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Unfortunately most newcomers to squash
find it easier to hit the ball with the wrong grip, so many beginners
adopt a grip, which will prevent them from ever striking the ball really
well.
To grip the racket correctly (if you are right-handed) take the
racket in the left hand and hold it half way up the shaft in front of you
so that the racket head is absolutely vertical. Then "shake
hands" with the handle. It is important that the fingers are spread
out along the handle and that the forefinger is above the thumb. The V
formed between forefinger and the thumb should now be to the left of the
handle.
This is the way to hold the racket for all strokes. If the
racket is held in any other way it will be impossible to develop a good
swing.
If each stroke is started with the racket held high, the correct
grip and the wrist cocked, then a good swing will inevitably result and
with this greater accuracy and power.
© Brian Baggott |
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INTRODUCTION
Squash
player should also pay attention to a good stringing.
Buying only a good racket without a good restring is like buying a
racing car and fitting a normal engine to power it!
SO WHAT IS A GOOD STRING?
That depends on your expectations; are you looking for more power, better
control or better durability? As yet, the perfect string which will give
you all three qualities does not exist.
DO YOU WANT MORE POWER?
Then try a string which has good elasticity, such as natural gut, oil
filled or a good quality synthetic gut. A finer gauge string (the standard
is 1.25mm) of 1.15mm or 1.20mm will also improve performance. However,
most of the strings just mentioned usually lack durability. You could try
reducing your tension by 2-4 lbs which will enhance the trampoline effect
of the strings. This really only has the desired effect if you have quite
a high tension to start with.
DO YOU WANT MORE CONTROL?
Better control can be achieved from rough textured strings, also known as
braided coatings. They "grip" the ball better, allowing better
direction on the ball. More spin is an added bonus too. Durability is not
too good. The rough texture cuts through quicker so players often
experience breakage on the main (vertical) strings prematurely.
DO YOU WANT BETTER DURABILITY?
Try using a thicker string of say, 1.28mm or 1.30mm diameter. Or look for
a string which has more than one outer wrap around the centre core of the
string. For players seeking the ultimate in durability, we suggest using a
hybrid string. Hybrid strings are a combination of two different types of
string. As the main strings are usually the first to break, a hard-wearing
type is required. To give the racket an acceptable amount of feel and
playability, a more elastic string must be used on the cross strings.
A QUICK GUIDE
** Thick strings are more durable, thinner strings perform better.
** Powerful strings are usually not very durable.
** Durable strings usually lack performance.
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The amount of string in a racket should also be considered when you need a
restring. Dense patterns (lots of mains and crosses) tend to give more
ball control and the restring will last longer. Less dense patterns
(usually with 10 or 12 main strings) will offer more power due to the
enhanced trampoline effect, but durability is not as good as a dense
pattern. The gaps between each string will be bigger, the strings will
slide more resulting in friction burns and the tension will be lost
quicker.
HEAD SIZE
The bigger the head, the more powerful the racket will be. Smaller heads
tend to give better control of the ball and are more maneuverable. One
problem players experience when changing from a small head to a larger one
is premature string breakage. Tension loss is also noticeable. Longer main
strings slide more and wear through quicker. The only answer is to have
more restrings per season.
For more details
regarding squash rackets: http://www.squashtalk.com/html/about_squash.htm |
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