[cvince]

I'm currently eyeing the Head ix.120 as a replacement for my piece of crap 195g racquet.

http://www.amazon.com/Head-120-Intel.../dp/B0002V8RXE

I'm still relatively new to the sport, but I do plan to play a lot, so I might as well get a decent racquet. I figure that head-fi is the least geeky of the geek forums I visit, and since most of us have lives here outside of technology it's probably a better place to ask about squash than in larger forums, or the anemic squash forums in existence.

I'm just wondering what the opinions are of the ix.120. It appears to be a very nice racquet, but I am wondering if it is too fragile for a person who occassionally scratches the wall/floor every now and then.
I'm actually quite a calm squash player, and I don't smash my racquet against the wall when I miss a shot like some people. My squash swing is also not very strong (probably due to my years as a badminton palm/finger flicking player), so I won't likely be snapping any racquets by hitting the ball.

My greatest concern is about the head shape of the ix.120. By looking at the racquet, I infer that due to the length of the head with comparison with normal-sized heads, the point of maximum elasticity (sweet spot) is closer to the handle than most other racquets. This means I have to stretch further to hit the ball with the good part of the racquet, and that might be a pain considering that I am a fairly small person. In reality, is it really like this? Or is the sweet spot on this racquet as far from the handle as most conventionally shaped racquets? If it is, I'm sold.

Thanks for your input!

 

[vagarach]

I have the Head intelligence i.140, which has a much smaller head size, but I'm a 'stroke' player if that's the term, so I prefer control over power, but it is a superb racquet, with amazing feel compared to my older much heavier dunlop. I play in the league at my university, and take a guess at the most common brand....

As for the ix.120, yes, it is a fragile racquet and will break if subject to stress heavier racquets will shrug off, I was also considering the 120 and while researching I found out that people did indeed end up buying another after their first broke. Scrapes and such won't be a problem, the problem is hitting at the wall a little when getting the ball out of a corner.

With a huge head size as the 120 has you will find that a whole lot more of the racquet head will qualify as a 'sweet spot' area in comparison to more traditional and competition head sizes. Off-centre shots will feel much nicer and will leave the racquet with much more speed. This is a boon for beginners and power players, but some degree of control is lost, though the intelligence technology gives a much more responsive string bed (compared to the quite frankly crap racquet I used to use), and thats coming from the first generation i.140.

Also remember that having a more decently sized head (you can already play badminton with a miniscule head size, so you will not have a problem with flat-out missing the ball) encourages the brain to strike the ball with more exacting precision: in the centre, every damn time.

I hope that helps a little!

 

[TopShelf]

Ive played squash at high levels, and this is what I would bring into a dog fight of a match

http://www.courtsidesports.com/store...uash-Racquets/

The small headsize is what I like.

 

[NacMacFeegle]

I just picked up the new Head metallix 150 to use as my old Head took one to many blows to the wall..

So far so good. I like the fact it feels light as a feather but has some heft behind it should I get an opening during a rally to put the ball away. I tried both Dunlop and Prince for a while and liked neither so have gone back to Head. The only Wilson I tried broke mid-swing in the second match I used it in..Took it back to the store for my money back!
On a side note, me and 11 of my squash playing buddies (quite a thriving scene here in sleepy ol' Rochester amazingly enough) just spent three days up in Toronto for the Pace Canadian Classic. It was just so stunning to see the Pros play up close and personal. No shot seemed like it was ever a winner as they get to nearly everything, but, not only that, seem to hit it back harder! Unless, of course they were slotting in an inch perfect dropshot from anywhere on the court..Amazing stuff indeed. We got to watch the last round of the qualies and then the start of the first round proper over the three days. And the players themselves are just the nicest guys even after a defeat..Allways approachable for a quick chat, or some tips, or even after we gave up our court (yes we all played while we were there..) so a couple of them could hit, they were willing to run us round for 10 minutes or so..We had a blast and will be back next year.
So, if ever a pro Tourney comes to your town, go and watch, you won't be dissappointed at all.

 

[tennisets]

I'm a fan of Harrow racquets, personally. Black Knight makes nice racquets too.

For example, take a look at the Black Knight 9110Ti Pro Lite and 8110/3G 3rd Generation.

From Harrow, I play with the Blade, and I also like the True Blue.

 

[cvince]

Thanks for the responses.

Honestly, without having much background in the game, I don't really know what I'm looking for in a racquet. I might just take the plunge, start somewhere, and see where that leads.

I've tried out the 120, and I'm in love. I can't say I have much experience with other good racquets, but at this stage it is very appealing

Tennisets> I'm actually a black knight badminton fan. How do their squash racquets feel compared to say a Head? I like the feel of black knight badminton racquets over yonex because of the way shots vibrate throughout the frame. It might be a bit placebo, but it feels as if I understand the strength of the shots better with black knight racquets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NacMacFeegle /img/forum/go_quote.gif It was just so stunning to see the Pros play up close and personal. No shot seemed like it was ever a winner as they get to nearly everything, but, not only that, seem to hit it back harder! Unless, of course they were slotting in an inch perfect dropshot from anywhere on the court..

I have seen some incredibly experienced players myself. Not pros, but high league players.

I'm constantly baffled by how some of them hardly even move around the court. They are such masters of ball placement and prediction that it's beyond my comprehension.

Coming from a badminton background which requires you to move like crazy regardless of how good you are, it's hard to imagine a sport that when played at such a high level can appear so relaxed.

 

[NacMacFeegle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvince /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm constantly baffled by how some of them hardly even move around the court. They are such masters of ball placement and prediction that it's beyond my comprehension.

This is usually my game plan too...

However, haven't figured out the last bit yet

 

[sockhead]

I'm not at all an expert player, but I've got this really light weight babolat (210g or something) that I really like to play with.

Plus it looks nice, that's a bonus right?

 

[Zanth]

I played varsity back in my undergrad days and in high school I was a ranked junior in Canada. I was a big Black Knight fan during those years. The past 8 years or so I've barely set foot on a court (soooo sad for me) but hopefully within the next 8 months I'll be back into it (Sept the new season starts). I'll be looking for a new racket to entice me to play hard again, I am a "stroke" player as well, and a smaller head is really great for me. I'll give a few of these reco's a whirl this summer.

 

[cvince]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif I played varsity back in my undergrad days and in high school I was a ranked junior in Canada.

That's pretty sweet

What do you guys mean by "stroke" player?