Squash is an extremely popular racket sport worldwide and an enjoyable one to get involved with – all you need is a squash racquet, ball and shoes to start playing!
Remember when playing squash in colder climates that the ball’s bounce tends to drop lower, making volleying and keeping rallies going more challenging.
Warm Up
When playing squash in cold weather, it is essential that your body is prepared. Warming up properly will help avoid injuries and ensure optimal performance – this includes eating nutritious food and drinking enough fluid before your match as part of warming up, stretching properly and eating appropriate snacks/drinks during warming up – this will prevent muscle or joint injuries during gameplay.
Warming up your squash ball is another crucial step to hitting accurate shots and improving its bounce. A cold squash ball tends to plop down instead of bounce due to cold air within it being trapped inside – therefore warming it will allow more effective shot placement and improve accuracy.
Squeezing your squash ball between your hands is a quick and effective way to quickly warm it up, as this increases pressure within it, prompting it to bounce higher. In addition, hitting it against walls and volleying repeatedly are great methods of warming it up as well.
As you gain experience, you may notice that warmer weather speeds up play on court and makes balls bounce more. This may prove difficult to adjust to, so it is essential that your game plan be tailored accordingly – focus on keeping rallies short and employing drop shots to manage match pace.
When selecting the ideal squash ball, make sure that it meets both durability and level of play requirements. The HEAD Prime Squash Ball is ideal for newcomers or casual players as its quality materials provide long-term use – not to mention being very cost effective and offering great value!
HEAD Tournament Squash Ball’ is an ideal choice for intermediate players due to its higher bounce than Prime, quality materials that last and its tournament status. Meanwhile, their HEAD “Start Squash Ball” provides power and forgiveness in equal measures for beginner or occasional players alike.
Shoes
Shoe choice is of vital importance for squash players in colder conditions, particularly those competing outdoors. Shoes must support high-impact movements in all directions while offering good traction, fitting perfectly without restricting blood flow to feet or becoming loose enough that they slide around during play and make controlling the ball difficult.
Starting squash can be daunting for newcomers; therefore, the sooner they switch over to squash specific shoes the better their experience will be. These specialized tennis shoes offer better support and fit while being designed specifically to withstand quick starts and stops of play.
Good squash shoes should not only be comfortable, but should also be lightweight and breathable to help keep feet cool and dry – this helps decrease blisters or other injuries as well as maintain ankle stability. Some brands of squash shoes even boast shock absorption capabilities or support ankle stability features.
Also keep in mind that shoes tend to expand during use, so it is wise to test their fit prior to buying them. A little extra room in the toe box for added comfort as squash requires jumping and running around a lot!
Squash socks are an integral component of gear. Fabric should be breathable and absorbent; new technologies offer ways for socks to wick moisture away and keep feet dry while simultaneously helping prevent blisters.
Use socks designed specifically for sports. A woman’s foot tends to be shorter, narrower, and has approximately 30% less volume compared to that of men with the same shoe size, so women’s squash socks may help ensure a good fit and prevent blisters from occurring.
As well as water bottles, sunglasses and headbands may also help block out the sun while playing squash, as can keeping yourself hydrated is crucial to performing at your best.
Googles
Squash balls can reach speeds of over 125mph when they hit a court surface, potentially inflicting eye injuries on even amateur players who take part. Such risks should not be taken lightly and should always be treated as serious.
There is an effective solution: specialized sports goggles. While traditional safety glasses and contact lenses offer some protection, these do not meet the technical standards required of squash goggles, which must withstand high-velocity impact without shattering.
There is a variety of squash goggles on the market to meet different players’ needs, with different features tailored to different kinds of players. Some features may tie around the back of your head for secure fit while others remain stable like regular glasses. Some models even work best when worn alongside prescription lenses to give optimal vision while playing.
Tecnifibre Absolute Squash Goggles: These US-made goggles are an ideal choice for players wearing prescription glasses as they’re specially made to ensure comfort and security while being worn under frames. Features such as its vented shield to maximize airflow as well as anti-fogging and scratch-proof polycarbonate lenses provide optimal airflow as well as being packed in their protective bag which doubles up as a cleaning cloth make this goggle stand out.
Ball
Weather plays an enormous role in any player’s game, from experienced pros to complete novices alike. This is because temperature affects how a ball bounces: for instance, hotter balls tend to bounce higher and hit front walls further than cold ones – meaning matches may become harder when balls don’t bounce as high compared to usual.
Reason being that cold temperatures reduce how quickly a ball’s surface warms up; one way to overcome this issue is carrying a squash bag with various balls on cold days – this will help them warm up faster and stay bouncy for longer.
Squash balls often have a specific color and name to reflect their quality and intended use, particularly for beginners. A red single dot ball known as the Progress Squash ball is suitable for recreational players; its diameter is 6% larger than an official Pro match ball and has 20% more bounce. Conversely, blue dot balls known as Intro Squash balls have fast instant bounce so newcomers can properly strike the ball to develop hand eye coordination skills faster.
Your squash bag must be large enough to store all your rackets, with pockets for other gear. A backpack-style bag offers easy access to your rackets while offering easy transport. Many come equipped with smaller inside and exterior pockets for shoes and other miscellaneous items.
Your choice of squash ball can have an enormous effect on your game, and should reflect both your level and weather conditions. Typically, advanced players should choose either the Dunlop Competition Squash Ball with yellow dot or Perfly SB 930 single yellow dot ball; newcomers might try the Dunlop Intro Squash ball for starters.