Let's Talk Racquetball

1970’s Champion Charlie Brumfield called it “the bum fight” and a few years ago at a Doubles event there were several incidents of it. I am talking about the fight for center court and fighting for position. First, when an athlete holds up at the top levels and the ref does not call it, the athlete has no choice but to swing away. In one match an athlete almost took another one’s head off but the ref created the situation. By ignoring close play and awarding a free point to the opponent because the athlete held up their swing, the …

Above L to R: Carlee, Angelica, Jade, Yanna, Grant, and Tyler “Coach, stop giving away all those coaching points on your tip of the day!” This was one of the comments of a student of mine recently. This has come to me from more than one athlete from all levels of play. My athletes like the fact I teach differently than most pros and am always looking for an edge in instruction. Okay, so here is a message to my athletes. This is for my athletes only who pay me to set up programs, go over video, and coach them …

Mind repair. When your car breaks down you go the garage and they find a part to replace the broken one. Here are seven “broken” mindsets and the parts below to replace them! 1. Uh Oh-here we go again. (forecasting your loss ahead of time!) 2. I can’t get my first serve in! (meaning-I am a terrible player, I cannot get my first serve in) 3. My opponent is a cheater. (your loss excuse served up on a silver platter for you) 4. The ref is making horrible calls. (see above) 5. I have a horrible seed in this tournament. …

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. Imagine 10 balls in a row; hit all 10! 7. Get the rhythm of a counter-turn before you turn into the ball. 8. Practice …

Lessons above and beyond! Some time ago I had an exhausting lesson session during the middle of a tournament. Now for those who do not know, I coach from 8am to 8pm at least and sometimes longer when coaching in tournaments. Then I try to sneak in a little time on the court with my monthly folks. My athletes were ready for the next step and they did not disappoint. From stroke mechanics to serve to footwork to shot selection and positioning we had a great two hour session at night and another one with another student and the next …

Return of serve 303 level– Where you line your feet up to return serve can be huge. Mistakes I see: 1. I see folks staggering their feet diagonally in their stance. This puts them at a disadvantage if they are served to the “closed side”(side away from the staggered front foot). 2. Up too close-I see folks lined up closer to center court so they can get to that perfect serve. What this does is open the court up for jams, and z serves. The deeper your position to receive serve, the better you are at covering angles. 3. Back …

The side comments during a pro match I have to get rid of or I cannot concentrate on the match. I also have to stop the commentary–I know the commentators mean well but it does not help me focus on what is happening on the court. Here are some comments not necessarily by commentators, but on social media. “Wow-big surprise this player losing.” Possible reason not explored or thought of. The Worlds are coming in just a few days after the tournament. Traveling from one end of the country to another and then packing up to go to another country …

  The late Dr Bud Muehleisen changed the game forever in the 70’s and 80’s. Now all you young players stay with me because this is not so much a jog down memory lane as it is a good lesson for you young whippersnappers! Dr. Bud influenced so many people including me, directly and indirectly. He taught Dave Peck who taught me, his HOF brother Gregg (RIP) and legendary pros of the future (at camps) and I have passed it on to two more generations and am still preaching it. But then Dr Bud indirectly changed the game again. I …

  I think this little tip will go a long way in anyone’s racquetball game and for that matter the game of life as well!! Recently I was asked this: “Do you work with mental skills as well as the mechanics of footwork and strokes?” Answer-I did not realize i did but from day one I employed a method of teaching that carried over from my classroom days. I received high ratings from kids and parents in my classes and the main reason was I cared about the kids and their growth as human beings as much or more than …