Squash your opponent! (Squash - General)

Member Name: oxonian

Product:	Squash - General
Date:	28/09/08 (410 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Improves your stamina, tones your body, stretches muscles and provides fun and exhilaration

Disadvantages: Court prices are quite high.

Our family sport is Squash - my father, mother, and older brother and sister all play to a high standard. At the age of 11, my parents thought it was time to coach and train me at our local sports centre.

14 years on, I have gone from strength to strength, and I find squash to be one of the most physically demanding activities a person can do.

What is squash?
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Squash is an indoor racquet game played by two opposing players in a four walled squash court. The premise is to hit the ball at the front wall so that when it bounces off, your opponent cannot return the shot. Every time your opponent cannot return that shot, you either win a point (if you served) or you win the serve (if your opponent served the last shot).

In the UK, you play to 9 points, unless you are 8-8 with your opponent, and then your opponent has the option to play either until 9 or 10 points. Usually the game is a best of five games, so the first to three wins. In the US, you play to 15 points.

How to play
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The front wall has three horizontal lines that go across the wall, and a strip of tin along the bottom which is around 30cm high. The first line is drawn nearly a third of the way up the wall and the second is just over three thirds of the way up. The second line runs around all four walls of the court. Any balls which connect with the wall above the second line, or in the tin area is automatically out.

The court that you stand in has a horizontal line that splits half of the court. The half nearest the back wall is then split again by a vertical line, which separates your own area from your opponents, but this only applies for the serve, where you must stay within the back half and the ball must land in the back half after you serve against the wall. The whole court can be used during play.

Within these two halves at the back end of the court are two boxes on either side of the court, which are the spots you stand in when you serve. When you play the first point, you always start in the right box, and if you win that point, you switch sides and so on until you either lose the point or win the game.

Types of ball
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A squash ball is typically green in colour, but there is usually a tiny coloured dot on this ball unless you play with a white or a double dotted ball. This coloured dot signifies the level of skill of the player and the difficulty of using that ball. The varying dots are as follows:

Blue - For Beginner level players. The ball is easy to return because it bounces very high, whether or not the ball is warmed up. No need to run about so much.
Red - Improved standard. This ball is still springy and bounces far.
Green / White - Good standard. Bounces well and usually requires more running.
Yellow - Adept standard (usually used in professional matches). This ball has minimal bounce.
Double Yellow - Advanced standard. This ball is heavy and feels like hitting a stone, no matter how warmed up it is. The bounce is very minimal.

Advanced tactics
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There are some tips I can give which will a) make you an effective returner of the ball and b) make it very difficult for your opponent to return the ball.

Firstly, as professionals do, when you serve, and make subsequent shots during the point, you should return to the centre of the court. This means you are able to reach each corner of the court in three strides. This means you are in the best position to return your opponents shot.

Secondly, the best shots to do in squash are drop shots. Drop shots involve hitting the ball just above the tin. This is effective because the ball does not bounce, which gives your opponent no time to react and get to it. They are hard to execute because of the precision required.

Thirdly, use the side walls. As long as the ball ultimately hits the front wall, then it doesn't matter if you use the side walls first. It is usually good to use the side walls to hit the front wall as a) it takes a lot of pace and speed from the ball, meaning it does not bounce high when coming off the front wall and b) it confuses or disorientates your opponent as to where the ball will end up when it bounces off the wall.

Fourth, aim the squash ball at either the extreme left or right side of the front wall so that when it bounces of the wall, it skims across the side wall, making it impossible for your opponent to be able to hit it without smashing the end of the racquet against the wall. These shots are normally as frustrating for your opponent as drop shots as there is almost nothing you can do to return the ball, plus you can inflict racquet damage on them.

Fifth, in the absence of hitting the ball on the extreme left or right, as long as you hit the ball away from the direction of your opponent, it will make it difficult for them to get the ball. The danger in squash is to just hit the ball against the wall with no real thought and, consequently, you may always be hitting it right back to your opponent so that they can finish you. Remember to never give them the chance.

Personal experience
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I play with my father 90% of the time, and we are predominantly level-pegging. A best of 5 can last 45 minutes with us because we both return to the centre of the court and can therefore normally return each other's shots, no matter how difficult they are. My father has 30 years more experience than me so he knows all of the little tricks. Drop shots are very tough to return unless you are really on the ball (mind the pun) and very fast on your feet. The shot I can hardly ever return is the ball skimming across the side wall, because I am not going to damage my racquet.

Most sports centres have a league specific to the centre that you can sign up to. I once played in the league at the age of 16, and it was made up of 8 divisions. Each division had 6 players, and at the end of each quarter, you either moved up, if in the first two places, or down if in the last two. I was not that good at 16, but I have always had a powerful tennis serve, which normally overwhelmed opponents. However, when I moved up to only division 6, opponents found this easy to beat and I ended up leaving the game for a few years. My father and mother both made it to division 2 back in the 80's, so it just goes to show how seriously we take it. Since I played in the league I have only ever played squash recreationally.

What you need for squash
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Squash equipment can usually be hired or borrowed from the sports centres, but I would advise you checked before booking a court. Nevertheless you can purchase your own equipment, and I would certainly recommend that you did if you play in the league.

Racquets - you can usually buy a standard racquet for £10-15 from Sports World / JJB sports. However, decent branded racquets can cost anything from £30 - £150 in retailers. You pay extra for lighter and more compact racquets, with a comfortable grip and an efficient and effective design that can withstand hard knocks against walls or when you slam the racquet onto the court in disgust.

Squash balls - usually obtainable for £3.99 for a pack of three balls.

Head / sweat bands are optional. You usually see them in the professional sport rather than in recreational use, but if you are playing hard, these are very important to reduce flood of sweat. These can cost £5 from Sports World.

Squash court - at my local centre, the price is quite high. Sports centres usually allow for 30 mins, 45 mins and 1 hour time slots. For half hour it is £4.10 and for an hour £8.20. However you usually share costs with your opponent.

Personal opinion
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I find squash to be incredibly exhilarating. With a background in most sports, but particularly Athletics, I can appreciate how effective squash is for fitness purposes. If you play this game with someone that makes it challenging for you to reach the ball, let alone return it, then you require incredible stamina to keep up and last the distance. You can be fighting hard for every point, and as a game can last ten minutes, you could potentially be playing for an hour.

I have been playing squash on and off for 14 years but have been playing constantly for three months. Consequently, my stamina has massively enhanced and my body fat has dropped massively. The game requires you to use your head as much as your legs, which is always good, and particularly satisfying when you have your opponent running all over the place whilst you can stay quite central. I fully recommend squash as it is intensive, exhilerating and exciting to play. If you live in the Newbury or Thatcham area, and fancy a game, you know where I am... ;)

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Undiluted fun and exercise