What Are the Benefits of Playing Racquetball?

Racquetball is a sport played in an enclosed playing space, consisting of a wood floor, four walls and a high ceiling. Players use rackets to alternate hitting a bouncing blue ball off the front wall of the court. Racquetball is a fast-paced sport that requires a significant amount of running maneuvering and strategy. Playing racquetball can have many benefits.

  1. Simple Gameplay

    • One of the main reasons to play any sport is to have fun. Racquetball has fairly simple rules and is much more forgiving than other racket sports like tennis and table tennis that require precise control to keep the ball within a certain playing area. This can make the game more enjoyable for new players that lack racket control. In racquetball, there is no out of bounds area, so it is impossible to hit the ball too far. This also means that balls will never be lost while playing and it takes very little time to collect a ball after a point is played, which means players can spend more time playing and less time walking around collecting balls.

    Health Benefits

    • Racquetball requires constant movement to run into positions where the ball can be struck. This means that long games of racquetball can be effective at burning calories and promoting cardiovascular health which can potentially lead to weight loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, playing racquetball casually for a hour will burn around 511 calories for people that weigh 160 pounds and 637 for people that weigh 200 pounds. This is approximately the same amount of calories that you would burn doing high impact aerobics, swimming laps, or cross country skiing. People that have difficulty staying motivated while doing cardio workouts may find that racquetball presents an entertaining alternative.

    Accessibility

    • Another advantage of playing racquetball is that the game can be played year-round in any weather conditions and at any time of day, since it is played indoors. This makes it ideal for winter where cold temperature, ice and snow may interfere with other activities. Racquetball courts are available at many gyms and health clubs; gaining access to courts may require a gym membership. The equipment required to play racquetball is minimal: each player must have a racket and the players must have a single ball. Oftentimes gyms will have racquetball equipment available for patrons to use or rent.