Squash is a racquet-and-ball sport often compared to tennis or badminton. Its advantage is that anyone can engage in it. It is enough to take a couple of individual lessons to master the basics, and after two or three months of regular training, you can take part in tournaments.
The birthplace of the game is considered to be Great Britain. It was firstly mentioned in 1807, when in one of the prisons the prisoners came up with the idea of practicing tennis without a net, hitting the ball against the prison wall.

Some squash features you didn’t know

Squash is often compared to tennis, but it is specified that it is a game within four walls. This is, of course, a correct definition, but inaccurate. It is a separate independent and self-sufficient direction of racket-and-ball sports.
It is played on a special court, its length is 9.75 m, width is 6.4 m, it is marked with red lines. Sloping lines run along the sides: they start at the front wall of the court at a height of 457 cm, and end, connecting with the outline on the back wall, located at a height of 213 cm. If the ball hits above these lines, a point is automatically awarded to the opponent.

When served correctly, the ball hits the front wall above the service line and below the outline and, after bouncing off the wall, hits the opponent’s large square. One game lasts up to 11 points. Tournaments are usually held up to two or three wins.

What equipment is needed to play?

Clothes. Squash can be played in any comfortable clothing. As a rule, athletes choose sports jerseys and shorts made of synthetic material. You have to run around the court a lot, so materials with drainage are effective.
Shoes. Shoes are the most important piece of equipment. It depends on them (not on the racket and the ball), how quickly you will progress. The most reliable option is to buy special shoes. They have non-marking soles (black or colored soles often stain the floor), and, most importantly, they have good grip on the floor. Squash players constantly run and brake hard. It is easy to get injured in tennis shoes, as they are not designed for interval running, as in squash.

Accessories. Playing squash involves constant interval running, that is an intense cardio workout, which means you will sweat actively. We advise you to buy a heart rate monitor.

Glasses. Playing in a closed space requires protecting the athlete’s eyes from possible injury when the ball hits the face. Beginners rarely get injured. Nevertheless, anything can happen, and glasses should not be neglected.