Category Archives: Review

Harrow Spark Review

Posted on January 18, 2013 by mike

I recently switched to the Harrow Spark after several years using the Black Knight Magnum Corona. The primary difference between these racquets is the lightness of the Spark. The Corona is, in my opinion, a fairly standard racquet in terms of weight and balance. The head is almost completely circular while the Spark is more oblong.

There is, of course, a trade-off with a lighter racquet. The Spark is a very “maneuverable” racquet, meaning you can hit the ball with a compromised or improvised swing and don’t necessarily need a full backswing to make good contact. However, to generate power you need ample racquet head speed. It took me a few weeks to adjust to this difference; the Corona was heavier and thus more powerful. Overall I prefer the freedom afforded by the Spark. It is much easier to dig the ball out of the back corners, and to hit the ball when it’s behind you (or otherwise non-ideal positions). Having to generate racquet head speed is also a good thing for shot consistency and accuracy. I would recommend it for players who feel their current racquet is sluggish or difficult to control.

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Asics Gel-Blast 4 Orange/Black/Silver

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Jeff

Asics Gel-Blast 4 Orange Black SilverThe Asics Gel-Blast 4 have been by far our best selling squash shoe ever.  The Blast 4 live on and are still the current model from Asics and there are some pretty exciting new colours for this year.  The first new colour is Orange/Black/Silver pictured above.  Want to stand on court then this may well be the pair of shoes for you!  They will definitely get you noticed.  They are not only flashy though they are a terrific performing pair of shoes.

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Review of the Tecnifibre Carboflex 130 Basaltex Multiaxial Squash Racquet

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Jeff

Tecnifibre Carboflex 130 Basaltex Multiaxial Squash RacquetI have been playing with the new Tecnifibre Carboflex 130 Basaltex Multiaxial squash racquet for about a month now and have been extremely impressed.  I played with one of its predecessors the Texalium version a few years ago and loved it.  In fact I would say that was probably the period of time where I hit the ball the best in my squash playing history.

When this years version came out I was excited to try it.  Its weight, balance and head shape have not changed so I had very high hopes for the racquet.  It has not disappointed! I have found myself really comfortable hitting the ball with this years version of the Carboflex. Continue reading →

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Another Review of the Hi-Tec Infinity Flare Squash Shoes

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Jeff

I am lucky enough to know the Canadian #1 under 19 player Cameron Seth.  Cameron is off to University but is from my hometown and grew up playing out of my home club. Cam just recently switched to using the Hi-Tec Infinity Flare Squash shoes.  I asked if he would be kind enough to provide his opinion on them after he had a chance to use them for a while.  Knowing Cam and the work he does on the court and the level he plays at his opinion of them is pretty valuable. Here is what he wrote:

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Review of the Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity Flare Squash Shoes

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Jeff

Hi-Tec V-Lite Infinity Flare Squash Shoes as used by Nick Matthew

The new shoes of Nick Matthew are in stock as we announced earlier.  There has been a great deal of interest in them and one my customers was nice enough to provide some feedback on them.  The feedback very much supports the marketing of the technology behind the shoes which was nice to see.  In particular that the offset lacing holds the foot in place better than traditional lacing.  I hope this review is helpful for those of you considering purchasing these great shoes.  If you do want to purchase a pair please click here.

Review of the Hi-Tec Infinity Flare Squash Shoes

“So here is my review so far…..

Shoe fits same as Gel Blast 4…….The offset lacing running down the bone to the big toe seems to hold my foot a bit better in the shoe though. As a result, there was no backward/forward or left/right movement of my foot in the shoe whatsoever.

So if you have a customer coming out of Gel Blast 4′s, I would advise they get the same size.

……..The extra material on the outside of the shoe (from the laces being offset), also seemed very supportive (I tend to put a lot of pressure on this part of the shoe)

The shoe is very stable with great grip…….My court footwork needs work, but I am very quick..…As a result I end up lunging an awful lot, and I felt extremely comfortable moving aggressively around the court.

They don’t have the Rhino skin like the Gel Blast, and with all my lunging I have a lot of toe drag….I have burned through the big toe joint part on all of my squash shoes, so we will see how these shoes stand up to the punishment.

So, I really like these shoes, and am glad I decided to try something different and get them.

Thanks very much for getting them to me so quickly.”

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Asics Gel-Blast 4 Green Indoor Court Shoes

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Jeff

Buy the Asics Gel-Blast 4 Green Indoor Courts shoes from Control the 'T' SportsThey look great, feel great, and perform great!  The new colour of the Asics Gel-Blast 4 has been selling tremendously for us. Why?  It is simple, not only does the new colour look really incredible more importantly the shoes themselves are just tremendous.

The support they provide is second to none for squash. Squash is a very demanding game on your shoes and feet. We are constantly changing directions and need our shoes to perform well under these conditions.  The Asics Gel-Blast 4 excel at this.  They are by the best I have ever used for this.  They instill confidence in the player that they can plant their foot hard to stop and change direction and not have to worry about their shoes not being to handle the directional change.

Not only do they perform well they do so while providing excellent comfort.  The Asics Gel Blast series is noted for fitting like a glove and the 4 is no different.  The Gel system almost molds the shoe to your foot while providing excellent cushioning in the both fore and rear of the shoe.

The Asics Gel-Blast 4 have several improvements over there predecessors.  The addition of AHAR rubber around the toe-box really helps improve durability in this high wear area. The mesh upper greatly improves breathability of the shoe.

If you are looking for a pair of these great shoes click here.

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Dunlop Biomimetic Max 2012 Squash Racquet Review

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Jeff

Dunlop Biomimetic Max 2012 Squash Racquet

As you can see from the image above this is the racquet that Dunlop has marketed Ramy Ashour as playing with for the upcoming season.  The new PSA squash season starts up soon and I look forward to watching it on psasquashtv.com and one of the things I will be watching for is what racquet is Ramy Ashour using.

To purchase the Dunlop Biomimetic Max please click here.

Now on to the review of this racquet.

Dunlop Biomimetic MAx 2012 Squash Racquet Review

I have had a couple of chances now to get on court with the Dunlop Biomimetic Max 2012 and have compared it to the original Biomimetic Max as well as just coming up with an opinion of it unrelated to the original.

The specifications of the new Dunlop Biomimetic Max 2012 Squash Racquet are:

Frame Weight: 130g
Balance: Extra Head Light
Head Size: 500cm2
Stiffness: 80
String Pattern: 14×18 Powermax
String Tension: 20-30lbs
Construction: HM6 Carbon
String: Precision

There are 3 differences from the original Biomimetic Max – the Frame Weight, Balance, and Stiffness.  The new racquet is 10 grams lighter, the balance more head light, and slightly stiffer than the original; all 3 were actually noticeable when alternating hitting between the 2 racquets.  The 2012 edition definitely felt lighter in the hand and the balance was more towards the handle.  When swinging it the balance was quite evident.  You could really feel the racquet coming through quicker and what felt like the same swing between last year’s model left me ahead of the ball with the 2012 edition.  That took some adjustment but once that was made you could really feel how quick the racquet is.  The other difference this year as noted is the stiffness of it.  The 2012 edition is enhanced this year with Anatomic Construction which is designed to provide better torsional control on off centre hits.  The racquet did feel slightly stiffer than the original.

Overall the racquet has a lot of power due to its long main strings.  It is extremely quick due to its extra head light balance and overall light weight.  It is a fairly stiff racquet as well and does not flex much on normal hits or off centre hits.  It is definitely a different feel than the more traditional feel of the Dunlop racquet that you would in the Pro GTX series which is quite soft.  As it is very head light it does take some skill to not come through to the ball too quick. Once you have gotten past that though it is a great racquet.  Its quickness makes it great for quick volleys at the ‘T’.  Its power makes a good racquet for drives as well.  Overall if you like a stiff racquet that is head light and have good technique this is a great racquet.

Here is the marketing information from Dunlop:

The updated Dunlop Biomimetic Max Squash Racquet is an ideal racquet for any advanced/intermediate player looking for pure power.  The teardrop head shape provides long main strings for greater string deflection enhanced by Powermax string pattern.  Control and pin point precision is improved with the inclusion of Anatomic Construction technology which increases torsional stability during off centre shots.

The racquet is constructed with graphite and features Dunlop’s Biomimetic technology.  HM6 Carbon enhances the racquet feel, Aerogel technology reduces aerodynamic drag making the racquet faster through the air and the Gecko-Tac grip gives ultimate control in all conditions.

To purchase the Dunlop Biomimetic Max please click here.

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SquashSkills.com – Worth the subscription

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Jeff

Squashskills.com Banner

I have been following Squashskills.com since its inception.  I like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and am now a subscriber to their website.  When they first started up I enjoyed watching their initial videos. I was very excited when Peter Nicol signed on.  Where else on the web could you get tips from one of the top professional squash players of all time?  I envisioned the site growing in to one of the top squash resource sites on the Internet.  Now that they have launched their subscription based site I believe they have achieved that.

I thought about purchasing the subscription a bit before I actually paid for it.  I created an account on the site so I could view the free videos.  Some I had seen before some were new.  The quality was certainly better than most squash videos on the Internet so that was definitely a positive.  I went through the different sections of the site and liked what I saw.  In particular I read “The Story of Squashskills” and am really impressed with their vision for the site.  I also liked that at launch they were focusing on a particular topic for one week and progressing through the various aspects of the game.   The video library is structured that way as well.  You can randomly just browse the videos or you can select a particular area of interest whether that is videos from Peter Nicol or videos on the forehand. I really like that feature, being able to find videos on the topic that  I want to watch easily by just clicking on the topic and being presented a set of videos that match.

I liked what I saw so I decided to go ahead and purchase.  I have gone through the new videos on the forehand and backhand to start with.  I am very impressed with them.  The videos are very high quality.  What I like the most about them though is listening to Jethro, Lee or Peter discuss the topic of the video and why they are teaching that particular shot or skill.  The videos themselves are well laid out.  The coach discussed the skill they are focusing on and particular aspects of it.  They then demonstrate the skill and you typically get to see it from different angles and speeds.  I find it particularly helpful to see the shot in slow motion with the coach describing what is happening throughout the swing.

I am excited about the V1 section of the site as well.  I have not used it yet but having the option of creating a video using the V1 app for the iPad and sending that to Peter Nicol or Jethro Binns for analysis is pretty exciting.  Technology is a wonderful thing and having it allow us access to world class coaches from afar is tremendous.  The V1 software gives Jethro or Peter the ability to slow down your swing, see the good and bad parts of it and recommend improvements.  This will be of real value to many players I am certain.

Squashskills.com has now officially launched and is live and I am happy that I have subscribed.  I think it will prove to be valuable to all levels of players.  Do yourself a favour and register for an account, review what the site has to offer and if you like what you see, like I did, subscribe for full access.

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Dunlop Biomimetic Evolution 130 Squash Racquet – The racquet of Nick Matthew

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Jeff

Nick Matthew, along with Ramy Ashour are the two best players squash players in the world.  Both use Dunlop squash rackets.  This post focuses on the Dunlop Biomimetic Evolution 130 Squash Racket which Nick Matthew uses.

This racquet is an updated model of the Dunlop Aerogel 4D Evolution 120 that Nick played with last year. The primary differences are the additions of Dunlop’s newer tecnologies: Aeroksin, HM6 Carbon and the Gecko-Tac grip as well as the addition of 10g of weight.

The technologies I have covered in a previous post which you can read here.  Although the racquet’s weight has increased 10g the balance has remained the same.  It is a head light racquet. The addition of the 10g is quite helpful as it makes the racquet more usable for the average player.  One of the biggest complaints of the Aerogel 4D Evolution 120 was that it was so light and head light in addition which made it a difficult racquet for most players to generate enough pace with to have a solid length game.  The Biomimetic 130 being a little heavier overall does help a bit with this.  It still requires the player to generate a lot of racquet head speed but it is not quite as dramatic as with the previous years model.  It is a great racquet though for taking the ball early on the volley at the ‘T’ because of its light weight and head light balance. Both of these characteristics make it extremely quick to manoeuvre which is why it is so effective for volleying at the ‘T’.

Overall this is a great racquet for a player that is aggressive at the ‘T’ taking the ball on the volley and has the technique to be able to generate enough racquet head speed to have an effective basic length game.

We have the Dunlop Biomimetic Evolution 130 Squash Racquet available in our Pro Shop at a great price.  Please check it out.

The specifications from Dunlop:

The Dunlop Biomimetic Evolution 130 squash racquet is handcrafted with a teardrop design for enhanced power whilst maintaining torsional stability through a small bridge in the throat area. This frame provides players of all levels lightweight power capability with an element of control. The racquet is constructed with graphite and features Dunlop’s new Biomimetic technology. 

HM6 Carbon enhances racket feel; Aeroskin technology reduces aerodynamic drag making the racket faster through the air and the Gecko-Tac grip gives ultimate control in all conditions.

The racquet of Nick Matthew, PSA World Ranking #1.

Specifications:
Frame Weight: 130g
Balance: Head Light
Head Size: 490cm2
Stiffness: 78.5
String Pattern: 14×18
String Tension: 20-30lbs
Construction: HM6 Carbon
String: Precision
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Black Knight Ion X-Force Yellow – The racquet of David Palmer

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Jeff

 

David Palmer has been with Black Knight since 2008.  He helped develop the ION series of squash racquets.  His first signature model was the Black Knight Ion Storm.  The Storm is still available but Palmer has moved to one of Black Knight’s new models – the Black Knight Ion X-Force Yellow Squash Racquet.

Black Knight Ion X-FORCE Yellow Squash Racquet

I have been watching the 2011 Australian Open on www.psasquashtv.com and have been intrigued to see what racquets the players would be using as this is the first event of the new season.  I had discussed what Palmer was playing with my contact at Black Knight and had been told it was the Black Knight Ion X-Force Yellow but wanted to see for myself.  I watched his matches with Azlan Iskander and then Tom Richards and indeed he was using it.

The Black Knight Ion X-Force Yellow is a very stiff racquet.  It is also quite head light.  Its weight is measured at 145 grams but its dynamic weight is 135 grams.  Black Knight uses the dynamic weight to distinguish if a racquet is head light or head heavy.  If the dynamic weight is less than the actual weight it plays head light.  The 10 grams difference is fairly significant. This racquet also uses 3 of Black Knight’s latest technologies: Power of 6, Thermal Core and 16K Hyper Tensile.

Power of 6 – The frame is measured at 6 points during processing for optimum density, flex and balance.  This process help ensure consistency from one racquet to the next in the manufacturing process.

Thermal Core - The standard manufacturing process of a racquet is done by sandwiching the carbon fibre framework of the racquet in a mold then inserting the mould into an oven to cure the fibres from the outside in. With Thermal core process Black Knight inserts a tube into the handle of the frame which injects superheated air into the racquet at the same time the mold is curing the fibres from the outside. The result is a uniformly cured racquet from both inside the frame and outside – that is why the racquet is more reactive as well there is less chance of uneven curing that could result in premature breakage.

16K Hyper Tensile - This is the latest and highest quality carbon fibre Black Knight uses. It incorporates 16,000 fibre filaments to produce the strongest graphite to date. The benefit is the ability to withstand high tension stringing without sacrificing the structural integrity of the frame.

The Black Knight Ion X-Force Yellow is a great new racquet and it is great to see David Palmer doing so well at the 2011 Australian Open.  As of this post he had just beaten Karim Darwish which is an amazing result.

 

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