In the August issue I discussed you MUST make your opponent pay for their mistakes. …NO AND’S, IF’S or BUT’S about it. In this issue we will discuss how to go about about “Creating Your Opponent’s Mistakes." You want to stay calm and pay attention to your opponent’s weaknesses, what they like, and what they dislike to capitalize on what they DO NOT LIKE. This is done in EVERY sport and racquetball is no different. (more…)
One of the biggest myths of doubles is that if you are a good singles player you’ll be a good doubles player, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Doubles is primarily a game of strategy and court positioning when you get into the intermediate and advanced levels of play. You can no longer just bang the ball and stand anywhere like two singles players together on the court, but must move and work independently and together at the same time. Teamwork is the key to success. (more…)
[caption id="attachment_1322" align="alignright" width="199"] Fran Davis[/caption] Just because some things may sound elementary doesn’t mean they are not important in intermediate and advanced levels of play. Some players get to the intermediate levels while ignoring the core strategies—which is why they plateau. Also, after you reach the intermediate and advanced levels of play, there’s more to know. Remember…when you strategize, you are being proactive, which is taking control of the match. You are in a much better position to win, which is your goal. Now I am going to give you a list of ADVANCED STRATEGIES to help you carry out your
A game plan is a plan of action based on your strengths and weaknesses as well as your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, most people don’t plan in everyday life let alone on the racquetball court. When you plan, you are being proactive, which is taking control of the match. You are in a much better position to win when creating the situation right from the beginning of the match. (more…)
Video analysis is the BEST teaching/learning tool you can obtain. Like the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words," I truly believe when you can see how you're playing you can understand it, when you can understand it you can then make the necessary changes for improvement as you build your championship racquetball game. (more…)
[caption id="attachment_1742" align="alignright" width="385"] Photo by restrungmag.com[/caption] If you watch any sport, you'll see bad calls. Referees are human. Humans make mistakes. For the most part, you'll notice the athletes let it go moving onto the next play rather than harping on the bad call. Take a tip from those pro racquetball athletes: do not let a bad call affect you adversely. If you keep thinking about it, you'll lose more points because you couldn't let it go...a BIG, BIG mistake. Fran Davis shares how to move on from bad calls. (more…)
All amateur matches are two out of three games; the first two games are to 15 and the tiebreaker to 11. You receive three 30-second time-outs in a 15-point game and two 30-second time-outs in a tiebreaker. The pros play three out of five to 11 and receive only 1 minute time-out in a game. There is more than one reason to take a time-out. You can use a time-out to: (more…)
Once you're familiar with the basic skills, techniques, and tactics, YOU will be ready to train to enter the zone (more…)
[caption id="attachment_1322" align="alignright" width="200"] “Championship Racquetball[/caption] The art of court positioning is just as important in doubles as it is in singles. The downfall of most doubles teams is that the partners act as if they are playing singles and are very haphazard about where to go after the serve, after the return of serve, and during the rally. When you play doubles you want to be like a piece on a chessboard, knowing how to position yourself on the board as every move can cost you. (more…)
[caption id="attachment_1322" align="alignright" width="200"] frandavisracquetball.com[/caption] Winning doubles requires more than banging the ball, standing anywhere, and playing like singles together on the court. It's primarily a game of strategy and positioning at the intermediate and advanced levels. Two people join skills and unify into a singular unit, moving and working independently and together at the same time. Doubles is truly an art; it is like playing the game of chess at 100+ mph. (more…)
