An Introduction to Squash

Variously described as mobile chess and, by Noel Coward, as flagellation, squash has a strong following, with over 8600 courts in England alone and even Botswana offering 27! Curious then that it is widely regarded as the preserve of the super-fit, aggressive alpha-male. In actuality, squash is such a simple game, essentially defined as hitting a ball against a wall with a racquet. It's also cheap, with no expensive equipment needed and court fees of as little as £4 per 45 minute session.

The game is played on an indoor court, and involves two or four players, the games respectively called singles squash and doubles squash. The object of the game is to score points by winning rallies. The first player (or couple) to score 9 points wins the game, and the first to win either three or five games (depending on the competition) wins the match. Squash has been around for nearly 150 years, and became phenomenally popular in the last few decades of the twentieth century. It is played in at least 153 nations and is a favourite sport throughout the world.

Squash does not enjoy a high profile as a spectator sport. It has long been the preserve of business types - a match being as much a networking opportunity as a sporting contest. Unlike golf, another popular businessman's sport, a game of squash lasts just forty minutes, brief enough to easily fit into a hectic schedule. Highly competitive, sometimes verging on aggressive, squash does appeal to busy people needing an outlet for their energy.