#ofcourts

[talkingsquash]

Head Graphene Touch 120 Slimbody

Very good anti vibration feel on this slimbody racket. Worth mentioning is that this racket does not use a bumper-guard. We are selecting the 120 over the 135 because it comes with better original strings and a string pattern that gives some needed power. Be aware that some rackets that are sold by larger retail chains have similar names but are different construction and do not perform the same.

[talkingsquash]

Prince teXtreme ProBeast 750

teXtreme technology is a sort of flattened carbon, but not paired with Polypropylene materials. So the racket is still better than traditional squash rackets, but not quite as good at dampening vibration as the three other rackets we are presenting. For those who have loved Prince rackets in the past, give these frames a try. Now selling at a discount too!

[talkingsquash]

New wave of materials in Squash Racket

Squash is one of the most exciting sports you can play, right? Like how you get a great workout, have awesome networking possibilities and most importantly- FUN! When it comes to the rackets we use, it seems like squash racket manufacturers are always talking up their "latest and greatest" technologies that they are selling. And that's just what it is; what they are selling.. But perhaps the technology can help you keep playing squash? Here are some of the best real life advancements in racket technology that we have experienced as squash enthusiasts and racket testers in store. First we present 4 rackets with different takes on the new technology, then give some basic explanations of the actual materials that are used and how they perform. I will present the rackets in separate posts following this one.

The new materials

All of the featured rackets here have the modern materials that are making the game more enjoyable. Those players who previously were plagued by tennis elbow or other arm issues can now extend their playing capabilities thanks to these advancements. Pro players and squash keeners can now practice and play for longer without risking long rehab breaks. Prince uses a flattened carbon that gives increased strength with less materials used, so that way the rackets are balanced well with a moderate reduction in vibration. The other rackets are using a blend of new materials that takes away the vibration while keeping the stiffness high at the same time. If you imagine a diving board that propels a person upwards, as the person dives off, the diving board can move up and down for a while after. What the new material is doing is to essentially take away that movement that occurs after the diver leaves the board, or in the case of squash, the material stops the vibration in the racket after the ball has left the strings. Because we believe so much in these frames, we have made an even more arm-friendly setup option on them, that comes at a huge discount. For $25 CAD extra, you can get a soft multifilament string from Tecnifibre and the X-Glu cushion grip from Xamsa.Rackets are strung at 26lbs by default or modified to your desired tension, using a razor accurate Wilson Baiardo stringing machine.

The racket brands

HEAD - has consistently made better squash rackets for the last 3-4 years. Earlier HEAD made rackets broke too often, felt too stiff, and were coupled with a high price tag. Over the last few years they have made huge strides towards playability, durability and kept prices in line with other top end rackets. They are still very stiff, but in the top models HEAD has used Graphene Touch to reduce the vibration and arm fatigue that often comes with the stiff rackets. Prices have come down and durability is among the best in the industry now. Xamsa - a local Canadian brand that has steadily produced top quality frames. Their frames have also gotten incrementally better, utilizing available technology and know how. Paired with a low cost distribution chain and low overhead costs, they have made high-end rackets available at intermediate prices. All the frames have been retailing for $79 US/ $99 CAD. Lately Xamsa have been utilizing different hardening materials for durability and blended Carbon Fiber with anti vibration material. The newer frames are also made with the latest advancements in HM Japanese carbon fiber, paired with the traditional all black or snakeskin cosmetic. The advantage here is that you are not paying for someone’s marketing budget. You are however getting rackets that are at the top of the quality scale and play as good as or better than the majority of other rackets available. Wilson - has had its followers mainly because of how they dominate the tennis world. For most squash players this does not mean much to their buying decisions, so the frames were not selling on tennis merits alone. Often you would find Wilson rackets on clearance as they could not make any volume sales on regular pricing. The rackets were not terrible, but tended to lean towards the unpopular head heavy setup with uninspiring graphics. Paired with minimal marketing effort on Squash, it is easy to see how the frames were not performing nor selling well. The new frames though, featuring the Countervail material are absolutely awesome! Not only because of the materials, but Wilson have really made huge strides in making well balanced and playable frames that looks really good! The cosmetics that has been carried through from their current tennis line is absolutely stunning. Even the rackets that does not contain Countervail are well balanced and great performing racket, i.e. the Blade Ultralight is a very good racket made with traditional materials. Prince - Prince has had a challenge regaining traction in the market that they had in days past. In order to climb back up on the podium of racket brands, Prince developed some really nice squash and tennis frames featuring the revolutionary material teXtreme. Prince was the first company to use this new anti vibration material in their high-end frames for squash and tennis. At first this caused some problems as the flagship model had breakage problems that the new material was supposed to prevent. Currently it seems they have figured out the bonding of the new and old material, and durability is no longer a big issue.