Are you looking for a new sport to play? If so, then we recommend that you try to pick up squash. This highly intense and fast game will give you a great workout - we bet you did not know that you will burn more calories playing squash for an hour than you do from playing cricket or going for a cycle or a run. Below we’ll look at the things you need to play squash and the rules.
What You Need to Start Playing
You do not need much gear to play squash, which is what makes it so awesome. Below we take a quick look at what you need.
Footwear: When you are first getting started, you can use your regular trainers as long as they have soles that do not leave a mark. If you are going to start playing regularly though, you need to buy some squash shoes as these have adequate ankle support and a lot of shock absorption.
Sportswear: Squash i splayed indoors, so you are obviously going to get hot when you are playing. Therefore, you should wear shorts and a vest or t-shirt.
Racquet: You will obviously need a squash racquet to play this game. They come in different sizes and weight, so head to a sports shop and get some advice from someone who is working there. Alternatively, you will be able to hire one from the place where you are playing.
Balls: If you do not have squash balls, then you obviously cannot have a game of squash. You can buy squash balls from your local sports store or you can just hire them from the place where you are going to be playing.
Basic Rules of Squash
Below you will find the basic rules of this great game.
Warm the Ball up Before Playing
A warm-up when playing squash involves the two players standing on opposite sides of the court and hitting the ball against the wall to each other. Not only does this warm your body up to prevent injuries, but it also warms the ball up - you do not want to start playing squash with a cold ball as this makes it a lot harder to play.
Deciding Who Serves First
In sports such as cricket a coin is tossed to see who will bat and bowl first, but in squash things are done a little differently. One of the players will spin the racquet on the floor and the other player will have to guess whether the logo on the end of the grip will land up or down.
The Art of Serving
In tennis a player gets two chances to make a valid serve, but in squash they only get one chance. In order for a serve to be valid, the player has to:
- Have one foot inside the service box
- Hit the ball against the front wall
- Hit the ball above the service line
- Do not go beyond the out-of-bounds lines
When a Legit Serve Has Been Completed
The player has to decide whether to hit the serve on the volley or to let it bounce. If you decide to let it bounce, it has to bounce at the opposite back quarter of the court in order for it to be counted as legitimate serve. The ball can only bounce once, if you let it bounce twice then you will lose the point. Your aim is to hit the ball back at the front wall without it hitting the floor. At the bottom of the front wall there is a strip of wood or metal, the ball cannot hit it.
Each game is usually 9, 11, or 21 points, with the winner being the best out of 5.
Betting on Squash
If you happen to be a bit of a gambler, then you might be wondering whether you can bet on squash matches when you are not playing. Not only is squash a great sport to watch, but it is a great sport to bet on too. You can bet on markets such as who will win the match, who will win the particular game, and the total points scored in a game. Speaking of sports betting and squash, there is a great competition called 7 continents. This competition goes right through my home country and I have a friend who has a sports betting site : https://www.sport-betting.ng to help you with your predictions.