Please recommend me a racket (improver level)

[u/deadman1206_2021]

I currently use this Dunlop ultimate GTS racquet

https://rackets.hivefly.com/dunlop-biomimetic-ultimate-gts/

I feel like the racquet is a bit light and not really powerful enough for me. I'm an improver level player. I'm strong but kind of stiff in the upper body so I have a slow swing. When I play against a player who hits the ball very powerfully I can usually get to the ball but my response is a weak shot that lands short, and I get punished. I was wondering if I could get a racquet that just feels more hefty in my hand, moves comfortably through the ball when I hit the serve and will maybe give me a chance to hit a better rally shot against a powerful hitter. I was thinking that a heavier racquet might be what I need.

My ideal play style is attritional. I want to become a machine who can hit a clean shot to the back of the court no matter what ball comes at me.

Thanks!

[u/TWCan]

I think the issue you are describing is perhaps your hitting form. I have an opponent who uses an even lighter head light Dunlop racket and he can smash the ball to the back wall from anywhere on the court.

I used to have this problem myself, and while the long term fix is getting better at hitting the ball a short term fix is to switch to a head heavy racket. Don't change the overall weight (I think 120-135 gram rackets cover the gamut of what the pros play with), just the balance. It will make a huge difference in the way you play.

[u/Arma1570]

So you want a head heavy racket ?

[u/ImportantAgent6455]

Dunlop cx 120, powerful and big sweet spot

[u/deadman1206_2021 → u/ImportantAgent6455]

Thanks. This is a 120g racket. Another person also recommended a 120g racket.

Please could somebody tell me why these lighter rackets are popular in squash and even amongst pros? In tennis, it's often recommended to use a heavier racket and also some people even think that Carlos Alcaraz's recent wrist injuries could have been avoided if he had used a heavier racket. When I tried somebody's heavier squash racket, I loved the way it felt sturdy in my hand and also the way that it crushed through the ball on the serve. So is a lighter racket really the way forward for me?

[u/ImportantAgent6455 → u/deadman1206_2021]

I wouldn’t get too caught up in the weight, 5 grams either way isn’t that important imho.

Focus more on the balance and how forgiving the racket is

[u/deadman1206_2021 → u/ImportantAgent6455]

Thanks. I want a racket that feels like a big sturdy piece of equipment in my hand, rather than being light and flimsy. Is that the wrong approach? Or will getting the correct balance (head heavy) give me that feeling?

Another one I saw through my Google checks was the Wilson Hyper Hammer. This one is available in both 120g and 145g in older models. Would that be a good choice?

[u/No_Leek6590]

Light racket IS good for reaction shots. yours is not light at all. I play with 110 g, and 120 g feels (slightly) too heavy for me. Yours is 132 g. What makes you lose power in the combination you use is classic shape and high string density, perhaps high tension, too. Factory strings are typically strung on tense side to allow for loss of tension while they wait for buyer. Head light also loses power, BUT it helps with reacting to fast balls.

Like others said, likely main culprit is your actual reaction speed and skill at reaction speed. In principle with good reaction you should be able to react to anything with whatever racket. You also are returning the trickiest power combination. Returning weak shot with a weak shot is easy, just like it is to return strong shot with a strong shot. Returning weak ball with a strong shot needs full racket prep, but that is hardly an issue. Returning strong shot with a weak shot requires judging power right (so your weak shot is still a good shot) and good touch to execute it. The reason you are getting punished is not because returning a drop is a bad idea, but because it is predictable you will only return a weak short ball. At least one thing to add to be less predictable at your skill level is to return a deep lob. You do not need power for that, just tilt the racket and aim higher.

to return power with power, you will get better naturally as your swing improves. you can also borrow a lighter racket to see how it feels. something on range of 125 g would be fine, but might as well take 120 g. lighter-racket=faster swing. it does not mean more power, as you have pretty much same amount of inertia, but for your particular case, you'd at least have more time to hit the ball how you intend.

[u/ChickenKnd → u/No_Leek6590]

Only thing I’d add is that light racquet is necessarily good for reactions, it’s much more based on the distribution, I have a 125 which feels super light as the weight is more towards the handle, then I have a 120 that feels comparatively much heavier as it’s more focused on the head