Difference between squash and padel tennis
Squash is a relatively older sport known to have been invented in the 18th century. It is unclear who invented the sport, but it is believed to have started in Great Britain. On the other hand, padel is a more modern sport. It was invented in 1969 by Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera.
Despite being a comparatively new sport, padel’s popularity has spread worldwide. The sport has rapidly grown due to its interactive nature of play.
Let’s look at some prominent differences between squash and padel and a few similarities.
- Padel racket vs. squash racket
- Squash ball vs. padel ball
- Court differences
Padel racket vs. squash racket
Although both these sports are classified as racket sports, the rackets used in either have specific differences. A padel racket is shorter as compared to a squash racket. Not only that, but the head of a padel racket is smaller than that of a squash racket.
At first glance, a squash racket will look similar to a tennis racket as the surface of it is made using strings. Padel rackets are more distinct and easy to differentiate.
Squash ball vs. padel ball
Squash balls are vastly different as compared to padel balls. The measurement of a squash ball is 40.5 mm in diameter, with some balls measuring 39.5 mm in diameter. These balls are spherical and hollow, hence weighing about 25 grams of max weight. Squash balls also have a matt surface which adds to the nature of playing the sport.
Coming to padel balls, these balls are closer to a regular tennis ball. The padel ball’s diameter is between 6.3 cm and 6.7 cm, with an optimal weight of 59.4 grams. Therefore, these measurements clearly show the difference between squash and padel balls.
Court differences
When it comes to the court of squash and padel, the differences are pretty evident. The layout and size of each of these courts are vastly different. A padel court measures 20 meters in length and 10 meters wide.
On the other hand, a squash court measures 9.75 meters in length and 6.4 meters in width. It is a standard measurement of a singles court. A doubles squash court is larger, measuring 13.72 meters in length and 7.62 meters in width.
While padel is played across the net, squash is played towards the wall. In padel, players are located on either side of the net, but squash players are on the same side of the court.
Furthermore, squash is recognized as an indoor sport, whereas padel can be played indoors and outdoors. This is why the popularity of padel has grown exponentially, as it’s an easily adaptable sport.
Playing squash and padel: What’s the difference?
Despite being classified as racket sports, padel and squash are played very differently. As mentioned above, a padel court has a net in between with players on either side.
With squash, things are different. Players, either singles or doubles, are all located on the same side of the court adjacent to each other.
In padel, players serve their ball over the net against their opponent. In squash, players serve the ball toward the front wall.
The ball is served above the tin area and below the outline area. After one team or individual player serves in squash, the opponent will continue the same pattern hitting the ball toward the front wall.
Similarities between padel and squash
One of the most evident similarities between padel tennis and squash is the inclusion of walls. Both squash and padel include walls as part of the game. Players who are familiar with the sport of squash can find it easier to adapt to padel due to this element.
All key highlights of padel and squash
Let us quickly brush through all the major highlights between squash and padel tennis.
- Padel and squash are both rackets sports
- Both squash and padel courts have walls as part of the game
- Padel balls are larger as compared to squash balls
- A padel racket is shorter than a squash racket
- Padel racket has a carbon fiber or fiberglass face, whereas a squash racket has a string face
- The layout of the padel court is players placed on the opposite side of the net
- The layout of a squash court is players placed adjacent to each other on the same side of the court
- Padel is an outdoor and indoor sport
- Squash is more popularly known as an indoor sport
Culminating padel and squash
Padel and squash are considered racket cousins. Padel is a sport that has taken inspiration from sports like tennis and squash, with vastly improved playing dynamics. It has the fun of walls from squash and the adrenaline and tactics of tennis.
Moreover, the fact that the padel can be played in singles and doubles matches makes it an exciting sport. Though padel started in Mexico, it has reached across the world, becoming a favorite sport for enthusiasts worldwide.
With more people adopting padel tennis, the demand for this sport has increased internationally. As passionate padel players, we offer you the chance to indulge in the sport while enabling new talents to learn and refine their playing skills.
