Squash Balls Explained

One dot or two? Yellow or red? Big or small? Choosing the correct squash ball can be confusing, especially for squash newbies! We’ve tried to simplify the science to help you choose the right ball for your play.

Basics

Squash balls come in different sizes and different colours and for a reason – they’re all aimed at helping you choose the right ball to suit your level of play and fitness.

In squash, the different coloured balls (which can be totally different in colour or just have different coloured dots) are designed to bounce differently and behave differently in certain conditions.

Squash balls stand out as one of the most truly unique components in the worldwide realm of sport. At room temperature, a professional-grade squash ball barely bounces, but once warmed, they bounce a lot – over twice as much as in their original state! A trait unheard of in other ball sports.

Choosing the Correct Squash Ball is Important

The 2-Dot Yellow ball is the ball used by the best players in the world on the PSA Squash Tour and is also the most commonly sold and used ball in recreational squash – something which may be hindering instead of improving your squash level.

Many squash beginners struggle to adequately warm-up a professional-grade squash ball. To do so requires consistent hard-hitting. Squash balls used by professional players are hot to the touch and feel like mini hot coals, if you were to hold one after a particularly hard-hitting rally.

While professional players can go through a ball (hitting consistently hard enough to cause the rubber to loosen its elastic properties) in the course of a few games, local players can struggle to get balls warm at all. Court conditions also play a major role in determining what ball the average player should use.

For an amateur player, failure to get a ball ‘hot’ will result in a ‘dead’ bounce and leave you playing a game that rewards ‘poor’ play (think a framed shot that dies 2 feet from the front wall as a winner) instead of rewarding ‘good’ play (that perfect length that, well, turned out not to be very perfect at all).

To that end choosing the correct type of ball – professional, intermediate or beginner – for your level of play is an important element to consider before stepping onto the court.

While a 2-dot ball is a de-facto go-to for most club players, choosing a ball above your level, i.e. the one you cannot heat correctly removes a degree of skill from the game, making it easier to hit winning shots, requiring less fitness, demanding less tactical cleverness and making it harder to play lengthy rallies – all of which are the essence of the sport.

Different Ball Types

Professional / 2-Dot

The 2-Dot ball is used in professional competition. It is most suitable for professionals, tournament and good club players as it requires consistent hard-hitting play to maintain the correct temperature for optimal performance. It is the slowest ball and is hardest to hit.

Yellow-Dot

Designed for club players for use during winter when the courts are colder.

Red-Dot

This ball is perfect for improvers or recreational players. It can be larger in diameter and is recommended for players looking to develop their technique as it doesn’t require the player to hit the ball as hard to retain bounce.

Blue-Dot

Ideal for beginners to help new players get to grips with the sport’s dynamics, characteristics of the ball, and to help keep rallies alive.

To get more familiar with the basic concept of squash, you can read our guide to the rules of squash and to get a better understanding of the game overall, take a look at some other topics we’ve covered in our squash 101 articles.