STRING’S THE THING
Players may spend hours arguing the relative merits of one racket versus another and agonise for weeks before spending £100 or more on a new one, but surprisingly little attention is paid to string, which is really the most important piece of equipment from a competitive point of view. After all, you don't hit the ball with your racquet (at least, not intentionally); you hit it with the string. Certainly, the racquet is important, because it holds the string. But the string provides the majority of the power, control, and "feel" to every stroke. String is to squash as tyres are to motor racing or sails to sailing: you won't get far without them, and quality makes a difference. The more knowledge you can bring to bear when selecting equipment, the more competitive you will be. Squash string is a surprisingly technical product, even though differences may not be easy to see. The primary variables are gauge (or thickness), materials, and construction. There are also differences in stringing tension and racquet design, both of which influence how the string performs. Then throw in different player preferences, styles of play, and budgets, and it becomes clear that selecting the right string is no simple matter. Despair not, however, for while it may not be a piece of cake, neither is it rocket science. During this series of articles we'll be looking at these issues, separately and in combination, to help you choose the best string for your game. We won't compare brands, but we'll try to provide enough information so you can analyse manufacturers' claims and decide which strings are worth trying. That "worth trying" is key. No matter how much information you have, the only way to know if a string is right for you is to play a few matches with it. So my main advice is: restring frequently and try different strings until you find the one that suits you best. You may be surprised how much your game improves.http://www.squashplayer.co.uk/magazine/string_matters.htm
Players may spend hours arguing the relative merits of one racket versus another and agonise for weeks before spending £100 or more on a new one, but surprisingly little attention is paid to string, which is really the most important piece of equipment from a competitive point of view. After all, you don't hit the ball with your racquet (at least, not intentionally); you hit it with the string. Certainly, the racquet is important, because it holds the string. But the string provides the majority of the power, control, and "feel" to every stroke. String is to squash as tyres are to motor racing or sails to sailing: you won't get far without them, and quality makes a difference. The more knowledge you can bring to bear when selecting equipment, the more competitive you will be. Squash string is a surprisingly technical product, even though differences may not be easy to see. The primary variables are gauge (or thickness), materials, and construction. There are also differences in stringing tension and racquet design, both of which influence how the string performs. Then throw in different player preferences, styles of play, and budgets, and it becomes clear that selecting the right string is no simple matter. Despair not, however, for while it may not be a piece of cake, neither is it rocket science. During this series of articles we'll be looking at these issues, separately and in combination, to help you choose the best string for your game. We won't compare brands, but we'll try to provide enough information so you can analyse manufacturers' claims and decide which strings are worth trying. That "worth trying" is key. No matter how much information you have, the only way to know if a string is right for you is to play a few matches with it. So my main advice is: restring frequently and try different strings until you find the one that suits you best. You may be surprised how much your game improves.