The Complete Handbook of Squash Racquets

Chapter 1: Understanding Squash Racquets

A squash racquet is a precision instrument. It may weigh less than 150 grams and measure under 70 centimeters in length, but its design directly determines how much power you can generate, how much control you have over the ball, and how your wrist and elbow feel after an hour on court. This chapter explains what a squash racquet actually is, how its components work together, and why the details matter more than most players realize.

The modern squash racquet is a composite structure with four primary components: the frame, the strings, the grip, and the bumper/grommet strip system. The frame is typically made from graphite or a graphite composite, sometimes mixed with Kevlar, fiberglass, or other materials. The strings are most commonly synthetic, either nylon mono-filaments or multi-filament strings, though some players prefer natural gut for specific performance characteristics. The grip is a thin layer of polyurethane or synthetic leather wrapped over a cushioned base grip. The bumper and grommet strip is a plastic component that wraps around the top and sides of the head to protect the frame from scraping on the court walls and to guide the strings through the frame.

To understand how a squash racquet works, you must first understand what is unique about the game of squash itself. Unlike tennis, where players hit a heavy ball over a net with a long stroke, squash is played in a four-walled court with a smaller, lighter ball. The ball is hard,