Never Let Good Enough be good enough!

“Coach, my opponent’s talking trash to me and cheating! Every time I play this guy in practice he resorts to cheating and trash talking. Do you have any advice? It threw me completely off my game and I ended arguing instead of playing.” First-this happened in practice. Practice is just that. I think it is great that people want to win at any costs and cheat in practice. Why? That gives you more realistic practice and puts you under more pressure. That pressure is great for tournament play. Did you know that the heart rate is slower in practice than …

Jumping in on a social media argument can be dangerous! I suggest not posting anything without investigating. Things may not be as black and white as they seem. Here are the facts on a few of these entities. USA Racquetball-I have to say they try. They are not out to get you or me; but their policies might! If you investigate further you might find out their reasoning. LPRT-Organizes tournaments for the best female pros on the planet. During the Pandemic, due to their contacts, they have been able to have competitive tournaments. IRT-organizes tournaments–for the best male pros in …

Open, Pro play observations: it is my experience that the top athletes who come to me often put themselves in a category. (You could say this about most athletes at all levels now that I think about it)-that includes me in my heyday!) Mostly that category is qualifier. This self-limiting category hurts athletes mentally because they are doomed to be at the level they expect to be. Now admittedly it is more than mental. Many fans think players have a mental problem vs a particular player when those of us in the know tend to think like this: think that …

  So I am riding along with a player in the car who says this statement to me. “Racquetball is really hard to teach to players.” Naturally I respond, “Why?” He went on, “Because you cannot make one rule for everything. People ask me what is the right way to do this or that, and the answer is impossible because you cannot make one rule for a random movement sport.” I began thinking about the wisdom in this and came up with a few basic rules and why they are not always correct. 1. Start with the forehand and backhand …

  Here are a few games I invented back in the day. While I say I invented them I have to add that other people I have met have “invented” the same games and better games as a necessity to practice. 1. HBM–Human ball machine-simply find a practice partner with control and have them give you ten setups of your choice. You execute the setups and then return the favor. You and your practice partner become HBMs. 2. Rally scoring serve games work like this. You serve say a drive serve left. That is the only serve you can use …

The World Singles Tournament dates are Sept 4-7. 2025 at Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Be Aware! Prepare for the rare air!!! Denver is the mile-high city with different dynamics due to the altitude. 10 facts to consider to increase your fun at World singles and doubles in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, suburb of Denver. 1. Your body will dehydrate faster. You must drink fluids. 2. Your body will dehydrate faster. You must avoid alcohol because it will dehydrate you! 3. The ball racquetball travels faster so everyone is a power player, or could be! 4. Your footwork will become crucial. Practice good …

Forehand basics revisited-10 rules of a good forehand- 1. Parallel feet–not staggered. This keeps you away from the ball and gives you leverage and options. 2. Weight balanced and power generated from the leg nearest to the back wall–not weight on the front leg. 3. Stay away from the ball and bend your knees, that will be $110.00 please. 4. Keep your head down on the ball. 5. Hit and get, don’t hit and sit! 6. Get the racquet up and ready! 7. Get the rhythm of a counter-turn before you turn into the ball. 8. Practice out and around, …

Today it is random musings from the ole ball coach: Is it me or…. Do players just want to play and be left alone? Do players not want to look behind the curtain and see what really goes on behind the scenes? Do players win a video analysis in a raffle, and send me the video one day after expiration? Do too many shootouts give away lots of fun and a company headband instead of legitimate prizes? Do some states have a serious problem with inactive state boards? Do some states or organizations not play fair and allow others to …

Recently I was asked this question. “What are some of the training mistakes top racquetball players make? Here is what I came up with. 1. Not having a set goal. That may sound strange, but most athletes love the lifestyle, the traveling and best, the adoration of lesser skilled athletes and fans. Therefore the pro athlete bounces from tournament to tournament getting by on great athleticism but not winning consistently! The local athlete is in much the same boat. 2. Make your sport a “timed sport” not a competitive sport. An olympic athlete in a timed sport has a goal. …