Squash is to businessmen what golf is to, er, businessmen.
For years it’s been a favourite way of the hard-working executive, manager or entrepreneur to unwind, de-stress, and even network.
Unlike women, men like to intersperse their conversations with an activity, preferably a sport. Squash is an ideal vehicle for catching up with contacts on an informal basis, as one, it is indeed a sport, and two, there are frequent chances to chat – in between points – and, unlike, say, tennis, the players are always close enough to converse without shouting.
It also helps that games only last about 40 minutes, as they slot comfortably into a hectic schedule. It’s also an intense, competitive sport, and ‘competitive’ is certainly an adjective you can apply to many business people.
How does it work?
To put it simply, two people take it in turns to hit a small rubber ball against a wall in a four-sided court. A point is awarded once a player fails to hit the ball against the target area outlined on the wall.
Players can rebound the ball of the other walls, so long as it eventually hits the target area. The ball mustn’t hit the floor more than once before it reaches the target area, otherwise the rally is lost.
It’s a best-of-five-games match and to win a game you have to reach nine points.
How did it come about?
It began in the 19th century and was originally called squash racquets, as it was derived from a game called racquets.
The game wasn’t born of idle whimsy; it came about because of practical need.
When young pupils at Harrow school tired of being unable to get on the proper racquet courts they improvised their own game. They noticed that when they punctured an ordinary, hard racquets ball it became soft, allowing them to play a wider variety of shots.
It is the soft, squashable ball that gives the game its name.
How does the squash ball enable a wider range of shots?
Bizarrely, the balls warm up as play proceeds, speeding up and bouncing higher. This makes play more dynamic, as players cannot easily judge the bounce and pace of the ball and have to adapt their game throughout the match.
There are several types of ball, varying in speed and bounce, with the more experienced players tending to opt for the slower, less bouncy balls.
How does it compare to other sports exercise-wise?
Favourably, in terms of the cardiovascular benefit. It’s pretty intense with little let up – unless of course you and your partner stop frequently for rests in between points.
If you’re a little overweight then you’ll be interested to know that squash burns about 700 to 1,000 calories during an hour’s play – considerably more than other sport, and 70% more than tennis. It also gives you an upper and lower body workout.
It’s no wonder that in 2003 Forbes ranked squash as the healthiest sport.
However, because it’s so intensive, people with a history of heart problems might want to think carefully about whether it’s appropriate for them.
And it’s a high impact sport, meaning it places a considerable strain on the joints. This is because it’s played on a hard surface and there’s a lot of twisting and turning involved.
How popular is it?
Hugely popular in the UK and another 152 countries.
Nevertheless, its profile is fairly low. Few people will have heard of Amr Shabana or Nicol David, the world number ones of the men and women’s games respectively.
How easy is it to play?
There are plenty of courts around the country – 8,600 in England alone. Gyms and sports centres often have courts, while there are also some specialist squash venues.
It’s also relatively affordable, costing as little as £4 for 45 minutes.
