[Mifsnavassy]

I have never created a thread before, so I'll start with this one, since it's a subject close to my heart: SQUASH.

Anything about squash can go here, and I hope that since it's a sport close to tennis, there's people out there that enjoy it, play it, or are just curious about it. Feel free to comment, ask questions, post news, or just share anything you want about squash!

[greekbeast]

Always been curious and many tennis players play it. There was a picture around last year I think of Rafa greeting Richard Krajicek and his son(s) at a squash court.

[Mifsnavassy]

As some of you may know, there are two open spots for new (or reinstated) sports for the 2016 Olympics.

The seven candidate sports are: baseball, softball (both of which were dropped some years ago), karate, golf, roller sports and rugby union, and, of course: SQUASH!

As part of our bid to get Squash into the Olympics, the World Squash Federation has organized a series of events. Among the initiatives, May 23 2009 has been declared World Squash Day, and events are taking place all around the planet; my club in LA, for example, will stage a free tournament where evryone will play old school: with wooden racquets!

More information on the Olympics bid and the World Squash Day in the links below:

http://squash2016.info/

http://www.worldsquashday.com/

[POMAH_K]

I've never played squash, but I'm definitely interested. It looks like fun!

(ps. I have no idea why, but I totally thought this thread was about squashing beefs when I read the title of it )

[Mifsnavassy]

Always been curious and many tennis players play it. There was a picture around last year I think of Rafa greeting Richard Krajicek and his son(s) at a squash court.

Yes, I've heard that some players play it from time to time for physical conditioning. I had read somewhere, for example, that Kim enjoyed it and was practicing it to keep in shape.
Even if the shots are slightly different, it's a very complete physical workout, so it makes sense.

[FinanseMikky]

I play squash regularly, but only as a recreational activity. When I first started playing it, I only hit tennis topspin shots. But now, I (hopefully!) know better. The way I've come to see it is that squash is basically a defensive game, with lots of strategies involving court positioning. I also use a lot of drop-shots which I don't see the better squash players doing, but I win quite a few points using them.

It's just so satisfying when you win a point outwitting your opponent, leaving him/her staring at the ball whizzing into the opposite corner. I love it!

[greekbeast]

There are some shots made during play now that the talking heads regularly call "squash shots". The angle of the racquet and the approach are visibly different.

[Mifsnavassy]

Yes, ideally you hit with the head of the racquet open, because it's usually considered better strategy to play to the back of the court and force your opponent to leave the center of the court and go to the back to retrieve your shots. Most of the rallies between the pros involve these shots and the drop-shot is rarely used, since they are usually abe to sprint forward and drive it to the back again. That said, it is always good to have a good drop and use it from time to time to change the pace of the game. There's a guy in my club that uses it all the time and very effectively: he's 60 or something like that, and it compensates really effectively for his age and the fact that he's relatively slower.

[FinanseMikky]

There are some shots made during play now that the talking heads regularly call "squash shots". The angle of the racquet and the approach are visibly different.

According to this article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle4221722.ece), a lot of the players play squash. Roger and Murray started playing it as kids. Rafa also plays now. And Fabrice Santoro is a squash genius!

[Mifsnavassy]

According to this article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle4221722.ece), a lot of the players play squash. Roger and Murray started playing it as kids. Rafa also plays now. And Fabrice Santoro is a squash genius!

Interesting article: I'll pay more attention to Santoro's game while he's still out there; and, who knows, maybe he can become a squash player after his retirement!

[QualityReachOut]

Mmm. My favorite is butternut.

I also think it looks really cool when Roger (and others) hit their "squash shots". (Trying to stay on-topic here!)

[ValdisSeroff]

I play squash regularly, but only as a recreational activity. When I first started playing it, I only hit tennis topspin shots. But now, I (hopefully!) know better. The way I've come to see it is that squash is basically a defensive game, with lots of strategies involving court positioning. I also use a lot of drop-shots which I don't see the better squash players doing, but I win quite a few points using them.

It's just so satisfying when you win a point outwitting your opponent, leaving him/her staring at the ball whizzing into the opposite corner. I love it!

ja! I play with much flatter shots and way more aggressive than in tennis. I rarely use drops, however, using the walls is the key for me when playing against tough players.

[forotis]

Let me preface this by saying my life is a series of humiliations, and I wouldn't have it any other way. This is my one experience with squash:


I'm in a hostel in Surfer's Paradise, Australia, where I see what I think is an indoor racquetball court (I'm American, I should mention). I convince my friend Dustin to come play racquetball with me, explaining that this is a game where the more welts you give your opponent, the better you're doing. We ask for the racquets and the racquetball at the front desk. The lady at the front desk, who has short red hair and wears a nametag that reads "Max," says, "You mean squash?" I say, "Sure." She gets out the equipment. The ball is considerably smaller and not blue. Hmm, I think, crazy Australia!

We enter the court, and I give the ball a nice, firm hit, just trying to start an easy rally with Dustin, a beginner. The ball bounces off the wall, hits the ground with a thud, takes a couple tiny bounces and stops dead 10 feet in front of us. That's weird, I think.

I grab the ball to take it back to the front desk; Dustin follows me. Max is on the phone. She sees us out of the corner of her eye. If she'd been chewing bubble gum, she would have blown and popped a bubble here. But she wasn't, and she didn't. Still. When Max finally comes my way, I politely explain, "I think your ball is dead." With a face of stone, she replies, "You have to hit it." I explain what I mean. At this point, she asks, "Have you ever played squash before?" I say, "Yeah, it's the same as racquetball, right?" One corner of her mouth curls upward.

After a brief and emasculating lesson on how you have to "warm up" a squash ball, Dustin and I head back to the court, determined to jack the crap out of this thing until testosterone oozes from our pores. After full-arm swinging at it for about five minutes, we realize that we could be drinking instead of pretending we play squash. We sulk back to the front desk with our equipment, with only the promise of a Toohey's Old in our immediate future softening the blow of the wry "Thanks, boys" from the mouth of Max. The end.

[Wgnhqhlg]

Great story mwoods.

[QualityReachOut]

That story made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that

[Pharmaciest2007]

That story made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that

Great read. Thanks, mwoods

[POMAH_K]

LOL. That was an awesome story, Mwoods.
( My life, too, is a series of humiliations, btw )

[drislerfottor]

I have to admit I hated squash, we were forced to play it for PE. The only thing I liked about it was the walk to the public courts from school took twenty minutes through town so you could window shop on the way.
Having said that the whole of New Zealand was hooked on the sport when Susan Devoy was playing. I've met her a couple of times through her work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association as the two boys next door to my parents, that I used to babysit, both suffered from the disease.

[Mifsnavassy]

luvs, do you know a certain band called the Datsuns? looks like their guitarist is a squash fan and he plans to do some bungee jumping on Saturday for the World Squash Day...

Squash 2016 fever has caught on all over the world and the day launches in New Zealand with rock star Phil Buscke, The Datsuns guitarist, wearing his Squash 2016 T-shirt as he does a bungee jump from Auckland Harbour Bridge live on TV. Phil said: "I've been asked to do a lot of things by Squash New Zealand in the past, but I never thought they'd ask me to jump off a bridge."

[Lidawka]

love it, mwoods.

Bonus points if you go back and get a photo of Max. I'm picturing the Aussie version of Flo (she of "kiss my grits" fame) from the TV show "Alice".