Pickleball vs Squash – Which One I Personally Like?
The debate revolving around Pickleball vs squash has racked up quite a noise across multiple forums on the internet and in its respective communities but in my opinion, when they are placed side by side against each other, it is like chalk and cheese.
In this article, I am going to thoroughly compare these two renowned sports, dive deep into their core mechanics, and explain how they are poles apart. This article will include the nature of the sport, the ball type, the surface of the court, and where it is played.
Pickleball Vs Squash – A Glorious Comparison
Here is a jab at each feature of Pickleball and squash which will provide a wider perspective of how each of these sports is played out.
1. Nature of the Sports
Squash is listed as one of the most demanding sports as the average calories burnt per session ranges from 850-1000 per hour, so if you want to stay fit and look lean, squash might be the ideal sport since it will certainly keep you on your toes.
To top it off, this survey is only based on a casual session which implies if you want to play in competitive leagues, expect around 1500-2000 calories to be burnt on average as it certainly requires plenty of joules of energy, so it is safe to assume that Squash is listed as high-intensity sport of all the right reasons.
As per the University of Alabama, In Pickleball, even when playing a strenuous competitive match, the average calories burned per hour is around 600. Obviously, the numbers are toned down even further to 400 calories per hour when you are playing it just for fun and aren’t taking things too seriously.
2. How It’s Played Out
When it comes to pickleball, it resembles plenty of other games such as badminton or tennis since it can be played in both singles and doubles formats. To top it off, players use ping pong paddles which are slightly larger and are made from wood or graphite material to repel the ball across the net.
Subsequently, the ball you have to use in this sport is made from plastic composite and has 26-40 holes depending on the place you will be playing it i.e. Indoors or outdoors. A victory is concluded once a player reaches 11 points with a 2-score lead.
Squash on the other hand is much more competitive and requires constant maneuvering across the court. Since there is no specific net system, you have to hit a wall with lines drawn that define the boundaries such as the tin and the gutters.
A point is scored when a player executes the shot below the tin or above the gutters or fails to repel the ball once it bounces on their side.
The only similarity between Squash and Pickleball is that once the score reaches 10-10, the game transitions into a tie-break in which any player that scores 2 points first, wins the session.
However, unlike pickleball, the ball is made from solid rubber material which doesn’t have any holes in it and is considerably rigid. Moreover, the game has to be played indoors with enclosed walls since the walls are also part of the mechanics of the sports, unlike pickleball where the court isn’t enclosed and any shot executed outside the boundaries is considered a fault.
3. Court Dimensions
The court of PIckleabll is considerably bigger as it measures 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width, the court is segmented in two halves through a net which hangs at 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the middle.
A Pickleball court also has an NVZ or Kitchen Zone which ranges up to 7 feet and prohibits rallying in the specific sport ensuring fair play for both server and receiver.
In Squash, things are a bit different, for starters, there is no such thing as NVZ or Kitchen zone, so you can pretty much rally anywhere.
On the other hand, the net is called the “Tin Zone” and the court is much smaller as it measures around 21 feet in length and 32 feet in width.
Bottom Line
Regardless of the sports you choose to get in shape, both Pickleball and Squash will offer an amazing cardio routine as you will be burning chunks of calories, allowing you to become lean and eliminate lethargy.
However, if you are inclined to get a more robust source of adrenaline rush, you might want to partake in Squash sessions as they tend to get more competitive as compared to Pickleball which has a lenient scoring system.
On the flipside, Pickleball caters to a wider range of demographics which implies that as long as you can swing the paddle and ensure the ball makes its way across the net, you will have tons of fun.
