By Ian Froese, Sports Contributor
I rested my hands on top of my knees and embarrassingly looked at the ground below, if only for a second. Why am I already exhausted? I motion towards my left forearm at the place where a watch should be and call out to my comrade, “What time is it?” He chuckles and I follow suit. Little does he know, I was not entirely joking.
This was the sight nearly 30 minutes after yours truly participated in an introductory squash training session at the Dalplex racquet courts.
“Squash players are probably, I think, the third ranked in the professional level in terms of overall fitness. Lots of people don’t realize it’s a demanding sport,” said David Westwood, president of the Dalhousie Squash Club.
I may not have agreed when he uttered this statement prior to my attempt, but I am a believer now. It’s a game very much dependent on footwork and anticipation.
For the uninitiated, squash is played by two players (four if it is a doubles match) in a four-walled enclosure; the walls are glass in some courts. Participants equipped with a racquet hit the small rubber ball to the portion of the front wall designated for play. The competitors will then alternate shots until the rally falters. The ball can hit any of the ‘in’ areas on the other three walls as long as it ultimately reaches the front wall.
Sporting my gym clothes, a pair of goggles, and a racquet, I walked inside the court confident I would impress the club president. My instructor began the session by displaying the proper technique for hitting the ball. It appeared simple enough. With my experience of playing tennis and badminton, I did not think smacking the ball required much talent.
Of course you could probably see this coming, but once it was my opportunity to connect my racquet with the ball, things did not go according to plan.
The miniature-sized squash balls, about 40mm in diameter, deceived me frequently. On a regular basis, I swung for the home run and instead found myself twirling around without contacting the ball. I was quickly frustrated at my newfound dilemma.
Unable to master that challenge, I graduated with less than flying colours into attempting a regulated game where a point is rewarded to the winner of each rally.
This was where I, being a beginner, recognized a further surprise: the lack of bounce in the playing ball.
“If you’re used to playing tennis, it takes a long time to get in the habit of getting really low and getting underneath the ball,” Westwood answered. “Most people find it challenging at first because they don’t realize exactly how hard they have to hit it.” He is also an associate professor of kinesiology at Dalhousie.
Appreciating the physics of the ball is one thing, but competing against a veteran of the sport was another entirely.
Westwood was gracious while I suffered defeat on nearly every rally. Regardless of if the ball landed towards me, was fired to the back corner, or was a short drop shot, I flailed my arms and legs in every which direction to propel myself to the ball’s target. Usually I came up short as I instinctively delayed my movements following each shot I took. The second or so I lost could not be recovered in time for me to reach the ball.
Although my body was drained in what was probably record time, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. If you are interested in following my sweat-drenched footsteps, do not attend one of the regular court times asking for a teacher, but rather contact Westwood for a free lesson through his email: david.a.westwood@gmail.com. If the lesson has you hooked, consider joining the 85-member club for $35 if you attend classes at Dalhousie or $45 for non- students. For further details on everything squash, go to http://dalsquash.org
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