Best Squash Rackets for Beginners

In this article I’m going to list out some of the best squash rackets for beginners.

• Head Nano Ti 110
• Dunlop Blackstorm Titanium 5.0
• Xamsa Onyx
• Opfeel SR560
• Wilson Hyper Hammer 120 PH
• Dunlop Aerogel 4D Ultimate
• Dunlop Precision Ultimate
• Black Knight Reflex

Since I’ve already created a buyer’s guide for the best overall squash rackets, you might be wondering:

What makes a squash racket a “beginner” racket?

Does it come with training wheels? Bumper guards? A safety harness?

No.

Here’s what makes a good beginner squash racket:

• High quality materials
• Appropriately lightweight
• Competitive price
• Forgiving frame shape

Let me explain each of these for a second.

High Quality Materials

What you’re looking for here can be summed up in one word: graphite. Also known as carbon fiber. Or carbon fibre. That’s the key material that all high quality rackets are made from. You do not want something made from aluminum. You definitely do not want something made from wood, although I hear beech was the bomb wood back in the day.

Some of the high-end rackets these days include trademarked materials with names like “Graphene” and “Hyperfibre” and stuff like that. These are all incremental advancements in the materials that allow rackets to be made slightly lighter without losing their durability. But at the end of the day, they are all just variations on good old graphite.

Appropriately Lightweight

I’m recommending rackets in the range of 110-145 grams. I would stay away from anything heavier than that. You want to be able to swing the racket freely and not feel like you’re wielding a beech tree on court.

A word about racket weights: these are usually the frame weight, meaning the bare graphite without strings, grommets, grip, etc. So don’t worry if you get a 140-gram racket and you put it on a scale and it weighs 160. That’s no problem.

Again, we are looking for an advertised frame weight of 110-145 grams. But as long as you’re within that range, don’t worry too much about the racket weights. They do not tell you the whole story. You can have a 140-gram racket that feels light because it’s head-light, or a 120-gram racket that feels heavy because more of the weight is in the head.

Bottom line: pay attention to the advertised weight, but don’t obsess over it.

Competitive Price

I’m going to try and recommend rackets that are around $100. Right now that’s a good value price point for squash rackets.

Some of the newest squash rackets are selling for over $200. But if you’re a beginner squash player, I don’t think it’s necessary to drop the additional hundred bucks for a top-end frame.

Obviously it depends on your financial situation. If an extra hundred bucks is not much of a concern for you, just get something from my best rackets list, and you’ll have a top-end racket that’s probably used by some pro players and has a cool factor.

For most people though, and especially beginners, you don’t need the latest-and-greatest racket that the pros are playing with. All you need is a racket that’s good enough and gets you playing squash.

If you’re still enjoying squash after a year or two, you can always upgrade at that time and sell your old racket to a friend or put it up for sale on eBay. Or keep the racket and buy a second one. (Stick with what works!)

Forgiving Frame Shape

If you’re a beginner, you probably want a racket with a large head. The larger the head, the more forgiving the racket will be on off-center hits. You’re more likely to have those in the beginning, obviously.

The maximum head size allowed on a squash racket is 500 centimeters squared. I would try to pick a racket close to that size.

The downside of a large head is you lose a little bit of precision. In my view though, you shouldn’t worry about it. The best way for a beginner to progress to an intermediate or advanced player is to work on keeping a rally going, and a forgiving racket gives you the best chance at that.

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Head Nano Ti 110

This is a nice all-rounder and my top pick. It features:

• Light frame weight of 110 grams
• An ample head size, which is more forgiving for beginner players
• Fan-shaped stringing pattern, which gives you a little more power on your shots

Here’s a video review I put together for this racket:

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Dunlop Blackstorm Titanium 5.0

This is from Dunlop’s Blackstorm range, which usually has a few good mid-price options. They keep releasing new versions of this racket every year. Right now we’re on version “5.0” but any of the prior models (4.0 and lower) will be about the same and a good choice as well.

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Xamsa Onyx

The Onyx is a powerful and forgiving frame. It’s got a large teardrop shape and fan stringing pattern, similar to the Head Nano Ti 110.

Xamsa is a brand born in Canada and available in North America mostly.

Here’s a video review of the Onyx:

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Opfeel SR560

I played with the model prior to this and was impressed by how nice this racket felt, especially considering the low price point.

This is a UK / Europe option.

Here’s my video review of the prior model, which should give you a good idea of this racket:

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Wilson Hyper Hammer 120 PH

This is a nice option from Wilson at a competitive price point. This racket has a hybrid frame shape — meaning it has a small throat. That will give the frame more stability and rigidity through your shots, making the racket feel nice and solid.

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Dunlop Aerogel 4D Ultimate

This is the first racket I’m recommending with a traditional frame shape, but the Ultimate has a large string bed that’ll be very forgiving for beginner squash players. The nice thing about the Aerogel 4D brand is it’s been around for a really long time and at this point you can get some good deals on it. The Ultimate frame is still in Dunlop’s lineup to this day, so you know it’s a proven head shape.

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Dunlop Precision Ultimate

Didn’t I tell ya the Ultimate frame shape has been around for a while? Well here’s a later model of the Ultimate that is a bit more expensive but also a bit more current of a design.

My video review:

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Black Knight Reflex

Last but not least we have the Black Knight Reflex Black Knight’s biggest presence is in North America, so you’ll mainly find availability there.

And my video review: