Tag: best

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Best Squash Racquets in the World

Tecnifibre ™ squash racquets are consistently the highest squash rated racquets in our in-store Try One Before You Buy One demo program. They also have an extraordinarily high rate of customer satisfaction.

While we have given many other brands precious shelf space in our store over the years since we opened our first store, Tecnifibre has earned a central place in our squash racquet program with consistently excellent products and unusually high satisfaction rates among squash players of all levels.

No matter the level or playing style, Tecnifibre makes a racquet suitable for that player’s game.

Tecnifibre Carboflex Series Squash Racquets

The Carboflex series of squash racquets is used by more Top 10 professional squash players than any other series. It is our number one selling racquet series with players of all levels from beginner to expert.

Tecnifibre Suprem Series Squash Racquets

The Suprem series of squash racquets was created for players who prefer that classic rectangular head shape associated with a control player’s game style.

Tecnifibre Dynergy Series Squash Racquets

The Dynergy series of squash racquets was created for power players who like to hit the ball hard and blast it by — or through — their opponents.

Our Try it Before You buy it program allows players to try every racquet in every series before settling on the perfect frame for their playing style. Come in see us. Our knowledgeable staff will help you pick one to get started.

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Best Shoe for Indoor Pickleball in Calgary

Best Shoe for Indoor Pickleball in Calgary
The sole on the left is the best overall type of sole for an indoor pickleball shoe in Calgary.
One of the most common questions we get from Calgary pickleball players is which shoe/sole is best for pickleball in Calgary.

The answer to that question really depends on 1) where you are playing, 2) how often you are playing and 3) the length, width and shape of your foot.

This is why the only we can really answer this question FOR YOU is to meet you and go through the process of a proper court shoe fitting in our southwest Calgary store.

Those specifics aside, however, we can give Calgary pickleball players some basic advice to start with.

First, take a look at the soles in the image above. The one on the left is a simple organic rubber outsole. It makes full contact with the ground across the entire forefoot and the entire heal. The forefoot and the rear foot are made of the same material. The midfoot features a 3D printed stabilizer that prevents the shoe from twisting.

The image on the right is a bit of a mess. There are at least three different grades of rubber in the sole. This means that the heel (grey) has different traction than the forefoot.

The shoe on the right also has several gaps where the sole of the shoe will not be in contact with the ground. And it has multiple edges, which can damage flooring such as mats.

In our expert opinion, the shoe on the left is a much better choice for most Calgary pickleball players than the shoe on the right. Here is why …

The shoe on the left will perform better for pickleball on virtually ever common indoor surface. From the hardwood floors at the Cedarbrae Community Centre to the resin floors of the Crescent Point Field house, the sole on the left provides better traction and will last longer than the shoe on the right.

The sole on the left is also welcome at facilities such as Smash City and Sunridge, while soles like the one on the right are strongly discouraged and often prohibited.

But what about the circle? … doesn’t matter.

But I like this brand … doesn’t matter.

But my friend said … doesn’t matter.

The sole on the left is a better sole for indoor pickleball — end of story.

The sole on the left will provide more traction and more stability and will be welcome in more pickleball facilities than the sole on the right.

If you want to buy the sole on the right because it has a circle or because it’s your favorite brand or because your friend told you something different, that’s entirely up to you.

Our job is to give you good advice and we’ve done that above.

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Asics Gel-Rocket is NOT a Great Pickleball Shoe

ASICS GEL-ROCKET 7 B405N 9093

Asics Gel-Rocket
The Asics Gel-Rocket is not a great pickleball shoe
Until recently, Asics ™ had a great reputation in the indoor court shoe category. Unfortunately, as anybody who pays attention to these things can tell you, those days are behind us now.

Asics Canada has pretty much given up on the indoor court shoe business. Two seasons ago, they offered 12 different indoor models in a variety of colours and ten of these were good shoes that were suitable for adult pickleball players.

This season, however, they are offering only four models. Two of these models (Gel-Upcourt and Gel-Rocket) are transition shoes designed for kids, not adults. One of the four is a high priced volleyball shoe that is designed to look like a street shoe (Netburner Ballistic FF) and the other is the Gel-Tactic, which is nothing special.

The Gel-Rocket is undoubtedly their top seller in this category. But this is not because it is a good shoe for pickleball. It is their best seller only because Sport Chek and The Sporting Life are selling it to gullible consumers who don’t know any better.

As in previous years, the newest version of the Gel-Rocket has a loose upper with very weak support and a segmented sole featuring alternating patches of low grade gum and painted rubbers. Neither of these rubber blends offer adequate traction on hardwood floors and neither will stand up to long term use by adult players.

At best, the Gel-Rocket is an imitation court shoe suitable for use by teens who are likely to outgrow the shoe in a few months. It is not and should not be considered an adult pickleball shoe even though it comes in adult sizes.

Babolat Shadow Spirit Men Court Shoes
Babolat makes excellent indoor court shoes with Michelin rubber soles.
At Racquet Network, we have replaced Asics ™ with Babolat ™. While Asics is in rapid decline in the indoor court shoe category, Babolat is clearly in the ascendance.

Over the past five years, they have consistently improved their court shoes to the point where they have now surpassed Asics as the brand preferred by the majority of our pickleball customers.

The other brand that continues to do well in this category is Yonex. In addition to making excellent court shoes generally, Yonex makes two wide models that are excellent for pickleball and the older players who tend to dominate that sport.

Regardless of your size or foot shape, if you are a former Asics customer in need of some quality court shoes, you should come in and see us. Our experts will fit you and make sure you leave with the right size and the right shoe for the surface you are playing on.

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Best Doubles Badminton Racquets

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY - DEMO PROGRAM

What is the best racquet for doubles badminton? We hear this question at lot in our southwest Calgary store. It seems like a simple question. But it’s not.

In general, we advise players to test drive quality racquets before buying them. Customers in our Try Before You Buy program test drive more than a thousand racquets a year. Most take out two at at time and compare several racquets over the course of a month before making a decision. In almost every case, customers end up not choosing the racquet they thought they would like best.

Here is a good example that makes the point precisely. Many of the men in our racquet demo program come in expecting to purchase a racquet designed for smashing. But once they get one out on a court and compare it to an all purpose racquet, they find that they actually play better with the all purpose racquet. This is because the all purpose racquet can still provide a good smash, but it also offers a larger sweet spot, which is essential when returning smashes.

Try it Before You Buy it Racquet Network customers test drive more than 1000 racquets a year. Before you run out to the nearest box store because you think you are getting a great deal, why not stop in and see what we have to test drive?

While it is possible to categorize Yonex ™ and some other brands according to the series the racquet is in, there are racquets in every series that prove there are exceptions to every rule. For example, Duora racquets are Yonex’ best overall all purpose racquets. So in general, we recommend that most recreational players who are in the middle of their pack stick to Duoras. However, with the Duora series there are racquet designed for men, racquets designed for women and racquets designed for teens. It is also impossible to determine which Duora a player will like best until they take them for a test drive.

Yonex Duora Series Badminton Racquets

Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.

The same story can be told of Yonex’ Astrox series of badminton racquets. In general, these racquets are made for recreational players who play the back of the court and like to smash. Specifically, they are designed for steep angle smashes that get into an opponent’s feet. But not every Astrox frame is suitable for every smasher. Depending on the length of the player’s swing and its power, one player will be better for a given player than any of the others. Without a test drive, it is impossible to predict which is which.

Yonex Astrox Series Badminton Racquets

Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.

Yonex Nanoray series, on the other hand, was created for ladies who tend to be in the front of the court and like to clear, drop or tumble their shots. But there are men who prefer head light racquets to head heavy racquets and would much rather smash with a Nanoray than an Astrox. So once again, a test drive is helpful for players like this.

Yonex Nanoray Series Badminton Racquets

Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.

With more than 1000 test drives every year, Racquet Network is fully set up to help customers find a racquet that is perfect for them. There is no need to guess and since our prices are as low as any of the box stores, there is nothing to be gained by guessing either.

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VCORE TOUR F 93 “Best Performance Frame”

YONEX VCORE TOUR F 93 TENNIS RACQUETYONEX USA MEDIA RELEASE
3 MARCH 2015

The VCORE Tour F 93 has been selected as the racquet with the best high-performance frame in Tennis Magazine’s 2015 Racquet Guide, published in its March/April issue.

Testing was comprehensive, with many samples of each racquet sent to a panel of diverse playtesters, ranging from tennis coaches, former players, and racquet technicians. With racquets strung to the respective manufacturers’ standards, playtesters examined the racquets in areas such as power, control, comfort, manoeuvrability and playability. Playtesters also received evaluations from playing partners, students and customers to form a well-rounded opinion on the racquets.

“This frame is about precision and control,” praised the review, “Nowhere was that more evident than at net, where the small head size, easy handling and superb feel at contact made for great volleying.” The slightly larger VCORE Tour F 97 also received a mention in the category of high-performance frame.

Read the full review on Tennis Tuesday here: http://issues.tennistuesday.net/02-24-2015/p/8

Members of Team Yonex ™ are seeing remarkable results with the VCORE Tour F. In the recent Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, rising Croatian tennis talent Borna Coric (VCORE Tour F 97, POLYTOUR SPIN) played an outstanding match against Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray, which the teenager seized in straight sets.