How To Get Fit Playing Squash

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The racket sport of squash is a game that is both savage and genteel. It is popular among the country club types, Wall Streeters and Ivy leaguers (although it is not limited to just these groups). Squash is also a brutal test of willpower and stamina, and is probably the best 45-minute workout you could ever possibly have (you can burn as many as 500 calories with a 30-minute vigorous squash session). So in other words, it’s a lot of fun to play and you can definitely get fit playing squash.

The game of squash is played on a small square court that measures 21 feet across and 32 feet from the front to the back. It involves hitting a ball at a front wall that is 15-feet high. Whenever you see the game of squash being played for the very first time, you may be wondering how hard can it really be. The first time that you play it, your thighs and lungs will be burning. You will have an answer within five minutes of playing.

One of the main reasons why squash is such a physically demanding sports is due to the fact that is played using a squishy ball that’s difficult to put away. There is the possibility of hitting outright winners, killing shots that hit the front corner right over the tin (a 19-inch tall metal strip running along the lower part of the front wall and right over where the ball needs to hit) and then rolls dead. However, those shots are very difficult to come by, and since the court is very compact, there are not too many shots that can’t be run down by a player with flexibility In addition, unlike tennis, in squash you hardly ever get any free points off of your serve – aces are very rare (and at the highest levels are practically nonexistent). The serve in squash is used only for starting the point; a serve that is particularly well-struct may put your opponent on the defense, however that is about all the help your serve is likely to get you.

To a certain extent, racket skills are important. Balls that are along the court’s side walls, which are called rail shots, are the basic building blocks for nearly every point. With rail shots, the goal is keeping your opponent pinned at the back of court or, even better, forcing a loose ball that can then be attacked. It takes precision – to keep rails shots tight on the wall and to control the center of the court, which is referred to as the T. Another thing that is essential is good volleying; the more balls you are able to cut off while they are still in the air, the more likely it will be that you will be able to control the T.

However, if you place two players that have around the same amount of ability out on the court, most likely the outcome of the match will come down to the two player’s conditioning. Squash is basically a war of attrition, where victory is achieved through keeping you opponent moving until he doesn’t want to move any longer. Quite often the factor that decides the game is the fitness factor. Some of the biggest stars of the sport were as famous for their training routines as their exploits on the court. The Australian Geoff Hunt, who during the late 1970’s was the world’s number one ranked player, was known for the interval training he did. He was known for doing 26 400-meter sprints! It would take him 75 seconds to finish one lap of the track. He would rest for 60 seconds in between laps. It isn’t necessary to go to that extreme, but it can definitely help having a strong base of fitness whenever you are playing squash (If you are over 40 years old and out of shape, before you even attempt to play square you should do some strengthening and cardio work.)

A Cheat Sheet For Beginning Squash Players:

• Equipment: You will need to have a racket. A stick that is top-of-the-line will cost as much as a first-rate tennis racket. However, you can get a decent squash racket for around $50 to $75. In that price range, the brands you will want to look at are Dunlop, Wilson and Head. You will need to have the proper footwear as well. A majority of clubs require squash players to wear sneakers that have non-marking rubber soles (squash courts can get scuffed up by tennis sneakers and running sneakers). Protective goggles are not important thing that you need to have. The United States Squash Racquets Association requires them and for very good reason. A squash court is quite small, and there is a lot of jostling among the players. Errant swings can occur. A pair of goggles costs around $20 to $25.
• Lessons: Having some lessons can be very helpful if you are a new squash player.
  You will learn all of the basics, and be able to enjoy it a lot more once you start to play. Typically lessons cost approximately $75 for 45 minutes to one hour. If you happen to have a friend who wants to learn how to play squash as well, having joint lessons is something you can consider.
• The Rules: The ball in squash is played off of the front wall, beneath the out-of-bounds line and above the tin. It can directly hit the front wall, or be played off of the back wall or side walls (shots that are played off of the back will or sides must be inside of the out-of-bound lines on the walls also). No matter how the ball gets there, it is required to hit the front wall while on the fly. The ball can be taken out of the air by players or it can be played after one bounce; the ball is ruled to be dead if there is more than one bounce. Every point starts with a serve. Unlike tennis, in squash you only have one chance and there is no second serve. While serving, the server is required to keep one foot inside the service box. The ball is required to directly hit the front wall on the fly, beneath the out of bounds line and above the service line. It needs to land on the court’s opposite side behind what is referred to as the short line (this is a line running between the side walls. It is around 7 feet from the court’s back wall and 14 feet to the front wall). A game is played to 11 points and matches are best-out-of-five games. However, you need to win a game by two points, so if a game is tied 10-10, it continues until somebody wins two points in a row. You can win a point on your serve or on the serve of your opponent.
• Before You Play: Before you start to play squash, you need to do plenty of stretching. Pay close attention to your calves (The game produces many Achilles injuries). Before playing, also be sure to do some jogging to warm up. After the first time you play- you can expect that you will be very sore- particular in your hindquarters. So take the first step and get fit playing squash.

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