Softball Doubles a Mixed Bag

Commonwealth Games 2002

By James Zug

Photography by Steve Line/squashpics.com

A scary lesson for Americans that the Commonwealth Games taught was about softball doubles, a game that after just 14 years looms as a threat to the 95-year-old game of hardball doubles.

Overall the Commonwealth Games doubles was a damp squib. Throughout the matches, many wandered into the middle of the receiver's box when their partner was serving. Others ignored the fact that lefthanders (Michael Pirnak aside) are at a distinct disadvantage on the right wall. The referees were equally unschooled. They called “hand out” when it was actually the second man's turn to serve. During one partnership's warm-up, a ref instinctively called out, “Half time,” paused, and then added, hesitantly, “...if you want to switch side sides.”

Aesthetically, softball doubles is a grim affair for the top player. Although 25 feet is a good width, keeping the 32-feet length with slanting sidewalls makes the game much less compelling. Offensive weapons in hardball doubles are duds in softball. The serve (one fault, not two—so watch out for footfaults) is uninterestingly straightforward. The lob is often ineffective. Shots like the reverse and the three-wall boast are impotent. Even with a standard 17-inch tin, it is extremely difficult to move opponents out of position and lay the ball down.

For the beginning or intermediate player, however, softball doubles is easier to learn, as the ball is the same for either softball singles or doubles. In the future there will be generations of Americans who have never hit a hardball and might not want to. In 2030 will Joe Club Player, reaching 50 years old and heading onto the doubles court, want to adapt to a new ball or play with the one he knows?

To read the complete article, including results from the Games in Manchester, see the August/September 2002 edition of Squash Magazine.