Comments

97 responses to “Squash vs. Tennis: 2025 Edition – Which Is Harder? (Player and Reader Perspectives)”

1. 

   Harold

   May 11, 2021

   That is his point? He explains that it takes a tennis player allot less effort to play decent squash than it takes a squash player to play decent tennis. That is because Tennis is pretty difficult to even play from the Gecko. I think that mainly has to do with distance measuring, serve and the net. Which are more accessible with Squash

   Reply
2. 

   Leon Jackson jr.

   February 24, 2021

   I think that it would have been more suitable to compare Tennis with Badminton and Squash to Racquetball. But Tennis to Badminton might still be a apples to oranges comparison, whereas Squash to Racquetball would be apples to apples.

   Reply
3. 

   Marwats

   November 10, 2020

   Tennis is really very hard to learn, specially the spin. One of the wonderful things about Squash is that it doesn’t take too long before you can serve, return a serve and create a rally.

   Reply
4. 

   James Blake

   May 10, 2020

   I strongly disagree. I’ve played professional level tennis. And I’ve played against the best squash players for fun. It took me one session to learn what they called perfect technique on the forehand from translating tennis to squash. I played with them in tennis also and they could not even hit the ball in the court. Would take them probably 5 years to learn technique from what I’ve seen

   Reply
5. 

   Perky

   February 1, 2020

   Wow. Plenty of comments over the years on this one and some interesting reading and it really is apples and oranges. However, this is my experience as someone who has played both:

   I played tennis as a child up to early adulthood to a very high level before coaching the game professionally replaced my opportunities to play it competitively (and forced me to lose interest to be perfectly honest).

   I no longer coach nor play tennis, but have played squash now for around 3 years. To begin with, I was placed into 3rd grade pennants at my local club which featured 6 grades. I creamed everyone in that grade simply because I was faster and more talented and despite the little experience I had playing squash – I still hit the ball better than most in this division. Club members referred to my brand of squash as being “Bastard Squash” – as I would seldom engage in long rallies and looked to kill the points on my returns or with volleys early in the rally. My volleying skill in tennis translated well to squash it seemed. That was until I moved up a grade, and suddenly those short volley drops weren’t cutting it. I realised the better players would pick up on the trend and take control of the point by dominating the T and making me do all the running. I held my own in the higher division, but only through pure gut busting effort and some at times miraculous shot making. I had to learn the importance of tactical play, volleying for length and I had to adjust my forehand technique drastically. A squash forehand and tennis forehand could not be more different. However, my single handed tennis backhand translated well even early on because a tennis slice isn’t too dissimilar to a squash backhand and I found with small adjustments to my technique on that side, I improved drastically at playing with length, digging out balls from the back corner, hitting boasts etc. Whilst nowhere near the player I was at tennis, I now play in the highest division of pennants in my area for squash.

   The biggest challenge in my opinion for a tennis player transitioning to squash is adjusting to playing the ball behind you and for that matter, being willing to even let the ball come off the back wall. Early on, I would just naturally try to play everything before it could hit the back wall. I would also wait to watch the ball my opponents hit come off the front wall which put me at a big disadvantage. Watching your opponent hit the ball, especially when they are behind you is a difficult and important skill to acquire for a tennis player making the transition.

   Like most who have posted on here, I would rate squash the harder sport from a physical perspective. However, in fairness to tennis, no one has brought up how much more difficult it is to wield the weight of a tennis racquet for a long duration as opposed to a squash racquet. Squash is certainly more cardio intensive and harder on the lower half of the body. However, tennis is much harder on the arm, shoulders and the back – and that is one of the main reasons players look exhausted during a long tennis match.

   In my opinion tennis is a more difficult game to LEARN. I believe both games are equally technical at the higher level, but a solid tennis technique is more significant to a beginner being able to play the game. A beginner can seldom put the serve in play. That’s a deal breaker. Two tennis beginners playing squash against each other can have a rally and an enjoyable workout no matter how poor they hit the ball – the margin for error is huge. Put two squash players on a tennis court and they will struggle to rally. If they are gentle they might be able to lolly the ball over the net back and forth, but that’s not what it’s about. If they want to involve running – they must try to move each-other around by hitting through the ball and in doing so, with a squash technique, they will make errors.

   Overall, the debate is very subjective, but if the question is specifically “which game is more difficult to learn as a complete novice” – than I think tennis should get the nod. Ironically, I prefer playing squash. Having not learned the skills of squash as a child, I lack the autonomy that goes along with that and enjoy the challenge the game presents to me at this stage of my life. I’d also much rather bust my gut for 45 minutes, as opposed to slowly grinding for several hours to achieve the same level of cardiovascular fitness. It is a shame squash doesn’t have the global appeal of tennis. It certainly deserves it.

   Reply
   1. 

      Dax Nair

      February 2, 2020

      Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the superiority (or lack thereof) of one game over the other. As a tennis player who switched to squash, it truly resonated with me. I am planning on converting these points into a blog post. If you would like a short bio or images included in the post, please let me know. Thanks again.

      Reply
6. 

   Zuzka

   January 27, 2020

   I can tell you how that would end up – any tennis player serves as crazy, so the ball bounces from the front wall then from the back wall and ends up in the middle. You don’t have to move and comfortably play that ball – in a way to let the tennis player run. ?

   Reply
7. 

   Olutayo Kehinde

   January 10, 2020

   I like your analysis. I play both games at the club level. However the argument will always linger, which is the tougher game. In my opinion, the level at which the games are played is crucial in this argument.

   Reply
   1. 

      Dax Nair

      January 12, 2020

      Olutayo, Thanks for your comment.

      I agree that the level of play has a bearing on the difficulty level. I was writing it more from the perspective of someone who is new to both the games. Tennis can be a harder sport to pick up…

      Reply
8. 

   Arnaud Malan

   November 26, 2019

   Heyford Peirce, as an avid squash player, I will respectfully disagree… Completely.

   The bounce off the back wall is a mere fraction of the technical aspects of squash, and not even close to the hardest part to master.

   I have played against several tennis players who have been playing squash for a reasonable amount of time, and their tennis skills haven’t helped them much besides some hand-to-eye coordination. To the contrary, they seem to struggle to put their tennis habits aside – specifically their swing.

   Reply
9. 

   Henry Serrano-Wu

   July 16, 2019

   Wrong
   The squash swing is much more difficult to learn because of how you have to shape up, have a free hand, etc.
   Also you don’t just use your arm ur hips and wind them when you swing, and ur wrist and forearm are also very important to the mechanics of the swing
   Overall the squash swing is much more complex then a tennis swing, there fore it is harder to learn

   Reply
10. 

    Graham Burnett

    December 29, 2018

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/willstrop-s-world/2018/apr/14/squash-commonwealth-games-tennis-james-willstrop

    Copied from the guardian

    Data from Tarek Momen’s first-round match against Mathieu Castagnet at the Swedish Open earlier this year offers some insight – and an intriguing comparison with tennis. Momen won the 97-minute match but not before he had covered 5km on the court, struck the ball almost 1,000 times, contested 100 points and covered an average of 48 metres per point. Most of his movement consisted of three-six meter sprints, almost half of which were backwards. Momen spent over 60% of the match – more than an hour – in play.

    Those numbers look even more impressive when compared with the longest match at Wimbledon last summer, Rafa Nadal’s epic five-set defeat to Gilles Müller. That match lasted 288 minutes, but Nadal only covered 3.645km, was only in play 15% of the match and only ran 9.4 metres per point. Put simply, Momen ran further in less time with less rest, while covering more distance per point. The data is not intended to decry either sport but to show the fascinating contrast in their physical demands.

    The 5km figure almost disappointed me because it feels much harder than that on the court. A 5km run doesn’t sound too taxing but, between all of those three-metre sprints, there is a deep lunge and a push back, a swing of the racket and some body rotation, so that distance only tells part of the story. And it’s worth remembering that Momen was back on the court 24 hours later to do it all again.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       January 6, 2019

       Graham, Thanks for sharing this.

       There’s no doubt that, at the right level, squash is a grueling sport.

       Having said that, I believe squash is easier to learn than tennis. A beginner can get to the intermediate level in squash fairly quickly. I wouldn’t say the same for tennis.

       Reply
11. 

    faraaz

    December 3, 2018

    the reason that squash is harder is because there is less amount of time between shots and games

    Reply
12. 

    Dee

    June 19, 2018

    Great post! I love tennis, and I will have to try playing squash sometime to compare the two.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       July 3, 2018

       Squash is a much quicker workout. You can even hit by yourself if you can’t find a partner to play with. You should give it a try.

       Though, It’s tougher on your knees and back than tennis and most people want to be outdoors when the weather is good…

       Reply
13. 

    Jaddy

    January 5, 2018

    Thanks for explaining about these two sport. Really loved the article. Racquetball and squash are different types of sport but its really difficult for new people getting into one of these sport to differentiate between these two. As these two sports seems to be similar. Users would find it helpful to have a read at this also
    http://www.racquetballsport.com/racquetball-vs-squash/

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       January 6, 2018

       Jaddy, Thanks for your comment and the link.

       Reply
14. 

    balls of fury

    September 16, 2017

    I was reading some of the comments, and skimming through the rest, and yes there’s a lot of different opinions from many of the commentors here. So I thought of giving my own two cents. To get straight to the point, I think it’s unfair to compare any racquet sports as which is harder, because they’re all different, and the word harder can be a broad term. Do you mean which sport is harder to learn, to play or to compete, or even to understand?

    The article here mentions which is the harder sport, Squash or Tennis? The author tries to give an objective point of view which I thought is an honest and good attempt. But if you look deeper, it does become a comparison between apples to pears at best, or maybe apples to oranges (I might be wrong).
    From what I know, Squash is an intense anaerobic sport, whereas Tennis is still anaerobic but lesser compared to Squash. Tennis is more physical, meaning requires size (the bigger/taller the player the more advantage in serving), strength and speed. Squash on the other hand, doesn’t require you to be big, even smaller players can play without much disadvantage, but Squash does rely more on: fitness, strength, agility and speed, quick reaction time and explosive power.

    To really and scientifically understand between Squash and Tennis, one has to study the intensity of each sport, especially maximum heart rate, VO2 intake, lactic acid build up, recovery, and so on. This is where, I think, will give a clearer answer as to which sport is harder. A quick google search will show that Tennis is ranked the lowest compared to Squash and Badminton in terms of maximum heart rate.

    The comments in this article then converges to which sport is harder to learn. This is where I want to give my past experience and observation. As a former Squash professional and currently a teaching pro, I am not trying to be bias here, but I want to say that Squash is a harder racquet sport to learn than Tennis. This is where it gets interesting…. Drawing from my own experience, I played some recreational tennis before and was able to play decent rallies after spending some time learning by watching and playing with friends; I even watched some YouTube videos on how to play Tennis. After some playing time over the course of a few months, I was able to hit an average of 5-7 strokes on a single rally in Tennis. Granted, the hardest part of Tennis is the serve. But as this article mentioned, it is comparing the sports on a recreational level, and so even in recreational Tennis, you can still bounce the ball and serve or even do a simple underhand serve just to get the ball over the net. So when someone says that a Squash player will have a harder time playing Tennis, I would like to politely disagree. Try watching a Tennis player play Squash and you will know why they end up going back to Tennis.

    Now, as I’m teaching Squash, I was able to see some of my juniors playing both Tennis and Squash. To sum it up, I saw the same students, who learned Tennis over the summer and were able to hit decent shots and have decent rallies, and even very decent serves!! The same students, then came to play Squash in the winter, and after 3-4 months, they couldn’t hit more than 3 or 4 shots in a single rally. Serves?? Don’t get me started, half of the time they’re hitting below the service line or hitting it out of court. After 2 years, the same group of juniors still can’t play a decent rally in Squash. I’m scared to think that I’m just a bad coach.

    Over time, the reason why I think Squash is still harder to learn, for both juniors and adults, is that it’s the spatial and reaction factor. Also, technique is another important factor that makes Squash harder to learn. Not a lot can understand the open face racquet grip, and they ended holding the Squash racquet with a Tennis grip. Technique wise, Tennis is easier to learn because the racquet is bigger, and people feel more natural to holding a Tennis racquet like holding a hammer. The Squash grip relies on using your fingers and thumb to mold the grip so that it fits as an extension of your arm, thus giving it the natural open face.

    Tennis is easier to learn because of the open space, and because of that it allows the player enough time to react and position him or herself in relation to where the ball will be. Squash on the other hand, doesn’t give you that opportunity because in less than 2 seconds, you’re already charging for your next shot, and because of the small space, you need to be able to compact your swing as well as react quickly in relation to the ball. In the modern game of Squash, it is more important to generate the swing from your core as oppose to generating the swing from the weight of the racquet. This is something that most recreational players can’t understand because it involves training your muscles to react in such a way. Not to mention, in Squash, the movement requires players to utilize their hips to lunge and synchronize their landing with the swing. In Tennis, you just need to get to the area where the ball is going to land, wait, and even have enough time to generate a full backswing.

    When we talk about rallies, it’s unfair and maybe impossible to compare them between Squash and Tennis. You cannot compare rallies with Tennis and Squash because they do not give the same result. What I’m trying to say is that, for example, hitting a 4 shot rally in Tennis is not the same as a 4 shot rally in Squash. Here’s why, in Tennis, there’s a longer lag time between each shot and the bounce, and after each rally, you need roughly at least 8-10 secs before the serve. In Squash, you have less than 2.5 secs to hit the next shot, and roughly 5-7 secs before the next serve. Also, Ultimately, Squash is meant to be played with long rallies, because it’s about how you can make your opponent run and make them hit unforced errors. It’s like a human chess game. Occasionally, you’ll be able to see long rallies in Tennis, but it doesn’t last throughout the whole match. Other than that, it’s always someone spending more time retrieving the ball than actually hitting it.

    Lastly, I sense that people are more favorable towards Tennis in general because of its global popularity. Not many people are given the opportunity to see professional Squash, but when they do, it really changes their mind. If people see how Squash players train and compete, they will think twice before saying it’s easier than Tennis. Not to say Tennis is easy, because I have seen the pros train and play, but that’s because they’re pros!

    I can go on and on about this, but personally it’s going to be a debate that will have no end. Instead, each sport is different and unique in its own way, that’s why they have different names and conditions, or else you’ll be calling every racquet sport by the same name. End of the day, it’s really depends on your preference. If you could enjoy each sport the way its meant to be played, then there’s no need to compare.

    Reply
15. 

    Hayford Peirce

    May 21, 2017

    Any good, or even fairly good, tennis player can step onto a squash court and within a matter of minutes be playing a decent game of squash. Learning the bounces off the rear wall is the only tricky part of squash. And once that’s mastered, the rest is a cinch. A squash player who has never played tennis, however, is sure going to have a LOT more trouble learning to play an acceptable level of tennis — ie, one in which he is having FUN playing tennis, which involves getting a lot of the balls into play and not just walking around the court picking up balls that failed to get over the net, went out, or went past him. I love both games, but in terms of LEARNING, there is an enormous difference!

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       May 21, 2017

       True. Most players who play both the games will agree.

       Reply
    2. 

       Eben Hardie

       September 16, 2017

       As someone who won National Championships in both sports (there are 5 of us alive that I know of) Tennis is the harder game technically because you can’t swing away like in squash.
       The most fun game is easily hardball squash doubles. Nothing is harder than squash singles with the old scoring (a three set clay court singles match will wear you out. It you won’t have the oxygen deprivation that comes with squash singles. Lastly, I think they. Are equal in how tough they are mentally.
       Eben Hardie

       Reply
16. 

    Honza

    March 9, 2017

    Both of them are very physically demanding to play but I don’t think that some squash player would be able to learn playing tennis as fast as the other way around. Squash might be more physically demanding but tennis player need to be very concentrated on every stroke because everytime you hit a ball you move all your body in contrast to squash where the stroke depends ‘only’ on your arm.
    So if you want to play both well, start with tennis!! 🙂

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       March 9, 2017

       Good advice, “start with tennis.”

       Reply
17. 

    Arun s

    February 5, 2017

    Yes I hope so. In my opinion Tennis is a more difficult sport to master. The long heavy racket can only be wielded in so many ways. It’s a controlled and disciplined stroke at its very basis. As you improve and start adjusting between different grips and modern lighter rackets your game evolves into a more ‘power’ transition. Also it’s a direct confrontation sport and not reflected off wall or glass. Not to take anything away from squash or racketball, tennis is more difficult.
    Oh, one other thing. Badminton hasn’t been mentioned here but that racket is light and extremely effective. A super fast exciting sport with the type of moves you’ll be hard pressed to see anywhere else. Conditioning training for this super sport is extremely demanding leaving you in enviable shape, trust me. Consider for a moment, the fastest kill shot or ‘smash’ is 306 mph ( Guinness world record at 493 kph). Players cover twice the distance tennis players cover, in half the time.
    I’d like to see some feedback and that’s a challenge.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       February 5, 2017

       Thanks Arun.

       I agree with you on all counts. In fact, I have always maintained that singles badminton is one of the toughest individual sports out there. At the end of the day, each sport has its own unique nuances and skill requirements.

       Reply
18. 

    Graham B

    September 14, 2016

    I think there some interesting comments above.

    Although there are similarities between tennis and squash (racquet and ball) there are many differences; apples and pears so to speak.

    Good squash players can use delay and deception to not show the shot they are about to play until the last moment. In so doing, they send the opponent the wrong way or keep the opponent waiting to see what the shot will be, so they are mentally and physically playing with the opponent. I have not seen anything like it done by tennis players.

    Also a squash ball can be hit with all sorts of spin. It is possible to hit the ball with large amounts of power but make the ball spin down so that it does not come off the back wall, or spin up and then die, or one can hit the ball gently very high on the front wall, placing a lot of bottom back spin on the ball, so the ball drops in to the back corners and spins dead or towards the side wall. Then there is the spin to put on the ball to make a boast die or move away from the opponent. Tennis players also use spin but they only have the contact between their racket and ball to play with. Squash players have that but also the contact the ball then makes with the walls and how it moves onto and off those walls.

    Digging the ball out off the back corners and defending, and turning defence in to attack, is a real art form. There is nothing like it in tennis.
    The walls are a big factor in squash. Spinning the ball to run tight along the walls so it is hard for the opponent to hit without risk of breaking a racket. Doing a quick working boast to bring the player forward. etc
    There has been a lot of comments about tennis volleys. In squash the opportunities for a wider variety of shots exist eg to simply smash the ball low and down, to dop, spin, boast, lob, aim for and hit the nick, take the pace off the ball so it does not hit the back wall and dies.

    I also think good squash players move more, and in different ways, than tennis players. Not only are they moving side to side they are having to move forward and backwards. There is a massive amount of lunging, almost to the splits and then bouncing back. The movement in squash is more 3 dimensional, whereas in tennis it is mostly just side to side.

    One last thought it has been timed that a 5 hour 5 set professional tennis match eg Wimbledon, only has about 35 minutes of actual open play in it. Professional tennis players take sitting down breaks, mop their brows with towels, mess about choosing balls etc. At professional squash matches there is far more actual play during the match.

    Reply
19. 

    Bob

    June 8, 2016

    I play both, although just started learning squash. I found the difference is that in squash, skill levels are really apparent. In tennis you can generally keep a rally going even with an experienced player, but in squash even someone with 1 more year of experience will boot you after a few shots.

    I’m starting to like squash more, it’s much more intense and you really feel like you’re competing against someone up close and personal. Tennis I find is a bit slower, and the players are so far apart, it doesn’t have that same intensity.

    Although squash is a bit easier to learn – it took me ages to even learn to serve in tennis.

    I’m not experienced enough to say, but from my perspective, squash seems easy to learn but hard to master, whereas tennis is the opposite.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       June 8, 2016

       Bob, Thanks for your perspective. You got it right: “Squash seems easy to learn but hard to master.” In my opinion. tennis is hard to master as well.

       Reply
20. 

    Stuart Arrowsmith

    January 22, 2016

    Just a comment on physical comparisons.
    With tennis, you get 2 serves, (or 3 if you hit the net on the 2nd and it drops in), and in major competitions, players get to sit down for a 2 minute rest every other game. Add to that the time out spent bouncing the ball on the base line in between these serves, and time out for video replays, over a 4 hour match, the ball is only in play for about 45 minutes ! Next time you watch a major tournament, time it and see for yourself !
    In squash you get 1 chance at a serve,a 90 second break at the end of each game (which can last 30 minutes) and the match can easily last 90 minutes. Each rally takes longer, the ball is in play longer so you have to be fitter.
    Any of the worlds top squash players would surely beat the worlds top tennis players in an endurance test, all day long.

    Reply
    1. 

       Mike

       December 13, 2016

       Andy Murray would be a beast on a Squash court!

       Reply
21. 

    Spencer

    December 28, 2015

    As a top squash player in the country and a member of the US National Team, I find that almost any squash player can pick up a tennis racquet and have a good game. I only play tennis about once a year, and every time I find that I am albe to kepp rallies because of what I have learned from squah.

    Reply
    1. 

       Spencer

       December 28, 2015

       But I think you did a very good job on the article and I hope you do more like it in the future

       Reply
    2. 

       Dax Nair

       December 28, 2015

       Spencer, Thanks for your comment.

       You are obviously very athletic… Though, I am not so sure about “almost any squash player” being able to play tennis well from the get go.

       Reply
       1. 

          Claudia

          May 27, 2016

          I agree with Spencer. Except for the serve, a squash player can do a very good job playing tennis, simply because of the slice. I play mostly squash, but occasionally play tennis too, and I always see tennis players frustrated and even annoyed because of my slice shots. They are always expecting the ball fast and on the baseline. Oh, and I never ever get tired playing tennis.

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             May 28, 2016

             Claudia, Thanks for your comments.

             In my opinion, a well-matched game of singles tennis can get quite intense. Also, sliced shots on the forehand can limit your game…

             Reply
       2. 

          Mike L

          September 15, 2017

          I agree with Spencer. If you’re a good squash player, you can hold your own on the tennis court better than any good tennis player on the squash court. You should check out a sport called racketlon. Squash players and badminton players tend to do better than tennis as they can transfer skills easier to other games.

          Reply
22. 

    John

    December 21, 2015

    No mention of the “Nick” intricate part of the game of squash that makes it harder than tennis.

    Reply
    1. 

       Claudia

       May 27, 2016

       And the whole role of ‘deception’ in squash, which so often makes a player correct his/her trajectory. Deception in squash is both physically and intellectually challenging.

       Reply
23. 

    Rmbobby

    October 13, 2015

    In-general (and having played both for many years) squash is the more physically intense but tennis is, by far, more technique intense.

    Tennis entails such a high level of strokes technique because of the spin requirements (to be any god at least) and footwork patterns (often because the weight of the incoming show can’t be swatted away like you can easily do in squash if needed) that it can’t really be compared to squash in that regard. Similarly, in tennis the penalty for a slightly misjudged shot is instant point less 95% of the time, whereas in squash the rally would mostly continue even if the it put the player in a disadvantaged position.

    This means that mentally, the concentration required for tennis is eons higher than squash – especially in terms of avoiding chocking/tightening up. I personally found coming from tennis that squash was easy in general mental terms because of the technical disparity. Where squash is harder than tennis is the intensity it requires. Keeping exhaustion at bay so you don’t go downhill in your strokes/patterns of play is paramount in squash. Anyone who thinks they’re really fit should try squash – they will find out pretty quickly how much pain can be brought (assuming they’re coordinated enough to play to a reasonably level).

    One last point about the above, volleys in particular. Volleying is much, much harder in tennis because you have to deal with spin and the weight of a much heavier ball, variety of angles, the arc of the ball, height of the net etc. In squash because the ball you’re volleying has come off the front wall and the fact it compresses more the ball virtually has no spin on it to contend with – so volleying is much more straight-forward than tennis technique-wise. Volleying in tennis also requires an innate feel for net play which few players have (less than 1 in 10 – even at the top of the game). In squash (as above) the penalty for not hitting a perfect shot is rarely as immediately fatal as it is in tennis most of the time.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       October 13, 2015

       Thanks for your insights. I agree that while squash is more intense, there is less room for error in tennis.

       Reply
       1. 

          Milan

          June 3, 2016

          Hi, I think, that in both games the margin for error is very thin. Putting the ball very precise on very small areas is crucial in both sports. Especially in squash, if the ball hits the side wall first after bouncing back from the front wall, the opponent immediately has got an advantage, to give just one example.
          The quality of the return of serve is definitely as important as in squash. And believe me, a really good serve, is as risky as it is hard to hit, than in tennis. The technique might be more difficult but I would say that it requires a lot of feeling to play an ace in squash. The fact that there are just a few aces in the professional squash game speaks for the difficulty itself.

          Reply
24. 

    barry

    July 18, 2015

    Hi
    What a good take on squash v tennis. I would add that the squash drop shot is much easier to play than the tennis one. Also tennis players who start to play squash tend to be very good at volleying both forehand and backhand.
    If you had to pick one person to adapt to both games, it would be the tennis player.
    Great article, thanks

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       July 19, 2015

       Barry,

       You are spot on.

       I don’t know too many tennis players who can play an effective drop shot. As for volleys, I feel that tennis players who switch to squash try to volley too much, even when they shouldn’t – I do.

       Reply
    2. 

       Arun s

       December 14, 2015

       It is a good post and I have to agree with Dax on most of the points.
       I’m a Tennis and Badminton player with vast experience over the years. It takes a while to adjust from one to the other, especially if you play both on the same day.
       Haven’t really played squash but some racquetball years ago. Badminton is the most demanding and offers more of a hard workout in a short time. Luckily the equipment is light and strong enough to put through the rigours.
       I’ve played tennis, badminton and table tennis consistently for a long time and only recently got into Pickleball as well. It’s a derivative sport that growing exponentially. I, like many others put it off for a decade when told by someone it was fun.
       It actually is very interesting and can be a pretty good workout.

       Reply
25. 

    indra Karki

    June 10, 2015

    I have been playing Squash as well as Tennis for quite sometime and my impression is that I love the both but in terms of self satisfaction it is nothing like Squash. I am playing Tennis at national level and Squash at international level, of course for my age group!.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       June 10, 2015

       Squash does make you feel that way. You are quite the athlete!

       Reply
26. 

    deadlock

    June 8, 2015

    Being a fan of both, I think squash is definitely more physically taxing but not necessarily more difficult when it comes to technique. There’s more variety of shots in tennis. Also, tennis is more fun as a spectator sport but that’s a bit off topic.

    Reply
    1. 

       broadberrysports

       June 10, 2015

       I’d say that both are equally as difficult in technique. In squash there are far more versions of the same shot with different grips/stances etc. You also use the boast which tennis doesn’t have (and a drop which is seldom used in tennis, but always used in squash) – Tennis on the other hand has a different spins to learn (top spin) and you have less to aim at, which evens things up in the difficulty of technique I reckon.

       Reply
       1. 

          Dax Nair

          June 10, 2015

          Thanks for your comment.

          You are very right about “more versions of the same shot with different grips/stances” in squash.

          Reply
27. 

    Richard Howes

    April 11, 2015

    Very interesting article.

    I’m 45 and played tennis all my life at a fairly high level. I avoided squash with the idea that it would negatively affect my tennis game.

    At the age of 41 I started playing squash. Now four years later I can comment from experience on this topic and your conclusions about beginners Dax.

    I am now playing a reasonable level of squash and improving in leaps and bounds year-on-year. Sure I struggled with a stiff wrist and long ‘arm’ strokes at first and found the angles and strategy confusing. Shot selection remains my biggest gap having not played as a youngster. For one thing the stock tennis shot is cross court whereas in squash it’s straight. And of course in tennis you never aim ‘outside’ the court like you do when boasting in squash.

    All that said I picked up squash quickly having never played. I have tried to introduce squash players to tennis and there is no doubt its more difficult to learn. As you say rallies of a few shots are fairly easy for even people who have never played either game to do, even if gently. Absolute beginners at tennis find even a couple of shots difficult to string together. Ball spin has such an important effect in tennis, and almost no influence at beginner squash level.

    Loving squash though!

    Keep up the great articles.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       April 11, 2015

       Thanks for your comments Richard!

       I wholeheartedly agree with your observations. Like you, squash was the last racquet sport that I picked up. Still play a bit of both. The old knees are complaining though…

       Reply
28. 

    John

    March 3, 2015

    Fitness,I’d have to say squash players,though in recent years tennis players are much better athelets now,from the point of playing both depends on a lot of different areas, I was a top racketlon player so changing over from squash to tennis was something I was use to,I think you’ll find most tennis player hate the back corners of a squash court, while squash players on a tennis court I feel it would be the grip and pace of the ball coming at me.
    Dax, I had Two years at the B and R, this was the host club to the 1st Canadian racketlon event 2003

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       March 3, 2015

       Thanks for commenting John!

       Clearly, you can expand this discussion to include badminton and table-tennis.

       I am surprised that racketlon has not gained more popularity among racquet sports enthusiasts – sort of the iron man/woman of racquets!

       By the way, the link you included does not work.

       Reply
29. 

    Leone

    January 7, 2015

    Have you ever played Racketlon?

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       January 7, 2015

       Not in a competition. I do play badminton and TT. I feel that singles badminton is the most demanding one of the lot.

       Reply
30. 

    Matt

    November 26, 2014

    Nicely written. I personally feel that with the comparison of tennis to squash, and squash to tennis, that yes a tennis player will have an easier time using tennis technique on a squash court, than squash technique on a tennis court, meaning that yes it’s easier to go from tennis to squash. HOWEVER, from my experience playing with friends, a tennis technique is so easy to beat on a squash court, and if you were to force a tennis player to start playing squash from day one with squash technique, then they will have a hard time. I also think you need to bring mentality into it. Squash rallies are generally much longer, and even at lower levels turn into a game of racket chess.

    One thing I disagree with is the comments about how the walls make it easier. Yes they do, until you meet someone who can judge length perfectly, and leave you scrambling in the back corner, where the lack of walls would be much nicer. Also, in tennis there are no nicks. In squash you can be in the perfect position to return a shot, but if the other player hits a perfect nick then you are done.

    I personally feel that these to game should not be compared. Yes they are both racket sports but in my eyes that’s where the comparison ends. Each game has their own respective challenges, and each game should be equally respective. As we all know, anything in life is incredibly hard to master.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       November 26, 2014

       Matt, Thanks for your insightful comments!

       I don’t disagree with your view that if you made a tennis player play squash the proper way, he/she would struggle. My point is that at a beginner level, a tennis player can keep the squash ball in play while the reverse is harder.

       With respect to the back walls, it goes both ways. A beginner would struggle with good length shots that die in the back corners, while an advanced player will use the walls to dig it out through a boast or something.

       I enjoy badminton and TT as well and understand when you say that each one has its own challenges…

       Reply
       1. 

          Matt

          November 27, 2014

          I feel that you’ve addressed this issue perfectly 🙂 this was not a dig at you. obviously everybody shall think differently and I feel that your review is as honest as possible. I 100% agree that a tennis player can just pick up a squash ball and have a game 🙂 if a squash player did that with tennis then you’d be losing soooo many balls haha. What I love with squash is that once the top players really get going then you see some real athleticism and intelligence 🙂

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             November 27, 2014

             Thanks Matt!

             Let me know if you are ever in Toronto and looking for a hit…

             Reply
       2. 

          jeanette

          March 2, 2015

          Hi Dax,
          I suppose the other view point is at what age you start both these sports. My son started both of these sports at 5 years old and has always switched easily between both. He now plays both these sports at a high level however, he much prefers squash mainly due to the speed and skill level required.

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             March 2, 2015

             Jeanette, I think you are right.

             From personal experience, I would say that I played badminton and table-tennis at a higher level than squash and tennis, which I picked up after I left college.

             Reply
31. 

    Legodi_M

    September 25, 2014

    I want to start 1 of them, but eventually play both. Which 1 should i start with?

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       September 25, 2014

       There are two ways of looking at it.

       If all you want is to play socially and want to learn one of the games quickly, start with squash.

       If your intent is to try and get good at both games, start with tennis. Transition from squash to tennis is harder…

       Reply
       1. 

          Srinivas

          November 12, 2014

          Hi Dax,

          Which one gives more physical exercise Tennis or Squash.

          Can I use same racket for both Squash and Tenni?

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             November 12, 2014

             If you compare good singles tennis to squash, it is about the same, with squash being a slightly quicker work out – normally 40 minutes vs. an hour of tennis.

             No, you cannot use the same racquet for both. Squash racquets are lighter and can break if you hit tennis balls with it. If you use a tennis racquet to play squash, you will injure your wrist.

             Good luck!

             Reply
             1. 

                sahglie

                October 11, 2015

                Singles in tennis is best of 3 sets (sometimes a 10 point tiebreak replaces a 3rd set). If the match is competitive, it will take between 2-3 hours. And yes, this goes for club tennis.
32. 

    Bill

    June 1, 2014

    I started playing both games at the same time and while squash is a much better workout, tennis is much more difficult to play. The walls in a squash court allow players to take only a few steps to get to most shots. It is also much easier to keep the ball inbounds on a squash court since you can hit the ball off any wall.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       June 1, 2014

       Thanks Bill!

       Squash is certainly a quicker work out. Once you get used to the walls, they can certainly be used to keep the ball in play. No such options in tennis…

       Reply
33. 

    Shane

    May 26, 2014

    They are both as easy and hard as each other. It purely comes down to skill level, none of this ball and racquet weight…thats just looking for excuses. I guarantee a high level tennis player would be able to beat low level squash players after a relatively short introduction time to the game, and vice-versa

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax Nair

       May 27, 2014

       Shane, Good point. I had not looked at it that way.

       From my experience I find that it takes longer for a good squash player to get reasonably good at tennis than the reverse. Would you agree?

       Reply
       1. 

          Matt Bray

          August 27, 2014

          I would agree. I am a Squash player and I recently played tennis for the first time in 10 years. I could not for the life of me get out of the shot prep habit that I have in squash. I had my racket high in the air ready to cut through the ball and it wasn’t working (obviously). This was the case for the first 4 games or so before I started to get the hang of it. The grip also had me confused.

          The friend I played probably wasn’t very good by club standards, and once I got the hang of it I beat him in straight sets. But perhaps that’s because I’m naturally sporty. Had I played a much better player would I have had the time to imrpove and get out of my squash mentality? I don’t know.

          But yes as a squash player I found it incredibly difficult adjusting to tennis, the shot/grip/shot prep etc. However I didn’t enjoy the amount of standing around and the speed at which a rally can be over. I enjoy long grueling rallies that require the utmost concentration and focus, which rarely happens in tennis, for me at least, perhaps because we weren’t very good? Although the pros have 2/3 shot rallies as well.

          To flip this around though, as much as a good tennis player could easily get the hang of squash, I think they would struggle just as much with the swing/shot prep as we would on their court.
          When having lessons my coach would often tell me off for that ‘tennis shot’. The two games are completely different when approaching the swing, the grip, positioning.

          I have gone the long way round to tell you that I agree with your point.

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             August 27, 2014

             Hey Matt,

             Enjoyed reading your comment!

             I can kind of relate since I went back to tennis after a long break and struggled to win games…

             Hopefully, I don’t come across as saying that squash is easy to get good at. It is not. It is just that it is easier to learn if you are a beginner.

             Cheers! Dax

             Reply
34. 

    Ashton

    March 9, 2014

    I’m a squash player and for me, getting on to a tennis court and playing isn’t too bad. Honestly in my opinion, tennis is the baby version of Squash. And with return of serve. It’s easier to return a tennis serve than that of a squash serve that has been hit to the back wall and just bounces high enough for you to scoop it out. When a ball hits the wall it slows down slightly. When it hits the back wall it sometimes gets too slow to bounce back and practically dies in the corner. I have played both and I disagree with what you say

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       March 9, 2014

       Ashton, Thanks for you comment.Some of my squash buddies share your view, and strongly believe that squash is a harder sport to play. I don’t disagree.

       My position, specific to this post, is that the difficulty level involved in learning tennis is higher than with learning squash. As for return of serve, if you are unable to volley a squash serve, you get a chance to play it off the back wall (most of the time), in tennis, if the ball goes past you, the point is over. We can always agree to disagree on this…

       By the way, I play way more squash than tennis these days and am a huge fan of the sport.

       Reply
    2. 

       John

       February 5, 2015

       Im sorry but tennis is not a baby version of squash. I agree with most of the article but not at all with the fitness. The amount of fitness necessary for tennis at a certain level is crazy. Drop shots are incredibly hard to get to in tennis requiring an insane amount of quickness as well as endurance needed for the multiple hours of tennis. Another aspect that was left out was tournament play where you play multiple times in a day. I agree that if you are talking about senior tennis then you are right about fitness, but if you are talking about competitive tennis, then there are no better athletes in the world than Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovich, or my personal favorite Gael Monfils (Watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLiRoGFil6w). Even Roger isn’t able to be a legitimate force since he is too old (at 33). And when you get to playing people who hit over 115 mph serves you will realize how hard it is to hit a clean shot to their backhand. You are meant to return serves in squash. If you dont play tennis competitively then you really dont understand the amount of work necessary to be successful.

       Reply
       1. 

          Dax Nair

          February 5, 2015

          Thanks John! Appreciate the comment.

          I don’t disagree that professional players who play five-hour matches are in a different league. I had club-level players in mind when I wrote this post. Not a lot of club players can execute a tight drop shot from the base line, or get to one for a decent return. Head to head, I believe tennis is a harder sport. Especially, when you are learning it.

          Great video by the way! Gael Monfils is part professional tennis player and part showman…

          Reply
          1. 

             sahglie

             October 11, 2015

             Even at the club level tennis requires a lot more fitness than squash. Perhaps if you’re talking about 3.5 and under players that can’t hit consistent shots then maybe squash requires more fitness. However, once you start getting into 4.0 and up tennis requires much more fitness, strength and mental toughness. I’ve played 4.5 matches that lasted 3+ hrs (both doubles and singles). The type of sprinting, directional change and lunging required in tennis eclipses anything that you’ll be exposed to in squash. Also, tennis being outdoors can expose you to extreme heat while squash is primarily indoors and doesn’t expose you to this type of thing. My guess is that your squash level is much higher than your tennis level.

             Reply
             1. 

                Dax Nair

                October 13, 2015

                If you play singles at 4.5 or above, you are playing at a high level. In club squash terms, that would be like an A level. Both games are equally demanding at that level.

                The difference is that with squash you can get an intense workout in an hour while you need to play at least double that in tennis for the same result.
35. 

    john

    January 9, 2014

    Hey Dax, Great article. I’ve played both tennis and squash, squash much more so – and it’s my preferred sport. I agree with all of your points, and definitely, squash is the easier to learn. However, as you get to a more advanced stage, I think it’s harder to win a rally in squash. Two good players in a squash rally will tend to rally for longer, and while in tennis a good shot can win you a rally, that’s not the case in squash – it takes 3 or 4 good shots to win a rally, and you have to out manoeuvre your opponent to do it.

    Also – in tennis you face your opponent – you can always see them and you always know where they are – it just doesn’t require the same thought as squash which is more dynamic due to the players constantly moving around each other.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       January 11, 2014

       John, I fully agree with your comments. In fact, at the higher levels of the game, like pro squash, most points are won through fakes and deceptive shots. You can get tired watching the never-ending rallies! The fact that both players are on the same side of the court certainly brings another dynamic that tennis and badminton players don’t have to deal with.

       You may have some thoughts on my new post on squash – http://bit.ly/1iZL8g5

       Reply
36. 

    Neil

    July 28, 2013

    Great article , well done Dax I’m just curious how you give the court difficulty equal between tennis and squash. Squash you always have to run backwards essentially, and with 4 walls it makes it much more confusing espeically with the multiple boasts that can be played in squash, yes tennis has drop shots which bring a player to the net and a lob, but squash has that as well. I personally think that it should go to squash despite like you said being smaller

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       July 28, 2013

       You make a good point Neil!

       I did ponder that one quite a bit before picking difficulty level “even.” Primarily, my logic is that there is more court to cover in tennis. While the the walls of a squash court certainly bring another level of complexity, they also keep the ball in the court allowing players to go back and retrieve shots that are already behind them. In tennis, if the ball goes past you, you are sort of done.

       Reply
       1. 

          Neil

          August 3, 2013

          thanks for the comment dax! one thing on the court to cover, i agree that tennis court is larger to cover but the tennis ball travels much slower and it can take a short time for the opponent to respond in good time when you make a groundstroke/shot but in squash the court require more tactical thinking i believe and despite the court smaller the rallies can make the court seem daunting, considering the pace of a rally is generally much higher than good club level. Plus couldnt you argue that the complexity of the let rules and the stroke rules make it less convenient to move about in a squash court?

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax

             August 4, 2013

             Thanks for the follow up Neil!

             It is true that tennis players get more time to react to shots than squash players. The fact that in squash, both players share a court and have to deal with lets and strokes also add to the complexity of the sport. My view was that these aspects have a greater bearing on squash rallies which I categorized as harder than tennis. Hopefully you see my point…

             Reply
37. 

    Ball Player

    June 9, 2013

    Tennis is a 2 dimensions game and Squash a 3 dimensions game. Most of the time, Tennis players don’t realize that Squash has an extra dimension.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       June 9, 2013

       True! Tennis players don’t have to deal with the back and side walls…

       Reply
       1. 

          Gaurav

          October 30, 2014

          I would disagree with that. Squash has a much limited spin dimension that you’ve completely overlooked.

          It’s much easier for two novice players to sustain a rally in squash- not so much in tennis. Average players will find the ball shooting out of the court within 2 shots or thereabouts. The day I picked up a squash racket, I found myself comfortable enough to rally for extended periods. Same goes for badminton and Table tennis. Back on a tennis court and people are struggling to extend a two shot rally.

          It takes much longer to attain a level at which you can sustain a rally in tennis (much more so than squash, badminton, table tennis too) which implies that it is a tougher sport to master.

          Reply
          1. 

             Dax Nair

             October 30, 2014

             Gaurav, I do agree that tennis is a harder sport to learn.

             My contention is that the back and sidewalls bring another dimension to the game. Whether it makes the game easier or harder, can be debated…

             Reply
38. 

    Harjit

    January 20, 2013

    Excellent analysis Dax! I myself am more of a Tennis / Racquetball player. I am very much intimidated by squash mainly because the ball never seems to bounce! I agree with your conclusion that squash would give a much more intensive workout in a shorter period of time versus Tennis. However I do enjoy tennis games that have extended rallies, close scores and last a long time.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       January 20, 2013

       Agree that a balanced game of tennis – singles or doubles – can be good fun! Getting enough court time for tennis can be a challenge in most clubs.

       Reply
39. 

    JoeT

    January 18, 2013

    I agree with your comparison and conclusions with regards to the two racquet sports. Having played more tennis than squash by a considerable margin, I’m surprised that the backhand is not on your comparison. I suspect it is over looked due to it being more of my personal Achilles heel 

    In a much more literal sense though, general accessibility to a particular sport (equipment and venues) should be included into the consideration for which is “harder”.

    Reply
    1. 

       Dax

       January 20, 2013

       Joe, Good observation about the backhand, and court access. The very fact that a substantially higher percentage of shots are targeted towards the opponent’s backhand – in every racquet sport – validates your point. The best players in tennis, badminton and TT try to convert backhand shots to the forehand whenever possible.

       Reply
40. 

    Dax

    January 18, 2013

    Deji, Thanks for the comment!

    With respect to the equipment, my primary consideration was the weight of the racquet and the ball. Getting a heavier racquet in ready position, when the ball is hurtling towards you, would be a daunting task for a beginner. Your point about the variability of the bounce is a good one and certainly should have been considered.

    Reply
41. 

    Deji Odetoyinbo

    January 18, 2013

    Excellent, excellent analysis Dax. Although I’m a squash devotee who’s probably played fewer than a dozen games of tennis in his time, your comparisons left me with a far more favourable impression of the nature of tennis than I previously had.
    As to your concluding question, the answer is easy; Squash is clearly the easier game to *learn*. The smaller court size and the presence of side and back walls which conspire to keep the ball in play permit even the newest players to acquire what one pundit called “instant mediocrity”; one can feel pretty good about ones exertions on a squash court without having to go through the inconvenience of acquiring some competence.
    To my casual observation, keeping a tennis ball in play requires significantly more deliberateness, more precision, a more conscious understanding of the connection between power, placement and control.Or to put it another way, an athletic type of beginner may keep a squash rally going with an enthusiastic “bash and dash” effort; an approach which will get him almost nowhere in tennis.

    I disagree with you on a couple of points though. Most importantly, in the equipment category, you give the advantage to tennis based on the size of the racquets and balls. In my opinion, it is that very variation in “bouncability” of the squash ball that makes it such a challenging game. The experienced squash player may need to alter his game to match the ambient temperatures and neutralise or take advantage of the ball’s variable liveliness. A tennis ball’s bounce (assuming the surface is the same) does not vary much regardless of season!
    You should have given the advantage to squash!

    Reply
    1. 

       s

       July 21, 2014

       Deji, That just isnt true. Temperature and altitude both have a significant effect on a tennis balls behavior.

       Reply
    2. 

       Gaurav

       October 30, 2014

       Absolutely agree with your first half Deji. Very well put. The Bash and Dash will most definitely not work on a tennis court, while I’ve found it to work to a decent degree on a squash court as well as badminton and table tennis.

       Reply

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