New in Black Knight’s Ion line of sticks is the Double Diamond (the black racquet to the right) and the Cannon. Both models are very stiff which means you get exactly what you put into the ball. Neither has resonates with any vibration whatsoever. Zip. Nada. And both feature nice “tacky” grips making it easy to hang on even at your sweatiest.
But that’s where the similarities end. Aside from the obvious throat construction, with the Double Diamond featuring an open throat and the Cannon a tear-drop shape, their strung weights differ by nearly 11g—with the Double Diamond tipping the scale at 164g and the Cannon at 153g. But while the Double Diamond is nearly neutral in weight distribution (just slightly head heavy), it feels much heavier in the hand. The Cannon, on the other hand, is decidedly head heavy but feels very light.
One thing Black Knight is known for is labeling their frames with frame weights (unstrung) and “Dynamic Weight”—the weight that the frame actually feels like. Which, in the case of these two racquets, seems accurate given their respective balance points.
Also different are their string patterns. Though both are dense (with little space between strings), with 14 main strings, the Cannon features 16 cross strings compared to the Double Diamond’s 14. But that too is to be expected since the Cannon’s head is elongated.
On court, the Double Diamond swings well, but it’s stoutness does take a bit more effort to get it up and running. So you will have to put some muscle into your drives. The Cannon, feels decidedly lighter making it easy to drive the ball. Both deliver similar power, it’s just that the Cannon gets there with less effort.
The stiffness provides good feel on the volley and drop shots, though so much of the impact of the ball is absorbed by the frames that you don’t get a lot of feedback when hitting the ball softly.
Given their differences, you’d be best served by trying both to suit your needs.
For more info, visit www.bksquash.com
