Squash, besides being a luscious veggie, is a racket sports activity dating back to the early 16th century in France. In general two players with rackets in a four walled court knock a ball against the wall. If four players play together it is viewed as a doubles match much like tennis and alternate racket sporting events activities. Squash is not an Olympic sport, although aficionados of the event have been lobbying for its introduction in the Olympic Games. Squash is a well-accepted pursuit played out the world over, especially as it more often than not doesn’t need to have a sizable area to have fun playing. A great number of health clubs and gyms have squash courts within the locations.
A squash court is a playing area encased by four wall surfaces. The court has a line across it splitting up the front and back of the court as well as a half court line isolating the left and right hand partitions of the rear court. This separates the playing surface area into three boxes. The walls of the squash court have definition and technique. The front wall has three parallel stripes marked and is the leading playing floor. The “out line” carries on along the top of the front wall and descends the side walls. There are no further marks on the side or back walls.
The first athlete to serve in a squash game will get to establish whether or not to serve from the left or right service box. One of the server’s feet will have to be in the service box and not in contact with any of the box’s lines as the player serves the ball. The ball, once served, must hit the front wall about the service line and below the out line and then land in the opposite side of the court. The non-serving player can then figure out whether to volley the ball. If the server wins the point, the players exchange sides of the court for the next point.
In squash, people take turns hitting the ball against the front wall. As long as the ball strikes the wall below the outline, it may also hit the side or back walls. The ball shouldn’t hit the floor after a serve before it hits the front wall. As soon as the ball hits the front wall it can bounce only once on the floor before a player must hit it to return it. The ball can hit the side or back walls an unlimited number of times.
Squash is often a powerful, fast paced recreation that calls for a high level of hand eye balance. Although the brief description of the court and the fundamental rules may perhaps be confusing to those not acquainted with the sport, rely on us, they make total sense once you are standing on a squash court and the thrill of competitiveness takes over.
Grant Atkins
