The wide variety of sports requires a range of sports equipment, which is not necessarily the same. However, racquet sports involve equipment that is similar, with slight variations in size and playing technique.
Racket Sports Equipment: Categories
Racket sports can be categorized into two, direct and indirect games:
Direct games – Those games in which opponents, although separated by a net, face each other are called direct games. The games that fall into this category with their respective sports equipment are:
- Badminton – The rackets used in this game are light, weighing between 79 and 91 grams. They can be made from a variety of materials ranging from composite carbon fiber to steel or aluminum to wood. Nanomaterials such as fullerene and carbon nanotubes are sometimes added to increase durability. The strings are thin, with a thickness of 0.65 to 0.73 mm. Popular grip materials are synthetic and towel rails. Steering wheels are usually made of synthetic or nylon materials with a rounded leather base.
- Court Tennis – Originally the rackets were made of laminated wood and the strings were made of animal gut. Modern rockets are made of carbon graphite, ceramics and lighter metals such as titanium. Synthetic materials are used to make the strings. Tennis balls are made of rubber covered with a layer of felt.
- Platform Tennis – The paddles (18″ long) are prepared from composite material with aerodynamic holes in the head. The ball is made of rubber and is 2.5″ in diameter. The outer part is covered with flocking material to prevent slipping.
- Pickle Ball – Very similar to badminton and tennis, this game requires a hard paddle and a perforated plastic ball.
Indirect games – Competitors in indirect games compete in the same space, but facing a common wall. Games in this category are:
- Fives – This game can be further categorized as Rugby Fives and Eton Fives. The main equipment of this game is a ball, the weight of which is different depending on the type of game, and a pair of gloves to hit the ball against a wall.
- Squash – the racket is made of composite materials or metals. This includes graphite, Kevlar, titanium and boron. It also has synthetic strings attached to it. The balls are made of two pieces of rubber compound glued together to form a hollow sphere.
- Racquetball – The equipment needed for this game is a rubber ball 2.25 inches in diameter and a racket no longer than 22 inches in length.
Holabird Sports specializes in the sale of racket sports equipment, sports clothing and sports shoes.