INTRODUCTION
It's not about what the pros use — it's about what's right for you.
Squash balls come in a variety of sizes and speeds. These differences are defined by the number and colour of dots on the ball. There are good reasons for this, but from a beginner's or casual player's point of view, it is unintuitive.
The World Squash Federation only has specifications for three types of balls: Single Yellow, Double Yellow and Green.
The actual colour of the rubber is unimportant. Squash balls can be any colour. The dot is what defines it.
BALL FINDER
Two questions. One clear recommendation.
THE PROBLEM
Two very common reasons why players use the wrong ball.
1. Miscommunication: Squash uses two concepts to differentiate the types of balls: "hang time" and "speed". "Hang time" describes how long the ball stays in the air — how bouncy it is. "Speed" describes how fast the ball moves.
Imagine you're new to squash and see two balls labelled "Slow" and "Fast". You'd pick the slow one — because new players naturally avoid fast balls. The problem is, the "slow" ball is the double yellow dot used by professionals. A beginner needs the bounciest, fastest ball they can find.
2. Ego, Pride, Snobbery: "If the pros use a double yellow dot, so should I!" It's wrong. You should play with a ball that allows you to hit it easily and have longer rallies. A club player using a single yellow dot ball will get the same sort of bounce as an advanced player using a double yellow dot.
The correct ball is one that gets and stays hot during a game. How hot mainly depends on how hard players hit, how often, and the court temperature.
THE CHALLENGE
To communicate exactly which ball to use — and why.
I propose three ideas that, with the support of all sections of the squash community, could help more players enjoy the sport. The solution is a chart, some simple skill tests, and some carefully worded sentences.
I propose a new chart that defines balls based on bounce, using the player's standard and the court temperature — not speed or hang time. I also propose some simple racket/ball skill tests to help players identify which ball to use, and some sentences that could be used in a campaign by pros to explain the situation.
ALL BALL TYPES
Standard and specialised — know what each one is actually for.
Complete beginners. Bouncy at room temperature, no warm-up required. Perfect for new players.
New players and improvers. Bouncy without warm-up. A room-temperature red dot behaves similarly to a hot double yellow. Most improvers.
No longer official — not in WSF Ball Specifications. Sits between red and yellow dot in speed. Good for colder days.
Club players on normal courts, better players on cold courts. Requires some warm-up. Designed for most club players.
Players who can play the ball after it hits the back wall. Requires constant hard hitting to reach optimum temperature. Used by all professionals. For players who consistently hit hard.
Specialised Balls
12% bigger than standard. Ideal for brand-new players. Made only by Dunlop. Designed for beginners.
6% bigger than standard. For players past the beginner stage. Made only by Dunlop. Designed for improvers.
Single yellow dot ball, equivalent to a double yellow dot black ball. For glass or very dark courts. Glass/dark courts.
For high-altitude locations like Denver, USA. Very hard to buy outside those locations. Altitude / high humidity.
GUIDANCE TABLE
For regular matches. Any ball can be used during specialised practice.
Court Temperature: Courts with outside walls can get very cold — use a bouncier ball in those conditions. Standard definitions: Beginner = relatively new · Improver/Casual = not too serious · Club Player = plays regularly, maybe competes · Tournament = trains and enters tournaments · Advanced = trains specifically for competition.
SELF TESTS
No test perfectly defines your standard — but these help.
Designed for improvers, casual, and club players to check whether to use a single or double yellow dot.
With a double yellow dot, if both players can hit 15 side-to-side shots quite hard with no mistakes, use the double yellow dot. If not, use the single yellow.
If both players can bounce a cold double yellow dot on the floor with their racket 10 times very quickly, use it in the match. If not, use the single yellow.
If both players can hit 5 consecutive straight drives off the back wall on their backhands with a hot double yellow dot, use that. If not, use the single yellow dot.
KEY SENTENCES
Three sentences for publicity, campaigns, and club noticeboards.
CLUB POSTERS
Download and display at your club or facility.
Click to open the PDF
Click to open the PDF
Click to open the PDF
OPEN QUESTIONS
If you know the answers, please get in touch.
- Why does the white ball have a single yellow dot, even though it has double yellow dot specifications?
- Do the blue and red dot balls from manufacturers other than Dunlop have similar properties?
- At least one site claims the green dot is medium/slow and not high altitude. Where does this come from?
- The WSF specification lists the white and green dots as "slow", but that doesn't make sense if the green dot is for high altitude. Which is correct?
- If the only difference between a double yellow and green dot ball is Rebound Resilience at 23°C, why does the green dot behave differently at playing temperature?
- Do the Dunlop Intro and Progress balls have blue and red dots on them? (Edit: Yes, they do. Edit 2: Mine doesn't.)
REFERENCES
Research sources. Not all contain correct information.
- Squash Ball in Court Part 1 – David Baker
- WSF: Rules of Singles Squash 2019 (page 20)
- The White Ball Experiment – Reddit
- The Squash Company
- SquashGame.info – forum questions
- PSA – Squash Balls Explained
- SquashGame.info – choosing squash balls
- Wikipedia – Equipment
- IthacaSquash – detailed research
- SquashPlayer.co.uk
- Blue Stem Magazine – history of the squash ball
- Squash Ball Material
- Quora – How are squash balls made?
- The Dynamic Behavior of Squash Balls – ResearchGate
- What Ball to Choose (Wayback)
- SquashHQ – Best Squash Balls
- The Influence of Temperature on Bouncing Balls
- Parkway Physiotherapy – Selecting Equipment
- World Squash – History of Squash
- J Price of Bath – UK manufacturer
- SquashMad.com – Single Yellow Dot Debate
- SquashMad.com – Join the One Dot Revolution
- Squash Ball in Court Part 2 Page 1 – David Baker
- Squash Ball in Court Part 2 Page 2 – David Baker
- How Glasses Caught A Killer – David Baker (Amazon)
- Racquet Network – Squash Ball Test
- Squash Balls Review with Squash World Tour
About This Page. Created to help players choose the correct ball for their standard and court conditions. Inspired by a Reddit post asking how clubs encourage use of different balls. Last updated: June 2024.