Racquetball

Racquetball is a relatively new game which continues to grow in popularity. It can be

played competitively or simply for fun and relaxation.

tempting to make comparisons between the two sports

but we have to be careful not to be misleading! According

to many pros, excelling in one of the racquet

sports does not necessarily guarantee top performance

in another.

Racquetball is a young sport, having originated in the

United States in the 1950s. Although it is strenuous

and physically challenging, it does not entail chasing

balls all over a court. But like tennis, it does require

both superior physical dexterity as well as the ability

front wall and divides the court

into front and back courts.

The service zone is the area between the short line and the service line.The

racquet must hit the ball perpendicular to the floor just past the right leg.

Your body is bent slightly facing the left wall (right wall for left-handed

players). The right arm is raised so that the racquet head is above your left

ear. The weight is on your left leg until the racquet is swung; then the weight

shifts to your right leg as your arm swings across the front of your body.

As you swing the racquet, keep your

eyes on the ball. After you hit the ball,

let your arm follow through the arc of

the swing until it straightens out again.

than the backhand stroke. However,

the body motions used in this

stroke are almost identical with those

used in the backhand stroke. The

racquet is held perpendicular to the

floor. The racquet contacts the ball just

past the left leg.

The key to the forehand stroke is to

bring the racquet arm back behind your

head as fast as possible before starting

the downswing. Also, keep your wrist

cocked back so that it snaps as the

racquet meets the ball.

sure of the other moves.

In this stroke, move your racquet arm back and hold it at a 90-degree angle.

The overhead motion is similar to tossing a ball in the air. Extend your

Two successive foot faults result in a handout.

walls of the court before it hits the front wall.

occur when the ball hits the short line on a serve (this is called “a short”), orwhen the ball hits the rear wall on a serve before it bounces (this is called

long”).

The three most important serves in racquetball are the Power Serve, the Lob and the Zee.

opponent to return. A serve which is impossible

a low bounce, the ball is hit with full

strength to a point on the front wall

so that the ball rebounds only a few

inches high off either side wall.

serve than the Power

Serve. The ball is hit to

the top of the front wall

so that it rebounds to

16 feet above the floor. It rebounds onto the side wall and travels across the

court, bounces on the floor, and hits the opposite side wall. The ball cannot

hit the first side wall before it hits the front wall.

The Zee is a complicated and tricky serve. Considerable practice is required

before a player can use it effectively.

Two rules of thumb when returning balls are:

1. If a ball is below the knee, the player should run toward it and return it.

2. If the ball is above the knee, the player should wait for the ball to rebound

off a wall and then return it.

Five other basic rules also should be kept in mind during a game:

1. When the ball is being served, stand at least five feet behind the short line.

2. A ball cannot be returned until it has passed the short line.

3. The ball must be returned before it hits the floor twice. The ball can also be

Paraison also won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan Am Games with her twin sister in

USA.

Rocky Carson (Santa Maria, CA.). He is joined by silver medalist Doug Eagle (Houston,

TX.). Carson was the bronze medalist at the 1998 world championship competition.1999

National Doubles gold medalists, Ruben Gonzalez (Staten Island, NY) is also a member

of the 2000 U.S. World Championship Team. Gonzalez, 49, is considered a legend in the

sport of racquetball, and was inducted in the USRA Hall of Fame this year.The International

Racquetball Federation holds its World Championships every other year. As many

as 148 athletes representing 42 countries participate in this important event.

The USA Junior Team consist of 20 members. The team is selected through a National

camp held yearly at the United States Olympic Training Center (USOTC). The participants

go through a series of grueling tests which help the coaches pick their 20 members.

These members participate in the World Championships in Los Angeles, California.

The USA has held the World Championship title ever since the tournament started,

9 years ago.

Racquetball is an exciting sport to play or watch.

Try the Internet for more up-to-date information

this true?

8. What three kinds of errors can result in losing a serve?

9. What are the three basic types of serves in racquetball?

10. If a ball is below the knee, what should the player do? What should he/she do for

2. The lob is a _____ serve than the power serve

3. The court often has four of them

4. Stroke with the palm of the hand facing the ball

5. A serve which is impossible to return

6. Error when two successive faults are committed

7. Decade of the 20th century when racquetball originated

8. Type of bounce where ball is hit with full strengh

9. A ball should hit this wall first