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tips to avoid squash game injury

Whether you are looking to play a game of squash for fun or competitively, you have to be careful not to get an injury.

Squash: A game for the fast and furious

Squash is a popular high-speed indoor racquet game that is played on a four-walled court with a racket and a ball. It requires the repetitive use of your arms, knees, legs and most importantly your spine. So even though the risk of injury may not be as high in squash as in other sports, any injuries that do occur may be serious.

According to PhysioWorks, most injuries in squash occur as a result of are a result of accidents during the game than from repetitive play. Players often crash into the hard and unforgiving court walls or receive head and eye injuries from swinging rackets and the 176 mph squash ball (world record by Cameron Pilley). Common squash injuries include:

Injury Types

Area Affected

Causes and Effects

Muscle strains and sprains

1.       Arm

2.       Legs

3.       Lower back

1.       Caused by forceful swings or missteps.

2.       These injuries are usually not severe.

3.       Can limit gameplay and performance.

Fall injuries

1.       Legs

2.       Hip

3.       Ankles

1.       Caused by falling or slipping on the court.

2.       These injuries can be severe and result in broken bones or sprained joints.

Impact injuries

1.       Whole body

1.       Caused by the ball or racket hits or crashing into court walls.

2.       Also, from crashing into your opponent.

3.       These injuries can be severe

Repetitive strain injuries

1.       Muscles

2.       Ligaments

3.       Tendons

1.       Caused by improper technique or overuse.

2.       Can cause stiffness or a tingling feeling in the affected area.

Heat stress injuries

1.       Whole body

1.       Caused by driving oneself too far and overplaying.

2.       Can cause dizziness, fatigue, and a drop in performance.

Overuse injuries

1.       Wrist

2.       Knees

1.       Can include lateral epicondylalgia (tennis elbow) and patella tendinopathy.

2.       These injuries can be severe.

Head and face injuries

1.       Eyes

2.       Face

1.       Can include anything from a scratched cornea, hyphema, retinal detachment, or globe rupture.

2.       These injuries can be severe.


In this article, we will be giving you 10 tips on how you can avoid injuries and become an expert in playing your favourite game of squash.


tips to avoid squash injury


Whether you are looking to play a game of squash for fun or competitively, you have to be careful not to get an injury. Below, we have listed ten tips to help you avoid injury when playing squash.

  • Warm-up Before Your Game

Squash games are physically demanding, usually involving many twists, lunges turns, and stretches that can lead to sprains and hyperextensions. Warming up is a good way to avoid injuries during your squash game to avoid the health implications of pumping up your heart rate in a very short space of time.

  • Invest in a Proper Squash Kit

Every sport has its own set of specialized gear and squash is no exception. A proper squash kit should include an appropriate squash racket, protective eye-gear, proper footwear, squash balls, and maintenance culture. Specialized squash equipment is designed to protect players and reduce injury on the court.

  • Stay Hydrated

Squash games can place a lot of strain on the muscles leading to acute dehydration in a short amount of time. To prevent dehydration, you can drink plenty of water before, during and after every game.

  • Mix up Your Training

Repetitive strain injuries are some of the most common squash-related injuries that players face. To avoid overuse, we recommend engaging in other types of exercise to develop your strength and stamina. This will allow your muscles to adapt to a wider range of movement.

  • Start with Racquetball

Squash is a very fast-paced game and we recommend that newbies start with a slower game like racquetball before taking up squash professionally. This will help to familiarize them with the game and develop their fitness and skills. Maybe few will disagree with this point and think why we choose any other game first when wants to play Squash, totally your personal preference but Racquetball is a little big in comparison to squash ball and easier to play.

Squash ball is not made of elastic rubber like the one for the other sport; therefore, the squash ball expends much more energy during impact and slows down as a rally progresses so little difficult to play and the racquetball court area is also a little big. So, develop better eye coordination and start with a little easier game we suggest the same but as said before that's totally your personal preference.

  • Know Your Limitations

Squash is a very competitive game that often leaves players pushing themselves to perform better in order to win. It is good to push yourself during a game but too much of this can lead to injuries and even burnout. To prevent this, you have to respect your physical limitations and desist from playing when you get exhausted.

  • Avoid Playing While Injured

It is a no-brainer, squash and injuries do not mix and getting back on the squash court before a full recovery can make a bad situation worse.  Take a few days off until you are sure you have recovered fully before going back to the court. We don’t recommend taking anti-inflammatory pills to subdue the pain as this may eventually become counter-productive.

  • Go for a Massage

You can go for regular massage sessions, even if you are not injured, to maintain your muscles and keep you on top of your game. And if you are injured, massage therapy can do a world of good and help with your treatment and recovery.

  • Use Some Tape

The repetitive motion of swinging the racket can cause blisters to develop on your palm and prohibit play. To prevent this, squash players can add some athletic tape to their kit and wrap some around the parts of their hands that show the most wear. This is usually in between the thumb and index finger of the dominant hand.

  • Wear Your Safety Goggles

They may make you look silly on the court but your goggles are the best way to avoid catastrophic eye injury when playing squash. A squash ball can reach speeds of over 150kph which can lead to any number of impact injuries to the eye and face. This has made most squash courts require their players to wear protective eye-gear before they can be allowed to play. If a squash ball hits the face or eye then immediately seek urgent medical attention.

Squash can be a fun game but not when you are injured. 

Preventing squash injuries is essential for the long-term enjoyment of the sport. To avoid injuries, players must focus on their physical conditioning, employ good technique and equipment, and take the essential steps to reduce the possibility of mishaps.

Always warm up and stretch before playing squash and cool down and stretch afterwards. To prevent slips, falls, and accidents, it is also vital to wear adequate footwear and protective gear to avoid severe eye injuries as the squash ball hits hard.

By taking these precautions, squash players can avoid common injuries and improve their on-court performance. Overuse injuries can develop over time, so it's important to listen to your body and take pauses as needed.

With the proper strategy and mentality, players may enjoy squash without jeopardising their health and safety.

By following our tips to avoid injury in a squash game, you can avoid costly acute injuries and even become an expert player.

Read About - Why Squash Game is the Ultimate Sport


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