[Closed] Squash vs. racketball

Afaik rules are basically the same. Played quite a bit of squash but I only played RB a few times; spent most of the time trying to get the ball to bounce of the front wall then the back then the front again.

It's a bit mad and I seem to remember getting hit with the ball a lot. Which hurts.

Not sure if it's easier. The ball is quite heavy. For comparison I was only about what, 10 or 11 when I started playing squash. How old are your kids?

Easier for beginners and those of us older players who cannot get around the court like we used to 🙄 So I have been told anyway :wink:. It is taking off at my old club I have heard.
Not played for a few yrs due to bad back but found racquets in the loft recently and it is membership month...................

Raquetball - ball does all the travelling
Squash - player does all the travelling

Not strictly true but the ball does just seem to come to you more in raquetball than squash, I prefer squash and haven't played much raquetball so it may be we just wasn't doing it right.

Racquetball is a mad sport, especially if you come to it from squash. In much the way that squash and badminton players bring a lot of baggage when the swap. squash playing racquetball novices spend a lot of the time chasing the ball as it shoots past them on its way back, then on its way forward again

Thanks all - yes it sounds like the racketball is much bouncier than squash ball so guess it will be less attritional than squash? Slight problem is that it seems racketball courts are slightly different to squash

I played racketball for many years and think it's a great game.

Unless squash is played at a higher level it seems (from watching 'novice' players) that rallies rarely get past 8 or 9 shots and the first miss-hit wins the rally as the ball rarely gets warmed up enough to bounce (less so these days with double yellow spots).

Racketball gets great rallies and it takes more skill to kill the ball. Squash is also far harder on the knees which is why so many older chaps have now swapped to racketball.

In my club in the midlands (the midlands seem to have far more r'ball than elsewhere in the country??) the r'ball leagues are bigger than the squash leagues and there are some very good players indeed.

From a kids perspective, i'd say r'ball everytime as they'll find it easier and get far more exercise doing it.

Edit - the courts and rules are pretty much exactly the same (apart from serve), just the racket and ball that differ.

rarely gets warmed up enough to bounce (less so these days with double yellow spots).

I'd have thought double yellow spots would exacerbate the problem, they're about as bouncy as lead aren't they?

Anyway, I found squash balls much like that pink goo in Ghostbusters, once a few swear words started rattling around the court, the ball seemed to heat up magnificently!

Racketball is for people too old to play squash any more 😉

However it would be great for kids or people new to the sport, as its a lot slower, and more bouncy, so a lot easier to pick up.

Squash is a hard game to improve with, although AFAIK you can get different sized balls now for differing standards? Half the battle with squash is people using the double yellow dot when its completely inappropriate for the level they play at, meaning they never get any heat in the ball.

Thanks all - yes I know what you mean we usually play with a double yellow and usually it's a good game but not many rallies go beyond say 15 shots - perhaps we should go to single yellow for a change

Found that once you start playing squash at a decent level it becomes much less of a workout as your simply trying to boss the T and play better/more thoughtful shots

Amazing game though. Pity my knees didnt think so.

Kids normally play squash with red or blue spots which don't really need warming up (at least that's how I started). I think you can get oversized extra bouncy balls for really young kids. not sure about RB, I think I'd do whatever is most popular at your local club.