Squash

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,473
Saskatchestan
Back in my university days I used to play a ton of racquetball. It was the 2nd racket sport that I enjoyed, after loving badminton in High School.

After graduation from university, I moved to Calgary and everyone I worked with played squash. So I picked it up a bit and played for a while. After I moved back home, I did really have anyone that played squash, so it's fallen off my radar a bit. But last night, a buddy of mine asked me to play, as his wife and him started taking some lessons. I missed this game a lot, so we've decided to try and play a couple times a week now

So, any other players here with any tips/tricks I've likely forgotten? My legs are sore today, but it's mostly due to not having done any short bursts running like this in a while. Any stretches or anything else I should be looking into?
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2006
16,090
Tuukka's refugee camp
I haven't played in a while but I remember my hips always tightening up afterwards, so anything that targets your hip flexors and that general area should be pretty solid. My ass would also be sore, so glute stretches should work well too.
 

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,473
Saskatchestan
I have a racket at my desk at work, but it has been 25 years since I've played.

I still remember the bruises and broken ribs fondly.
How did you break your ribs? Did you take a full-out swing into the ribs from your opponent?
Bruises I can understand

I haven't played in a while but I remember my hips always tightening up afterwards, so anything that targets your hip flexors and that general area should be pretty solid. My ass would also be sore, so glute stretches should work well too.
Good tips, thanks
 

Jordu

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2003
8,962
Brookline
Pre-match groin and hamstring stretches, too. The better you get at the game the less running and more lunging you do, and that can get tough on your hips and upper leg muscles.

I learned squash at UMass. A kid on my floor who went to boarding school taught me, and the squash courts at UMass were always available. My squash career ended 25 years ago when I lunged for a return, caught the edge of my shoe (with all my weight on it) and blew out my right ankle.

I miss the game. When you step into the court and close the door behind you, you leave your day-to-day worries behind.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
How did you break your ribs? Did you take a full-out swing into the ribs from your opponent?
Bruises I can understand
Sometimes the quickest way to change direction is to "bounce" off the wall. Do it just the wrong way and owwww. I didn't always have all the padding that I have now.

The other not so fond memory I have is that my Dad belonged to the Harvard Club, which is where I learned to play, and I saw things in that locker room (especially in the sauna) that I can never unsee. Which is another reason I will never watch any Bob Kraft videos that might come out.
 

rickmac

New Member
Aug 26, 2015
8
Shock absorbing insoles got rid of my hip/knee pain when I got back I to it....and also broke my ribs a couple of years ago when running into a side wall while still thinking I was young.
 

Sprowl

mikey lowell of the sandbox
Dope
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2006
34,452
Haiku
Buy an eyeshield and wear it religiously. I still have two working eyeballs on account of safety goggles.
 

Old Fart Tree

the maven of meat
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2001
14,030
Boulder, CO
Sometimes the quickest way to change direction is to "bounce" off the wall. Do it just the wrong way and owwww. I didn't always have all the padding that I have now.

The other not so fond memory I have is that my Dad belonged to the Harvard Club, which is where I learned to play, and I saw things in that locker room (especially in the sauna) that I can never unsee. Which is another reason I will never watch any Bob Kraft videos that might come out.
Seriously? Jesus H.
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
Just out of interest when you mean squash do you mean the kind we play in the Commonwealth countries (ie your reference to Canada I think ) or the hard fast ball you guys play with and sometimes call raqcetball? I know you posted about both but I've come across a lot of Americans who called the RBall game squash, and even played some who used the wicked fast ball and played a sort of hybrid.

The biggest danger in squash is tennis players. If you play against tennis players you're going to get smashed by follow throughs and loading up on the swings.

If you need any advice, it's 'own the T'.
 

TrapperAB

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 25, 2002
3,041
West Hartford, CT
I learned in high school (preppy boarding school; before attending, I had never heard of the game)... and, because my life is full of going back to the beginning, I coached squash (high school JV boys) at another preppy boarding school, and now coach it to middle school kids at a slightly less preppy day school.

Agreeing with everything in this thread: get warm and be ready to lunge a lot if you're anything beyond a novice. Ricocheting off the side walls isn't recommended, although every man, young or old, seems unable to resist the temptation. And yes, wear eye protection (I've seen some ugly things).

As for game advice, I tell my kids -- over and over again -- three things: get to the T, have your racquet ready, and watch your opponent (tennis players in particular watch the front wall thinking their opponent is on the other side).

Beyond that, hit for depth (the tighter the rail the better) to open up the front of the court.

It's a really fun game... and it kicks your ass.
 

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,473
Saskatchestan
The stretching and warm up before is good advice. I've been doing it

I wear my regular glasses when I play. Should be be switching to see sort of sport glasses and wearing my contacts instead?

I try not to spiderman the walls ever. I did over extend on a shot and clipped my left shoulder a bit. It's been a bit sore since, but just a bruise

I'm having fun so far
 

SydneySox

A dash of cool to add the heat
SoSH Member
Sep 19, 2005
15,605
The Eastern Suburbs
Yeah bouncing off walls is not a sign of someone in control - if you're running into walls it means you're not balanced when you make your shots and in a position to react. You're overcommitted to a shot. The only times you'd ever be trying to hit a wall is if you are in last minute panic mode to get a shot and generally you're about to lose on your opponents response.

Don't wear regular glasses. Picking glass out of your eyes is not a good idea.

In normal squash you never see anyone wearing protective eye glasses. That's more of the american fast racquetball thing.
 

charlieoscar

Member
Sep 28, 2014
1,339
"Played" badminton as a kid but was exposed to squash when I went to St. Paul's School Advanced Studies Program between my junior and senior years--loved it, but never got to play it after that summer.

Back to badminton: One day during my assignment in Italy a friend said, "Let's go to the gym this morning and play badminton." I hit the shuttlecock over the net to him, underhanded, and it came back past my head at about 60-mph. He didn't "play" badminton. Turned out he grew up next door to a badminton champion. I didn't play/"play" it after that.
 

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
6,473
Saskatchestan
Buy an eyeshield and wear it religiously. I still have two working eyeballs on account of safety goggles.
Definitely. My uncle took a ball in the eye and had a patch for many months. Was lucky not to lose the eye
I joined a small league in October. One of the guys I played with last month took one in the eye with no goggles on (from a different opponent). He's a truck driver that now can't drive truck. He said he was lucky he didn't lose the eye, but he'll not be working until the new year at the earliest

I've had some success, but I'm still beating myself most of the time, rather than my opponent beating me. My shots and play have improved over the past couple months and I'm looking forward to some new opponent's this month

I also bought a new Oliver Pure4 racket (from the guy that took one in the eye). It's a lot lighter than my previous one and helps a lot with shot control