The Master Athletics

SquashTrainingRacket

The Ultimate Frequently Asked Questions Page

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Introduction

The Master Athletics Squash Training Racket is a one-of-a-kind racket. Built to improve your sweetspot precision and ensure you focus on every shot. Because it is so very different from every other racket on the market, I decided to create this extensive FAQ. I have also added my thoughts and feelings about the racket below.

My Thoughts and Feelings

When I heard about this racket via a squash subreddit post about Sweetspot visualisation and I was excited to try it. So, I wrote to Master Athletics and they kindly agreed to send me one, along with some other equipment, but I want to stress my review has not been influenced by getting free equipment and Master Athletics have at no time asked for any preferential review or other content - so a huge thanks to them.

I went through 3 stages of using this racket: Stage 1: This is easier than I expected. My timing is great. Stage 2: Holy schmolly, this is tough. My timing sucks. Stage 3: Okay, I'm not great nor do I suck, but I do have to concentrate to hit perfect sweetspot every time.

I quickly found which shot bring the most benefit and I've covered them in the FAQ below, but essentially, any shot where the racket and ball are not moving in the same direction bring the most benefit because the intersection between the ball's flight path and the racket head's flight path must be almost perfect.

Another thing that is important to note is that hoping for a quick fix to your game from using is a mistake. Spending 20 minutes hitting the ball and then going back to your racket is a revelation. I suspect you will need to go back and forth between this racket and your regular racket to get the long term benefit. You can't expect to go to the gym once, lifts weights and expect to be stronger.

I found the transition between this racket and modern rackets to be very smoothly, partly because this racket is slightly shorter than a standard racket, which means that the sweetspots are in roughly the same place on both rackets, and partly because its weight and balance are similar to modern rackets.

Build quality seems very high and I have hit the racket against the wall quite hard when practicing straight drives and it shows no effects. The choice of white is a great one and maybe the type of paint used too, because any frame hits leave a clear mark on the frame, a perfect reminder and maybe even slight admonishment, about hitting on the strings.

Beginners and juniors should probably avoid using this racket because it's more important to develop a technical solid swing before worrying about perfect sweetspot contact. That said, I don't want to gatekeep who should or shouldn't use the racket, so if you have access to it, try it.

Finally, This racket will stay in my raket bag at all times because I love the challenge of using it. I'm not saying that my timing is perfect with a modern racket, but using the Training Racket does make some shots much harder and therefore I feel I am really maximising my time of court.

Video Review

The video below contains my thoughts and feelings about the racket along with some questions.

FAQ

Below are all the questions I have been asked about the racket. I have included all of them to help people find the answers, even if some are very similar. If you have a question you want answered, just email me and I will reply and add it to the list below - Phillip

Performance and Skill Transfer

The idea is that using one will help to improve your ball-striking, right? Well--does it actually do that? And if so, how do you know?
Yes, that's right. By having a smaller head you must concentrate more on your contact. Yes, it does it by making any slightly off-sweetspot shot very apparent compared to a modern racket with a much larger head.

Do you think it works as a good training tool for players who have only played with modern rackets? Is there any noticeable improvements to your hitting when switching back to a normal racket?
Absolutely. It's designed for players nowadays, not a throwback to older players. I noticed that I hit the centre of the sweetspot more consistently after practicing with it. It also has the feeling that hitting with a current racket is easy.

How transferable are improvements when switching back to a normal racket?
very and immediate. After even 5 minutes hitting with the Squash Training Racket and going back to a current racket feels smooth. However, after a while, you fall back into the slack habit of concentrating less on contact point and you are back to where you were before you used the training racket. It feels that you have to keep using it to benefit. But, let's be clear, that's just like any training. If you stop lifting weights you will lose your strength that you gained!

Does it expose technical flaws more clearly than a standard racket?
Yes, I suppose so. When you have plenty of space to swing, even terrible, straight-arm swings can hit the ball cleanly, but the moment you get into the corners or have to use short swings, the Master Athletics Squash training Racquet brutally exposes less than optimum swings.

Can it help improve shot consistency under pressure?
I think so. Simply having more consistent sweetspot hitting means that under pressure, it's more your movement and choice of shot that decides the outcome of the position, rather than your contact quality.

Does it encourage better racket preparation or just punish poor timing?
It encourages better preparation in tight spaces i.e. the corners, but it doesn't really affect your swing in any meaningful way. I certainly didn't need or try to change my swing like I might do with a vintage racket for example. And yes, it really punishes poor timing.

Does the smaller head force you to focus more on accuracy and precision over pure power?
yes, but you can still hit the ball quite hard if you hit the perfect sweetspot, not as hard as a standard modern racket, but still pretty hard.

Since it is shorter, does it force you to improve your footwork and get closer to the ball?
Great question! I didn't use it in match situations, so my experience in this regard is missing. I would say that the difference in length will rarely effect whether you reach the ball or not though. If you are being stretched that much and that often, you have bigger problems to worry about than the length of your racket.

Is the smaller head intended to help you fix a specific swing flaw, like swinging too wide or hitting too high?
Another great question. Not that I know of. Most mistimed hits occur outside the line of the shaft, so towards the side edges. Nothing needs to change about a good swing except your concentration of hitting the sweetspot. Standard, modern rackets are almost too easy in this regard.

Can this racket actually improve your timing and reaction speed on fast volleys?
Yes and maybe. Timing will definitely be improved, but reaction time less. The racket is no lighter than many rackets on the market, and although the length and width are different, it's not enough to feel you can manoeuvre a racket better in less time.

Does the different length mess with timing on volleys and returns?
It doesn't, at least not for me. The sweetspot is in more or less the same place as a standard modern racket, so I had no issues transitioning between this Training Racket and a standard one.

After using this for training, will transitioning back to a standard racket feel incredibly easy or disorienting?
No, I do not believe so. As I have mentioned, the sweetspot is in a very similar place to standard rackets, the weight and balance are similar enough to not make a difference. I won't deny that some people might have trouble, but only those that struggle to switch rackets anyway.'

Does using it regularly translate into measurable improvement with a normal racket?
It did for me, but I only practice nowadays, not play. However, I would find it hard to believe that after using this racket regularly you don't feel as though you are hitting the ball better with your normal racket.

Usage and Training Application

Most useful drills and why.
Any drill where the ball and racket head must intersect at different angles. For example, the Figure of Eight. Overhead shots caused me to mistime quite a few shots at the beginning, especially very high ones. Reaction shots where you have little time to prepare the racket. Shots off the ball wall, especially in the corners where good technique is required. Lastly, hitting crosscourt nicks from figure of eights feeds proved quite challenging for me.

Is it useful for solo practice routines, or mainly for coached sessions?
I would suggest that players start with solo drills, and then move on to using it with coaches or other players once they have had about an hour's hitting time. You could easily do it after ten minutes, but I found that an hour was a good time to begin to feel confident with the racket. As far as coached sessions are concerned, I would leave that decision to the coach.

How long should a player use it within a training session?
Even ten minutes every now and again will be beneficial. However, I do recommend you view this racket as a mid to longterm investment. By all means use it for a full training session if you want, but I would probably recommend switching back to you current racket at the end of every session.

How should someone incorporate it into a practice routine, dedicated sessions or just warm-up?
My personal feeling is that occasional use will be enough, perhaps a minimum of 10% of your actual hitting time. How that is divided is probably not important. USing in the knock up of a match might be interesting.

Can you actually play a full match with it, or is it strictly a drilling tool?
It is legal as far as the World Squash Federations Racket specifications are concerned, so you could play a real match with it. I would certainly recommend using it for practice matches.

Should you use it only for practice or matches too
Both. Drills give you the chance to hone your timing and contact precision, matches give you a real world test of those skills.

Player Suitability

Minimum player level requirements to get most benefit or is it good for all levels.
I don't want to gatekeep here, and everybody should try the racket if they get a chance, but I feel that players should really be able to perform figure of eights and/or be able to hit the ball off the back wall confidently before they will really get the benefits of using the racket. Essentially, if you can't hit the sweetspot most times when concentrating, then this racket isn't going to help.

Who is this racket best suited for: beginners, club players, or advanced players?
probably club players and above, but some new players and juniors may benefit if they enjoy the challenge.

Should beginners use it?
Probably not, although some people really do enjoy challenging themselves.

Should juniors use it?
Juniors always want to try new things, but for most juniors, unless they play competitively, this might be too challenging.

Who is this actually for, beginners, advanced players, or coaches running drills?
I've already answered this, but a coach using this for selected sessions could be a great idea. The coach will be able to direct the players attention to what needs to be worked on and the racket would give immediate feedback to that process.

Risks and Limitations

Is there danger of getting too used to this racket (esp at beginner level) and not being able to switch later?
Absolutely not. In fact, it's the opposite. The Squash Training Racket is harder than a standard modern racket, so going back will always feel easier. You may become addicted to the challenge it presents though.

Is there any risk of developing bad habits from using it too much?
Great question. Not that I can see. A flippant answer would be "If hitting the sweetspot every time is a bad habit, I'd love to have that one!".

Does it have any physical benefits, such as improving wrist control or stability?
Another great question. No, I don't believe so. The weight and balance are close enough to a modern racket, that it won't get stronger from using it.

Comparisons and Alternatives

As an affordable alternative for similar training, could you use an old wood racquet?
Yes, but it's a different thing. A vintage racket is heavier and has the sweetspot in a different place. As an alternative, using a vintage is a great thing to do, but using the Master Athletics Squash Training Racket is better because the risk of injury is less and the transition between it and a modern racket is much smoother.

How does it compare to other training aids used in squash?
Well, there aren't many training aids for squash, not rackets at least. As such it is unique and probably the best single piece of equipment to improve your timing available. If you know of other squash training aids, please email me because I am curious.

Value and Practical Considerations

Is it worth the cost compared to just using a standard racket more deliberately?
Good question. Yes, you can get some of the benefit from being more conscious and mindful when hitting with your normal racket, but the fact that you get immediate and strong feedback from off-centre shots mean it's better than simply trying to pay more attention.

Given that it is a specialised training tool, is the price point worth the investment for the average club player?
That's a tough one. Committed players will benefit from using it regularly, but casual players who only use it sparingly, not so much. If you take your squash seriously, then seriously consider getting one.

Where can it be bought and what does it cost?
Currently, only from the Master Athletics website and costs 149 US Dollars.

Subjective and Scenario Questions

What was your honest first impression, and did that change after extended use?
I went through 3 stages: 1 This is easy (I was only hitting straight shots), 2, Shoot, this is really hard (Figure of eights) and stage 3: okay, I can see the benefit now.

What's this racket good for, to better hit with the sweet spot? But then what happens if I don't use my regular racket from them but have another brand which may have the sweet spot somewhere else?
No racket has exactly the same sweetspot position. Any time you change rackets you will notice that difference. This racket is designed to be very similar to most modern rackets, so switching rackets is not a problem for most players.

If we forced the top 10 men and woman's players to use the racket in a tournament who would be most effective with it?
Those he reply of control, touch and placement above power.

What level could you compete at with a normal racquet, and what's the lowest level that could beat you while you play with the training racquet?
If somebody beats me 3-0 but those games are close, then I feel that I have a good chance of beating them if they use the Master Athletics Squash Training Racquet.

How does it affect deception and wrist work, given the shorter shaft?
I feel the touch, soft and deception shots don't benefit from this racket. The racket is shorter than standard rackets but the sweetspot is more or less in the same place, so it doesn't really affect that aspect, at least not in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

There's not much left to say. Don't buy it thinking that one or two practice sessions will make you better. It's a medium to long-term investment in time. I love the challenge of playing with it and will keep it in my bag at all times.