Squash vs. Tennis, which one to pick up as an older guy?

I've played a little bit of squash few years ago and I have to admit it is an intense sport. Recently I was thinking about picking it back up and taking some lessons to get fitter and a bit more proficient. However, I am also considering Tennis, though I have never played it before. How do these two compare in terms of popularity? Is the learning curve comparable? 

Personally I like the idea of being able to play tennis outdoors more as to being limited to indoors with squash. Thoughts/pointers? Thanks! (I'm in my 40s and regularly lift)

20 Comments
 
Snøhetta

Try padel tennis! 

Padel?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I can play both but I prefer to play squash. Personally I find it more fun and a better workout but I know lots of people who think the opposite is true.

 

Most of the people I play tennis with have played for 15+ yrs (since they were kids) and so are able to hold longer rallies which is more tiring than fractured squash play. Stuff like a large area to cover when we play singles also lends itself to being more physically exerting. I think its to each their own in many regards - really whichever your prefer to play is the best for you.

 

What do you mean by diversity in plays? I thought the four point coverage in squash would make it more diverse, but I can see that consistent focus on length hitting, and waiting for the other player to make a mistake might make it seem less diverse

 

There are some outdoor basketball courts by me that have been converted into pickleball courts and they are always packed. Daytime you see stay home moms and retirees playing and nighttime you have leagues and stuff. It's super easy to get decent at and obviously difficult to get really good but the short learning curve to become competitive makes it super fun for a wide range of people. 

 

Grid

The answer is a simple matter of prestige.

the real most prestigious racquet sport is real tennis 

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

Since OP cares about exercise... I've only played like 3 games of pickleball, but it seemed like it was ok exercise at best when playing singles, not much exercise at all for doubles (saying this as a mediocre tennis player and lousy squash player who has played both many times). It's fun though, and I imagine easier on the body than other racket sports.

 
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Since OP cares about exercise... I've only played like 3 games of pickleball, but it seemed like it was ok exercise at best when playing singles, not much exercise at all for doubles (saying this as a mediocre tennis player and lousy squash player who has played both many times). It's fun though, and I imagine easier on the body than other racket sports.

The whole point of pickleball is to take the exercise out of tennis. It's low effort tennis for non-athletes which is what makes it so strange when anyone under 50 plays it.

 

Tennis! Highly recommend for seniors. More rhythmic play versus the aggressive hitting and running squash. Plus - if you only play with one hand your right or left hand usually gets bigger than the other haha (squash)

         
 

it depends on what your goals are. Tennis has a higher learning curve imo, but once you and a friend have the hang of it, it's fun to rally and somewhat relaxed while being active. Squash seems a lot more intensive and is probably the better workout, plus has a lower learning curve imo. Also depends which one is more popular when you travel, people play tennis the world over but I think squash is probably fairly popular too. On that note, you can also play tennis on different surfaces like they do at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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