Squash

[hyperD]

You could use a very bouncy squash ball:

[VirtualMonkey]

I'm not a great squash player but have seen the problems you face.
Boasting off the back wall is hard to do, rarely gets the ball anywhere near the front and can often lead to the ball bouncing straight back into your body (or face as I'm painfully aware).
The trick is twofold:
Like someone else said the best bet is to recognise it's going to happen before the ball gets to the back wall. Hard to do but it'll come with practice.
The second is the scooping (which is legal). Essentially what you want to do is swing your racquet but can't because the wall is in the way. The way people get around it is to make the backswing a downward movement rather than a horizontal one. If you turn your racquet part way through the downswing you hit the ball, with no backwards lateral movement and only lose a fraction of the power you lose from boasting.

Keep going and keep practicing against these people as they're your best bet for improving.
Squash is undoubtable one of the hardest, most physically demanding sports I've tried outside of contact sports like rugby.

[sasguru]

I keep getting beaten, just, by this bloke at the office & it's starting to get to me so I want to do something about it.

I've identified the main weakness in my game (other than just being generally crap) - I can't get those balls that drop into the corners neither can I dig out balls that just drop off the back wall without bouncing very high. Just can't get the racquet under them. He can though - seems to use a scooping action that I'm not entirely sure is legal.

Just wondering if there is any particular racquet that is more conducive to playing these kind of shots - one with a smaller head perhaps? Any advice from you sporty types would be most welcome.

Ah that takes me back to squash-playing days - don't know why I stopped really other than I started liking tennis better.
What you've identified is what makes a good squash player - the ability to have the ball traverse the side walls and go into the corners.
If the opponent is very good some of those balls are almost irretrievable - not much to do except practice and do it back.
Or use side walls if there's any room as OS says.
But I've played very good people who always got me that way, and had the same problem - I was a reasonable but not great player.

[BigTime]

Get some coaching. Top tips from India for free: http://www.squashsite.co.uk/cyrus_tips.htm

[Willapp]

Normally a rally. I've tried boasting off the side walls but normally the angle is wrong. Boasting off the back wall could be a plan - won't need to worry about getting racquet between the ball and the wall.

Using the back wall is definitely the way forward, I used to suffer the exact same problem. Trick is to get enough power into the shot and aim high enough on the back wall to get the right trajectory and return the ball to the front wall.

A lot of squash, as I'm sure you've realised, is down to correct positioning on the court and a good deal of anticipation. In theory playing the same person regularly should eventually allow you to start reading their game and get into position ahead of the shot so you can volley a return or get to the front wall comfortably in time to return a drop shot.

(Disclaimer: I am not an excellent squash player.)

[oracleslave]

Boasting off the back wall could be a plan

Leaves you very exposed though and you're likely to lose the point on the next shot anyway.

[wurzel]

Is this in a rally or from a serve. If serve, with practice you should be able to identify when this is going to happen and volley the return rather than letting the ball bounce.

If in a rally, rather than scooping have you tried boasting directly into the wall the ball is close to?

Normally a rally. I've tried boasting off the side walls but normally the angle is wrong. Boasting off the back wall could be a plan - won't need to worry about getting racquet between the ball and the wall.

[oracleslave]

neither can I dig out balls that just drop off the back wall without bouncing very high. Just can't get the racquet under them.

Is this in a rally or from a serve. If serve, with practice you should be able to identify when this is going to happen and volley the return rather than letting the ball bounce.

If in a rally, rather than scooping have you tried boasting directly into the wall the ball is close to?

[vetran]

Blink - was a mashup of old bbc science programs, it was fascinating both for content and for social changes in science.


BBC iPlayer - Blink: A Horizon Guide to the Senses

[TimberWolf]

Saw something on TV the other day where someone was trying to play squash with earplugs in, and his or her timing was off. We play with our ears as well as our other senses. Can you supply him with some nice loud music?

[oscarose]

Don't allow your partner to hit them into the corners.

[Mich the Tester]

Easy, you don't need a new racquet. Print this sporting themed picture on the back of your t-shirt and see how he loses his ability to concentrate on the little balls. Of course, if he's gay it won't work.

[wurzel]

I keep getting beaten, just, by this bloke at the office & it's starting to get to me so I want to do something about it.

I've identified the main weakness in my game (other than just being generally crap) - I can't get those balls that drop into the corners neither can I dig out balls that just drop off the back wall without bouncing very high. Just can't get the racquet under them. He can though - seems to use a scooping action that I'm not entirely sure is legal.

Just wondering if there is any particular racquet that is more conducive to playing these kind of shots - one with a smaller head perhaps? Any advice from you sporty types would be most welcome.