So you want to try your hand at playing squash, but you don’t really know where to start? Check out our beginners guide below for all the tips and things you need to know to start playing squash.
Things you need to start playing:
#1 - Squash Racquet
These are a slightly different shape to a tennis racquet, a bit longer and a bit lighter. We have a Pro Shop upstairs where you can find a range of racquets and get advice on which option may best suit you, plus you can have a hit with our demo racquets to find out which one you like best.
#2 - Non-marking Sports Shoes
You’ll soon be running around so fast on the court you are going to leave burn marks on the floor, so one way to check if your shoes are "non-marking" is to place a piece of clean white paper on the floor, then rub the sole of the shoe against the white piece of paper with force, but do not tear the paper. Look for a scuff mark on the paper and if you don’t see any then congratulations - you have non-marking shoes.
If your shoes leave a mark on the paper, then consider finding yourself a pair of "non-marking" shoes before you step onto a court. These can be found in our Pro Shop upstairs
#3 - Squash Ball
For beginners you'll probably want a blue dot or a single yellow dot squash ball. The blue dot ball doesn't need warming up to play and will bounce up nicely for you, so you don’t have to do as much running to start with and you’ll find it easier to get a rally going. What’s a rally you ask? That’s where you and whoever you are playing hit the ball back and forward to each other a couple of times. Once you get faster and more powerful then you progress to double dot balls which slow things down a bit.
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#4 - The Rules
Knowing a few of the rules will probably help and the great thing about squash is that unlike other complicated sports with offside rules, and rules that have rules (not looking at any sports in particular….) the rules are incredibly simple.
You win a point by serving the black ball directly to the front wall, and aiming to land it within the back quarter of the court - opposite to the side you’re on. Your opponent gracefully lunges across the court to try and return your magnificent serve, but they don’t get there in time, the ball bounces twice. Point to you. The ball can only bounce once before it needs to be returned.
Let’s take that same scenario, of the magnificent shot you played, your opponent manages to get to the ball, but their return shot doesn’t make it above the piece of tin along the bottom of the front wall. Point to you.
If by some miracle they manage to make a good return of your magnificent shots, then it’s their turn to serve and so on until one of you fails to make a good return.
Hot Insider Tip: The first player to 15 points win the ‘game’. A game is like a set in tennis. The only exception to the ‘first to 15’ wins rule is if it gets to 14-14. Then you keep going until someone gets a clear two points ahead. First to win three games wins the match. Get the full low-down of the rules here.
Other handy tips to know
What is a let?
A let is a way to keep everyone safe on court. If you are in the midst of a game, and are about to play a shot and you think you might hit the other person with your racquet or back swing, you can call a 'let' by stopping and putting your hand in the air and saying "let please".
What do you do if someone asks "what grade are you?"
If you have never played squash before, the answer to this question is “ungraded”. It’s just means your talents are as yet undiscovered, like a diamond in the rough, an unpolished gem. Most beginners will start in F Grade.
Benefits of playing squash
Apart from being able to boast to your mates that you are now playing the world’s healthiest sport, research has shown that playing an equivalent of 30 minutes of squash can burn 517 calories, and has also been proven to help you live longer. This means squash is the perfect sport to provide lifelong total well-being - no matter if you are five, thirty-five or sixty-five.