Questions about head and body serves come up a few times every season. Usually, I get the question: "What do I do about a guy who constantly serves at my head?". However sometimes I am asked: "Am I allowed to serve at somebody's head?"The head serve is a dangerous variation on a completely legitimate squash serve known as the body serve. In a body serve, the server directs a hard, flat, drive serve directly at an opponent's body.
The best place to aim a body serve is the area between the hip and the elbow. A serve delivered to this area can be difficult to return, especially if it is delivered to the non-racquet hand on the forehand side.
The head serve is the same shot, except that it is aimed at an opponent's head.
When this is done deliberately at the recreational level, it demonstrates a complete lack of class on the server's part. It also indicates that the server is a reckless and dangerous person -- not somebody you want to share a squash court with.
Head serves have no place at the recreational level. Nor do they have any place at the recreational-competitive level. No point, at these levels, is so important that a head serve is justifiable.
So how should players approach the subject of body serves?
First, servers must think about their opponents carefully before even considering whether or not to attempt a body serve. Is the receiver wearing goggles? If the answer is no, then body serves are out of the question. The chances of missing a body serve and hitting the receiver in the head are too high to be acceptable.
Is the receiver a C-level-plus player who has been trained to handle body serves? If not, then there is a very real possibility of the ball glancing off of his racquet frame up into his face on the serve return. Therefore body serves are best left off of the menu for these players too.
Generally speaking, body serves should not be used in a squash match unless both players have discussed the issue (and possible negative outcomes) before the first game begins. The exception to this rule of thumb are coached players in a competitive situation who are properly equipped and who have been adequately trained by a professional coach.
So what should you do when somebody serves at your head?
The first thing you need to do is duck. Do not return the serve. Let your opponent have the point.
Wait for a moment after the serve to see if your opponent apologizes. If he apologizes, accept his apology and then take a minute to discuss the issue of body serves in general.
If the server does not apologize and, instead, plays on as though nothing has happened, stop the game.
If you are not wearing goggles, point that out. If you have not been taught how to receive body serves, point that out too. Then ask if the rest of the match can be played without body serves.
If the answer is yes, play on. If not, then thank him for the game, shake his hand and leave the court immediately.
There are hundreds of squash players in our network who will gladly play squash without once feeling the need to put you in danger by serving at your head.
