subject: Information about Squash Racquet [print this page] Information about Squash Racquet Information about Squash Racquet
As were many kids where I was growing up, the first 'wall-ball' game to which I became introduced was handball. It was usually played with an old tennis ball but if you could find a 'real' handball that was a bonus. In that case, though, it was helpful to also acquire a pair of gloves to protect from the sting of every slap. For us kids it was a pretty manly game.
Then, years later, I became acquainted with handball as it's meant to be played, in a full-sized court. This was quite different and so much more geometrically complicated than the game I learned as a kid. Adding three walls and the ceiling as additional playing surfaces really speeds up the game (compared to the old one-wall version).
For this new version gloves were mandatory, at least for me. And even with a good pair of specialty handball gloves I still felt the pain, right through the leather. And those shots I missed by reaching too far would inevitably leave welts on my wrists and forearms. Very manly, eh? Ha ha.
Racquetball, I learned, is played in the exact same court as is used for handball but is somewhat 'gentler' because you get to use a racket (or, as our cousins would say...'racquet'). No more hitting the ball with the hands sounded good to me, plus, the ball itself is softer. Getting hit by the opponent's shot shouldn't hurt as much, right? Getting hit with their swinging racquet can sure smart, though.
Right next to the handball court I used to play at, there was another court that was similar to my original court, but it was slightly different. It had all kinds of lines painted on the walls and looked to be a slightly different size. I learned this was a 'squash' court and my first impulse was to run out and get a squash racquet so I could try this new variation of a wall-ball game. I went to the sporting goods store.
Back in the corner, just past the tennis stringing machine was a large display of all things 'racket'. They even had ping-pong stuff in that section. I guess ping-pong is a racket game too, in a sense... sort of a mini version of tennis.
Speaking of ping-pong, I once heard that professional ping-pong players, when in competition, use an area the size of a tennis court for their play. That's a pretty big area! These players must be in exceptional shape. I guess racket sports can do that for you.
