Who It Suits

Squash suits people who like fast movement, tactical rallies, indoor sport, and clear feedback from a ball. It works especially well for beginners who want a compact court game that combines fitness, coordination, and problem solving.

Getting Started

Start with a beginner session, lesson, or club social where equipment can be borrowed. Learn how to hold the racket, serve safely, hit the front wall above the tin, recover toward the T, and stay clear of the other player after each shot.

Use a bouncier beginner ball if the venue offers one. Standard double-yellow-dot balls are slow when cold and can make early rallies frustrating.

Basic Gear

  • Squash racket.
  • Squash balls matched to beginner level.
  • Non-marking court shoes.
  • Comfortable movement clothing.
  • Water bottle.
  • Protective eyewear if required or recommended by the venue.

First Session

Warm up before playing points. Practise gentle drives to the front wall, simple serves from each service box, and cooperative rallies where both players aim for control rather than winners. Keep the racket swing compact when another player is nearby.

First Month

Play once or twice a week if possible. Focus on serve returns, straight drives, safe court movement, and recovering to the T after each shot. Add basic scoring, lets, strokes, and simple tactics once you can keep rallies going.

Costs

Squash has a moderate cost. Borrowed rackets and community courts keep the first sessions affordable, while club membership, court bookings, lessons, shoes, eyewear, replacement grips, and better rackets raise the budget.

Space Needed

Squash needs a dedicated squash court with safe walls, floor markings, and enough room around both players. Home storage is minimal, but meaningful practice usually depends on access to a club, gym, school, or recreation centre.

Solo or Social

Squash is mostly social because rallies and games need another player. Solo court time can still help with serves, straight drives, boast practice, and footwork patterns, but regular partners, ladders, lessons, or club nights make the hobby easier to sustain.

Common Mistakes

  • Starting with a ball that barely bounces.
  • Standing too close to the other player after hitting.
  • Swinging hard before control and spacing are reliable.
  • Watching the front wall instead of tracking the opponent safely.
  • Playing long, intense games before your legs and lungs are ready.

Safety / Accessibility

Squash involves quick stops, lunges, twisting, shared court space, and close racket swings. Warm up, wear court shoes, use protective eyewear when appropriate, call lets instead of forcing unsafe shots, and build intensity gradually.

Players who want lower impact can use shorter rallies, coaching feeds, solo drills, bouncier balls, longer rest breaks, or doubles only when the venue and group can manage space safely.

Where It Can Go

Squash can lead toward club ladders, leagues, coaching, refereeing, fitness training, doubles squash, racquetball, tennis, badminton, pickleball, or a regular indoor workout routine.

Tennis, badminton, pickleball, table tennis, racquetball, running, yoga, swimming, basketball, and chess all sit nearby.