I can't decide which racquet weight to go with. I am 37 years old and weigh about 175 pounds. I have been playing for about 1 year. I have arm and shoulder problems so I was told a heavier racquet would be easier on my arm. I want to get the Head Dirty Deed which is 185 grams. Do you think this weight would be ok or should I go with something lighter?

Jason,

It is hard to say what woud be the best racquet. Best thing you could do is go to Racquetball Warehouse and demo some racquets. For 20 skins you can demo up to 4 racquets for 1 week.

Mike

I've had rotator cuff reconstruction and it's heavier racquets that hurt my shoulder, but your mileage may vary.

Regardless, the chances are that a racquet heavier than 175g would be a mistake for a guy 37 and 175 lbs unless you're a squatty four-foot hobbit with tree trunk legs.

Control Freak

I've had rotator cuff reconstruction and it's heavier racquets that hurt my shoulder, but your mileage may vary.

Regardless, the chances are that a racquet heavier than 175g would be a mistake for a guy 37 and 175 lbs unless you're a squatty four-foot hobbit with tree trunk legs.

Haha! Well I'm 32, 5'11", 165 lbs with tree trunk legs so don't let age and body type determine racquet weight. But I think you do need strong fundamentals to master a heavier racquet.

I've benefited from going to a heavier frame (175 to 185g) but I had elbow tendonitis which is a totally different beast than The Control Freak's rotator cuff injury.

Heavy frames absorb more shock at impact but I wouldn't automatically say that it's going to help because the stiffness of the frame and the type of string you use affect arm fatigue just as much. Definitely demo a few heavy frames (180-190g) with different balance points. You'll find something that has the additional weight but doesn't feel like a 2x4 at impact.

For one thing don't confuse ADVERTISED weight with ACTUAL weight. Check the specs that RW publishes for strung weight which is an actual average of three racquets in the warehouse. However, the most important spec is the swingweight. If you try several racquets then get a spread on the swingweight to see which one you prefer. And yes, a heavier racquet will absosb much of the impact shock that will be transmitted to the wrist, elbow , and shoulder with a much lighter racquet. Younger arms can take more abuse and recover quicker than the more mature arms. You know your body, take that into account when selecting the actual weight of your racquet. Last comment, don't be afraid to modify your racquet with extra weight ie - self stick lead weights, etc. to get the weight or feel you want.

Hilario

. . . I'm 32, 5'11", 165 lbs with tree trunk legs. . . .

REALITY CHECK: "Tree trunk" legs versus yours.

LOL...I'm pretty damn skinny but not quite Bowie-skinny!

How heavy a racquet did you use to swing before reconstruction?

Hilario

LOL...I'm pretty damn skinny but not quite Bowie-skinny! How heavy a racquet did you use to swing before reconstruction?

175 to 190, depending on the racquet and the situation.

I've never been bothered by the "shock" and "vibration" some complain about, but these days it hurts to maneuver a heavier racquet just to address the ball properly, so I play lighter now.

There are so many variables affecting racquet selection that I would never recommend a racquet based just on a particular weight. The only way for a player to dial in to his optimal racquet choice is by a lot of trial and error.

The only guideline I can unreservedly recommend: Pick the heaviest stick you feel comfortable with.

Control Freak

The only guideline I can unreservedly recommend: Pick the heaviest stick you feel comfortable with.

The simplest and best advice.

Jason20 I hope you read The Control Freak's guideline.

Upvote for CF.

I'll just ad that a dampener can also make a huge difference for elbow and wrist pain. Not all racquets come standard with these, so you may need to get a few of your own.

Thanks everyone for the comments and feedback! One of my friends has Liquid Metal 170. I played with it and didn't like it that much. I think I might be looking into the weight too much. I am probably a D player so I am not sure if I am really going to notice 10 grams of weight difference. I was thinking of getting a 180-185 until I get better and then go down in weight.

Jason20,

If you are still a "D" player after a year, I would suggest taking a lesson or more from a club Pro and learn the proper swing and body mechanics first. I never ever seen a "D" player swing the racquet correctly and almost always it is a wild and hard swing that could cause arm and shoulder problems.

At the same time ask the club Pro about racquets that would fit you and your sytle of play.

Good Luck

I fully understand your question but there are so many factors that go into choosing the best racquet for you I'm afraid you may end up going in the wrong direction.
Here are some things to keep in mind..
WEIGHT…
Most companies offer the same style of racquet in 2-3 different weights (I'll use Head as an example) Our current racquets are basically the same design but the weights are 165g, 175g and 185g (keep in mind that a snickers bar weights about 95g) so a 10g difference isn't much of a difference at all in each racquet.
I usually tell new players to go with a middle weight racquet so that if they feel later on they want to either go up or down in weight the transition isn't as bad.

GRIP SIZE…...
Racquets usually come in 2-3 different grip sizes.
You may have smaller hands and need a smaller grip, some people like a larger grip again it's a personal choice.

BALANCE…
This is the kicker.
Racquets will feel different usually not because of the weight but because of the balance. Lighter racquets usually (not always the case)will be "head heavy" while heavier racquets usually are more "balanced" feel.
Head heavy vs. balanced is based on manufactures placing the racquet on a roller at the physical middle of the racquet. Next they move the roller either forward or backward till the racquet will balance on the roller. For every 1/8 of an inch the roller moves forward or backwards is called a point. An example would be if a racquet was 3 points head heavy, this means the roller moved 3/8th of an inch forward till the racquet balances.

These are some of the factors you need to consider.
I'd also suggest you go to racquetballwarehouse.com , they have a ton of short video's on racquets that are very helpful.

Good luck

Forgiving racquets with a large headsize may be another factor you'll want to consider given your inexperience. It may be something you have to tradeoff for with weight. Demo and you'll have a better idea of what's going to work.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and recommend a few specific racquets to try: 1) Wilson Ninja BLX- It's 175g unstrung, slightly head heavy, and has a big headsize at 111 in^2; 2) Eforce Lethal NXT 190- Heavy and it's head light balance will help get the racquet around; 3) Pro Kennex Krowning Moment 175; or 4) Pro Kennex KM 750. PKs are same weight, different balance.