Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Q+A, Hinders in Doubles
During a doubles match, a player from team A returns a shot down the left side of the court but is unable to move out of the way of a player on team B (who is in mid court) and that player calls a hinder. As the ball passes the A team player, the other B team member (who is in back court) attempts to return the shot, not knowing a hinder has been called or who was already in motion to the ball as the hinder is called. Team player A says there is no hinder since both B team members attempted to return the ball.
Team member A contends that he could not block both B team players and that if such a hinder was allowed, games could last forever.
I feel that the play ended with the hinder and even if the other B team player had returned the ball, play should have stopped.
What is your call?
In doubles, player A must yield his position to both team members on Team B....through his movement or non-movement he can not decide for Team B which player will hit the ball....that decision rests solely with Team B.
With that said, once a Team B player moves to hits the ball...and he's hindered...AND CALLS THE HINDER...that's it. Play stops right there. If he's hindered...yet does not call the hinder right then and there...his teammate can go after the live ball. It's not a case of Team B having their cake and eating it too...because once the ball is not called as a hinder; they can't go back and get the hinder after the rally.
Case and point...sometimes I know if I moved through a player I would have a good shot....however, since the guy is in my way, I won't get the shot. I also know my partner will also have a clear shot....so I wouldn't call the hinder. My team has the advantage in the rally...by calling a hinder I take the rally back to a do over or even. So this is a case of a possible hinder call being available and not called...but the advantage is still with the hindered team. Player A in this case (the guy in the way) may stop playing once he perceives I hold up and try and call a hinder...however, he has no right to do so...and his stopping should not stop the point from developing.
I hope this article is valuable to those doubles players out there!
Team member A contends that he could not block both B team players and that if such a hinder was allowed, games could last forever.
I feel that the play ended with the hinder and even if the other B team player had returned the ball, play should have stopped.
What is your call?
In doubles, player A must yield his position to both team members on Team B....through his movement or non-movement he can not decide for Team B which player will hit the ball....that decision rests solely with Team B.
With that said, once a Team B player moves to hits the ball...and he's hindered...AND CALLS THE HINDER...that's it. Play stops right there. If he's hindered...yet does not call the hinder right then and there...his teammate can go after the live ball. It's not a case of Team B having their cake and eating it too...because once the ball is not called as a hinder; they can't go back and get the hinder after the rally.
Case and point...sometimes I know if I moved through a player I would have a good shot....however, since the guy is in my way, I won't get the shot. I also know my partner will also have a clear shot....so I wouldn't call the hinder. My team has the advantage in the rally...by calling a hinder I take the rally back to a do over or even. So this is a case of a possible hinder call being available and not called...but the advantage is still with the hindered team. Player A in this case (the guy in the way) may stop playing once he perceives I hold up and try and call a hinder...however, he has no right to do so...and his stopping should not stop the point from developing.
I hope this article is valuable to those doubles players out there!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Dont be predictable
RacquetWorld's Newsletter Racquetball Tip of the Month
Lose Some Battles to Win the War
Every point is a battle in racquetball. Every game is a war. A good general may not win every battle, but he will win most wars. It’s really a matter of keeping your enemy off guard and not to become predictable. Predictability is a death sentence during any engagement.
The question for this month comes from A. Parker. “I love to hit a backhand pinch. It’s usually only 2-3 inches high but my opponents continually retrieve my shot. How much and what kind of practice do you think it will take for me to hit it 1 inch high”?
A consistent 2-3 inch pinch is really all you need. My guess is you are very predictable. You are trying to win each battle with the same maneuver and your enemy is countering each time. The tactic in this case is to keep your enemy back, out of position and guessing.
This tactic can only be achieved if you give up hitting your favorite shot every time it’s available. You have to mix up your shots to make your near perfect pinch better. If you mix in pass shots and down the line shots when your favorite pinch shot becomes available, your enemy won’t be able to continual flank that pinch. This new non-predictable war plan will result in more less-perfect battles being won. Your 5-6 inch pinches will be winners if your enemy worries about and guesses your hitting a pass shot.
Perfect, consistent, 1-inch play is nearly impossible to achieve. By using your head, you can easily make your current arsenal much more effective.
As a corollary, Bob H. asked me if there was ever a time I just didn’t try and put the shot away on a setup. Obviously, I answer yes to that. While I would like to take the setup opportunity roughly 2 out of every 3 times and put it away…that third time is often better served by forcing your opponent back (or forward) so he has to respect all your potential shots. Better players can easily key in on your most likely shot when you have a setup…you have to fight your natural tendency to just hit your most comfortable and likely favorite shot on every setup.
As stated upfront, it’s better to keep some rallies going a couple hits longer than necessary so that you are more unpredictable. In the long run, this will make you a better, rounded player.
Short but sweet this month…get out there and make your summer racquetball move…take a lesson or attend a camp and practice, practice, practice.
Lose Some Battles to Win the War
Every point is a battle in racquetball. Every game is a war. A good general may not win every battle, but he will win most wars. It’s really a matter of keeping your enemy off guard and not to become predictable. Predictability is a death sentence during any engagement.
The question for this month comes from A. Parker. “I love to hit a backhand pinch. It’s usually only 2-3 inches high but my opponents continually retrieve my shot. How much and what kind of practice do you think it will take for me to hit it 1 inch high”?
A consistent 2-3 inch pinch is really all you need. My guess is you are very predictable. You are trying to win each battle with the same maneuver and your enemy is countering each time. The tactic in this case is to keep your enemy back, out of position and guessing.
This tactic can only be achieved if you give up hitting your favorite shot every time it’s available. You have to mix up your shots to make your near perfect pinch better. If you mix in pass shots and down the line shots when your favorite pinch shot becomes available, your enemy won’t be able to continual flank that pinch. This new non-predictable war plan will result in more less-perfect battles being won. Your 5-6 inch pinches will be winners if your enemy worries about and guesses your hitting a pass shot.
Perfect, consistent, 1-inch play is nearly impossible to achieve. By using your head, you can easily make your current arsenal much more effective.
As a corollary, Bob H. asked me if there was ever a time I just didn’t try and put the shot away on a setup. Obviously, I answer yes to that. While I would like to take the setup opportunity roughly 2 out of every 3 times and put it away…that third time is often better served by forcing your opponent back (or forward) so he has to respect all your potential shots. Better players can easily key in on your most likely shot when you have a setup…you have to fight your natural tendency to just hit your most comfortable and likely favorite shot on every setup.
As stated upfront, it’s better to keep some rallies going a couple hits longer than necessary so that you are more unpredictable. In the long run, this will make you a better, rounded player.
Short but sweet this month…get out there and make your summer racquetball move…take a lesson or attend a camp and practice, practice, practice.
Scouting your opponent
RacquetWorld's Newsletter Racquetball Tip of the Month
Bird Watching
Many times, you can learn more about your opponents standing outside the court watching them play than playing against them on the court. There is no law against scouting your "friends" so you're more prepared the next time you meet. I know many of you watch potential opponents on the court for hours...the real questions is what should you be looking for and how can you use this information to score?The first thing I note is if the player is righty or lefty. I know many of you are saying...that's obvious...it is obvious for the guys who you play once in a while...but I can tell you which hand almost every member of my club plays with even if I've never played them....because someday I may have to play them. One of the feelings I hate is to show up to a league match after picturing my game plan most of the day and learn I'm playing a lefty..you don't have to remember everyone...just remember the lefties and by default you got all the righties. Maybe this is the reason all you lefties usually get a strange look as you walk down the hallway...we're burning your image into our heads with the lefty stamp.The next thing I pay attention to is the two most used serves my potential opponent uses. This way I can plan out my returns. If this guy has read my serving article and he's throwing aces your way...try and see if he serves more to the forehand or more to the backhand side...this will up your retrieval rates.I see what serves are being used against him. Is there a particular serve that he is weaker retrieving? Does he hit the same return shot again and again? Does he not hit a certain return shot (ie never pinches or never cross courts) Knowing what somebody won't or can't do is almost as valuable as knowing what they will do.Then I pay a little attention to what side of the court the player is weaker on...many players have weaker backhands as they start...then they eventually balance out. But I note this and plan to ceiling ball that side of the court when we meet.With opponents you play often, you can get carried away and know too much. But for the players you only meet occasionally, having even a limited scouting report gives you a mental edge. It's funny but when I see certain people pass me in the hall, I don't even remember a name...I think, Lefty, Pincher, Hates Jams...and I smile and walk by...I'm sure he thinks I'm happy to see him but I'm really happy to KNOW him....
Bird Watching
Many times, you can learn more about your opponents standing outside the court watching them play than playing against them on the court. There is no law against scouting your "friends" so you're more prepared the next time you meet. I know many of you watch potential opponents on the court for hours...the real questions is what should you be looking for and how can you use this information to score?The first thing I note is if the player is righty or lefty. I know many of you are saying...that's obvious...it is obvious for the guys who you play once in a while...but I can tell you which hand almost every member of my club plays with even if I've never played them....because someday I may have to play them. One of the feelings I hate is to show up to a league match after picturing my game plan most of the day and learn I'm playing a lefty..you don't have to remember everyone...just remember the lefties and by default you got all the righties. Maybe this is the reason all you lefties usually get a strange look as you walk down the hallway...we're burning your image into our heads with the lefty stamp.The next thing I pay attention to is the two most used serves my potential opponent uses. This way I can plan out my returns. If this guy has read my serving article and he's throwing aces your way...try and see if he serves more to the forehand or more to the backhand side...this will up your retrieval rates.I see what serves are being used against him. Is there a particular serve that he is weaker retrieving? Does he hit the same return shot again and again? Does he not hit a certain return shot (ie never pinches or never cross courts) Knowing what somebody won't or can't do is almost as valuable as knowing what they will do.Then I pay a little attention to what side of the court the player is weaker on...many players have weaker backhands as they start...then they eventually balance out. But I note this and plan to ceiling ball that side of the court when we meet.With opponents you play often, you can get carried away and know too much. But for the players you only meet occasionally, having even a limited scouting report gives you a mental edge. It's funny but when I see certain people pass me in the hall, I don't even remember a name...I think, Lefty, Pincher, Hates Jams...and I smile and walk by...I'm sure he thinks I'm happy to see him but I'm really happy to KNOW him....
Hitting your ceiling shots...
RacquetWorld's Newsletter Racquetball Tip of the Month
SoftPaws
Players have recently commented that my ceiling balls don’t come off the back wall. After my initial, “DUH”, that’s the plan statement I knew I had to try and explain why. The ceiling ball shots we’re talking about today are off 140-150 mph drive serves so they are a little above average in difficulty.
It was funny, when these guys made me think about how I was keeping the balls off the back wall I couldn’t do it anymore. So I stress again…don’t think out there.
I got it figured out though. There are two components to good ceiling balls off drive serves that go hand in hand. If you screw up one you can correct with the other or vice versa. The first component is your angle up to the ceiling. This angle controls how far back from the front wall you hit the ceiling ball and thus how high or low the ball hits the front wall and thus bounces on the floor towards the back wall. The harder the drive serve the farther from the front wall your shot should hit the ceiling…this will cause the ball to bounce closer to the front wall and not carry as deep into the back court. Don’t go overboard and skip your ceiling balls by hitting too far away from the front wall…skipping is worse than coming off the back wall.
The second component is the tricky one…it’s how tight you grip your racquet when the drive serve hits your string bed. A looser grip can absorb some of that power by letting your racquet give a little at impact…this allows you to slow the ball slightly and take a little steam off the resulting ceiling ball keeping if off the back wall. This is an advanced technique and requires eons of practice.
You have to remember that you are not loosening your handle grip really…you are limping your wrist to give a little as you feel initial ball impact…if you loosen your hand grip, you wouldn’t be able to consistently hit the perfect angle upward. It requires both these components to hit great ceiling balls off power serves.
While we’re talking about “soft paws” I would say the only other time I use something close to this technique is with lob serves. Many of you are serving your lob serves off the back wall for an easy setup. By allow your wrist or arm to “give” ever so slightly at impact you can take the “pop” out of your racquet and really slow down the ball speed and resulting ball bounce. Try this along with throwing the ball high up on the front wall so it comes down and bounces inside the safety zone by at least a foot. It also helps to change how you hold your handle grip for a good lob serve. It’s not really a true forehand grip but that was already written about in a previous article. Good luck….No Back Wall…Live it!
SoftPaws
Players have recently commented that my ceiling balls don’t come off the back wall. After my initial, “DUH”, that’s the plan statement I knew I had to try and explain why. The ceiling ball shots we’re talking about today are off 140-150 mph drive serves so they are a little above average in difficulty.
It was funny, when these guys made me think about how I was keeping the balls off the back wall I couldn’t do it anymore. So I stress again…don’t think out there.
I got it figured out though. There are two components to good ceiling balls off drive serves that go hand in hand. If you screw up one you can correct with the other or vice versa. The first component is your angle up to the ceiling. This angle controls how far back from the front wall you hit the ceiling ball and thus how high or low the ball hits the front wall and thus bounces on the floor towards the back wall. The harder the drive serve the farther from the front wall your shot should hit the ceiling…this will cause the ball to bounce closer to the front wall and not carry as deep into the back court. Don’t go overboard and skip your ceiling balls by hitting too far away from the front wall…skipping is worse than coming off the back wall.
The second component is the tricky one…it’s how tight you grip your racquet when the drive serve hits your string bed. A looser grip can absorb some of that power by letting your racquet give a little at impact…this allows you to slow the ball slightly and take a little steam off the resulting ceiling ball keeping if off the back wall. This is an advanced technique and requires eons of practice.
You have to remember that you are not loosening your handle grip really…you are limping your wrist to give a little as you feel initial ball impact…if you loosen your hand grip, you wouldn’t be able to consistently hit the perfect angle upward. It requires both these components to hit great ceiling balls off power serves.
While we’re talking about “soft paws” I would say the only other time I use something close to this technique is with lob serves. Many of you are serving your lob serves off the back wall for an easy setup. By allow your wrist or arm to “give” ever so slightly at impact you can take the “pop” out of your racquet and really slow down the ball speed and resulting ball bounce. Try this along with throwing the ball high up on the front wall so it comes down and bounces inside the safety zone by at least a foot. It also helps to change how you hold your handle grip for a good lob serve. It’s not really a true forehand grip but that was already written about in a previous article. Good luck….No Back Wall…Live it!
What is the difference in the different color balls?
So Many Clown Noses
Every time I see a clown with a big red “ball” nose I picture him bending over and me picking the ball off his face with my racquet. Thus the clown nose reference. I didn’t want you to have to wait until the end of the article to understand my title. I’m getting soft in my old age…so if anyone wants to know all about racquetballs read on…if your curiosity is satisfied, you’re free to go now (and miss the loyalty code at the end).
Four of the manufacturers make racquetballs. They come in a bunch of different colors, with slightly different rubber characteristics, and different weights. But there are few characteristics that are all the same. Let’s start with what they all have in common before we go though all the differences and which ball you would benefit from.
According to the rules of racquetball, all the racquetballs have a 2 ¼ inch diameter, weigh approximately ¼ ounce, and bounce between 68-72 inches when dropped from 100 inches at 74 degrees Fahrenheit. While they all share these characteristics, they do tend to have individual personalities. Does your game style match up to your ball’s personality…we’ll see.
As a reminder, the opinions expressed here are my own based on my actual play with the balls I stole from myself.
Long ago they made all these colored balls…then for 20 years or so they only made blue and green. Now we’re back to a rainbow of colors. What do the colors mean? Blue balls have traditionally stood for the amateur, recreational player. Green was made for the tournament player. Purple (HD) was made for the Pro player. Red was made to excite all the players and be different. Yellow was made for outdoor play specifically. Pink was made to support cancer and black was made to represent the classic balls of old.
The blue “amateur” ball seems to play lighter than its green “ tournament” brother. The blue balls are your most common racquetball. It’s a good bet that if you show up anywhere with blue racquetballs from any manufacturer you will be welcome on the court. The slight difference between the Penn and Ektelon is that the Ektelon balls are a tad faster but also a tad smoother (so they skid as the ball speed gets higher).
The green tournament balls have seemingly thicker rubber. They tend to play heavy coming off your racquet. The trade off for this heaviness is that they bounce very true and have a higher durability rating. If you’re going to play tournament racquetball this is the ball you should be using for practice. You want to get used to picking up the color ball you will be playing with in competition. However, I find it very difficult to play more than twice a week with this ball…the heaviness wears on my arm…especially if the ball is not new. Just because this green ball doesn’t break, doesn’t mean it’s not done for play. As the rubber breaks down from the number of hits, this ball grows heavier and heavier…and smoother and smoother. I would say after 3 matches tops your green balls are growing heavier.
The Pro Penn HD ball was made for the Pros. That doesn’t mean it’s not the right ball for you. This ball is 25% lighter than any of the other balls produced. The Pros get a new ball every game…so these balls were not produced for their longevity. They do seem to float slightly differently then their full weight cousins. However, with the continual trend of using lighter racquets, the reduced weight of these balls seem to keep the game in the right racquet weight to ball weight ratio. These balls will never seem heavy. You can play 5 days a week (assuming good form) without the high level of wear and tear. However in the 5 days you will most likely go through 2-3 balls a day. Again this will not be due to breakage, but this lighter rubber tends to die faster.
The red ballistic and red fire balls show you that there is no end to competition in the ball market. The fire ball is the faster of the two but also the thicker and heavier. I tend to stay away from the red balls inside because they are tough to train your eye on as they pass over the red lines on the floor. Originally, the fire ball was made for outdoor play. That’s why its a shade thicker…blacktop tends to chew up balls. If you’re looking for a faster game of racquetball, pick a red ball and play inside.
One of my favorite balls is the Wilson Pink ball. At first the color bothered me. But the ball bounces very true. It feels lighter than usual coming off my racquet. It has great durability. Best of all, none of my buddies will steal it. Behind the Penn HD, this is my second favorite ball…so it you haven’t tried one…don’t’ be shy. One small drawback on cement/concrete courts is that his ball picks up the white particles and slowly start to blend into the walls. No issue on panel courts.
The Pro Kennex Yellow ball is made for outside play. On an inside wood floor, it’s near invisible. Outside against a black ground it’s perfect.
The Ektelon black classic ball was made to be a slower rally ball. If you like to keep rallies going and get a good workout this is the ball of choice. This ball reduces passing shots. It also comes with a white line around it’s equator so you can pick up a spin on the ball. It’s a good equalizer for an older experienced player playing a younger faster, less experienced player.
What ball should you play with? If you play inside more than 4 times a week and don’t care about the expense, I would play with the HD purple ball. If expense is an issue, I would look at a blue ball. If you’re a tournament player I would play with Penn green each time on the court. If you’re an outdoor player, grab either red ball or the yellow ball. If you’re a little more adventurous, play with the Wilson pink and support the Hope cancer project. If you’re over 50, you may want to try the black ball. It is the official ball of the Senior Tour.
How do you know when your ball is shot before it explodes? There are two ways a ball can be classified as the rolling dead. The first is when you continually use a ball pressurizer to that keep the bounce going but your ball is so smooth it skids more than it bounces. The second test I’m stealing from DiVinci. Since we’re all scaled about the same, if you drop the ball from shoulder height, it should bounce at least to your waistline (and don’t do this test outside the court on carpet).
Are balls pressurized? Today’s balls are not pressurized. They are somewhat porous and will adjust to their surroundings to equalize pressure. If you bring balls with you from a high altitude and play with them at a lower altitude they will seem dead and vice versa.
I’ve heard a couple things over the years about balls. The blue color is the easiest color for your eyes to see. (true or not, I’m not sure…but it’s a lot tougher when your opponent wears the same color blue – another good reason to bring a pink one along just in case)
There are no balls made in the USA any longer. All operations have been moved over seas. I find this very sad…so I purchased the rest of the racquetballs made in the USA…just in case. My stash will last me the rest of my life…if you’re worried I will part with some of them but this will be limited.
Racquetball warranties are similar across the market place. In general, if your label is still on the ball (and this is the painted label – not the phantom label left by where the paint was) the manufacturers have a 2 for 1 or in some cases a 3 for 1 warranty policy. You should save up your broken balls w/labels and return them directly to the manufacturer.
Every time I see a clown with a big red “ball” nose I picture him bending over and me picking the ball off his face with my racquet. Thus the clown nose reference. I didn’t want you to have to wait until the end of the article to understand my title. I’m getting soft in my old age…so if anyone wants to know all about racquetballs read on…if your curiosity is satisfied, you’re free to go now (and miss the loyalty code at the end).
Four of the manufacturers make racquetballs. They come in a bunch of different colors, with slightly different rubber characteristics, and different weights. But there are few characteristics that are all the same. Let’s start with what they all have in common before we go though all the differences and which ball you would benefit from.
According to the rules of racquetball, all the racquetballs have a 2 ¼ inch diameter, weigh approximately ¼ ounce, and bounce between 68-72 inches when dropped from 100 inches at 74 degrees Fahrenheit. While they all share these characteristics, they do tend to have individual personalities. Does your game style match up to your ball’s personality…we’ll see.
As a reminder, the opinions expressed here are my own based on my actual play with the balls I stole from myself.
Long ago they made all these colored balls…then for 20 years or so they only made blue and green. Now we’re back to a rainbow of colors. What do the colors mean? Blue balls have traditionally stood for the amateur, recreational player. Green was made for the tournament player. Purple (HD) was made for the Pro player. Red was made to excite all the players and be different. Yellow was made for outdoor play specifically. Pink was made to support cancer and black was made to represent the classic balls of old.
The blue “amateur” ball seems to play lighter than its green “ tournament” brother. The blue balls are your most common racquetball. It’s a good bet that if you show up anywhere with blue racquetballs from any manufacturer you will be welcome on the court. The slight difference between the Penn and Ektelon is that the Ektelon balls are a tad faster but also a tad smoother (so they skid as the ball speed gets higher).
The green tournament balls have seemingly thicker rubber. They tend to play heavy coming off your racquet. The trade off for this heaviness is that they bounce very true and have a higher durability rating. If you’re going to play tournament racquetball this is the ball you should be using for practice. You want to get used to picking up the color ball you will be playing with in competition. However, I find it very difficult to play more than twice a week with this ball…the heaviness wears on my arm…especially if the ball is not new. Just because this green ball doesn’t break, doesn’t mean it’s not done for play. As the rubber breaks down from the number of hits, this ball grows heavier and heavier…and smoother and smoother. I would say after 3 matches tops your green balls are growing heavier.
The Pro Penn HD ball was made for the Pros. That doesn’t mean it’s not the right ball for you. This ball is 25% lighter than any of the other balls produced. The Pros get a new ball every game…so these balls were not produced for their longevity. They do seem to float slightly differently then their full weight cousins. However, with the continual trend of using lighter racquets, the reduced weight of these balls seem to keep the game in the right racquet weight to ball weight ratio. These balls will never seem heavy. You can play 5 days a week (assuming good form) without the high level of wear and tear. However in the 5 days you will most likely go through 2-3 balls a day. Again this will not be due to breakage, but this lighter rubber tends to die faster.
The red ballistic and red fire balls show you that there is no end to competition in the ball market. The fire ball is the faster of the two but also the thicker and heavier. I tend to stay away from the red balls inside because they are tough to train your eye on as they pass over the red lines on the floor. Originally, the fire ball was made for outdoor play. That’s why its a shade thicker…blacktop tends to chew up balls. If you’re looking for a faster game of racquetball, pick a red ball and play inside.
One of my favorite balls is the Wilson Pink ball. At first the color bothered me. But the ball bounces very true. It feels lighter than usual coming off my racquet. It has great durability. Best of all, none of my buddies will steal it. Behind the Penn HD, this is my second favorite ball…so it you haven’t tried one…don’t’ be shy. One small drawback on cement/concrete courts is that his ball picks up the white particles and slowly start to blend into the walls. No issue on panel courts.
The Pro Kennex Yellow ball is made for outside play. On an inside wood floor, it’s near invisible. Outside against a black ground it’s perfect.
The Ektelon black classic ball was made to be a slower rally ball. If you like to keep rallies going and get a good workout this is the ball of choice. This ball reduces passing shots. It also comes with a white line around it’s equator so you can pick up a spin on the ball. It’s a good equalizer for an older experienced player playing a younger faster, less experienced player.
What ball should you play with? If you play inside more than 4 times a week and don’t care about the expense, I would play with the HD purple ball. If expense is an issue, I would look at a blue ball. If you’re a tournament player I would play with Penn green each time on the court. If you’re an outdoor player, grab either red ball or the yellow ball. If you’re a little more adventurous, play with the Wilson pink and support the Hope cancer project. If you’re over 50, you may want to try the black ball. It is the official ball of the Senior Tour.
How do you know when your ball is shot before it explodes? There are two ways a ball can be classified as the rolling dead. The first is when you continually use a ball pressurizer to that keep the bounce going but your ball is so smooth it skids more than it bounces. The second test I’m stealing from DiVinci. Since we’re all scaled about the same, if you drop the ball from shoulder height, it should bounce at least to your waistline (and don’t do this test outside the court on carpet).
Are balls pressurized? Today’s balls are not pressurized. They are somewhat porous and will adjust to their surroundings to equalize pressure. If you bring balls with you from a high altitude and play with them at a lower altitude they will seem dead and vice versa.
I’ve heard a couple things over the years about balls. The blue color is the easiest color for your eyes to see. (true or not, I’m not sure…but it’s a lot tougher when your opponent wears the same color blue – another good reason to bring a pink one along just in case)
There are no balls made in the USA any longer. All operations have been moved over seas. I find this very sad…so I purchased the rest of the racquetballs made in the USA…just in case. My stash will last me the rest of my life…if you’re worried I will part with some of them but this will be limited.
Racquetball warranties are similar across the market place. In general, if your label is still on the ball (and this is the painted label – not the phantom label left by where the paint was) the manufacturers have a 2 for 1 or in some cases a 3 for 1 warranty policy. You should save up your broken balls w/labels and return them directly to the manufacturer.
Tips: The Rally.
The Rally
At this point, we’ve been through much of the racquetball game….today we’re going to discuss the rally. For our discussion the rally starts after the service return or more precisely on the servers 2nd touch of the ball. A couple interesting notes about getting to the rally…the first is as the server, you missed your ace….as a receiver you missed putting away a non ace serve. Realizing that it takes two unsuccessful events to get to a rally, I hope you understand why rallies aren’t my favorite thing.Lets throw out the situation where a player almost hits an ace and the receiver hits a very weak return…and the server then puts it away on the next shot. I’d lean toward that being a successful serve. Full Fledge Rally Strategies…all the pointers I could think of in 10 minutes or less. Don’t Skip the Ball – The biggest rally killer of all is suicide and that’s what happens when you skip in your shot. Stick with higher percentage shots like down-the-line passes or cross court passes. The rollout is a double edged sword…No Back Wall – by this I mean don’t allow your rally shots to come off the back wall for a setup. Your opponent only gets one shot at the ball…with this commitment a pass ball is a winner…period. More angle in your shot selection (wide angle pass) allows more room for error on the height of your ball off the front wall. Also if you do come off the back wall with a wide angle shot, it’s still moving away or jamming your opponent as opposed to the ball that come straight off the back wall for a much easier setup.Pinch by Level – Many C and even B level players should not pinch as much as they do. Missed pinches are one of the easiest setups you can feed to your opponent. As you get better, the pinch becomes a higher percentage shot. Stick with down-the-line. Once you master a solid down the line shot, you have really mastered most of the shots…it’s just a matter of changing your footwork slightly at that point. Solid Ceiling Balls – a very large percentage of rallies find their way to the ceiling. You will control or be controlled based on a good ceiling ball game or lack there of. I’ve won many rallies simply because I practice ceiling balls. When an opponent just puts up a ceiling ball to get you towards the back of the court…ratchet it up a notch and return a ceiling ball that also skims the side wall…a ceiling ball can be a weapon don’t waste the opportunity aka Death from Above.Control Center Court – Keep your shots out of center court and keep your body in center court. Once you get to a rally, it’s about controlling the court. If you don’t control center court, you don’t control the rally and that usually means you are working much harder than your opponent to stay in the rally. Working harder longer leads to more missed shots and loss of concentration. Control center court…make life easy.The overall thought I’d like to instill in you about rallies is this: During each individual shot of a rally you must decide if your shot will be a 100% offensive shot or a 100% defensive shot. A 100% offensive shot should be a rally ending shot. A 100% defensive shot should allow you to recapture center court and lead to you controlling the rally. Many, many, many players, try and hit offensive shots that are way beyond them for the given situation…we all do it from time to time…we send the ball screaming on it’s way with a prayer…I guess I’m condoning taking religion out of racquetball… Anything in between just keeps the ball in play…and a ball kept in play lets you exercise but doesn’t help you win. When in doubt, hit the 100% defensive shot to retain control of the rally until the 100% offensive opportunity arises. Life is Good on the Court!!
At this point, we’ve been through much of the racquetball game….today we’re going to discuss the rally. For our discussion the rally starts after the service return or more precisely on the servers 2nd touch of the ball. A couple interesting notes about getting to the rally…the first is as the server, you missed your ace….as a receiver you missed putting away a non ace serve. Realizing that it takes two unsuccessful events to get to a rally, I hope you understand why rallies aren’t my favorite thing.Lets throw out the situation where a player almost hits an ace and the receiver hits a very weak return…and the server then puts it away on the next shot. I’d lean toward that being a successful serve. Full Fledge Rally Strategies…all the pointers I could think of in 10 minutes or less. Don’t Skip the Ball – The biggest rally killer of all is suicide and that’s what happens when you skip in your shot. Stick with higher percentage shots like down-the-line passes or cross court passes. The rollout is a double edged sword…No Back Wall – by this I mean don’t allow your rally shots to come off the back wall for a setup. Your opponent only gets one shot at the ball…with this commitment a pass ball is a winner…period. More angle in your shot selection (wide angle pass) allows more room for error on the height of your ball off the front wall. Also if you do come off the back wall with a wide angle shot, it’s still moving away or jamming your opponent as opposed to the ball that come straight off the back wall for a much easier setup.Pinch by Level – Many C and even B level players should not pinch as much as they do. Missed pinches are one of the easiest setups you can feed to your opponent. As you get better, the pinch becomes a higher percentage shot. Stick with down-the-line. Once you master a solid down the line shot, you have really mastered most of the shots…it’s just a matter of changing your footwork slightly at that point. Solid Ceiling Balls – a very large percentage of rallies find their way to the ceiling. You will control or be controlled based on a good ceiling ball game or lack there of. I’ve won many rallies simply because I practice ceiling balls. When an opponent just puts up a ceiling ball to get you towards the back of the court…ratchet it up a notch and return a ceiling ball that also skims the side wall…a ceiling ball can be a weapon don’t waste the opportunity aka Death from Above.Control Center Court – Keep your shots out of center court and keep your body in center court. Once you get to a rally, it’s about controlling the court. If you don’t control center court, you don’t control the rally and that usually means you are working much harder than your opponent to stay in the rally. Working harder longer leads to more missed shots and loss of concentration. Control center court…make life easy.The overall thought I’d like to instill in you about rallies is this: During each individual shot of a rally you must decide if your shot will be a 100% offensive shot or a 100% defensive shot. A 100% offensive shot should be a rally ending shot. A 100% defensive shot should allow you to recapture center court and lead to you controlling the rally. Many, many, many players, try and hit offensive shots that are way beyond them for the given situation…we all do it from time to time…we send the ball screaming on it’s way with a prayer…I guess I’m condoning taking religion out of racquetball… Anything in between just keeps the ball in play…and a ball kept in play lets you exercise but doesn’t help you win. When in doubt, hit the 100% defensive shot to retain control of the rally until the 100% offensive opportunity arises. Life is Good on the Court!!
Tips: Play from the Deep Court, from RacquetWorld
RacquetWorld's Newsletter Racquetball Tip of the Month
The Game within the Game - Deep Court
There are many instances of mini games going on inside the bigger overall game of racquetball. You need to recognize these mini games so that you can take advantage of other player’s faults in these areas. More importantly though is to identify your weaknesses in these various areas so you can improve on how you’ve been being exploited. In this article we’re going to look at play from deep court.
During a recent pick up game of doubles, my partner assumed I was shooting every ball from the backcourt and thus he should too. The difference, beside our level of play (sorry Jim), was that he did attempt to shoot everything regardless of his movement, the type of setup and where our opponents were positioned. All shots, setups and movements are not created equal at the 39 foot court depth. In addition, most of the time your opponent(s) are setting a trap for you by pushing you to this court depth.
Let’s look at movement first. The biggest mistake made at this depth is thinking you can be moving backwards and shooting forwards. The ceiling ball goes over your head…it’s going to come up a hair short of the back wall and you time it as you move backwards. However while your timing seems correct because you meet the ball exactly as it’s dropping into a setup position, your body momentum is still moving backwards. It is so hard to be consistent with a shot when your body momentum is fighting your swing momentum.
The correct movement would have been to rush to the back wall ahead of the ball. Don’t take your eye off the ball, reach back with your racquet (or hand) to exactly gauge the distance to the back wall, and set your footwork. (The difference between reaching back with your racquet or your free hand is whether you are setting up for a forehand of backhand return) If you are going to error on deep court movement it is always better to be closer to the back wall than not back far enough. It’s always better to move forward in the direction of the front wall to make a shot then having to reach backwards. Reaching backwards means you will have no base footwork, no power and you won’t be able to see your opponent(s) at all.
Setups in deep court are not the same either. Balls that come up short of the back wall (moving away from the front wall) are harder to shoot than setups coming off the back wall. The balls coming at you have momentum in the opposite direction as you are shooting. Not only do you have to completely change the ball’s momentum, you have to be able to absorb that energy and then compensate to create the perfect angle and height for a great shot. Setups coming off the back wall are already moving in the right direction…toward the front wall. They are much easier to shoot.
Lets look at sneaky opponents. Many opponents who keep pushing you back to 39 feet are really counter punchers. They put you in the backcourt and then slide into great court position so that anything less than a perfect shot allows them to easily step over and put the ball away. In most cases you are so deep in the court still, their shot doesn’t even have to be that good. Don’t get played by these guys. These are the guys who are typically hindering your cross court shots so they force a down the line shot...mix up your shots…throw in cross court shots…once you commit to a shot do not think about your opponents location…concentrate and take your shot. They are banking on forcing you into their shot selection not yours. (I know it may seem I’m telling you to hit other players with your shot…but if you’ve told them you are entitled to that crosscourt shot 20 times and they refuse to move…they may have had it coming.)
What does all this info really mean? It means if you pay attention to better players, they are beating weaker players up during rallies in the deep court.
Here are my general rules for deep court play written for the A/B player…
If you are moving backwards and just getting to the ball, go back to the ceiling and get your opponent out of center court. Your perfect shot, with so many factors against you, is too elusive. Too many skips occur when your body momentum is going the wrong way…play it safe and get better position on the next setup.
As soon as you know you’ll be deep in the court, get there as fast as you can so you’re looking at the ball and get a peripheral view of your opponents. If your opponents have setup on you…meaning your dealing with a ceiling ball and not a waist level shot that got deep faster than your opponents could setup…I would still go with a ceiling ball to reverse the positions.
Any setup off the back wall I would shoot. I would mix up my shots between down the line, crosscourt and pinches so that my opponents could not trap me as easily. Balls that again are faster and allow for less opponent setup time are easier to shoot with less thought. Be careful with ceiling balls as they give your opponent(s) time to setup on you. But the advantage is still yours.
The last couple thoughts for deep court play…don’t think you have to be so perfect that you either roll it or skip it. Skipping the ball is one of the biggest no-nos in the game…right behind the double fault. When skipping seems to seep in, go with the safer crosscourt pass shots. Remember that going down the line can also be considered a passing shot and doesn’t have to roll out every time to be a winner.
Lastly, patience is a virtue in the mini deep court game. If you don’t get into the right position or your opponents are setup on you or anything else clouds your shot, there is nothing wrong with going to the ceiling and sending your opponent(s) to the back court. This is a reset to wait for a more opportune situation. After the serve and serve return, the back court game is where you’re going to win or lose most of your matches.
As always, you comments are appreciated.
The Game within the Game - Deep Court
There are many instances of mini games going on inside the bigger overall game of racquetball. You need to recognize these mini games so that you can take advantage of other player’s faults in these areas. More importantly though is to identify your weaknesses in these various areas so you can improve on how you’ve been being exploited. In this article we’re going to look at play from deep court.
During a recent pick up game of doubles, my partner assumed I was shooting every ball from the backcourt and thus he should too. The difference, beside our level of play (sorry Jim), was that he did attempt to shoot everything regardless of his movement, the type of setup and where our opponents were positioned. All shots, setups and movements are not created equal at the 39 foot court depth. In addition, most of the time your opponent(s) are setting a trap for you by pushing you to this court depth.
Let’s look at movement first. The biggest mistake made at this depth is thinking you can be moving backwards and shooting forwards. The ceiling ball goes over your head…it’s going to come up a hair short of the back wall and you time it as you move backwards. However while your timing seems correct because you meet the ball exactly as it’s dropping into a setup position, your body momentum is still moving backwards. It is so hard to be consistent with a shot when your body momentum is fighting your swing momentum.
The correct movement would have been to rush to the back wall ahead of the ball. Don’t take your eye off the ball, reach back with your racquet (or hand) to exactly gauge the distance to the back wall, and set your footwork. (The difference between reaching back with your racquet or your free hand is whether you are setting up for a forehand of backhand return) If you are going to error on deep court movement it is always better to be closer to the back wall than not back far enough. It’s always better to move forward in the direction of the front wall to make a shot then having to reach backwards. Reaching backwards means you will have no base footwork, no power and you won’t be able to see your opponent(s) at all.
Setups in deep court are not the same either. Balls that come up short of the back wall (moving away from the front wall) are harder to shoot than setups coming off the back wall. The balls coming at you have momentum in the opposite direction as you are shooting. Not only do you have to completely change the ball’s momentum, you have to be able to absorb that energy and then compensate to create the perfect angle and height for a great shot. Setups coming off the back wall are already moving in the right direction…toward the front wall. They are much easier to shoot.
Lets look at sneaky opponents. Many opponents who keep pushing you back to 39 feet are really counter punchers. They put you in the backcourt and then slide into great court position so that anything less than a perfect shot allows them to easily step over and put the ball away. In most cases you are so deep in the court still, their shot doesn’t even have to be that good. Don’t get played by these guys. These are the guys who are typically hindering your cross court shots so they force a down the line shot...mix up your shots…throw in cross court shots…once you commit to a shot do not think about your opponents location…concentrate and take your shot. They are banking on forcing you into their shot selection not yours. (I know it may seem I’m telling you to hit other players with your shot…but if you’ve told them you are entitled to that crosscourt shot 20 times and they refuse to move…they may have had it coming.)
What does all this info really mean? It means if you pay attention to better players, they are beating weaker players up during rallies in the deep court.
Here are my general rules for deep court play written for the A/B player…
If you are moving backwards and just getting to the ball, go back to the ceiling and get your opponent out of center court. Your perfect shot, with so many factors against you, is too elusive. Too many skips occur when your body momentum is going the wrong way…play it safe and get better position on the next setup.
As soon as you know you’ll be deep in the court, get there as fast as you can so you’re looking at the ball and get a peripheral view of your opponents. If your opponents have setup on you…meaning your dealing with a ceiling ball and not a waist level shot that got deep faster than your opponents could setup…I would still go with a ceiling ball to reverse the positions.
Any setup off the back wall I would shoot. I would mix up my shots between down the line, crosscourt and pinches so that my opponents could not trap me as easily. Balls that again are faster and allow for less opponent setup time are easier to shoot with less thought. Be careful with ceiling balls as they give your opponent(s) time to setup on you. But the advantage is still yours.
The last couple thoughts for deep court play…don’t think you have to be so perfect that you either roll it or skip it. Skipping the ball is one of the biggest no-nos in the game…right behind the double fault. When skipping seems to seep in, go with the safer crosscourt pass shots. Remember that going down the line can also be considered a passing shot and doesn’t have to roll out every time to be a winner.
Lastly, patience is a virtue in the mini deep court game. If you don’t get into the right position or your opponents are setup on you or anything else clouds your shot, there is nothing wrong with going to the ceiling and sending your opponent(s) to the back court. This is a reset to wait for a more opportune situation. After the serve and serve return, the back court game is where you’re going to win or lose most of your matches.
As always, you comments are appreciated.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
