Squash ball machine

Last updated

A squash ball machine is a mechanical device that automatically throws out squash balls at different speeds and angles. Its main purpose is to help players to develop their ball hitting technique.

Contents

Overview

The features of squash ball machines are modeled after the rules of squash and the constituency of squash balls.

Squash is a ballgame that is played by hitting a ball with a racket against a wall, similar to a backboard, so that the ball bounces off the wall. The opponent player has to hit the ball back against the wall without letting the ball bounce more than once. [1] The game can be played either by two people (the "singles" version), or by four people (the doubles version), in either a smaller court (singles and softball doubles) or a larger one (hardball doubles). [2]

The balls used in squash are small rubber balls that can differ in terms of diameter, weight and softness. These features determine the speed and bouncing amplitude of the ball, with softer balls being generally slower than the harder balls. The temperature of the ball also affects the amount of bounce: the warmer the ball, the more it bounces. [3] Because cold squash balls have little bounce, the squash balls are hit multiple times at the beginning of a game to warm them up. It also means that a game becomes gradually faster as it advances and that softer balls may be too slow to be used in colder climates. [4]

Design

Because squash balls bounce with different amplitude and frequency depending on their temperature, [3] squash ball machines need to encompass this feature and allow for heating the balls first to give the right feel. The heating system makes squash ball machines different from tennis ball machines which only pump out balls at different speeds and angles. [5]

The heating function of the machine can be turned down or off, e.g. for slower balls in beginner practices. In higher-end machines, the heat is thermostatically controlled to automatically keep the balls at game temperature.

The currently available models have ball capacities of 50-60 balls. Both ball speed range and ball frequencies are adjustable and vary from 30 to 150 km/h and 1.5-12 balls per second, respectively, with the .75 second interval suitable for quick volleys and 10 second interval for other strokes. [6] Changing the speed and frequency of the ball coming out of the machine is intended to help the player to visualize real-game situations where the ball does not always come back into play at the same speed. The adjustable speed is also useful for increasing the speed as the player becomes more skillful.

The machines have different modes and functions for practicing forehands and backhands, fixed, random, decay, interval training, vertical swing, lob and drop. They are powered by electrical AC and DC power supplies and can be controlled remotely. Protective eyewear is recommended while using the machine. [7]

Squash ball machines cannot be used for squash tennis which is played with tennis balls that are considerably bigger than squash balls.

Uses

Squash ball machines are used as training aids both by solo players and by coaches in squash practices.

Individual players use the machine as a feeding (serving) device in the absence of other players to practice their swinging technique and to develop footwork and timing. [6]

In connection with coaching, the following benefits have been mentioned: [6] [7] [8] [9]

Limitations

The main limitation of the ball machine is the same as its main benefit, that of excluding a human partner. Because competitive games are played against another person, the singular use of the machine would mean that a player would not learn to anticipate and react to the movement of the ball from the opponent player based on "pre-impact cues" that precede the time the ball is struck, missing valuable time for planning his or her own response, [8] and would not develop tactical skills. [10] Because balls that are thrown by the machine are independent of player's own strokes, the player would also not develop self-reflection and awareness about his or her role in directing the game. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table tennis</span> Racket sport

Table tennis is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of two, players take alternating turns returning a light, hollow ball over the table's net onto the opposing half of the court using small rackets until they fail to do so, which results in a point for the opponent. Play is fast, requiring quick reaction and constant attention, and is characterized by an emphasis on spin, which can affect the ball's trajectory more than in other ball sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racquetball</span> Racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court

Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. Racquetball is played between various players on a team who try to bounce the ball with the racquet onto the ground so it hits the wall, so that an opposing team’s player cannot bounce it back to the wall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash (sport)</span> Racket sport

Squash, sometimes called squash rackets, is a racket-and-ball sport played by two (singles) or four players (doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow, rubber ball. The players alternate in striking the ball with their rackets onto the playable surfaces of the four walls of the court. The objective of the game is to hit the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. There are about 20 million people who play squash regularly world-wide in over 185 countries. The governing body of squash, the World Squash Federation (WSF), is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the sport will be included in the Olympic Games, starting with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Professional Squash Association (PSA) organizes the pro tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squash tennis</span> American variant of squash

Squash tennis is an American variant of squash, one played with a ball and racquets that are more similar to the equipment used for lawn tennis, and with somewhat different rules. The game offers the complexity of squash and the speed of racquetball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punching bag</span> Type of exercise equipment

A punching bag is a sturdy bag designed to be repeatedly punched. A punching bag is usually cylindrical and filled with various materials of suitable hardness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backhand</span> Tennis shot

The backhand is a shot used in most racket sports, such as tennis, table tennis and pickleball, where the back of the hand precedes the palm when swinging the racket. Except in the phrase backhand volley, the term refers to a groundstroke. It contrasts with the forehand stroke, where the palm precedes the back of the hand. The term is also used in other sports where a similar motion is employed, such as throwing a sport disc.

This page is a glossary of tennis terminology.

Players use different strategies while playing tennis to enhance their own strengths and exploit their opponent's weaknesses in order to gain the advantage and win more points.

Table tennis is unique among racket sports in that it supports a wide variety of playing styles and methods of gripping the racket, at even the highest levels of play. This article describes some of the most common table tennis grips and playing styles seen in competitive play. The playing styles listed in this article are broad categories with fuzzy boundaries, and most players will possess some combination of these styles while leaning towards a "favorite". Many advanced players will also add some "special" shots of their own.

In cricket a bowling machine is a device which enables a batsman to practise and to hone specific skills through repetition of the ball being bowled at a certain length, line and speed. It can also be used when there is no-one available to bowl, or no one of the desired style or standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topspin</span> Property of a rotating ball

In ball sports, topspin or overspin is a property of a ball that rotates forwards as it is moving. Topspin on a ball propelled through the air imparts a downward force that causes the ball to drop, due to its interaction with the air. Topspin is the opposite of backspin.

Traditionally, tennis is played between two people in a singles match, or two pairs in a doubles match. Tennis can also be played on different courts, including grass courts, clay courts, hard courts, and artificial grass courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fistball</span> Sport of European origin

Fistball is a sport of European origin, primarily played in the German-speaking nations of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, as well as in Brazil. The objective of the game is similar to volleyball, in that teams try to hit a ball over a net, but the rules vary from volleyball in several major ways. The current men's fistball World Champions are Germany, winners of both the 2023 Men's World Championships and the fistball category at the 2022 World Games, while the current women's fistball World Champions are also Germany, after winning the 2021 Women's World Championships.

Tennis games are often used to help players of all abilities to practice the different strokes involved in tennis. The number of participants needed varies from as few as two players to as many players as can fit on a tennis court. These games are often used by coaches and other tennis instructors to help teach the basic skills of tennis.a substitute shall be allowed to field for any player who may during the match be incapacitated illness or injury, but not for any reason without the consent of the opposing captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor golf</span>

Indoor golf is an umbrella term for all activities in golf which can be carried out indoors. Venues include indoor driving ranges, chipping areas, putting greens, machines and home golf simulators. Many of these indoor facilities are businesses that include additional entertainment options as well as food and drink for customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallball (children's game)</span> Schoolyard game

Wallball is a team sport played between a various number of players per team in which players hit a bouncy ball against a wall, using their hands. The game requires the ball to be hit to the floor before hitting the wall, but in other respects is similar to squash. One player on one team may bounce the ball against the wall so a player only on the opposing team cannot bounce it back to the wall. The last person to be holding the ball after everyone is out is the winner, and their team immediately wins the game. The game requires lots of motion, and especially benefits young athletes when playing mostly at schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patball</span> Competitive ball sport

Patball is a non-contact competitive ball game played in many forms using one's hands or head to hit the ball against a wall – the objective being to get the succeeding player out. The game is popular in school playgrounds during break-time. Patball is played with a tennis ball, or other similar-sized specific patball, and the preferred hand, rather than any form of racquet or bat, similar to wallball. The hand is used to "pat" the ball at the wall or at the opponent with the objective of making the ball un-returnable, similar to squash. Variations of the game include the use of the foot -'footies' or 'Devils' touch'; a semi-contact rule popularised at Coopers Technology College.

Table squash is a sport for two players which is an evolution of table tennis and uses similar rules and equipment. The game is played by placing a table tennis table against a playing wall with the net remaining on the table perpendicular to the wall. Each player stands on the opposite side of the table facing the wall on either side of an imaginary line as if the net was extended backwards. Players each use table tennis rackets and take turns to play a table tennis ball off the playing wall onto the table on the opponents side of the net, except on serves where the ball must first bounce on the servers side of the net on the table.

Volleyball drills are specialized exercises that enhance teams and players volleyball skills. There are numerous volleyball drills that teams and players can utilize in order to improve and further develop their skills in all areas of the game such as passing, serving, attacking, setting, blocking, and digging. From beginners to well-seasoned players, drills can help all players gain repetitions in various skills and positions; the more repetitions, the better a player can become.

References

  1. ↑ Rules of Squash U.S. Squash. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  2. ↑ Ralph Hickok Sports rules: Squash rackets Hickok Sports. Retrieved 2013-02-13
  3. 1 2 Squash balls Squashplayer.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  4. ↑ Hardball squash rackets Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Retrieved on 2013-02-13
  5. ↑ Martin Bronstein Global Gallery: Monthly Views on the World of Squash Squashtalk.com, June 2000
  6. 1 2 3 Richard Millman, Georgetta Morque (2006) Raising Big Smiling Squash Kids. Mansion. ISBN   1932421432
  7. 1 2 Mike Way and Dan Martyna The Cannon - Squash Training with a ball machine 7th World Squash Federation Coaching and Development Conference, 8–11 September 2006, Malmo, Sweden.
  8. 1 2 Mark Allen The Squash Cannon Lobtohisbackhand.com. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  9. ↑ Tim Bacon Coaching Squash Front-Court Tactics with a Ball Machine Science of Coaching Squash, December 19, 2010
  10. 1 2 Tim Bacon Why I Purchased a Ping Pong Robot but Won’t Buy a Squash Ball Machine! Science of Coaching Squash, September 7th, 2010
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.