Top 5 Best Racquetball Racquets for Intermediate Players 2021

There is a number of companies claim to provide the best racquetball racquet for an intermediate player, but only a few of those are really correct, so out of those quality intermediate level racquets, we have selected the top 5, which you can choose to improve your game immensely.

Top Racquetball Racquets for Intermediate Players

Here are some of the top intermediate racquetball racquets based on many factors.

Top 5 Intermediate Racquetball Racquets	Best Features	Price
#1. Head i.165 Racquetball Racquet	Large Sweet Spot, Extra Power	Check Price Here
#2. Wilson Striker Racquetball Racquet	Aluminum Frame, Wrist Strap, Powerful	Check Price Here
#3. E-Force Bedlam 170 Lite Racquetball Racquet	Medium Weight, Launch Pad Technology	Check Price Here
#4. E-Force Chaos Racquetball Racquet	Power Boost, Lower Vibrations	Check Price Here
#5. E-Force Apocalypse Racquetball Racquet Series-3	Lightweight, Comfortable	Check Price Here

Check out: Best Racquetball Racquets

Racquetball may be the most intense game played with a racquet. It is also enjoyable, great for fitness and anyone can play it. Recreational players range from the age of 18 to 60. When you first start playing racquetball, you are recommended a heavier racquet weighing 185 grams or more. A heavier racquet that is balanced to slightly head heavy will give you the power you need for your shots. But when you reach an intermediate phase in your game, you will want a new racquet to take you to the next level.

Improve your Game with an Intermediate Racquet

After you’ve played racquetball with a racquet for beginners, you’ll come to a point when you want to improve your game. You’ve already learned forehand and backhand, the different types of shots. Now you’ll be more competitive. You’ll want to test your skills against other players in leagues and tournaments.

As an intermediate player, there are certain areas of your play you may want to improve. You may want to play a more offensive game. You may want more control over the ball, and not merely hit hard. You may want to improve your shot selection, return drive serves better, stop your opponent from attacking your lob serves and so on.

In order to improve your game, you’ll need to switch to a racquet better suited to play against faster players. You’ll want to learn how to cut down your reaction time on the court. You’ll want to learn how to use techniques of ball placement or touch on the racquet for overwhelming your opponent.

After you’ve played racquetball for a while, you will have developed your forearm and stamina. You may want to switch to a lighter racquet because you no longer want the racquet’s weight to deliver power but to use your own technique instead. The type of balance that you will prefer in your racquet as an intermediate player will depend on your weight, your build, your strength and your style of play.

Many intermediate players switch from head heavy racquets to head light racquets or evenly balanced racquets. Head heavy racquets are great for slow rallying and hitting deep without a lot of effort. They rely on inertia for stability.

Head light racquets feel lighter. They are not good for beginners as beginners may tend to strain more during shots because the racquet feels lighter. Plus, the lighter head is less effective at absorbing shocks. Intermediate players who know about swinging will find racquets with a negative balance (faster swing) and a static weight on the heavier side may be more effective for power and control. As your technique improves, you may prefer a racquet that gives you a better feel, more stability and better control over the ball.

But it should be said that many pros use head heavy racquets on the court so that the racquet can work the ball. In the end, the playing style will affect your choice. If you are a volleyer and spend most of your time all around the court, you’ll prefer head light. If you spend a lot of time in the backcourt, you’ll prefer a head heavy racquet. Don’t forget that other features like the stiffness of the string bed, stiffness of the frame, grip and new technologies will also affect the racquet’s feel. So it’s important to try a racquet out before you buy it.

• Top Racquetball Racquets Under $100
• Top Racquetball Racquets for Older Players

Top 5 Best Intermediates Racquetball Racquets 2021

Here is a look at the top 5 racquets available in the market today, that intermediate players will find appealing.

#1. Head i.165 Racquetball Racquet

HEAD is a big name in the racquetball gadget market. It uses many innovations and technologies to instill their racquets with more power and control at affordable prices. The i.165 uses HEAD’s proprietary Intelligence technology to create a stiffer string bed. The stiffness is possible due to “intellifibers”. These intellifibers are a fascinating concept. They use the ball’s mechanical energy on impact and convert the energy in the fraction of a millisecond into electrical energy. This action stiffens the throat, which gives your shot a power boost. The intellifibers are situated in the throat, so the stiffening also has a dampening effect and lowers vibrations. You enjoy a more solid-feeling string bed and more power in a lightweight racquet.

The i.165 weighs 165 grams when unstrung. With strings, it weighs around 184 grams. It has a bigger and heavier teardrop-shaped head. This 103 square inch head shape makes the racquet easier to swing for a quick response. It helps to improve your control over ball placement as you play.

The i.165 is head heavy. The heaviness at the top adjusts the racquet’s swing weight a little so that you get a combination of control and power. It is a full-length 22-inch racquet, so you can reach easily for the ball.

The grip is HEAD’s special wrap style grip. The grip measures 3 ⅝ inches, which is the smaller grip preferred by most players. The smaller grip helps to swing more effectively. If you have larger hands, you may want to buff up the grip. However, it is a sticky grip so you can comfortably and safely use it without gloves.

The string pattern on the racquet is 16/19. This means there are 16 main strings, which offers medium density on the string bed. There are 19 cross strings. The racquet has a thin beam, which may or may not affect your experience of it. Some players prefer thicker beams for control while others prefer thinner beams for more power. A thinner beam on a racquet allows more extreme open and closed angles when you play.

Pros

Cons

The Verdict

At its sub-$100 price, the i.165 is one of the HEAD’s affordable racquets that intermediate players will like. If you are a player with some experience, looking for a racquet that is lighter for better maneuverability but with some power technologies, you may find the HEAD i.165 suits your needs perfectly.

#2. Wilson Striker Racquetball Racquet

The Wilson Striker often makes it to the list of best budget racquet under $50. But it is a great racquetball for beginner-intermediate players in general. Wilson has been making tennis racquets for a long time and they are the official brand for the USA Racquetball tournaments. You can rely on the quality of their gear. The Striker is a budget racquet that is suitable for players who are just starting out, or for recreational players who have played for a while and want to try a different racquet without burning a hole in their pockets.

The Wilson Striker is on the heavier side. It weighs nearly 200 grams and is best for hard hitters who like to relax at the baseline and let the racquet do much of the work. There is a V-matrix frame on the Striker, which is a technology that helps to increase the sweet spot. A larger sweet spot combined with extra bed movements helps to amplify the power for each of your shots.

The racquet’s frame is built out of aluminum alloy. Technically, aluminum is heavier and less tough than graphite, which goes into making lighter, tougher high-end racquets. However, the aluminum in the Striker is heat-treated to be more durable and withstand a lot of hard hits. The stiffness is boosted by the V-matrix cross-section.

The racquet comes with a slightly larger grip size (3 ¾ inches) than the standard small grip, which measures 3 ⅝ inch. It’s comfortable to hold and play for extended periods.

Pros

Cons

The Verdict

Overall, if you’re a recreational player looking for an inexpensive racquet to continue your game on weekends, you can try the Wilson Striker. It is reasonably sturdy, and many weekend warriors have praised the racquets feel and strength though some prefer to use a glove when playing. It is definitely one of the top racquetball racquets under $50 and lives up to its brand’s reputation for quality.

#3. E-Force Bedlam 170 Lite Racquetball Racquet

E-Force is another reliable name in the racquetball world. The Bedlam 170 Lite was released in 2016 and still continues to feature on Top Ten lists. The racquet is priced reasonably high, so only people who are serious about their game will consider buying it. If you do, you’ll find it features many excellent technologies to help you focus on improving your game.

The Bedlam weighs 170 grams when it’s unstrung, which places it at a medium weight that will appeal to a wide range of players. If the weight works for you, when you switch to this racquet from your heavier beginner racquet you may feel a distinct improvement in control.

The teardrop-shaped head and carbon frame design gives you a stunning combination of control and touch as well as hard-hitting power.

You get additional power from the Zero Richter Tubes, the launchpad technology that increases the sweet spot, and additional power boosters on the cross strings. The Zero Richter tubes on the main strings help to dampen vibrations so that you get a more solid-feeling string bed.

Pros

Cons

The Verdict

The Bedlam is a highly respected and classic racquet from E-Force that accommodate a range of playing styles. The racquet may be priced on the higher side, but if you play racquetball extensively, you may find it immediately improves your game as you graduate from a beginner racquet.

#4. E-Force Chaos Racquetball Racquet

Another racquet from E-Force that is worth your look is the Chaos. As the name suggests, the Chaos is built for those who like to whack the ball. It is considered a good beginners’ racquet, but intermediate players will also enjoy the special frame designed for better control.

The E-Force has a quadraform head with a large sweet spot. No one likes to lose every game, and there will be fewer mishits when you use the Chaos on the court. It is a powerful racquet with several new technologies for better performance.

The racquet has 22-inch-long main strings. There are eight of them that extend from the head through the handle. This design increases power by increasing the string tension and deflection power on the ball from the long strings. In other words, a ball hitting the Chaos experiences a trampoline effect. It is up to you to place the ball well for maximizing this effect. The 10.5-inch cross strings add to this trampoline effect. The Monster String Holes allow the main strings and cross strings to be anchored to the edges of the frame. This increases tension and boosts power.

The bypass stringing system skips two holes between two strings. The ball hits only one main string in a moment, and you enjoy a more responsive game. There are Zero Richter Tubes in the handle for dampening vibrations and reducing chances of injury. The frame features graphite fibers for more stiffness and strength.

Pros

Cons

The Verdict

If you’re a power hitter, you’ll love the E-Force Chaos. But if you’re looking for maneuverability, the racquet may feel too heavy. Overall, this is one of the best-priced racquets for power lovers at the beginner and intermediate levels.

#5. E-Force Apocalypse Racquetball Racquet Series-3

The Apocalypse is an excellent racquet for advanced players. But intermediate players will also find it quite good to improve their technique if they are committed to the game. For one thing, the quadraform head gives you one of the largest sweet spots in the market with 108 square inches of the surface on the head.

It comes in four different weights, so you are bound to find a weight that works for you. There are many advantages to be enjoyed with the racquet because of the advanced technologies that have gone into it.

These include power boosters, a powerhouse shaft technology, and a bypass stringing system. Long strings aid power and Zero Richter tubes dampen vibrations.

The Tri-carbon frame and total carbon head make this a super sturdy racquet that will hold up to a lot of abuse on the court.

Pros

Cons

The Verdict

If you’ve decided that you’re a power hitter, and are willing to spend nearly $200 on a racquet, you can buy the Apocalypse with your eyes shut. It is comfortable to use and is chock-full of technologies that make it a tightly strung racquet full of power.

So, these are the top 5 racquets from which you can choose the best racquetball racquet for an intermediate player, that you can buy to improve your game without any hassle.

Related:

• Best Racquetball Shoes for Men
• Best Racquetball Gloves