You’ve walked past that sign every time you’ve been to the gym haven’t you. ‘Squash court’. What’s that? Of course, we’re talking about squash, the sport, not the vegetable.
Then that one friend of yours has been pestering you week in, week out to come and play a game of squash with you. So here you are, trying to find out what you signed up for when you caved in and accepted the offer!
Well we’re glad you’re here, squash is a fantastic sport with a rich history that has become an international sensation time and again with a vibrant multicultural community!
What is squash?
Squash is a racket sport with two players, a hollow rubber ball and a four-walled court. Players alternate hitting the ball inside the ‘out of court’ lines and above the tin. A squash game is played to 11 points, and the winner must win by 2 in a tie break.
To win a point, players hit a shot that bounces twice before the opponent can get to it, or force the opponent to hit the ball out.
It sounds a little abstract to those who haven’t seen the sport before so take a look at this rally to help you better understand!
(In that rally, the player doing all the diving won the point because his opponent hit the tin on the last shot.)
How to play squash
So you’re interested in how to play squash. Here is a quick run down of the important things to remember.
First, make sure you know the rules (covered in the next section).
Secondly, make sure that you’re recovering to the ‘T’ after you’ve hit your shots. The ‘T’ is the part in the middle of the court where the lines meet.
Thirdly, make sure you play nice tight lengths. A length is a shot which goes right into the back corners of the court. When you hit these shots, you want them to run as close to the wall as possible because this makes it very hard for your opponent to hit.
Finally, make sure you attack shots that are not tight to the wall. If your opponent plays a bad shot, make them pay. Volley shots to the front of the court or hit it really hard and deep.
Squash rules and scoring
Squash can be as simple as hitting the ball around the court for a bit of exercise. However, the rules of the sport are quite simple. To serve, you stand in the small service box hitting the ball from your hand with the racket, above the service line and into the opposing bigger box.
You then alternate hitting the ball to the front wall with your opponent until either of you hit the ball out of court or the ball bounces twice on the floor. If you make the error or do not get the ball then your opponent wins the point and vice versa.
Read this article on the squash rules and have a look at this fantastic rally as an example.
Required squash gear
So what do you need to play squash? Honestly, not a lot! That’s part of the beauty.
First you need to find and book one of the 50,000 squash courts in the world and find a partner.
Secondly, you need to grab some specialist squash gear. Specifically, you need one of the many varieties of squash racket out there.
Squash rackets come in two major types, traditional round rackets and teardrop rackets.
The traditional rackets look like the ones you would draw if I asked you to draw a sports racket right now. They are the more accurate rackets for players who are looking to play a tighter and more precise game.
A teardrop racket has far longer strings, and looks similar to a teardrop. They’re more specific to squash and are generally seen as the more powerful type of racket and are great fun for hitting the ball as hard as you wish!
You will also need some sort of squash ball, and these come in a few types. They’re generally all similar sizes but all have different amounts of ‘bounce’ to them. The normal ‘double yellow dot’ ball is the most common one used in most tournaments, and league matches in the UK. They’re one of the least bouncy balls and make the game more difficult.
There are other balls like the single yellow dot, which is slightly more bouncy, red dots, blue dots and so on – all of which are more bouncy and rarer. (A bit of advice, there’s no shame in picking a bouncier ball when you’re starting. There’s better things to do than trying to hit a very cold double yellow dot ball when you’re struggling already).
Finally, a good pair of squash shoes will keep your feet secure and steady on the court. Make sure they’re non-marking and fit well. Most squash shoes come in your normal sizes so go find a shoe that fits you well.
As an extra, squash goggles are also an option. These protect your eyes from the ball which can obviously come close to your face. They’re not mandatory for adults (except in North America), but you will see some people playing with them who live by the motto ‘better safe than sorry’. You will find squash goggles are often compulsory for children in most clubs.
History of squash
Did you know that the first nuclear reactor was built on a squash court in 1942?
Squash has had a long and fun history but it started in the 1860s and was played in a posh school in the UK called the Harrow School. It grew in the US shortly after in 1884 when Harvard and other schools built courts.
Squash became international in the 1900s where it spread to countries like Pakistan and others and for years Pakistan dominated as the best country for squash.
Throughout the 1980s, the squash racket changed from wood to other lighter materials like aluminum and graphite which added a whole new dynamic speed to the game that had not been seen before.
If you want to read more, have a look at this history of squash article.
Squash vs Racquetball
Squash and racquetball are similar sports but do differ quite a bit.
Squash uses narrower and longer rackets as well as a smaller and slower ball. Racquetball uses shorter and wider rackets to hit a larger, faster ball.
They use quite different courts which also affect their rules. The squash court is a smaller court, around 32ft long with a number of ‘out of court’ lines on all walls. The out of court lines mean you can only hit it on certain parts of the walls and never hit the ball off the roof.
A racquetball court on the other hand is 40ft long with no out of court lines. This means that in racquetball, you can hit the ball off of any part of any wall and, you guessed it, even the roof!
Finally, in terms of rules and how to win the matches, in squash you need to be the first to win 11 points and have to win 3 games to win. In racquetball, you have to be first to 15 points but only win 2 games.
I can only write so much in such a short section so if you want to find out more, have a read of this article about squash vs racquetball.
How many people play squash?
Squash is an international sport! To start with, it’s played by over 20 million people in over 185 countries (there are 195 countries for reference). In the US alone, there’s a growing junior squash level and college level squash is massive, being played at over 130 US schools.
Source: US Squash
Squash has an incredibly loyal community, and I’m guessing you’re here because one of those loyal fans has prodded you continually about playing it.
You can watch the professional squash leagues or ‘the PSA World Tour’ on both YouTubeand ‘SquashTV’ which livestreams the full pro women and mens matches around the world.
Squash has always been close to being in the Olympics, but has sadly been snubbed by other sports each year. You will find it at the Commonwealth Games however!
Despite all these positives, many people have never heard of squash. Or maybe they have heard of it but don’t know how squash compares with other sports. So, what’s it all about?
Is squash difficult to play?
Squash is easy to play but hard to master.
At the bare minimum, you need to be able to run around the court and hit the ball to the front wall. So you definitely need to have good balance and confidence in your running. You also need to make sure you have some hand-eye coordination and can hit a ball with a racket.
However, to be able to win matches, you then need to make sure you’re hitting good shots and standing in the best position possible. If you’re wanting to play the game more seriously then you will need to put some time and practice in to make sure you have a good technique all around.
Fitness benefits of playing squash
In a recent study, Forbes Magazine named squash as the world’s healthiest sport, beating out rowing, rock climbing, swimming, cross-country skiing, basketball, cycling, running, and boxing — now that’s distinguished company! The study looked at each sport’s impact on your endurance, strength and flexibility. Of course, the quality of your workout depends mostly on the effort you put into it, but this does give you an idea of the inherent physical benefits of playing squash.
The Forbes study noted that squash burns 517 calories per half hour of playing — more than every other sport in their survey. This means you can get a great workout in a short period of time.
The sport of squash encourages lots of running. You’re chasing the ball all around the court. It might not look too difficult when you’re watching from the gallery, but trust me, after moving forwards and backwards and side-to-side for just 30 minutes — all while swinging a racquet — you will probably be exhausted.
Why squash is the best sport
Of course, I might be a little biased, but here are some reasons why squash is a great sport to play.
Easy to Organize
To play squash, you only need two players and a few pieces of equipment. This makes it easy to organize a game, especially compared with team sports that require a large number of players or tons of equipment. And when it’s easier to organize a game, it’s easier to stay in shape.
A typical squash match lasts around 45 minutes. This means the game is convenient to play, even if you don’t have much time.
Of course, you need to find a court — fortunately, squash is played in almost 200 countries around the world and is growing in popularity worldwide, so chances are there’s a court near you.
Squash can also however be played as a game of doubles with 4 people, or you can even just pop down and have a knock by yourself and practice your shots. It is one of the very rare sports where you can play and practice by yourself!
Bring Out Your Competitive Side
Squash is a competition. You are playing against another person. This is way more motivating than just going to a gym for your regular workout. Let’s be honest. It means you’re more likely to get out there and play, and get a good workout as a result.
365 Days a Year
Squash is played indoors. That means unlike some other sports, squash can be played year-round, and in any weather. It’s great to have a sport that burns tons of calories, but if you can only play a few months a year – or if bad weather forces you to cancel your plans – then you won’t get the regular exercise you need!
Stay Fit for a Lifetime
Squash is a game you can keep playing as you get older. In many clubs, you’ll find active players in their 70s or 80s.
Why do people seem able to play until they’re old and gray? Perhaps because of all the factors mentioned earlier in this article — squash is quite simply a convenient way to get a great workout! And the longer you can play a sport, the better it is for your long-term health.
Watch squash on video
Hopefully, all the words spilled above have given you a bit more information about my favorite sport, squash. But there’s no substitute for watching the game on video. So without further ado, here’s one of the greatest squash matches ever played:
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