Brilliant. Thanks ever so much James; that clip has is exactly what I was looking for to cement my understanding.

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Just found this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltHAb0at7Es - Ramy Ashour at 240fps.

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Marky,

Yes, if you didn't twist your forearm the racket head would come through frame first and you would be striking the ball with the leading edge of the racket head. Have a look at this video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3nmeLYhc3k

The footage of Amr Shabana, James Willstrop and Gregory Gaultier probably illustrate it best. Start the vid 2 mins 25 seconds in.

Really we need some video of a top squash player taken with one of those funky high speed cameras but I'm yet to find any.

By using the wrist like this you are maximising the rotating force. Here's another video that explains the bio mechanics involved in generating power. This video is talking about tennis swing but the principle is the same. That is that there are three ways to generate power: a) rotation; b) forward motion; c) upward motion. In the video they use the terms linear power, groundforce power and circular power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osACEmE-7dU

It will take a lot of practice to time all these movements in with each other so be patient and don't worry if it knocks your timing out initially.

oh and btw - I'm actually James not Nick. The forum user name is just a little squash joke. :)

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Hi Nick,

Thankyou so much for an excellent response.  You have definitively nailed my question, and now I feel that I totally understand the process.

To clarify, you approach the drive with Supination of the forearm(or the bottom of the racquet facing the ball) and then rotate into Pronation on impact?

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Hi Marky,

Your question is a very interesting one and there is great debate about the use of the wrist in squash. I refer you to this link - squashsite.co.uk/vintage/frankland.htm

When I started playing squash we used wooden rackets that were very heavy. I was taught to swing in a large U shape and keep my wrist cocked throughout. Nowadays rackets are lighter so the swing can be much shorter and the use of the wrist does not introduce so much inaccuracy.

In my opinion there is a trade off. Keep your wrist cocked for more accuracy but for real power you need to whip your wrist just as you strike the ball a bit like throwing a skimmer stone across a lake.

And also remember that the wrist can be cocked back or forward. So as you strike the ball you can whip your wrist without breaking the cocked position by rotating your forearm. To see what I mean hold your arm out in front of you and cock your wrist in a vertical postion so your thumb is vertical. Now twist your forearm and wrist back so your thumb is horizontal. This is your starting position for a forehand. As you strike the ball you twist your forearm so your thumb is pointing the other way. This 'pronation' of the forearm generates extra power but maintains control.

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