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Take a look through the top-tier squash rackets available on the market today
2019/2020 has been a great season for squash rackets. Many manufacturers have updated their entire range of rackets, with most implementing new technology and opting for cleaner looking designs. Now might just be the perfect time if you’re looking to upgrade!
The rackets in this article are all towards the pricier end of the scale – you can expect to pay in excess of £100 for each model. This is often thanks to a combination of high quality manufacturing, investment in research and development, and increased marketability thanks to different player sponsorships.
I’ve done my best to include as many manufacturers as possible based on my own knowledge of their rackets, however I’ve not been able to include Prince, Salming, Wilson and Black Knight as I only have a limited knowledge of their range. It’s well worth checking out their rackets if you are looking to upgrade.
Note – all the purchase links in this article are Amazon Affiliate links. This means if you purchase anything through the links, it’ll cost you the exact same as if you were to purchase it normally, however I’ll get a small cut of the sale as a thank you. It helps me to continue to run this site and makes me happy inside. Don’t be afraid to shop around for lower prices though, I won’t be insulted!
Dunlop
Dunlop are one of the biggest brands on the squash tour at the moment. They currently sponsor Ali Farag and his wife Nour El Tayeb. They also endorse a vast sea of other players high up in the world rankings, and their long term heritage of producing world class squash rackets means they’re many players’ rackets of choice.
Dunlop’s headline teardrop racket in 2020 – the Hyperfibre Revelation XT Pro
When Ali Farag joined Dunlop, he decided this frame was going his weapon of choice. This racket was initially only intended to be a ‘mid-tier’ model. However, since Ali picked up the racket, Dunlop have evolved it into what’s now their premium frame.
It’s a very head-heavy tear drop shaped racket, favouring those who enjoy traditional, accurate squash with powerful, well weighted shots and a strong line and length.
You might want to consider the ‘Lite’ version of this racket if this racket feels too head-heavy. Nour El Tayeb’s racket, the Hyperfibre XT Revelation 125 has an even more head light feel.
Dunlop’s headline Traditional racket in 2020 – the Hyperfibre+ Precision Ultimate
This is Dunlop’s top-tier traditional shaped racket and is used by Diego Elias. It’s a fairly mid-weight racket at 132 grams, however its head light balance keeps the racket manoeuvrable. This racket is great for ‘control’ thanks to its fairly dense stringing pattern.
The Dunlop Hyperfibre+ Precision Elite is also one of Dunlop’s signature traditional rackets – It’s a touch heavier at 135g, and has a less dense 14×18 stringing pattern. As a result, this racket’s targeted at players looking to add more power to their game.
Tecnifibre
Probably one of the closest brands to match the size of Dunlop, Tecnifibre’s presence has only increased with Mohamed Elshorbagy and Nour el Shirbini’s rise to success. Fun fact – Tecnifibre is owned by Lacoste. The more you know!
Tecnifibre’s headline teardrop racket in 2020 – the Carboflex 125 Airshaft
Tecnifibre’s main racket, the Airshaft 125 is the latest iteration of it’s long-running Carboflex range of frames. With an even balance and fairly light weight, it’s a racket that suits lots of different playing styles and is universally popular among professional and club level players. Tecnifibre has also continued its ‘Nour Sherbini’ version, with a slightly thinner grip aimed at female players.
The Carboflex range is known for having a stiff frame and a small sweet spot, which isn’t ideal for less experienced players. Therefore, Tecnifibre has overhauled its Dynergy line with their new APX range. These rackets offer a slightly more flexible frame and a far bigger sweet spot, ideal for non-professional players.
Purchase link – Amazon
Tecnifibre’s headline traditional racket in 2020 – the Suprem CurV 125
This racket hasn’t been an overly popular model in recent years. However, with up and coming Egyptian superstar Mostafa Asal moving from Head to Tecnifibre, the Suprem CurV 125 is his new racket of choice. You can expect to see this racket become more popular as he undoubtedly climbs the world rankings.
It has the same weight and balance as the Carboflex model, though its smaller head size of 470cm and traditional shape firmly aim this racket towards more advanced players. The 130g version of this racket has a larger 500cm head size, which should make the racket easier to use for less experienced players.
Eye Rackets
Eye rackets has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with their market presence growing thanks to top name signings on their shoe and clothes ranges.
They recently underwent a brand overhaul, opting for a much cleaner design throughout their entire product range. As a result, they’re easily some of the nicest looking rackets on sale.
Eye Racket’s Signature Teardrop Racket in 2020 – The Signature Series V.Lite 115
The V.Lite 115 is undoubtedly the teardrop racket that generates the most interest from Eye. It’s used by New Zealand’s world #5 Paul ‘Superman’ Coll, who’s been on a fantastic streak as of late.
It’s a beautiful looking racket, and with advertised specifications of a weight of just 115 grams and a head-light balance, it should be of the most manoeuvrable rackets on the market.
Eye’s new range offers a large number of teardrop rackets to suit literally every playing style, going up in 5 gram increments all the way up to 145 grams.
Eye Racket’s Signature Traditional Racket in 2020 – The Signature Series X.Lite 120
One of Eye’s most popular traditional racket is their X.Lite 120. This mid to lightweight racket is endorsed by none other than Egyptian squash legend Amr Shabana. Eye also offer a slightly lighter variant, the X.Lite 110, endorsed by another legendary player, Jonah Barrington. The 120 is billed as head heavy, whereas the 110 is billed as head light.
Eye offer a huge variety of weights for their traditional rackets, so there’s a racket for every player. Their X.Lite 125 has a lovely turquoise colour scheme.
Head
Head is another long term player in the squash racket market. Their rackets are great choices for amateur squash players thanks to their forgiving feel and large sweet spots. Their range is well worth a try for any amateur player looking to choose their next racket.
Head’s Signature teardrop racket in 2020 – The Graphene 360 Speed 120
Head has revamped its racket line with the new Graphene 360 range. Their latest top of the line model comes in two variants, a slimbody and a regular version. Both can be picked up in either 120 or 135 gram variants, depending on your preference.
Both shapes have similar playing characteristics, with the regular shape marketed as being able to deliver a little more power, and the slimbody being favoured towards accuracy. Their less dense stringing pattern and large headsize help to create a really large sweet spot. This means that for regular players like you and I, either racket should be ideal for amateur players.
Head’s Signature traditional racket in 2020 – The Graphene 360+ Radical 120SB
This racket hasn’t quite found its way on sale just yet, at least in the UK anyway. It’s a 120 gram slimbody racket and is used by American star Amanda Sohby.
It’s billed as being a racket for serious all-round players. Details are sketchy at the moment on this particular model, however once we’re in the clear from Coronavirus, you can probably expect more information in the coming months.
Karakal
Karakal gained notoriety in recent years with their ultra light range of squash rackets – with some as low as just 90 grams! Some of the top players in the world such as Tesni Evans, Greg Lobban and Chris Richards use their professional range of rackets.
Karakal’s Signature teardrop racket in 2020 – The Core Pro 120
Karakal recently introduced their new Core Pro range. This particular model is 120 grams and features a Prince style power ring. It’s currently used by Tom Richards. With an even balance and fairly light weight, this racket should suit many different styles of squash.
Karakal’s Signature traditional racket in 2020 – The Tec Pro Elite
Tesni Evans and Greg Lobban both favour this racket. It has Karakal’s signature black and yellow colour scheme which definitely helps it to stand out. Weighing 125 grams and featuring a head heavy balance, it should be solid racket for anyone who plays a traditional ‘line and length’ game of squash.
Ashaway
Ashaway are one of the smaller players in the squash racket market, though their rackets should by no means be overlooked. They gained their reputation in the squash world by producing some of the most popular strings on the market, and have only just branched into producing squash rackets. All of their frames come pre-strung with their high quality strings, something that sets them apart from the competition.
Ashaway’s Signature teardrop racket in 2020 – The Powerkill Ice 125 VM
Endorsed by Indian squash player Vikram Malhotra, this racket weighs 125 grams and has a head light balance. Pierre from Squash Source took this racket to the court and found it to be an incredibly powerful frame – he did feel it had a head heavy balance however, unlike its advertised head light balance.
Ashaway’s Signature traditional racket in 2020 – The Powerkill 110 SL
This signature frame from Ashaway weighs in at just 110 grams. Many users of the Powerkill 110 SL have commended its combination of manoeuvrability and power. This should therefore be a great racket for attacking players.
Ashaway also offer a 120 gram traditional racket, the Powerkill 120 ZX. This racket puts a little more weight behind your shots and has a denser stringing pattern. This in theory should result in a little more control than its lighter 110 gram sibling.
Purchase link – Amazon (far less expensive at PDHSports)
Which is the right racket for me?
As I’ve said many times – finding the perfect racket doesn’t mean spending the most money. No one racket is ‘better’ than another – It’s about finding something that feels good to you and that suits your style of play. If you can try out a racket before buying it, it’s definitely worth taking a little more time before parting ways with your cash.
The squashgearreviews.com ultimate guide to choosing a squash racket breaks down what to look for in a squash racket, going into detail about how shape, weight, balance and more effect the overall feel of a squash racket.
Ultimately, these particular rackets are likely to be the highest quality rackets you can buy. The higher prices are justified by the amount of research and development that goes into designing, testing, improving and manufacturing these frames. They’re often made from premium materials and have been through rigorous testing to refine them as much as possible.
It’s worth remembering that if you’re purchasing a racket used by the top players in the world, you’ll have to pay a premium for the privilege. Though on the plus side, generally speaking, most squash rackets you can buy are identical to the ones the pros are using (though they may modify their rackets slightly with things such as lead tape). This is unlike in tennis, where the pros are using completely different rackets to those available to the general public.
If you really want the very best of the best, then these are going to be your safest bet. Though I’ll say it again, try before you buy and don’t be afraid to look towards less expensive models. They often offer similar performance for a lower price. As long as you’re not a professional player, you probably won’t notice a great deal of difference.
I was using the black knight 140 red magnum. Loved it . Felt like a extension of my hand and arm. They no longer make it . Do you have a suggestion for me . Been trying different rackets but they just don’t feel the same . Thanks
Never looked much into BK rackets so you’ll have to forgive my lack of knowledge. Was it one of these two?
https://www.squashsource.com/black-knight-magnum-orbit/
https://www.squashsource.com/black-knight-magnum-crush/
Is there anything in particular that made it stand out for you?