Finding a racket that meets both you and your child’s needs can be an intimidating task, particularly when reading through all of its specifications – some important while some less so. To help simplify this process, here are a few helpful guidelines.
Weight should be an important consideration when purchasing a new racquet. Rackets may either be evenly balanced (with evenly distributed weight distribution) or head heavy.
Weight
Squash is an exciting, fast-paced game where rallies may involve 30 or more shots. As such, high levels of aerobic and anaerobic fitness (both aerobic and anaerobic) are needed in order to keep up with its rapid pace of play. Many players opt for medium to heavyweight racquets in order to maintain an equal balance between maneuverability and power in play.
Weight of a squash racket is measured in grams and specified by its manufacturer. This figure typically appears without grips, bumpers or grommets attached – typically without strung tennis rackets either – despite strung weight increasing by up to 20 grams once strung; weight information on our website reflects manufacturer specifications by showing “non strung”.
Racquets come in various weights, from ultralight 130 g models to heavier aluminium ones weighing up to 210 g. Lighter models may be easier for beginning players, yet may lack sufficient power for experienced ones. Heavier ones may require more effort but give a smooth, powerful swing.
A racquet may either be head heavy (most of its weight concentrated in its head) or balanced, with weight equally distributed across its surface area. Power players tend to favor head heavy racquets as they generate more power; beginners might opt for lighter options that are easier to manipulate.
When choosing the ideal racquet, it is crucial that you experiment with various models and brands until you find one which best matches your playing style and abilities. When starting out it may be worthwhile starting off with something heavier and transitioning over time to lighter rackets as your skills advance.
Avoid very light racquets as they may be difficult to control, instead opt for a mid-weight racket and use it for 6 months to a year so as to become familiar with various models and make more informed decisions when purchasing your next squash racket. Doing this will enable you to maximize its potential while improving performance on court.
Stringing Pattern
Though most recreational players prioritize weight, balance, and stiffness when selecting their racquet, it is also crucial that they look closely at its string pattern. What may seem like a minor detail can have a big effect on its playability as well as reveal something about its owner’s style of game.
String patterns refer to the arrangement of main (up and down) and cross strings on a racquet’s face, represented by two numbers such as 16×19 – which indicates 16 main strings and 19 cross strings arranged vertically and horizontally on its surface. More open string patterns provide easier access to power and spin while more dense string patterns allow greater control potential.
No matter whether your game specializes in power or spin, experimenting with different string patterns to find one best suited to you is important. Some manufacturers even provide hybrid-like string patterns which fall in between open and dense patterns.
Stringing also depends heavily on the head shape of a racquet. There are three primary shapes; teardrop, elongated teardrop and square head. However, there may also be other styles called ‘tweener frames’ in between these. Teardrop frames tend to favor more power while elongated and square heads provide greater control. Balance point refers to where weight distribution takes place within each frame – an element which plays a significant role when playing racket sports.
Most squash racquets come pre-strung with an average string tension of 27 pounds; depending on your style of play, this could vary accordingly. To maximize performance for power players, higher tension should be chosen due to thicker strings providing greater gripping ability; for more controlled play however, low stringing tension might be best.
Flexibility
Flex is crucial when it comes to finding your ideal squash racquet; its stiffness dictates how much power can be generated with each swing. While stiffer rackets offer more potential power, they can be harder to manage in terms of control and balance; flexibility is the key element for finding your optimal solution for game.
Balance point of a squash racquet determines how much power can be extracted from each stroke, but other factors have an impactful effect on its feel and manoeuvrability, such as weight of head shaft grip. When choosing your ideal racquet it is essential that all these factors be taken into consideration.
Weight of a racquet affects how powerful you can be as well as its stability and feel of its frame. Heavier racquets tend to be easier to control due to having more mass and tending to be more durable; however, for increased power a lighter racquet may be best.
Considerations should also include head shape and size when selecting a racquet: smaller heads may be better for beginner players and children, while larger models offer greater challenge for advanced players. Shaft length should also be taken into account since this determines how high or low you can swing the racquet.
Construction type can also affect the feel and power of a squash racquet, with closed throat racquets featuring shorter main strings for greater control while bridged models provide larger sweet spots and thus more power.
At a squash match, the goal is to score points by striking the ball against the front wall of your opponents court. There are various shots you can use for this, with straight upshots usually leading to back corners; this allows access to any part of court quickly to retrieve returned shots; skilled players jockey for positions near “T” so as to maximize this recovery ability and recover as many shots as possible during rallies if another player interferes with them or prevents recovery efforts during rallies; any such interference results in penalties and possibly loss of points.
Head Shape
Racket head size is one of the key considerations when purchasing a new frame. A larger head means more power can be generated while also decreasing control; generally speaking, rackets with head sizes of 460cm2 or greater should be considered suitable for power players as well as those wishing to fine tune their control.
The shape of a racket’s throat plays a pivotal role in its playability. An open throat (also known as teardrop) racket features strings that run from its shaft all the way down, providing increased power and an increased sweet spot; closed throat rackets offer greater control but have smaller sweet spots.
While a racket’s head shape is key, its size and weight also play a critical role. A lightweight frame offers more maneuverability for attacking players or juniors who lack strength to handle heavier rackets; heavier rackets offer greater stability for more traditional playing styles with slower swing speeds.
Apart from head shape and weight considerations, it is also crucial to assess a racket’s dynamic and static balance points. Dynamic balance refers to how much of its weight resides within its head or grip area while static refers to overall balance of the frame. A balanced racquet features evenly distributed weight distribution throughout its frame; these frames are great for beginners. Head heavy frames have more of their weight placed within its head whereas head light frames place theirs more towards their grip area.
Ali Farag, World No.1, prefers head light frames. In my club, one player tapes small lead weights onto his Head Radical to make it even lighter; this helps generate more power while increasing his deceptive and drop volley capabilities. Furthermore, Tecnifibre recently unveiled new rackets featuring its Power Channels technology which features grooves in their throat to increase string movement and boost trampolining effects for increased power output.