September 26, 2019 14:05

// Lawn Tennis

Squash is a relatively new game for our country, not yet too common. Although the history of modern squash, such as we see it now, has been around 130 years. Squash is a cross between tennis and badminton.

But if almost everyone or everyone has heard about lawn tennis, badminton, table tennis, then many have not heard about squash yet. And, as practice shows, every 8 residents of our country really played this game, at best. And very wrongly. This situation needs to be urgently corrected, because it is simply difficult to imagine a better cardio machine, a more active anti—stress game, a better way to put your body in order without exhausting yourself with monotonous exercises in the gym, and it is even more difficult to find.

What is squash? Let’s now tell you very briefly about how to play squash, how to serve a ball, and so on, and then we will focus in more detail on all the key issues. Starting from what kind of ammunition is needed for this game, a set of mandatory accessories, ending with how to learn how to play squash quickly. And we will definitely tell you about the secrets of successful serves, how to beat an opponent, and we write all the most basic rules of the squash game and, of course, we will definitely raise the question of at what age it is better to start training a child in a hall designed for this sports game.

How to play squash briefly, and also why squash is the most useful sport

This is a game with rackets and a ball between two opponents or between two pairs. Unlike lawn tennis and other sports with rackets, the players are not facing each other, but on the same line. Also, unlike lawn tennis, the ball is not thrown over the net, the rules of the squash game regulate that you need to serve the ball directly into the wall opposite the line of players. And already from this wall the ball should jump away, and the opponents should intercept it with their racket and send it to their opponents in the same zigzag through a blow against the opposite wall.

If we are talking about amateur sports, and not about professional sports, then we can state the following with all responsibility: the main goal of squash is not the victory of an opponent, but physical training. As well as anti-stress relaxation of consciousness.

Of course, everything is clear about the training, it will be especially effective if you periodically change the hand in which you hold the racket. And what does antistress have to do with it? The fact is that the ball in professional squash can reach speeds of up to 270-300 km /h. Of course, it will be problematic to achieve such speed in amateur competitions, but, as a rule, in order to serve and receive the ball during the game, you need to focus as much as possible on this ever-moving target. And, accordingly, disconnect from all problems. As a result, two birds are killed with one stone: moral relaxation, physical fitness.

Rules of the squash game

The rules of the squash game, despite the apparent monotony of “serve-take”, are very intricate. Here we will try to understand how to play squash correctly and learn the rules of the game as quickly as possible.

• So, a court or a squash hall is a u-shaped room. Most often, the back wall, the one behind the players, is covered with transparent, usually tempered glass or plastic. Thus, the audience can watch the competition from the side without the risk of getting an unpleasant bruise from a fast rubber ball.
• The players stand in one line. The first serve is determined by drawing lots. That is, unlike lawn tennis, you can serve both from the right and from the left side. But with one point, the pitcher must be in the area of the white lines separating the feed square. This is how the rules regulate. And at the same time, a person can be completely in this square, or just touch it with one foot. As a rule, they most often try to serve with one foot on the square.

Attention! The player has the right to choose from which, right or left, square to serve. 

• Until the first point is lost, the player continues to serve. The rules of the squash game regulate the transition of submission after the first point played. 
• It is believed that a person was able to successfully serve the ball in the event that it touched the front wall and bounced back. At the same time, he did not go beyond the upper limit line, the so-called Out, and did not cross the feed line at the bottom of the front wall.
• Then the game continues. The ball is beaten off with a racket into the front wall by each of the players in turn.
• Return — after 1 bounce off the floor after touching the front wall. Before hitting the front wall, the ball can touch any of the walls surrounding the players.
• The draw is the “kicking” of the ball by each of the point guards in turn.

There are a few additional nuances. For example, what to do if there was a spade, if an opponent was injured and other moments that you may encounter both during an ordinary training session and during competitions. All these rules are easiest to learn along the way. In order to enter the court more or less confidently for the first time, to learn how to serve and try the theoretical rules in a real situation, the above will be quite enough.

In fact, the rules of the squash game, as a rule, are mastered in just a few lessons. The science of how to serve the ball correctly can be mastered in about a couple of weeks. But to really contrive and move from ordinary training to the level of a confident player is not the easiest task. Although, it is quite achievable.

Sports equipment: marking balls, rackets, etc.

Sports equipment for such a game as squash is strictly regulated. You need to wear the most loose clothes in which it will be convenient to serve and receive the ball. It should not be too warm, absolutely not restrict movement. By the way, special attention should be paid to sneakers. Their sole should not slip on the floor, and the platform should be as stable as possible. The options that are used in lawn tennis are not bad.

Now let’s talk about the main attribute in order to properly serve the ball, the racket. The average weight of a racket for this sport can vary from 110 g to 255 g. But, as a rule, rackets weighing more than 200 g are not used. Squash rackets are absolutely not like their sisters from lawn tennis or badminton. And even have a slightly different shape. Although, you can tell it for a long time. It’s better to see once than hear 10 times, right?

What else do you need to feel as confident and comfortable as possible on the court?

• Wristbands and a headband — in a dynamic game, it is very important to quickly remove sweat droplets from the forehead and not lose the ball at the same time.
• A case for a racket, and best of all a backpack or a bag for lawn tennis.
• Several extra balls with varying degrees of bounce*.
• A repair kit for rackets and a personal first aid kit.

*The rules of the squash game dictate the use of swords with varying degrees of jumping ability. Externally, all the balls are the same, but they are marked differently. Starting from the blue ball, which is as much as 12% larger than the others and has a very strong jumping ability, ending with a black one with two yellow dots for professional champions with low jumping ability.

As a rule, players who play squash for the first time and are just learning how to properly serve the ball, start with the most lively and large.

If you have already learned how to serve, learned the rules, then you can proceed to the option of faster jumping, marking — 1 blue dot. Next comes the average bounce — a red dot, slow — white and blue.

After that, there are already balls for the professional level and the level of champions. One yellow and two yellow, respectively.

The less bouncy the ball, the harder it is to serve it and ensure that the opponent loses a point. Before playing any type of ball, the ball is heated for at least five minutes, dividing this time in half. Near one of the walls and near the other. During the warm-up, the ball warms up and the properties of its jumping ability change significantly.

How points are calculated and the winner is determined

For about 100 years there has been a British tradition – points are counted only to the player who will serve. The player who takes the ball, winning, can only count on the fact that next time he will be able to serve. Just like in lawn tennis, the rules of the squash game divide the entire competition into games and sets. In the games, “Victoria” wins the one who first scores 9 points. With a tie, 8-8, the game can last up to 10 points.

If there is a contest, then the game is played up to three wins. But in the process of determining the winner should not take place, so say the rules of the squash game, more than 5 games.

If we are talking about the American scoring system, then any of the players wins and takes the winning score, regardless of who had to serve this time. At the same time, the draw goes up to 15 points, and in the case of 14-14, you can serve up to 17 points.

If we are talking about official squash competitions, then it is the British scoring rules that are most often used here. If we are talking about private sports competitions or just about training, then squash can take place here according to American rules, and British … and individual, invented by the players themselves for their own convenience.

Safety rules in the gym during the game

Squash is one of the most traumatic sports. We have already said that the speed of a flying ball in the professional arena can reach 270 or even 300 km/h. And this is almost the speed of flight of a swift in a dive or the average speed of an arrow. Okay, the average speed of the arrow is a little more — 360 km / h, but nevertheless. If the ball hits an unprotected place on the body at full speed, you can get a serious injury.

• It is mandatory to have protective glasses.
• The presence of durable anti-slip shoes is mandatory.
• If the ball passes close to the opponent, then you need to refrain from hitting him. In this case, the situation is replayed.
• If, due to the fault of one of the opponents in squash, the other gets injured, the second is credited with an automatic victory.

There are also unambiguous requirements for the arrangement of the court. Except fixed length, width, height (9,75/6,4/5,64 ), there are requirements for illumination — no more and no less than 500 LUX, as well as for acceptable coverage formats.

In addition, the walls must be absolutely flat, as well as absolutely vertical. That is, the angle between the floor and the walls should be exactly 90 degrees. No more and no less. This is the only way to learn how to serve correctly, calculate the angle of impact and its strength, in general, to play squash by the rules.

As a rule, all official tournament grounds or training courts meet the announced rules of arrangement and safety. If you decide to study the rules of the squash game, learn how to serve, just practice, but clearly notice that the playground is equipped with violations, it is better to look for some other. It will be much cheaper than treating injuries later.

At what age can a child start learning to play squash

Squash is a super active sport that is simply superbly and unsurpassably able to train all muscle groups, as well as improve the intellectual capabilities of your baby.

As a rule, a coach is given a baby starting from the age of six, just like in lawn tennis. But sometimes, you can wait up to 7 years. And the best thing is not to wait, but to start training, for example, with badminton or to learn in practice the rules of the game of table tennis.

That, in fact, is all that we were able to tell you in a short form about the rules of the squash game, about how best to serve the ball, about the safety rules. And once again, at the end of our story, we want to remind you that this is an exceptional game that can train both the body and mind, as well as serve as an excellent anti-stress for children and adults of any age.