Squash - one of the best sports in the world

Here's why squash is a game you need to play!

Squash is just a vegetable that your mum used to try and get you to eat isn't it? It is but it is also the name of an amazing game to play and will give the fittest person you know a real workout while also having heaps of fun.

Squash is actually one of the toughest sports out there. To be a successful and competitive squash player, you need to be in really good shape and dedicated to enhancing all of your fitness skills-both on and off the court.

Don't believe it? Back in 2003, Forbes ranked squash as the number-one healthiest sport after taking calorie burn, cardio endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and injury risk into consideration.

Unfamiliar with the sport? Here's what you need to know:

  • Squash is relatively similar to tennis in that you use a racquet (smaller than the one used in tennis) to hit a ball back and forth with your opponent.
  • Like tennis, you can play in singles or doubles. However, there's no net between you and the other player; you stand next to each other in a small, walled-in court.
  • The idea is to hit the ball against the front wall of the court until one of the players fails to return it.
  • Each time you return the ball, you get a point-but there's a catch.
  • The ball can bounce against any of the surrounding walls too, but it must bounce against the front wall for it to score a point.
  • A full squash match is usually made up of five sets (11 points each) and a game can last from 40 minutes to an hour (talk about a serious cardio workout!).

The squash ball is also a key component of the game-so much so that it can be the leading factor between a good match and a bad one. Unlike other sports, you play squash with different balls (indicated by a small, coloured dot) depending on your skill level. All squash balls are small, hollow, and made of rubber.

As they bounce off the court walls and floor, they heat up-making them bounce easier and faster. Each colour behaves differently; usually, the blue ball is the fastest and is recommended for beginners, who may have difficulty warming it up. The red is for amateur players, while the yellow or double yellow is usually played by the more experienced players.

Why is squash so tough? It's like tennis, in that you're sprinting back and forth to hit the ball, but there's no wait time while the ball comes sailing across the net. You're continuously moving around the court, switching directions at the drop of a hat, with the ball coming at you from virtually all angles-all without a second of rest. Never mind that you also need to hit and aim the ball to score points. Sounds exhausting, right? Now try doing it for a full hour.

You need speed, agility, endurance, plyometrics, and power, that is why it's called the number-one healthiest sport-because all these different elements combined make it so tough and so difficult to play.

Another perk of the sport: Unlike a sport like basketball, where height gives you a clear advantage, squash doesn't discriminate between body types. There is no real ideal shape that you have to be to play Squash. Any person with any body type can play the sport, but it's up to them to use their body as a tool and manipulate it in a way that makes them a good player. Everyone brings their own element to the game with their shape and size. You adapt your game to your shape, to your size, and you win because of that. You can't be too tall or too short to play squash, which makes it very appealing to anyone.

With Winter well upon us and the cold, wet and also frosty mornings/evenings making it harder to get the body motivated - it is a great time to look at getting on a court here at the Precinct and give Squash a try (if you can handle it). We have 8 glass backed Squash courts available for casual hire with prices starting at just $10 an hour.

Casual Hire Leisuretime Sports Precinct has eight glass backed courts available for casual hire, with a mezzanine for viewing, many tables and chairs for you to relax after your match, onsite shower/change room facilities and a fully operational café. You'll see why players from all over the state love playing on these courts.


Casual squash/racquetball hire fees (2023-2024)

Peak periods (Monday to Thursday from 4:00pm): $20.00 per court/per hour
Off-peak periods - all other times: $11.00 per court/per hour

We have the ability for individuals to hire courts at the venue during 'peak' and 'off-peak' times. Bookings are essential and should be made in advance. This can be done using our online booking system.


Other useful links...


Not sure about Squash...

Change it up and try Racquetball!





Page last updated: Wednesday, 31 July 2024

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