What is it like to play on a glass squash court?

Glass squash courts have become much cheaper and therefore more popular in the last 20 years, so more and more people are getting to play on them.

The first difference between a plaster court and a glass court is the colour of the ball you use. Most glass squash courts, although not all, require a white ball to be used. This is because the background seen through the glass is generally dark, so a black ball would be quite hard to see.

Unfortunately, this means that only a slow ball can be used. A single dot white ball is exactly the same ball as a double dot black ball. Please don’t ask me why the white ball only has one dot, because I really don’t know and can’t seem to find out!

The next difference is that the sound is very different from a plaster squash court. It’s hard to describe in text, but I love it. I feel there is less echo in an all glass court, but this is probably not due to the material, but rather the fact that it is open at the top.

Like regular plaster squash courts, the temperature can vary a lot between glass courts. Some are warmer than others, so quite cold. I have never played on a glass court that was outside, but in my limited experience, in general glass courts are slightly cooler than plaster courts. This means that you normally need to hit the ball either a little harder or a little higher to get it to the back of the court.

The final difference is the view, i.e. what you see. You can see the surroundings of the court, but once you start playing and are focusing on the ball and the match, that view fades into nothing. However, that is not true for some people, especially the first time they play on a glass squash court.

Some people don’t like playing on these types of courts. The combination of the white ball, the sound/temperature and most of all being able to see your surroundings mean that for some, an all-glass court is not a pleasant experience.

Final Thoughts

If you ever get a chance to play on a glass court, I highly recommend you do. It’s a great way to see how it feels to be a pro! Even if it is just for 45 minutes with nobody watching.