2021 Head Speed 120 slimbody Review – Paul Coll's new squash racket

Racket	Head Speed 120SB
Shape	Teardrop
Advertised frame weight	120 grams
Actual weight (inc. strings & grip)	144 grams
Weight distribution	78g head x 66g grip (slightly head heavy)
String	Head Reflex 1.20
Grip	Head Hydrosorb Pro
Stringing pattern	12×17 or 16×17
Construction	Graphene 360+
Release date	May 2021

And we’re back! With squash courts now open in the UK, what better way to celebrate than testing out and reviewing one of the most hotly anticipated rackets of the year, the Head Speed 120 Slimbody – as used by Kiwi superstar and current world #4 Paul Coll.

Head Speed 120 Slimbody – At a glance

With an advertised frame weight of 120 grams, and an all-in measured weight of just 144 grams, this is a very lightweight racket. Though this racket is lightweight, it’s also a little head heavy.
This combination gives you a good mix of power and manoeuvrability
The racket now features Head’s upgraded Graphene 360+ construction. This offers improved feel through enhanced flex, while helping add more power at the same time.
It features a minimal-yet-striking black and gold colour scheme. Subjectively speaking, this has to be one of the best looking squash rackets on the market today.
The Speed 120 Slimbody, as with almost all Head rackets, has their Adaptive Fan Pattern (AFP). This means you can string the racket in two different ways, with one offering more power, and the other offering more control.

Purchase links:
PDH Sports
Amazon UK

How the new Head Speed rackets weigh up on the scales:

Racket	Head (g)	Grip (g)	Overall (g)
120 Speed Slimbody	78	66	144
120 Speed	82	67	149
135 Speed Slimbody	80	78	158
135 Speed	86	79	165

Taking the 2021 Head Speed 120SB on court

Manoeuvrability – 9/10

The new Head Speed 120SB is one of the lightest feeling rackets I’ve tested on SquashGearReviews.com. By placing the racket across two electric scales, one under the head and one under the grip, you find the weight distribution in the racket. The Speed 120 Slimbody I tested had just 78g of weight in the head and 66g in the grip. For reference, the Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125 has around 84g of weight in the head and 72g in the grip.

This light weight means preparing your racket and taking the ball early becomes a far easier task. I found myself hunting the ball far more often when using this racket. The increased manoeuvrability also opens up a much wider range of shots, allowing you to make adjustments to your swing with ease.

The racket I’m testing actually weighs 6 grams less than the previous season’s model I reviewed. However, it’s worth noting that manufacturers have a tolerance of +/-5 grams when it comes to squash rackets. It’s therefore hard to comment on whether or not this would be consistent with every racket on the shelf.

Paul Coll has a fantastic ability to take the ball early, volley and put his opponent under enormous pressure. This racket is therefore perfectly suited to his playing style.

Touch, control & feel – 8.5/10

Owing to its light weight, the new Head Speed 120SB generates a fantastic amount of feel. As you hit through the ball, there’s plenty of feedback through the frame to give you confidence in ‘placing’ your shots. If you were to use a heavier racket, this would absorb more impact from the ball, leading to a reduced feel.

The new Speed 120SB feels a little stiffer than the previous season’s model, with a little less vibration in the frame. I did enjoy the lively feel the older racket offered, however the newer version still feels great on contact with the ball.

I particularly enjoyed playing drop shots with this racket. The amount of touch and feel, combined with its manoeuvrability meant I felt like I was able to place the ball exactly where I wanted on the front wall.

While I’m yet to test out the 16×17 fan pattern setup, this should in theory help to further improve the racket’s touch and control – this is thanks to the increased density of the stringing pattern. For reference, this is the pattern of choice for Paul Coll.

Consistency – 7/10

It’s worth remembering that lightweight rackets can hinder just as much as they can help, especially for non-professional players. The benefit of heavier rackets is that they do more of the work for you, and can lead to a smoother, more consistent swing, especially when playing drives.

Ultra-lightweight rackets can often encourage players to ‘hack‘ at the ball, impacting shot accuracy. I did find myself playing more consistent drives with the heavier rackets in Head’s latest range. However, the fact this racket is head-heavy does help out significantly – I found no real issues playing a good length game to the back of the court.

The onus is definitely on the player to get the most out of this racket – when you get it right though it can be incredibly rewarding.

Power – 6.5/10

As this is the lightest racket in the 2021 Head Speed range, it’s theoretically the least powerful. I did find this to be the case, however, it’s far from being a weak point.

With the standard stringing 12×17 pattern, thanks to its teardrop shape and head-heavy balance, if you want to generate power, it’s certainly within reason. Playing well paced, well weighted shots is a breeze – it’s no sledgehammer, but it’s far from a slouch.

While I wasn’t able to generate power quite as easily as with the heavier rackets in the new Speed range, I definitely wouldn’t let this put you off. Squash is such a dynamic sport that power is far from the be-all and end-all – what the new Speed 120SB lacks in power, it makes up for in manoeuvrability, control, touch and feel.

Durability – 6/10 (based on previous models)

Having been a long time user of Head’s slimbody rackets, and knowing plenty of people who also use them, previous versions of these rackets have been a little hit-and-miss in terms of their durability.

While they don’t have the indestructible quality of the Tecnifibre Carboflex, newer versions of this racket do seem to have stood the test of time a little better (at least in my case). Here’s hoping the latest version continues the trend of improvement.

It’s always worth bearing in mind that lightweight rackets are more vulnerable to breakages. If you find yourself making contact with the walls more often than you’d like, steering clear of ultra lightweight rackets will help keep your rainy day fund in tact.

Design – 9.5/10

Okay, this is entirely subjective and purely my own opinion. I think this racket looks awesome!

Black and gold could look tacky, but I reckon Head have got the balance absolutely spot on. There’s a nice mix of gloss and matte paint too.

One feature of Head rackets is their fairly unique grip profile. The grip of the racket is a little wider at the bottom, for me I find this sits really nicely in the hand (stop laughing!). It’s a little like Marmite though, I know some players who love this, and some who don’t like it at all – this comes entirely down to personal preference.

Overall

This is a fantastic ‘all round’ racket that does a little bit of everything. Its light weight frame will certainly suit more attacking players – players who like to hunt for the volley, take the ball early and put their opponent under pressure.

It is worth noting that this is the least powerful racket in Head’s new Speed range. If power’s more your thing, it’s certainly worth taking a look at the new 135 gram rackets Head have released.

The option of having a 12×17 or 16×17 stringing pattern is a real selling point and makes this racket particularly versatile, allowing you to choose between more power or more control.

I’ve recently taken to using car analogies when reviewing squash rackets. It’s a bit silly, but there’s some logic to it. Think of this racket as a GT3 race car. It’s lightweight, fast around the corners, responsive and rewarding when used correctly. It won’t do the work for you, but when you get it right it feels great. See, logic!

So, if you’re looking for a racket that’s fit for the world’s fittest squash player, look no further than the new Head Speed 120 Slimbody. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it looks pretty cool, too!