5 Racquetball Tips
Want to improve your racquetball game? These tips helped me; maybe they will help you as well.
1. Always look at the ball. Sounds simple, but many people don’t. I think the reason people don’t always look at the ball is we tend to protect our face, especially when standing between the opponent and the front wall. It can be unnerving to look back at the ball while the opponent is hitting it- especially if it is close to us. But you have to- because if you ever take your eyes off the ball, you lose your sense of where the ball is going and are more likely to get hit or lose the rally. One solution is to use your racquet as a shield and look at the ball through the strings of your racquet.
2. Keep your arm up, cocked, and ready to swing. Raise it as soon as it’s your turn to hit the ball and know whether you will hit a forehand or backhand shot. Keep your elbow up when cocked for a forehand, then when swinging, lead with your elbow and follow through with the rest of your arm. Notice how pro baseball players swing their arm with their elbow leading- pointing toward the direction you are hitting. Your arm is like a whip. Your hand should be firmly gripped on the handle, but arm and wrist should be loose and relaxed. You can add last minute corrections to the direction of your hit by changing your wrist, or if using a forehand shot, add a little snap to it. The wrist is usually loose and centered on your backhand swing, though. Take a smooth swing with a smooth follow through. Use the power from your hips turning and let your arm follow through. It should be a natural, smooth motion. If not, you are likely to get tendonitis (tennis elbow).
3. Keep your feet planted and settled before you swing. Use a quick shuffling motion to get your feet setup as fast as you can before your shot. If you run out of time and don’t have your feet planted, then try a ceiling ball, or a lob.
4. Always swing your racquet flat. Meaning, your racquet should always be perpendicular to the floor and ceiling. This way, if you accidentally hit the ball early or late in your swing, the worst that will happen is you’ll hit the side wall first before hitting the front wall. If your racquet swing is not flat, you will likely skip more balls into the floor or hit into the ceiling.
5. Swing with your elbow close to your body. To reduce the risk of tendonitis, keep your elbow tucked closer to your body when you contact the ball. Don’t extend your arm way out to stretch for a shot like some do in tennis. Ideally, you will use quick footwork to position your body closer to the ball, and keep an easy consistant swing to hit the ball close to your body each time. The swing should be comfortable, natural, and relaxed. It’s less stress on your arm.