Racquetball is a popular sport that is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. Nearly 6 million people in the United States play racquetball today.
If you decide to play racquetball, it’s important that you learn the rules, techniques, and other information that will guide you. Playing racquetball will be fun and fulfilling when you consider the information below.
Understand Racquetball Rules
You can’t play any sport without understanding the rules and how to win. This way, you’ll navigate the racquetball court with discretion and without committing penalties.
Here are some of the most important rules of racquetball to understand.
The Rules of the Serve
First, you need to understand the rules of how serves are handled in racquetball. This way, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your serve is valid.
In order for the serve to be considered legitimate, the ball must hit the floor no less than one time, must first hit the front wall, and has to pass the short line. You have to chances to get the ball in play via a legitimate serve. If you can’t get it after two serves, the other player will get the chance to serve.
There are a wide variety of faults that you might experience, which are different forms of invalid serves. Examples of different types of faults include foot faults, long serves, short serves, ceiling serves, and three-wall serves. You might also get hit with a fault if you serve the ball before your opponent is ready.
Know the Penalties
Aside from faults, there are some other penalties you need to know about so that you can avoid them at all costs. You could receive a penalty for bumping your opponent during their shot. Another penalty includes the dead ball hinder, which gives the other party two serves.
You’ll also need to be aware of whether or not the ball hits the opposite wall the correct number of times before being put into play again. Study the rule book so that you can avoid costly penalties that can prevent you from winning.
Understand What Constitutes a Score
Of course, make sure that you’re aware of what constitutes a score in racquetball. This way, you can put your strategies to use and will be able to win.
In racquetball, you can only score if you are the server. If you are serving and you return it to your opponent in a way that causes them to fault or not be able to return the ball to the front wall, you will be awarded a point. If you were the non-serving player, the ball will return to your possession so that you can then serve and go for a point.
Learn the Equipment and Object of the Game
Make sure that you also stock up on the right racquetball equipment for the game. First and foremost, you need a regulation-size racquet that you can use during play. It’s also essential that every player wears some protective eyewear. This will protect your eyes and vision from the balls since they travel at such high velocities.
Buy the best racquetball gloves you can find so that you can get a good grip on your racquet. Invest in some durable sneakers with plenty of tread, and wear knee pads or braces if you need them.
The game is over once a player reaches 15 points. However, it’s not uncommon for people playing for recreation to go to 11 or 21.
Learn Some Techniques
Finally, make sure that you also learn some tips and techniques that’ll help you. Learning the fundamentals of racquetball for beginners will help you increase your chances of winning. You might choose to take a class that can help you learn the racquetball basics.
From there, it’s time to start playing as many matches as possible and learning the correct way to serve. Here are some tips that’ll help you refine your skills.
Practice Your Serve Technique
Like tennis and volleyball, a strong serve is arguably the most important aspect of the game. The closer you get your serve to unreturnable, the easier time you will have winning matches. It helps you keep possession and control of the game, rather than turning it back over to your opponent.
Learn the differences between the Z-Serve, Drive Serve, and Lob Serve. Each serve has its place, and learning about them will help you execute the best strategy at the correct time.
Get Your Footwork Together
You’ll become the best racquetball player possible when you master your footwork. This will involve a combination of forward moving, backpedaling, and shuffling. Footwork is the most important aspect of all sports because it helps you move fluidly and manage the geography of your field of play.
Take time to practice your footwork with a racquet in your hand even when you aren’t delivering shots. This can help you manage your energy and get to the spot faster to return volleys.
Work on Your Cardio
Racquetball is also an incredibly cardio-intensive sport. Because of that, you should work on your cardio as much as possible. This will help you play longer and stronger while avoiding fatigue.
Add some running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your workouts so that you can improve your cardio performance.
Playing Racquetball 101
The tips in this article are helpful when you’d like to get into playing racquetball. Start with these guidelines so that you can become the best racquetball player possible.
Start with these tips and explore our other articles related to racquetball and other fun activities.
