Watch ball or opponent?

After playing your shot should you watch the ball or oponent? I tend to watch the ball only. But this doesn't allow me to anticipate what kind of shot they are going to play, i.e straight, cross-court or boast? Is there a way I should watch my opponent to figure out what kind of shot they are going to play?

This is an easy subject to create a debate about because the answer is "both". But in my humble opinion your primary focus should be on the ball.

As you know, you can't actually see the ball at every moment in a game, as it passes in front or behind you opponent often - as it happens with crosscourts and boasts. Maybe you might look closer at the situation(s) that have made you ask your question and be more specific to get a better answer. There are clues you can pick up from observing both the ball position and/or your opponent's preparation that vary with different shots. Of course players who are good at disguising their shots with deceptive wrists, delays, foot position and swing etc. will give you fits if you only watch them.

So my advice is, if you are regularly getting fooled on one or two particular shots pay more attention to the ball and count the percentage of times in similar situations which way the ball was struck by your opponent. Once you have a pattern of uneven percentage be ready for either but be totally prepared (anticipate) to go to the popular side with your racket prepared.

Just one example case (which could have obvious variations): You are just getting back to the T after hitting a loose high boast out of your left backhand side that hits the front wall about middle and bounces out at an angle about 8 feet from the corner to your opponent's forehand. So now you have a situation where the ball is going to pass in front of your opponent and momentarily out of your view. There are 3 basic things to observe here and you have time since it was a slower high ball you just hit. First, is your opponents racket way back early to hit with power or only about halfway back to drop or lob? Next, is he preparing with his lead foot closer to the sidewall than his back foot or is he staying more open to hit a strong crosscourt? Finally, if you are anticipating the crosscourt but get even a glimpse of the ball as it passes him he is likely hitting a rail. When he takes the ball just a moment earlier in front of his lead foot for the crosscourt you won't see the ball at all a higher percentage of the time. So again, watch the ball, watch your opponent's set up with your peripheral vision (as much as possible) and watch the ball again.

Remember what Master Hashim Khan said, "Keep eye on ball, is most important thing I tell you."

On the same topic of watching the ball, many players incorrectly turn their heads quickly from watching the ball back towards the front wall, a moment or two before their opponent completes his swing and actually makes physical contact with the ball. They do this automatically without thinking about it to try to get their focus ahead of the object, much like you would do to lead a duck with a shotgun. Players wrongly do this naturally because it is what they must do when they run to retrieve a ball and even when they strike it.

In a situation where you are anticipating one or two shots from your opponent it is that split second at impact that will let you see which one it is and be on your way to intercept it. If you wait to see the ball come off of the front wall you have lost about half of the valuable trajectory input necessary for your brain to calculate where you will need to be to meet it. While you must be able to determine where the ball will be and physically "lead" it to that point with body and racket you don't want do do that with your eyes.

In my example of shooting a duck: When you sweep the barrel of the gun ahead of the target you still never lose visual contact with it, just the same as when you are positioning yourself for the intercept while watching the ball at the same time. So in respect to this analogy, your eyes are on the ball always and you and your racket are the gun. Make sure it's up and cocked too..:)

Remember the other elements of readiness and anticipation. Try picking between two shots you feel your opponent is most likely to make and react on your first good positioning clue and the snapshot you get from the ball leaving his racket. Don't just stand still on your heels, or toes either, waiting to react to the result.

The other element of this close watching of the ball is anticipation. You must choose what you feel is the most likely shot(s) your opponent will hit? From the back corner, if your opponent is late getting there he will most likely hit a boast first or a moderate-to-slow paced rail, if he has the skill to do so. If he is on the ball quickly and it is up for him but tight to the side he's probably going to hit another down the same side. If it is looser and you are cheating by staying back and to the same side he might boast it or on rare occasion drop it. If it is 2 1/2 to 3 feet or more from the side wall and you are turned to the same side or are up high (too high) on the T to cover his short shots watch for a hard cross court drive right around you. Keep your body completely facing forward with your racket head up and the crosscourts won't get past you very often.

Another thing to try in order to overcome flat footedness is, when you see the initial swing of the racket downward towards the ball, try making a short hop with both feet off your toes at the same instant in order to break the inertia and initiate some movement in advance. You may want to start this by hopping several times just before and during the engagement of the ball by your opponent. Almost all top squash players do the hop and so do tennis pro's, where it may even be more evident to see as they prepare for receiving the serve. Good Luck!!