Guides

Practical Squash Lab guidance for choosing a racquet, string, and tension. Use it as a starting point, then refine your setup from how it feels on court.

Choose a racquet

Start from control, comfort, and court position before chasing brand or paint.

  • Choose head-light frames if you value fast hands at the T and quick volley reactions.
  • Move toward 125–135 g when you want more plow-through, stability, and length from the back corners.
  • If your elbow or wrist gets sore, avoid very stiff frames until your string and tension are also softened.
All-court default: 120–130 g, even to head-light balance, medium stiffness.
Power help: slightly heavier frame with a larger sweet spot before raising tension.

Do not copy a pro setup unless your swing speed, timing, and match volume are similar.

Equipment recommendation

String guide

String choice changes feel as much as the racquet: bite, comfort, durability, and pocketing all move together.

  • Multifilament or textured squash strings are the safe default for comfort, touch, and usable power.
  • Thinner gauges add bite and feel, but frequent players should expect shorter restring intervals.
  • If you break strings often, raise durability through gauge or model before jumping to a harsh setup.
Comfort/control default: 1.20–1.25 mm multifilament at a mid tension.
Durability default: 1.25–1.30 mm or a firmer construction, then re-check tension feel.

Very stiff strings at high tension can make off-center hits feel harsher than necessary.

Use in booking

Tension explained

Squash tension usually sits far below tennis; the right number is a feel and control tradeoff.

  • Lower tension gives a deeper pocket and easier power, useful for newer players or cold courts.
  • Higher tension sharpens control and launch angle, but can feel unforgiving on late contact.
  • Change in small steps: 1–2 lbs is enough to learn whether you need more power, control, or comfort.
Balanced default: 23–25 lbs gives many club players a useful blend of pocketing, power, and directional control.
Comfort bias: drop about 2 lbs when elbow, wrist, or shoulder comfort is flagged.

Treat the number as a starting point; logged match feedback beats memory after two or three restring cycles.