Hitting a racquetball kill shot may give you a nice buzz, but if you want to win, then control center court position. And to control center court, you need to use down-the-line and wide-angle passing shots.
In a recent Jennifer Johnson article Are You Playing Racquetball or Just Hitting Shots? she looks at the difference between a “shooter” and a “control player”.
According to Rocky Carson,
“Most players put emphasis on killing the ball, but if you don’t understand how to play the game you could be shooting at the wrong time. As a pro or as a player, our job is to figure how to win, and there’s more to that than hitting the shots.”
To control center court, and thus, control the rally, always know your opponent’s location. Your main objective is to control center court. So most of your shots will be passing shots to keep your opponent on the back wall. This forces your opponent to take the lowest percentage shots from deep court.
One of Carson’s (priorities) is to control center court. What does it help him do? “It gives me more lanes and opportunity to hit winners. Keeps my opponent off balance rather than gives him the shots he wants. It forces him to hit winners.” In short, “If I’m there, you’re not.”
So work on your passing game and start to celebrate a winning wide-angle passing shot as much as a you would for a rollout.