Real true weight vs
weight written on the racket frame
When you are searching for a new squash racket you want to
know a few things about it. Mainly the overall weight and
balance are important. If you want more power you choose a
heavier racket with weight in the top. If you want to be more
manoeuvrable and like fast volleys in your game, you might
want a lighter racket. The problem is that many manufacturers
only specify the frame weight and not the total weight of a
racket. Especially for a beginner this can be confusing and
annoying when trying to compare.
Finding the ideal racket weight for your playing style
In general it is known that grip and strings can add a maximum
of 30 to 40 grams but that's still pretty vague. This can make it
difficult to make a good choice on what to buy. It would
be great to know exact! The only solution
to really know the true weight is to bring a kitchen scale to
the shop or weigh it at home when you order one online. Even
then you have to be careful because often there will extra
packaging material on the racket like protective plastic on
the grip and cardboard paper attached to the strings with
additional advertising info. Sometimes you can read online
reviews where people will mention the weight after weighing it
on a scale. Very handy to have such reference!
Things that make a light weight squash
racket heavier then you think
A light racket can be become rather hefty
fast when you add all the things up. A bumper guard, grip and
overgrip, shock dampener and over course the type strings all
together bump the total weight up. Not only the weight but
also the balance can change very quickly. Most rackets come
with very thin grips. A thick heavy overgrip is often needed
but that can add serious weight to the handle mixing the
balance up significantly too. So you see not everything is
what it seems when it comes to full racket weight and balance.
Common squash racquet brands the pros use
Dunlop, Technifibre, Eye, Head,
Wilson, Karakal, Oliver, Prince, Ashaway, Opfeel / Perfly,
Black Knight, Salming, Unsquashable, harrow and a few more.
Harrow is maybe the only brand that actually does state the
entire weight of a racquet. It would be interesting to know
the exact weight of the rackets the pros use but that might be
a closely guarded secret.