BoredomBusted — Find Your Next Favorite Thing To Do
Discover hobbies, activities, places, and ideas that spark joy. Whether you're looking for something creative, active, social, or relaxing, BoredomBusted helps you find your next favorite thing to do.
Browse our hobby guides, things-to-do collections, and place ideas to never be bored again.
Discover the thrilling sport of squash with Boredom Busted's ultimate beginner's guide! Learn the basics, mastering the rules, serving techniques, and solo practice tips. Get ready to boost your fitness and have fun while busting boredom! Dive into the exciting world of squash today!
Most people assume squash is just a faster, more enclosed version of tennis. It isn't. Squash is a completely different problem — one you solve with your body position, not your swing. The ball dies on the floor if you let it. Your opponent is two feet behind you. And the walls are part of your arsenal, not the boundaries of your failure.
If you've tried it once and found it exhausting and confusing, that's exactly right for session one. Here's what's actually going on — and why it gets addictive fast.
From the viewing gallery, squash looks like two people sprinting and slapping a ball around a glass box. From inside the court, it's three interlocking technical systems running simultaneously.
The T is the intersection at the centre of the court. Whoever controls the T controls the rally. Every shot you hit should be designed to push your opponent off the T so you can reclaim it. This is the entire strategic foundation of squash.
Squash balls are not uniform. They come in different speeds based on coloured dots — a double yellow dot (used by experienced players) barely bounces until it's warmed up. Beginners should use a red or blue dot ball, which bounces more and lets you actually develop your swing. Grabbing a double yellow on your first session is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Squash requires a compact, wristy swing — not the full arc you'd use in tennis or badminton. The court is too small and the rallies too fast for a big backswing. Players who come from tennis often overhit constantly until they compress their swing. It takes deliberate unlearning.
You'll spend the first ten minutes just keeping the ball in play. That's the entire goal. The ball will die in the back corners repeatedly, you won't be able to reach it in time, and you'll have no idea where to stand after hitting.
Most beginners are exhausted within fifteen minutes — not because squash requires elite fitness, but because inefficient movement burns enormous energy. You're sprinting to places you don't need to be, hitting from bad positions, and never recovering to the T. That's all fixable, and it fixes quickly.
The surprise for most first-timers: the walls are genuinely useful. Hitting the side wall at the right angle to set up a back-corner shot feels completely unnatural, then suddenly clicks. That moment — usually somewhere in sessions two or three — is when squash goes from confusing to compelling.
What beginners get wrong immediately: standing behind their shot to watch it. In squash you hit and immediately move back to the T. Watching your shot from where you hit it puts you completely out of position for the next ball.
Beginner squash is about keeping the ball in play. Intermediate squash is about hitting winners. Good squash is almost entirely about hitting the ball deep and straight to the back corners — the length game.
A perfect length shot hugs the side wall all the way to the back, dies in the corner, and gives your opponent absolutely nowhere to swing. It doesn't look spectacular. It doesn't feel dramatic. But it wins matches, because it forces your opponent off the T and into a defensive position from which they can only dig the ball out weakly.
The reason beginners miss this: they aim for the front wall and think about power. Good players aim for the back wall via the front wall and think about width. A shot that kisses the side wall and dies behind your opponent is worth ten times a hard cross-court that sits up in the middle.
This is why watching elite squash looks almost boring at times — two players grinding straight length rallies, each waiting for the other to open the court. The drop shot and the nick are the finishers, but the length game is the engine.
Squash is one of the cheaper racket sports to run once you're set up. The main ongoing cost is court hire, which typically runs $10–$25 per hour depending on your city and facility.
A basic beginner racket ($30–$50), a tube of beginner balls ($5–$10), and a few court hire sessions. Borrow goggles or skip them for casual solo hitting, but budget them in before you play anyone else.
A mid-range racket ($80–$120), proper squash shoes ($60–$90), certified squash goggles ($25–$40), and a club membership or court pass. Shoes are the non-negotiable upgrade — regular trainers will slide on a squash court.
A performance racket ($130–$200+), club membership with coaching access ($100–$300/year depending on location), regular restringing ($20–$30 per string job every few months), and tournament entry fees if you go competitive.
Beginner squash racket — Lightweight (around 130–140g), head-heavy balance, large sweet spot. Brands like Dunlop, Head, and Wilson all make solid entry-level options under $50.
Red or blue dot squash balls — Not double yellow. The slower balls are bouncier and will actually let you hit shots and develop form. Double yellows are for players who can already sustain a rally.
Squash goggles — The ball travels at serious speed in an enclosed space. Eye injuries in squash are real and entirely preventable. Most clubs require them for junior players and encourage them for adults.
Squash shoes — You can survive a few sessions in clean non-marking trainers. Once you're playing regularly, proper squash shoes make a significant difference to lateral movement and court grip. Don't skip them long-term.
Performance racket — Lighter, stiffer, head-light balance for control. These suit players who already have a consistent swing. Buying one before you have a swing just wastes money.
Club membership — Pay-as-you-go court hire first. Once you're going more than twice a week, membership typically pays off. Most clubs offer trial memberships — use them.
New players almost always reach for the lightest, most expensive racket on the rack, assuming lighter means faster and faster means better. In squash, that's backwards for beginners.
Head-heavy rackets give beginners more natural power, which compensates for the lack of wrist technique. Head-light rackets are designed for players with fast, developed swings who need maneuverability rather than momentum. Handing one to a beginner is like giving an automatic driver a racing clutch.
String tension matters too, but not yet. Standard factory tension (24–26 lbs) is fine for your first six months. Worrying about string tension before you have a repeatable swing is putting the cart entirely before the horse.
The simple rule: if you played tennis before, go slightly lighter and head-light to avoid overhitting. If squash is your first racket sport, go with a mid-weight head-heavy beginner racket and don't overthink it until session twenty.
Not all squash facilities are equal. A court is just a room — the club around it determines whether you improve or stagnate. Here's what to look for:
Beginner-friendly programming. Good clubs run beginner sessions or intro nights. If the only options are open court hire and competitive ladders, you'll be stranded.
A club ladder or graded competition. Club ladders match you against players of similar level. This is how you improve without getting destroyed every session.
Courts in usable condition. Scuffed walls that affect ball flight, broken tins, or poor lighting are red flags. A quick look before you commit to membership tells you a lot about how the club is run.
A coach who takes beginners. Even two or three coached sessions early on will save you months of ingraining bad habits. Ask when you visit whether beginner coaching is available.
A mix of ages and levels. Clubs with only elite juniors or only retired regulars tend to have a narrower culture. You want somewhere with enough range that you can find a hitting partner at your level on a Tuesday evening.
If you're exploring other racket sports while you decide, the BB Racket Sports guide is a useful comparison.
Squash has a small but unusually engaged online community. r/squash on Reddit is active and genuinely helpful for gear questions, technique breakdowns, and finding hitting partners. SquashTV is the main streaming platform for professional matches and a good way to study how the length game actually works.
In person, squash clubs have a reputation as one of the friendlier sporting communities. It's common for more experienced players to offer tips after a game or invite newcomers into a social ladder. The culture rewards effort over talent, which makes it easier to walk in as a beginner.
Look for box leagues or club handicap systems — these are internal competitions that match you by ability rather than ranking. They're typically the fastest way to go from awkward beginner to someone who belongs on the court.
Give it 30 sessions before you decide. Here's what each stage should look like:
You're figuring out the geometry of the court. The ball should start staying in play more consistently. You'll start to feel the T instinctively — even if you're not reaching it. By session ten, a cross-court drive should feel repeatable at least half the time.
You're building the length game. Straight drives to the back corners start working occasionally. You're getting tired less quickly because your movement is becoming more economical. You've started recognising when your opponent is out of position.
You have a shot selection. You're not just retrieving — you're constructing points. The drop shot starts appearing in your game. You're thinking about where your opponent is going before you hit, not after.
Stop if: the enclosed court feels claustrophobic rather than intense, you're not enjoying the one-on-one pressure, or the game isn't opening up for you by session 20.
Keep going if: you're watching professional squash matches and tracking the T positioning rather than the ball — noticing when someone takes the T early and immediately understanding why the next rally is already half won.
Racket Sports List — How squash sits alongside tennis, badminton, racquetball, and pickleball if you're still deciding which to commit to.
How to Play Racquetball — The closest relative to squash, played on a larger court with a bouncier ball. Worth trying if the squash geometry is clicking but you want more power.
How to Play Tennis — If you're coming to squash from tennis, this guide covers the fundamentals that transfer and the habits worth leaving behind.
How to Play Badminton — Another fast, technical racket sport with a similarly compact swing requirement. A useful parallel if you're building racket sport fundamentals.
Full Hobbies List — If squash isn't landing, the full BB hobbies list is a good place to find something that does.
You'll need a squash racket, a squash ball, and proper court shoes with non-marking soles. Most beginners can get started with a basic racket ($50–$100) and ball, though courts usually provide balls. Some facilities offer beginner packages that include equipment rental, so you don't need to buy anything upfront.
Squash has a moderate learning curve—the basics like hitting and court movement are easy to pick up, but mastering control and strategy takes practice. Most beginners can enjoy casual games within a few weeks of regular play. The beauty of squash is that you'll see improvement quickly, which keeps beginners motivated.
Court rental typically costs $20–$50 per hour depending on your location and facility, with membership options often lowering the per-visit cost. Equipment investment ranges from $100–$300 for a decent starter setup, though you can borrow or rent initially. Many clubs offer beginner packages or trial memberships at discounted rates.
You can learn fundamental rules, serves, and basic shots in 3–5 hours of coaching or practice. Most beginners play their first full game within 2–3 weeks of regular practice. Reaching intermediate level—where you can rally consistently—typically takes 2–3 months of consistent play.
Yes, solo practice is excellent for beginners—you can hit the ball against the front wall repeatedly to build consistency and footwork without needing an opponent. Solo sessions help you develop muscle memory for serves and basic strokes at your own pace. Many players alternate between solo drills and competitive matches.
Absolutely—squash is one of the most intense cardio workouts available, burning 600–800 calories per hour even for beginners. It builds leg strength, agility, and hand-eye coordination while being low-impact enough for most fitness levels. You'll feel the fitness benefits within 2–3 weeks of regular play.