Buying a racquet from
Xamsa Squash is like buying a cup of coffee from your favourite local coffee shop.
Xamsa Squash is like buying a cup of coffee from your favourite local coffee shop.
I purchased this racquet recently, and have been very happy with it, winning my last 4 intercity squash matches. It has great power, feel and touch. The stringing was done exactly as asked for, and the overgrip is perfect. For the price I cannot imagine a better racquet for the price.
I have been playing with these PXT Exposed rackets for about 6 months and love them, very head light, super maneuverable and no issues with durability so far. I play 3 times a week, probably a solid city level B player and constantly looking to improve. I used the regular PXT Incognito before this racket and the PXT 115’s and 110’s before that.
The numbers on the Xamsa website are 100% accurate, my Exposed rackets (I have 3 – I sweat a lot and have to rotate between games) weigh in at 143 grams with a regular grip and an over grip. My regular PXT Incognito racket is 154 grams so 11 grams less in the head of the racket which makes a big difference in swing weight and general feel of the racket. The only number I disagree with is the durability rating of 5, my rackets get a good amount of contact with the side wall, it takes the paint off the racket but no damage to the frame or strings, these are very durable rackets.
Firstly the 100% Toray Japan carbon fiber construction of the Incognito rackets gives them a slightly softer hit compared to the other PXT rackets, this is good as I have suffered from some pretty bad tennis elbow and forearm pain which has slowly gone away using these rackets. So, for me the zero vibration in the frame is good and important for reducing general wear and tear on the racket arm.
Pros: Maneuverability, 11 grams less in the head of the racket means you can make micro adjustments as you swing the racket, I noticed my volleys (especially reaction volleys) improved straight away and are still improving. I can also hold for longer and flick the racket at the last second often sending my opponent the wrong way. As I look to step forwards and volley more, I think this racket gives you a big advantage.
Cons: Less power and smaller sweet spot. So, I think this is Newtons second law ‘Force = Mass x Acceleration’ to get the same power with a lighter racket you have to swing it faster which means you need good swing mechanics with good racket head speed. I have worked on this for a few years and can get good power from this racket, it does take more effort to swing and at first, I found my arm would get tired fairly quickly. Also, the sweet spot on the PXT Exposed seems smaller than on the regular Incognito, if you don’t hit the smaller sweet spot the racket seems less stable and less forgiving.
Recommendations: If you like teardrops try this racket, get Xamsa to string it for you with your favorite strings and give it 30 days to adjust to swinging a head light racket. Order the regular grommet strips with your racket so if you really don’t like it convert back to a regular PXT Incognito (good all-around racket, great power with larger sweet spot).
Finally, can’t say enough about Xamsa, amazing company that is doing so much for the squash community, I have had many great email conversations with Tim who is always willing to take the time and advise on all things squash. For squash players, by squash players – spread the word :)
Probably the best racquet I ever had, even though I usually prefer traditional head shapes. I felt like I had more control and more power compared to my old Harrow Vapor, my previous favourite racquet. The racquet is very stiff, and I would not recommend to someone who likes to make use of flick shots frequently. Volleying feels excellent and the ball just pops right off without having to exert power. The ball seems to go exactly where I want it to go, especially for drop shots. I had no problem at all generating power with the racquet, even from awkward positions. I would recommend this racquet to players who favour control over power, especially those who like to volley and play very precise drop shots. I would not recommend this racquet to the pure power-player. I wanted to give this racquet 5 stars, but...
Regrettably, after only 3,5 weeks of use (about 8 times playing), I broke it after making contact with the wall with the racquet, attempting to play a boast. Admittedly, it was a pretty hard hit to the wall. Still, I think most other racquets would have survived the impact. I had been very careful with it prior to this incident. It is really sad, as I was really starting to feel the racquet and had become adapted to the non-conventional head shape. Of course, this can happen in a game like squash.
I still would like to try other Xamsa racquets now, such as the Obsidian, as I liked the racquet very much; but considering the total price (racquet+shipping to the Netherlands) I may just use my old racquet for now.
Here is the link to the full match:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtVpGhx4pYk&t=690s
Really surprised how good the racket was, lightweight and fast but solid and powerful, great racket, not sending it back !
It was as expected. Would have gave 5 star but the grip wasn’t wrapped super well. Some seams exposed the plastic