Every now and again, it’s nice to look through the PSA rankings and delve into the gear the world’s top players are currently using. While it’s no secret that different equipment won’t make you a better player, it’s always cool to see what the top players are equipping themselves with.
I’ve done my best to add some context on the professionals’ equipment and hopefully tell some interesting stories about how they came to use it. This equipment was used in each of the professionals’ latest tournaments as of January 2021.
In this list, we’ve looked at the men’s top 10 squash players to see what gear they’re currently equipped with. Look out for a top 10 women’s article coming soon!
#1 – Ali Farag
Dunlop Hyperfibre XT Revelation Pro and Asics Gel Tactic
Racket: Ali recently reclaimed his world #1 spot. He did so using his signature Dunlop Hyperfibre XT Revelation Pro racket.
Read our review of Ali Farag’s racket here.
There’s an interesting story behind Ali’s signature racket. When moving to Dunlop, he tried out a variety of weights and balances and eventually settled on a lightweight, yet extra-head-heavy balance. Normally when a player has a more extreme specification on their rackets, brands will ‘dampen’ the specs when taking their racket to mass-market. Dunlop made a bold choice to sell his racket exactly as he would use it – this means he could pick up a racket from the shelves and use it.
It was a bold move from Dunlop but one that certainly paid off. I’ve seen plenty of club players use this racket, and playing well with it too. For those who find it a little too heavy, there’s also the ‘Pro Lite’ version that’s a little easier to pick up and play with.
Shoes: Ali is using a much older Asics Gel Tactic shoe that is no longer on the market. I’m convinced he has a bunker somewhere full of old Asics shoes!
You can read our review of the latest Asics Gel Tactics here.
Purchase Ali’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Ali’s shoes: Not currently available
#2 – Mohamed ElShorbagy
Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125 and Asics Gel Blast 3
Racket: Mohamed ElShorbagy has had a huge role to play in the Carboflex’s rise to success. He’s used every Carboflex 125 racket Tecnifibre has produced. The Airshaft is the latest in the lineup, with Mohamed being the signature player using it.
The Airshaft is the first real re-design of the Carboflex racket, with significant changes to the shape of the frame compared to previous models. It’s also a little more flexible than before, with a larger sweet spot making it easier to use than older versions. Many players (myself included) felt it weighed more than previous versions, though I’ve since found out the additional weight is due to the new Dynamx-VP strings. The more you know!
Read our review of Mohamed ElShorbagy’s racket here.
Shoes: Mohamed also wears the Asics Gel Fastball 3. This is an ultra lightweight performance orientated shoe. It’s an ideal shoe for aggressive players such as Mohamed.
Read our review of Mohamed Elshorbagy’s shoes here.
Purchase Mohamed’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Mohamed’s shoes: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports | Asics Outlet
#3 – Tarek Momen
Harrow Reflex and Salming Viper
Racket: World #3 Tarek Momen has been using his signature Harrow Reflex since late 2017. This is a slightly head heavy 125g racket. I’m yet to test this racket out and it’s now really difficult to find Harrow rackets in the UK. I’m hoping Harrow will make a re-entry on the major distributors’ inventory in the near future.
Shoes: Tarek is wearing the Salming Viper – Given Tarek’s nickname is ‘The Viper’, it’s not a bad choice of shoe! I’m not sure whether this is a coincidence, or whether it’s a signature shoe for him.
Purchase Tarek’s Racket: Amazon
Purchase Tarek’s Shoes: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
#4 – Paul Coll
Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 SB and Eye Rackets S-Line
Racket: Coll recently made headlines with his switch to a Head racket. He was Eye’s signature player for a very long time, so it was quite a surprise when he announced the move. His racket of choice is the Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 SB (the name rolls off the tongue!). In all seriousness, this is an awesome racket. It’s lightweight, slightly head heavy and has a lovely feel from the strings. It’s also painted fully black – ideal for the All-Black player!
Read our review of Paul Coll’s racket here
Paul recently shared via instagram that he’s using the Head Reflex 1.20 strings in black, strung in Head’s ‘Adaptive Fan Pattern’. This should help add a touch more control to the racket – Paul’s game is based on consistency and accuracy, so the increased control should really play to his advantage.
Shoes: Coll is continuing to use the Eye Rackets S-Line shoe though, so hasn’t fully parted ways with Eye.
Read our review of Paul Coll’s shoes here
Purchase Paul’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Paul’s shoes: PDH Sports
#5 – Karim Abdel Gawad
Harrow Vibe and Eye Rackets S-Line
Racket: Karim has been using the Harrow Vibe since at least 2012. It’s changed very little in the past 9 years, going to show that once you’ve found a racket you like, stick with it! The Harrow Vibe weighs 125 grams and is slightly head heavy. Karim is one of the most accurate players on tour, so this particular racket suits his style of play perfectly.
Shoes: Karim is wearing the Eye Rackets S-Line shoes.
Read our review of Karim Gawad’s shoes here
Purchase Karim’s racket: Amazon
Purchase Karim’s shoes: PDH Sports
#6 – Marwan ElShorbagy
Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 130 and Asics Gel Fastball 3
Racket: Marwan has a remarkably similar setup to his brother, Mohamed. The only difference is Marwan endorses the slightly heavier 130 racket. Marwan is known as being one of the best length hitters in the game, so it’s logical he has a slightly heavier racket to suit his style of play.
Read our review of Marwan ElShorbagy’s racket here.
Shoes: Like Mohamed, Marwan also uses the Asics Gel Fastball 3.
Read our review of Marwan Elshorbagy’s shoes here.
Purchase Marwan’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Marwan’s shoes: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports | Asics Outlet
#7 – Diego Elias
Dunlop Sonic Core Ultimate 132 and Eye Rackets S-Line
Racket: Diego’s latest signature racket, the Dunlop Sonic Core Ultimate 132, launched mid-last year. It features Dunlop’s latest ‘Sonic Core’ technology – this means it has the same foam inside the racket that Adidas use in their Boost shoes. It’s one of the most popular rackets for those looking for added touch, feel and control.
Read our review of Diego Elias’s squash racket here
Shoes: Diego is using his signature ‘Carbon Black’ Eye S-Line shoes.
Read our review of Diego Elias’s shoes here
Purchase Diego’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Diego’s shoes: PDH Sports
#8 – Fares Dessouky
Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Speed 125 and Adidas Stabil Essence
Racket: Fares is using an older Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Speed 125 model. It’s interesting to see that he isn’t using the latest Airshaft model. Rackets can be a very personal preference for some players, so there’s clearly something Fares likes about the older frame. Thankfully, this racket is still available at all major retailers. So, if you’re a fan of Fares and want to get your hands the X-Speed, you can pick up the racket for a fantastic price.
Fares recently had one of the biggest wins of his career. His performance in the Black Ball Open was off the charts. In the space of one tournament, he beat Karim Gawad, Diego Elias, Tarek Momen AND Ali Farag. Three of those matches were 3-2 wins as well. A superhuman effort if there ever was one!
Read our review of Fares Dessouky’s squash racket
Shoes: Fares is wearing the Adidas Stabil Essence shoe. Adidas hasn’t updated this shoe and it’s no longer on sale (other than a small amount of stock on Amazon). The Forcebounce is the spiritual replacement for the Stabil Essence, though it’s a fairly different shoe. Let’s hope Fares has a few spare pairs of the Essence in his wardrobe!
Purchase Fares’s racket: Amazon Prime | PDH Sports
Purchase Fares’s shoes: Amazon
#9 – Joel Makin
Unsquashable Joel Makin Autograph and Asics Gel Blast FF
Racket: Joel Makin continues to go from pace to pace, and his rise in the rankings is well deserved. His style of play is very similar to Nick Matthew’s – he’s able to grind his opponents down and plays at a furious pace until the bitter end. He’s currently using an Unsquashable racket (though without any branding on the strings).
This used to be his ‘signature’ racket, though it seems like he’s parted ways with the brand. He no longer appears on the Unsquashable website and his signature racket is no longer on sale. Hopefully another company will sign him soon – he’d certainly be an asset to any squash brand!
Shoes: Joel is currently wearing the Asics Gel Blast FF shoes.
Purchase Joel’s shoes: Amazon
#10 – Miguel Rodriguez
Tecnifibre Carboflex Cannonball and Eye Rackets S-Line
Racket: At the battle-hardened age of 35, The Colombian Cannonball continues to put in some unbelievable performances. His signature Carboflex Cannonball racket continues to serve him well. It has a unique colour scheme, and is decorated with the Colombian flag. Even though it’s billed as a 125g racket, when I tested this out briefly, I found it weighed almost the same as the Carboflex 135. It could have just been that particular racket, though it’s hard to say.
Shoes: Rodriguez is probably the most notorious player for wearing the Eye S-Line shoes. He certainly likes to make a statement – not content with either wearing just Hot Pink or Neon Yellow shoes – he actively mixes and matches the colours. He’s started a trend, as there’s now plenty of players who also do this, including up coming Egyptian superstar Mostafa Asal.
Read our review of Miguel Rodriguez’s shoes here
Purchase Miguel’s racket: Amazon | PDH Sports
Purchase Miguel’s shoes: PDH Sports
Did you enjoy this article?
I’m constantly looking for new features to include on Squash Gear Reviews, especially while there’s little opportunity for us all to get on court. If you enjoyed this article, please let me know! I’d love to hear the things you’d like to see and/or read, so please feel free to leave a comment below.
Hi Rob, I truly enjoyed your well-written top-10 player’s gear round-up. Also, I enjoyed your review of the new version of the Adidas Stabil. Interesting shoe, as it is one of the few (if not only) squash shoes that comes with a one-piece sole, without harder material inserts. In that way, it seems to lean towards the ultra flexible one-piece soles seen with running shoes (mainly Nike) in the “natural running” trend.
Maybe it would be an idea to have a feature on the string used by top-players, brand, type, and especially tension/weight. For the last couple of years, the CEO of Ashaway has been writing some very interesting columns on squash string (check their website). However, none of these (so far) have addressed the issue of the string used by specific top players.
Kind regards, Henri de By
Nice
It would have been so much better to give the top players’ individual string (make, gauge and tension) preference.