2009-01-15

Squash

I recently got back into this game and man is it ever gruelling. If you want to lose weight this is the sport that has it all…it’s a great cardio workout as well as an excellent aerobic workout and all you need is a racquet and ball, a buddy and a place to play.
The rules of the game are simple. Games are usually played to 9 points (alternatively, the receiver may opt to call "set two" and play to 10 when the score first reaches 8-8). Competition matches are usually played to "best-of-five".


Squash Racquet and ball

Double Yellow Ball (very tough)
The Court
The squash court is a playing surface surrounded by four walls. The court surface contains a half court line, separating the left and right hand sides of the court, and a front line separating the front and back of the court, creating three 'boxes' - the front half, the back left quarter and the back right quarter. Both the back two boxes contain smaller services boxes. All of the floor-markings on a squash court are only relevant during serves.

There are four walls to a squash court. The front wall, on which three parallel lines are marked, has the largest playing surface, while the back wall, which typically contains the entrance to the court, has the smallest. The out line runs along the top of the front wall, descending along the side walls to the back wall. Shots struck above this line are out. The bottom line of the front wall marks the top of the 'tin', a half meter-high metal area which if struck means that the ball is out. The middle line of the front wall is the service line and is only relevant during serves.
Service
The players usually spin a racket to decide who commences serving at the start of the match. This player starts the first rally by electing to serve from either the left or right service box. For a legal serve, one of the server's feet must be in that box (while neither foot may lie beyond the front line across the middle of the court) and, after being struck by the racket, the ball must strike the front wall above the service line and below the out line and land in the opposite quarter court. The receiving player can chose to volley a serve (hit the ball before it hits the floor) after it has hit the front wall. If a server wins a point, the two players switch sides for the following point.
Play
After the serve, the players take turns hitting the ball against the front wall, above the tin and below the out line. The ball may strike the side or back walls at any time, as long as this is below the out line, though it must not hit the floor after hitting the racket and before hitting the front wall. A ball landing on either the out line or the line above the tin, contrary to tennis, is considered to be out. After the ball hits the front wall, it is allowed to bounce once on the floor (and any number of times against the side or back walls) before a player must return it.
Now only time and practice will make you better and maybe you might even make me break a sweat if we were to ever meet LOL!!!
WARNING WARNING…WEAR YOUR SAFTEY GLASSES
Nuno
(Description courtesy of Wikipedia)

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