Going Back to Basics

Back to the Basics is a key principle to use when you're not playing well and things are just not going your way. If you are not playing well your shots, serves, and returns can begin to breakdown, ending with a lost game or match. This is the perfect time to regroup, assess the situation, and get back to the basics in every area of your game. Going back to the basics helps you to regain consistency, sharpens your mental skills, allows you to think more clearly, and rebuilds any lost confidence to get you back on track.  (more…)

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Fran Davis: Take Your Best Shot

Taking the right shot at the right time means making your opponent run the farthest distance to get to the ball. When many get into the heat of the battle, they don’t think about shot selection—but just bang away and play what we call survival racquetball. Or, they go for a favorite rather than one that can win the rally, putting their opponent on the defense. Here's how to determine your best shot, and how to make it when you need to most. (more…)

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Q&A: Crossover or Open Stance Footwork?

Question: "I’ve been watching videos and shadow rehearsing in a tiny office the back crossover vs the front crossover for covering shots. The videos go so fast, even in slow mo, that often I can’t tell if it's a back or front crossover. In old school, with slow balls, there was only front crossover. I’m guessing that now it’s more back crossover and hitting shots off both wings in an open stance… Will u educate me?" - Bo Keeley   (more…)

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Controlling Your Opponent’s Court Position

As simple as it may seem, keeping your opponent back and out of the middle of the court is effective because 30 percent of all balls can be killed from the dotted line, so the odds undoubtedly go down the farther back one hits. Controlling your opponent’s court position keeps them as far away from the front wall, the target, as possible. You can implement the strategy of controlling your opponent's court position, whichever level you play. Here’s how: (more…)

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Watching the Ball at All Times

Watching the ball at all times may seem like a simple and elementary strategy that everyone does automatically, but you will be amazed at how many players do not watch the ball. By watching the ball, you gain valuable information and more time so you can better determine your opponent’s shot, serve or return of serve and react faster to the ball.    (more…)

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Playing the Percentage

Playing the percentages, or in other words, playing high-percentage racquetball, gives you the edge. When you play high-percentage racquetball, you make more shots than you miss; when you play low-percentage racquetball, you miss more shots than you make. If you play the percentages, you make it more difficult for your opponent, causing them to make more mistakes that lead to your easy points. If you shoot the ball prematurely or consistently try to kill balls that you cannot successfully kill, then you do not give your opponent the chance to miss. (more…)

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Play the Ball, Not Your Opponent

This is a strategy that most people don’t think about. Often players either do not like their opponent for one reason or another or they are playing a friend who they like very much. Unfortunately, if they cannot get these thoughts out of their heads, they generally overplay, want to win too badly, or play too nice because they do not want to hurt their friend’s feelings. These thoughts are crippling. (more…)

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Concentration and Focus

Ideally, you want to get into a state of total concentration and focus on the court because that is when you play your best and develop a winning game. Concentration is total awareness, giving your undivided or fixed attention to the game. Focus is the narrowing of concentration onto a specific thought, idea, or object to a central point. In other words, you concentrate on the game and focus on the ball and your opponent. (more…)

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