The racquetball blast is a shot which hits the front wall with such speed and force that it flies to the back wall without touching the floor. It then rapidly rebounds off the back wall with a first bounce on the floor near mid-court. If you are caught unaware in the back-court, you must run full tilt towards the front wall to catch up with ball before it bounces twice.
The blast shot puts you in an unusual situation. It forces you to hit the ball in an uncomfortable position near the front wall. It is even possible that you can wait for the blast shot to hit the front wall for a second time! Remember, the ball is still in play as long as it has not hit the floor twice.
In fact, the blast shot puts you in a disadvantageous court position. The most common mistake is to hit the ball too hard AND hit the ball cross court. This directs the ball straight to your opponent or gives your opponent a setup off the back wall.
Your goal is to regain center court position. So here are your best options, from most to least order of difficulty:
1. Drop Shot – If you can catch up to the ball and let it drop to below the knee, then try for a soft drop shot down the line. This is a very difficult shot and if not done correctly, your opponent will get to it for an easy re-kill.
2. High Z Shot – If the ball is waist-high or above, then hit a high Z shot. This will get your opponent in the back of the court while you return to center court.
3. Down the Line Passing Shot – Get to the side of the ball (see circling the ball), let it drop to knee level, and hit a very controlled passing shot down the line. This gives you time to get into center court position, and, it may even be a winner.
The most important thing about returning the blast shot is not to panic. Keep calm and hit a shot that sends your opponent to the back wall while you recover the center court position.
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