Advanced Racquetball Tips

Racquetball is a fun and easy-to-learn game that almost anyone can play. However, when played competitively, racquetball becomes a highly skilled game that relies on speed, quickness and shot precision. Played in an enclosed area, racquetball is a fast-paced game that leaves little room for mistakes. Advanced racquetball requires a combination of strategy, fitness and shot precision and variation.

  1. Playing the Back Wall

    • When playing racquetball at an advanced level, it's important to use back wall shots to your advantage. Lower-level players will often hit the ball off the back wall, which gives you a great opportunity to put the point away with a kill shot. The key to hitting a back wall ball is to keep your eye on the ball and not the spot on the back and side walls where the ball hits. Watch the ball for as long as you can before you feel the need to hit it. The longer you wait to hit the ball, the better chance you have of placing it perfectly on the front wall. This is because the ball is already traveling toward the front wall after it plays off the back wall. Advanced racquetball players see back wall shots as good opportunities to end points with a powerful and well-placed hit.

    Different Serves

    • Many racquetball players tend to focus on having a strong drive serve as their standard serve. Having a powerful and consistent serve is no doubt important in racquetball, but playing advanced-level racquetball requires having more than one serve in your arsenal. Similar to a baseball pitcher, it helps to mix up your serves just like it helps the baseball player to mix up his pitches.

      Adding a lob serve, a Z serve and perhaps even a backhand serve will greatly improve your racquetball game and keep your opponent on his toes.

    Rally Strategy

    • A rally begins once the server gets her second hit on the ball. Rallies are obviously a major part of the racquetball game and an area that tends to separate decent players from advanced players. In a rally a good player is always aware of her position in comparison to her opponent. For example, if you're in front of your opponent when you hit the ball you have a good chance of putting the point away with a well-placed low ball. However, if you are behind your opponent you need to be aware that she has the advantage and you play to switch position rather than try to go for a risky kill strike. This can be accomplished by hitting a high ball that forces your opponent to use her backhand side.

      Advanced racquetball players are patient throughout even the hardest-fought rallies, and they avoid making costly mistakes that benefit the opponent.

    Playing Angle Shots

    • Advanced racquetball players take advantage of angled shots in their shot selection. There are many different angle shots including pinch, reverse pinch, splat and Z shots that use the court walls to make smart and timely defensive and offensive plays. Good racquetball players are aware of all the angle shot options they have and avoid making risky low and hard shots every time.