'Firepower!' - says it all. (Dunlop Firepower Ti Squash Racket)

Member Name: jickjock

Product:	Dunlop Firepower Ti Squash Racket
Date:	04/08/09 (121 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very cheap and enlarged sweet-spot

Disadvantages: Fairly small handle

When I first started playing squash a few years ago I was given an old Wilson Tempest racket and used it approximately 10 times whilst at University. When I started work at my current job I decided to take squash back up. So dug out my old Wilson racket but it wasn't in the best of condition and the strings soon snapped leaving me racket-less. As I've never bought a squash racket before and as a complete novice I didn't know what to look for in a racket, so the thought of going into a shop for a new one was very intimidating. I was also not prepared to fork out a lot of money as I'm only a beginner. Therefore, I had a look on Amazon.co.uk to see what sort of price an entry level racket was. One of the cheapest rackets I could find that wasn't child size was the Dunlop Firepower Ti for a reasonable price of £16.63 and with free Super Saver delivery this was just what I was after.

When they tried to deliver it I wasn't in and it went to my local sorting office so I made a quick trip down to retrieve my racket. When I was handed my package I was baffled by the ridiculously large box that they had packaged it in. It could easily hold at least 30 rackets rather than just one. Anyways I took the racket to work the next day to test it out.

The Dunlop Firepower Ti Squash Racket is made of titanium alloy which is lightweight but strong. It is head light with a head size of 500cm2 creating an enlarged sweet-spot and increased power (www.amazon.co.uk). The racket being head light means that if you balance the racket in the middle with your finger the majority of the weight is in the handle. An enlarged sweet-spot refers to the area of the racket head in which you get the best contact as you will know that when a ball hits the strings near the edge of the racket it can loss power and speed. This is excellent for beginners who may not be as accurate at hitting the ball with the centre of the racket head. Therefore more shots will be played efficiently and allow you to concentrate on other areas of your game.

The overall racket weighs 200g which is fairly light for a titanium alloy frame, compared to carbon frames which are usually around the 150g it is not far off their weight. Personally I feel that the weight of the racket suits me fine. The handle could do with being slightly larger for my own taste but as a beginner racket this would suit most people. The enlarged sweet-spot is definitely noticeable from my old racket, as I have found I am able to make more clean contacts with the ball then with my previous racket. The racket is lime and silver/grey in colour with white detailing which looks visually effective. The racket comes with a white grip which gets grubby quickly but does not leave a black residue on your hand like the grip on my previous racket. The racket also comes with a ¾ length cover which is black and silver in colour and helps to protect the racket whilst not in use.

After purchasing the racket I came across another website, www.newitts.com, which sold the Dunlop Firepower Ti for a cheaper price of £11.90 + £1.56 delivery. So was a bit annoyed that I could have saved myself £3.17. Apart from this I think that the Dunlop Firepower is an excellent bargain for a beginner/entry level racket and I would recommend to anyone who wishes to take up playing squash but doesn't want to pay the earth for a racket.

Summary: Excellent beginner Squash Racket