Guide on Squash Ball Dimensions » All Questions Answered Here!

What squash ball to use?

I started playing squash two years ago, and funnily enough, it wasn’t until two months had gone by that I found out that I had been playing with the wrong ball all along. 

When watching international competitions, I could see that the pro players used double yellow dot balls, so that’s what I went for. The outcome? I almost gave up since these balls didn’t fit my skill level.

So you don’t make the same mistake as I did and so you can enjoy this amazing sport since the very beginning, I have broken down the process of choosing a squash ball (Amazon link) depending on your level.

Squash Ball For Beginners

HEAD Prime Squash Balls – Double Yellow Dot

Great option to get started. It comes in a set of 3 balls.

Check it on Amazon

Finding Out Your Level

Before we get into numbers and specifications of any sort, It is crucial to know where we stand in terms of level. 

Normally we tend to compare ourselves with the athletes we see on TV, but as I explained before, that did not work very well for me in squash.

As I also mentioned, in our sport the ball has a great impact on the game’s development, so it is very important to use the right one in order to get the most out of every practice.

Therefore, we should be able to identify ourselves in one of the following four categories:

• Beginner: Just started recently. Basic skills.
• Improver: Confident with basic skills. Able to perform at a higher speed without compromising the technique, nor the flow of the game.
• Intermediate: Able to perform at a medium/high speed with good technique.
• Advanced/Professional: Heavy user, high technique and high performance.

Now that we have categorized ourselves in terms of level -no cheating allowed-, it is time to move on to the next step.

Which Squash Ball is Best for Beginners? Pick the Right Color!

For non-professional players, the color code classification might be the one and only criteria when deciding on which ball to go for.

It is very common that squash balls bear a permanent color code or marking to indicate their speed or category of usage. Based on that, we will find that balls are classified as follows (Amazon links):

• Yellow Dot (Single or Double) – Super slow
• White Dot or Green Dot – Slow
• Red Dot – Medium
• Blue Dot – Fast

As we can see in the classification, balls are ranked depending on the speed, and as you have probably figured out, it can be directly related to the player’s level. So, generally speaking, the faster the ball, the most suitable for lower-level players.

The explanation behind this relationship between the speed of the ball vs the user’s level is simple: the higher the speed, the potential bounce increases, which means a longer reaction time for us to play the ball.

Therefore, if you are a player who started not long ago and is still struggling on hitting the ball back to the wall, it would be highly recommendable that you went for blue dotted balls.

If you were choosing a ball above your level, it could not be heated correctly, removing a degree of skill from the game. Therefore, it would make it easier to hit winning shots, requiring less fitness and making it harder to play lengthy rallies.

Becoming a Pro – Squash Ball Stats for Advanced Players

If you are playing at a high-performance level or simply want to know a little more in-depth about the intricacies of squash ball specifications, you are in the right place.

When speaking about squash balls, the recommended standards approved by the World Squash Federation (WSF) are mainly based around five concepts:

• Diameter: length from one point of the edge of the ball, through its center, to a point on the opposite side. Generally speaking, the larger the diameter, the bouncier the ball.
• Weight: determines the weight of the ball.
• Stiffness: property of a material which is rigid and difficult to bend.
• Seam Strength: the capacity of the ball to receive impacts without tearing apart.
• Rebound Resilience: technically speaking, the rebound resilience is defined as the ratio of the energy returned to the energy applied for deformation due to a single impact. Or, in plain English, how much does the ball bounces.
• Temperature of the ball: at room temperature, a professional-grade squash ball barely bounces. Once warmed, either through mechanical or physical means, they bounce over twice as much in their original state.

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS

Now that we are able to understand the specs when looking at a squash ball, let’s take a look to the standards given by the WSF :

COMPETITION: Standard double yellow dot ball

CLUB: Standard single yellow dot ball

HIGH ALTITUDE: Green dot high altitude squash ball

Note that the WSF also gives the recommended standards for lower levels, normally intended for recreational users. As you may notice, there are no specifications regarding diameter, weight, stiffness or steam strength, as those may vary depending on the producer.

IMPROVERS

BEGINNERS

When to Change a Squash Ball?

There is usually a noticeable decrease in bounce as the ball gets older, and they will also get shiny and lose their texture which can impact the trajectory.

This, of course, may vary depending on you how hard you are hitting and how long your points are, but it is definitely a problem as the ball’s condition is so crucial for the game.

As a rule of thumb, if you are an average player you should change your ball after 2-5 sessions. This could also be a bit of a luxury problem though, as depending on where you live, the balls can be a bit expensive.

Is Squash Ball the Same as Racquetball?

The answer is no, definitely not. A considerable amount of people get confused when this question is brought up, but do not get caught in that confusion.

If you want to know a bit more in-depth about the similarities and differences between squash and racquetball, take a look at this article – Is Squash the same as racquet ball

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