Try Skipping Rope to Improve Racquetball Footwork

 Footwork  No Responses »
Dec 152012
 

Most players feel that they miss easy set-up shots because they have some glitch or technical problem with their swing. But usually, the root problem when approaching the ball is inadequate footwork and movement.

Without proper footwork, it is nearly impossible to move into the proper place to hit the ball squarely. The ball never stops moving, nor should the player’s feet.

It is not necessary to make huge strides or sprint to the ball. Instead, take small micro shuffles that keep your body aligned with the current position of the ball.

One of the best methods to improve your footwork is to begin a regime of skipping rope exercises.

To learn more about how to properly jump rope, see the Jump Rope Manifesto.

Here are some jump rope technique guidelines from the Jump Rope Manifesto:

  • Jump on the balls of your feet
  • Keep your knees slightly bent
  • Keep your jumps to 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the ground
  • Keep your elbows close to your sides
  • Use your wrists to turn the rope, not your arms (very common mistake)
  • Keep your head straight and looking forward
  • Keep your upper body relaxed, not tense
  • Focus on keeping your shoulder blades retracted
  • Control your breathing

Top Ten Racquetball Tips to Immediately Improve Your Game

 General Info  No Responses »
Dec 072012
 

If you start making a habit of any of the following tips, your racquetball game is guaranteed to improve!

10. Warm-up for 10 minutes before every match by hitting the most common shots such as down-the-line passing shots and ceiling balls.

9. Hit down the line (DTL) passing shots as often as possible from center court position.

8. During your forehand stroke, your racquet position should move from ear to ear to ensure a complete follow-through (pretend you are throwing your racquet at the front wall).

7. Do not run directly at the ball. Keep to the side of the ball and at the distance of your swing circle.

6. Ensure you are using the proper forehand and backhand grips.

5. Establish and aim for a target on the front wall to increase consistency on every serve.

4. Play a ceiling ball if you are hitting a shot within 5 feet of the back wall.

3. Watch the ball at all times. This means watching your opponent hitting the ball.

2. Always move to center court position.

1. Get your racquet up and ready as early as possible (ERP)

The No. 1 most important racquetball tip is Early Racquet Preparation.  You need to get your racquet up to at least shoulder height as soon as you start moving for the ball.

These individual tips are more than just suggestions on how to play racquetball. Their effects are both cumulative and synergistic. For example, if you get in the habit of getting your racquet ready early, then it will be easier to hit those down the line shots or ceiling balls from the back court.

So incorporate these tips into your game and see immediate results.

The Racquetball Pre-match Warm-up

 Practice  No Responses »
Dec 102011
 

Most racquetball pros have a pre-match warm-up routine. For instance in the case of Rocky Carson, he always starts his warm-up hitting his backhand shots. He takes particular care to work on his ceiling ball game. According to Rocky:

Without a good ceiling ball game, you’re going to get eaten up!

He then hits his complete range of down-the-line, x-court, and pinch shots. After hitting both backhands and forehands, he then works on his most important serves, the drive z’s and lob nicks.

So during your court warm-up, your routine should include practicing all the shots you will be hitting during your match.

Your warm-up routine may also include some stretching/yoga, treadmill, stationary bike, or jump-rope time.

Charlie Pratt explains the key benefits to a good warm-up:

  • It allows you to play at full speed right out of the gate.
  • You get a full rotation on your shots, which means more power.
  • You can lunge and stretch for balls.
  • Activates your mind.
  • You are much less likely to pull a muscle or injury yourself (I think this one is most important).

The Principle of Winning in Racquetball

 Racquetball Strategy  No Responses »
Aug 302011
 

“Winning is the result of carrying out two fundamental tasks – scoring and stopping our opponents from scoring; and it is how well we do each of these tasks that determines whether or not we win”.

The above quote is from the best article I have ever read on tactics and strategy in squash. This article by squash coach Roger Flynn covers the essentials of learning and teaching court tactics. The tactics for squash are identical to those in racquetball. So I highly encourage everyone to read and carefully study this paper.

There are two fundamental winning tactics:

1) The Side-in/Side-out Rule:
In squash (and racquetball), we are only allowed to score a point when we are Side-in (serving) at which time our opponents (Side-out) are not permitted to score. If that is the case then, applying the “Principle of Winning”, when Side-in (serving), our sole aim should be to attack our opponents with as much gusto as we are able and to take whatever risks are necessary to create the most difficult shots for our opponents to return (ie. hit the ball as far away from our opponent as possible using passing shots).

When we are Side-out (returning  serve) however, only our opponent is permitted to score a point and, again applying the “Principle”, our obligation is to stop him/her from scoring. This is best achieved by changing our attack to the back of the court so that our risk of error is minimal and we also push our opponent into the most difficult part of the court from which to play a winner.

2) Control The Front Position (center court):
In either of the above situations the player closer to the front wall controls the rally. The player in front is in a position to play a short shot such as a pinch or kill (potentially a winner) while the player behind is less likely to be able to play short successfully and tends to be restricted to playing length shots.

In squash, a length shot is either a down the line or wide-angle passing shot. Correct length implies that the ball is hit at the right height and tempo so its second bounce will be deep in the back of the court and will not rebound off the back wall.

Tactics and Strategy in SquashDownload