I wanted to share a couple of interesting stories I found out while watching an interviews with former and current world class players.
I won’t mention any names or brands in the first story, however I think it’s really eye opening and something you should consider when choosing your next squash racket.
Former world class players chose their sponsors lowest priced racket
These particular players were sent a box of 10 or so of their sponsor’s newest racket frames, all unbranded with no paint to identify the model. They tested out the different frames in order to choose the racket they’d be using in their upcoming squash season.
Much to the surprise of their sponsor, both players chose a racket that had been earmarked to sell for around £40/$70 in chain stores. Even with all the technological advancements in the newer racket designs, both world class players preferred the feel of their ‘cheapest’ racket.
Coincidentally, this racket then went on sale for about £120/$200.
Ali Farag and his signature frame
Another story along very similar lines, was in an interview with Dunlop by PDHSports, you can watch the full interview here. In the interview, the Dunlop representative spoke about Ali Farag’s transition from Prince to Dunlop.
Ali had tried out a number of their frames when choosing his signature racket, and was leading more towards their teardrop shaped models, however he still couldn’t find a racket that felt ‘right’ for him.
As a last resort, Dunlop sent him one of their moulds that was never intended to be a ‘premium’ racket, and much to their surprise this was the one that Ali instantly fell in love with. This is now on sale as the Hyperfibre XT Revelation Pro.
So what can you, an amateur squash player learn from this? There’s a few different things:
- Cheaper squash rackets aren’t necessarily bad squash rackets. There’s some incredibly priced squash rackets available at the moment that would suit even the world’s best players. Don’t cross them off your list just because they’re half the price of other rackets.
- Expensive squash rackets are sometimes priced highly due to their player sponsors and marketability – this is just a fact of life when it comes to purchasing different products, not just squash rackets.
- Do your best to cut through marketing jargon. Brands will understandably try to position their rackets through the use of various words and phrases to help differentiate their products. Generally speaking, a racket’s shape, weight, balance, stringing pattern and stiffness are what gives it its playing characteristics. Take any additional descriptions with a pinch of salt.
Having said all of the above, I’m not suggesting in any way that expensive rackets aren’t worth the additional money – far from it. Often racket manufacturers will invest thousands into research and development when it comes to developing new technologies and perfecting their rackets, which should reflect in the overall quality of the product you’re buying.
The best thing you can do is try out different rackets and find one that feels right for you! I couldn’t think of a better example than in the stories above, where world class players chose their signature frames based on their own personal feel, rather than the most expensive racket available.