bouncing (and your opponent must wait for your service to bounce on the floor—he cannot volley it) as high and also as close to the side wall as possible. Your opponent will have a difficult time hitting the ball well because of its height and its closeness to the side wall. A great deal of practice and experimentation will be required before you discover exactly where that "spot" is, and with what degree of effort you should hit the ball.