Racquetball is one of the best ways to get in shape. You beat the daylights into a little colored rubber ball, sweat like there’s no tomorrow, and work out without even thinking about it. You can get fit, burn calories, and up your game fast. I know because it’s my favorite way, this side of alpine skiing, to get in and stay in shape. I call it “free training” because you don’t even realize you’re officially exercising when you get carried away by the fun and excitement of this amazing game. And the learning curve is quick because almost every shot you take is in play, unlike in tennis. You will improve quickly.
I’ve been playing for 35 years. And while it’s harder to hit as many shots as before, it’s worth the hassle. What nuisance? It’s a fun game. I play singles, although I know the day will come when I will have to reduce the wear and tear on my knees and back by playing doubles. But my goal is to keep playing until I can’t anymore, which I hope never will be.
I admit having to wear a knee brace, but I got over it 10 years ago. I also use the lightest and strongest racket available, which these days is a Wilson. I use the same brand of gloves and goggles. Now let me stress how important good polycarbonate goggles are to your overall safety and confidence when gaming. That is your most important team. Don’t skimp here.
You can be set up with all the gear you’ll need to play to your heart’s content for less than $100, but you won’t need to buy replacement items for long unless you’re trigger-happy enough to blow your racket. into walls when you get frustrated from hitting the ground with an easy kill too many times. I also got over that a long time ago.
The game is fast. It will improve your hand-eye coordination in a pinch. You will become much faster than you ever thought possible. The more you play, the better you’ll get at killing shots your partner has no chance of hitting, while learning to hit tough shots off the wall, ceiling, and anywhere else they can pop out of in an instant.
It is a game where scoring can only happen while you have the serve. You’ll want to develop several different services to keep your opponent off guard. If you try to kill every shot and serve you make with all the strength you can muster, you’ll end up hurting your elbow or shoulder. So save the heat for when you really need to hit that corner kick or passing shot, or when you feel like you need to try to outplay your partner on the service winner. Just remember, the harder you hit the ball, the more chance it has to come off the wall for your partner to hit if you don’t hit it where you want it to. That, my friends, is the bottom line: the location of the shots. Some days you have it, others you don’t.
Remember above all else: racquetball is a game. It doesn’t matter who wins and who loses as long as you have fun playing, and that’s the easy part. It’s tremendous fun if you refuse to lose your cool and realize that you’re doing the best you can no matter the outcome, which you often will be.