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| How to Choose a Squash Racquet | ||
| Some Basic Advice is Selecting the Most Important Tool of the Trade |
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By Elliot Beck © 2008 , (ebeck@bowdoin.edu) Bowdoin College, Brunswick ME. March 2008:
The first thing to realize is that often, the brand of a racquet does not matter. Different brands have different trademarks, but these are merely guidelines to the range of racquets found within each brand. It is the weight, balance, stiffness and shape that make the difference, no matter the brand. Dunlop is well known as an all round solid racquet, as is Head. Both are middle of the pack in terms of price, and the result is just as expected for that price range. These racquets often are not fancy, without the gimmicks that may or may not work but often drive up the prices of a racquet. Prince racquets tend to be less impressive at the low end of the price range, though for high-end racquets Prince dominates the line-up. There are more brands of course, and each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages (Black Knight, for example, has racquets with impressively large striking areas on the whole). As a general guideline, Prince and Head tend to be more uniquely engineered products, while Dunlop, Harrow and others tend to rely more on marketing than on engineering.
The important thing for a first time player is to shy away from the extremely cheap, $20-$80 dollar racquets that are marketed exclusively for beginners. It may seem like a good idea to go cheap on a racquet, especially when one is not sure if he/she will like the sport. However, the quality of a racquet can make a surprising difference in the level of enjoyment a person can get out of playing. Cheaper racquets tend to be heavier, and since beginning players rarely have comparable arm, wrist and shoulder strength to veterans, it is counterintuitive for those starting off to have the heavier racquets. Developing a correct swing, learning how to hit boasts, drop shots, and power shots all tax a player’s arm, and with a heavy racquet it can be extremely frustrating. To control a heavy racquet, and swing it at the right velocity to strike the ball at the correct moment, is a challenge for a beginner. However, the issue remains that racquets tend to get more expensive the lighter they are. This is true, but I am not recommending that people go out and buy the most expensive, 120g racquet on the market. A racquet between 140 and 160 grams is generally light enough for a beginning player, and you can find plenty of those in the $110-$150 price range, which is about average for a squash racquet. As with the heavy racquets, the lightest racquets are also more difficult to control. The player needs to generate more of the power when using a light racquet, so light racquets, while favored by many pros, are also not recommended for beginners. As for stiffness, balance and shape, these are all matters for personal preference and your personal style. Be aware of the differences, and learn which work best for you. Now that you’ve heard a couple of tips about squash racquets, it is time to buy one. So maybe borrow some from those around you, see what type of racquet you like (head heavy or light, 130 or 160g, stiff or supple), and demo as many as you can. Then, when you’re ready, get your own and start learning this great game of squash. [SEE ALSO: Which Racquet Suits You Best]
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