Which is the best way to water?

I have a sprinkler that I water with. But I have had several people tell me that I need to just water inbetween the rows. I have had a couple of baby squash that were rotton looking on the ends and fell off when I touched them. Is this from to much wate?

 

We don't water with a sprinkler hose. We have used a soaker hose and a sprinkler hose. Neither was great, but it is better than using a sprinkler for the lawn. The foliage constantly being wet or wet in the evening and not having time to dry off before dark promotes disease on the plants. It's better to keep it dry and not have powdery mildew or downey mildew to contend with.
the dropping fruit could be from too much moisture or not. Could be bacterial or viral. Do you have squash bugs is there mildew on the plants stressing them? many factors in diagnosing such a vague question, but I hope this is some help to you. Hope you get something to eat from them, anyhow.

 

Hubby and I were just discussing this yesterday. He has a sprinkler system set up in the garden. Although it works fine, I suggested switching it up. Flood the rows really well at least once every week or so.

 

Base watering is always preferred to top-watering, which a sprinkler does. The tendency with sprinklers is also to water lightly, getting perhaps the top inch of soil wet, and not getting moisture down to the roots.
An automatic sprinkler system was invented by municipal water authorities who all wanted to drive Mercedes Benzs! I've seen those things going off in the rain.
Soaker hoses or the old-fashioned watering can are good watering methods.
About those squash, it may be blossom end rot, which tomatoes get, too. If so, give the plants a dose of calcium (finely ground egg shells in water, sit overnight, then water plants) or a calcium supplement from a garden store.

 

Its not unusual for the first few squash to drop off if there are no pollinators flying around. I always have a few do do that early in the season but as the bees become more active,, no more problems. Cool weather will also add to this problem. Squash like it hot and not too much water.