Game, set, match: How to choose the ultimate squash racket?

The game of squash has gained popularity in India over the last few years. If you are planning to start playing the game of squash or you already play it but are still confused about buying a new squash racket that is perfect for you, this guide will help you.

This guide discussed things that you need to consider before buying a racket, like brands, budget, and playing level.

Moreover, this guide also includes factors you need to be aware of while buying a squash racquet, like frame weight, frame balance, strings, and more.

Let’s start this guide with the things that you should consider before buying a squash racket.

Factors to consider before buying a squash racket

It is essential to note down your playing techniques, brands you want, and playing level; it will help you pick up a good squash racket.

The playing level: If you are playing squash for fun, you don’t have to spend loads of money on the racket. However, if you are a consistent player, who plays the game professionally, you have to spend more on your squash racket.

Brands: Deciding the brand beforehand based on your finest and worst purchase experiences from that brand can be helpful. In any case, prefer a racket from the brand that you think is genuine though all the brands offer top quality products. Head Squash Rackets and Dunlop squash rackets consider as the best squash racket.

Budget: These squash rackets are available in several price ranges; the pricing differs from brand to brand in online and offline stores. Plus, the pricing is not consistent; it keeps on changing for every model and brand of squash racket.

Your aim with the racket: One of the most important things to consider is what you are looking for in a squash racket. You want more power, more control, or more stability. If you are looking to enhance your speed, then a lightweight squash racket is the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for more power and better stability, you should go for a head-heavy squash racket, provided you have strong arms. If you want to improve your control, then the right preference for you is the average-weight squash racket.

These were some crucial things that you have to know before going to buy a racket. Now, let’s talk about something you have to keep in mind while buying a squash racket.

Also, Read 10 tips to avoid injury in squash and become an expert.

Factors to consider while buying a squash racket

Throat

The throat is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a squash racket. There are two types of throats available in the market- open and closed. The closed throats have a smaller string bed, which means they also have a smaller sweet spot. Since these squash racquets have shorter main strings, they have a more compact racket head as result. The plus point with these squash rackets is that they offer better control but at the cost of a smaller sweet spot. Thus, you have to hit the ball precisely all the time to benefit from the extra control that closed-throat rackets offer.

On the other hand, the open-throat racket has a larger string bed. The main strings run down to the shaft, which further adds to the flexibility of the string bed. Therefore, these kinds of squash racquets are more powerful, and they offer a bigger sweet spot. For those unfamiliar, the sweet spot is the area of the string that provides you better control over the ball.

Strings & Stringing Tension

Strings are another vital aspect of a squash racket since they are directly responsible for the quality of the shots. There are three different types of string available in the market:

Natural Gut: This string is the choice of most professional players; it offers a wonderful feel and the best playing experience. That’s why it doesn’t come cheap and is likely to cost you loads of money.
Multifilament: The multifilament, also known as the synthetic gut, is a trendy choice since it plays well, but it is also durable and lasts longer.
Monofilament: This type of string is preferred by those who break their strings a lot as it is a very tough string. However, it doesn't feel as comfortable as other strings on this list. The typical use case of this type of string is a synthetic gut across.

Also Read 10 reasons why squash is the ultimate sport.

Frame weight

Frame weight also plays an important role in the overall performance of the racket. The lighter the racket, the more agile it will be. Thus, it will be better for offensive play since you can react faster and attack the ball. Additionally, you will be able to manoeuvre it better.

Whereas the heavier rackets are better for traditional players with a slower swing. They provide more power to the players at the cost of faster movement.

It is worth noting that even though the general weight of the racket varies between 110g to 150g, that’s only the frame weight. The entire weight of the racket is the total of grips, strings, bumper, and more.

Note: Some years ago, squash players used to prefer lightweight rackets. Experts believe that the optimum weight for a squash racket is around 130-140 grams.

Balance of the frame

The balance of the rackets is different for different people. While some like a head-heavy racket, some prefer an evenly balanced racket.

In layman’s terms, the balance of a frame means how well the frame’s weight is distributed. Rackets can be divided into three categories based on balance: headlight, evenly balanced, and head heavy.

As the name suggests, a headlight racket features a light head with most of the weight located at the bottom. As a result, the headlight rackets are easy to manoeuvre. Moreover, volleying the ball is pretty straightforward; flicking the ball as well as changing the direction of the ball at the last moment is easy too. However, with all these advantages, the headlight rackets have a significant disadvantage; they can be challenging to control at speed.

A head-heavy racket has more of its weight located at the top, which means you will have more weight behind your shots. So, your shots will be more powerful. Moreover, the heavy head rackets also offer better control.

Also Read: How to choose the right pair of sports shoes for your child.

Other factors to consider

Grommet Holes

Grommet holes are the holes that are used for the strings to be threaded through. Rackets with larger holes allow the strings to have more freedom to move, and hence they increase the size of the sweet spot.

Beam

Generally, you will find that the beams of squash rackets fall in the size range of 16 to 21mm. The beams on the thinner side are usually suitable for players with decent skills, whereas newbies who are still learning the game should go for thicker beams.

Grip

It would be best if you didn't worry about the size of grips when it comes to grips for squash rackets because they all have the same grip size. However, there are other things that you should keep in mind. For instance, the rackets come with replacement grips, which should only be used as the first grip. In other words, it shouldn’t be used on top of another grip.

There are two types of grip generally used in squash.

Thin replacement grips: These grips usually go over the replacement grip to make it quite a bit thicker.
Overgrips: These grips are used over the replacement as well as thin replacement grips.

Conclusion

Squash racket is one of the most important aspects that directly influence your performance. However, finding an ideal racket or the best squash racket is not an easy task since there are several factors that you have to consider before and while buying a squash racket. These factors include ideal frame weight, type of frame, strings, your playing level, head size, and more.

Furthermore, considering all of these factors is necessary; otherwise, you will buy a racket that won’t serve the purpose. For instance, you cannot just buy a racket based on its strings; you have to consider the heavy and light weight, and only considering the weight and strings is not enough; it should fall in your budget.

However, the market is filled with every kind of racket, and we at Sportsuncle offer you a wide range of squash rackets at the best price online. So, if you plan to buy squash rackets online, just add squash rackets and other latest equipment to your shopping cart and help you become a professional squash player.