I got an email today about the game today and shot selection. The author is a nice guy, but he is dead wrong about the modern game of racquetball.
First, he goes into great detail on crossover steps and why they are important. I believe that thinking is way outdated and creates poor footwork, not good footwork. (and I have bio-mechanical evidence to back me up on that)
Second, he states that the game today is low% racquetball and there is no strategy. Again, untrue, the game is faster, lower, and therefore the strategy is in the details. You master technique so the game is higher percentage. The game has moved from strategy to strategic technique so the execution is higher %. I will admit many players have poor strategy and technique, but that was true in the old days also.
Third thing he says is that he is not a fan of shooting down the line. Again, we go back to execution. Down the line is the best shot in racquetball, but it takes technique. Good technique produces stellar down the line shots. One more thing regarding strategy and shot selection. If you master down the line-they cannot cover it but the same can be said for wide angle pass shots.
I am always reminded that if you believe cross-court is best and you master it, down the line becomes your secondary shot. The same can be said of down the line with cross court as your backup option. All of that said, down the line neutralizes speedy opponent’s abilities to cover the court. Cross court allows them to continue rallies and the margin of error is slightly lower if you have good technique and footwork!
When someone chooses to leave this game for twenty years and come back to it, what they see is with an uneducated eye in some cases. The game is changing constantly. The long sweeping backhands and forehands of yesteryear are not going to be efficient today. The good old crossover steps will always be part of the game but open stance technique on both sides will be the norm, not the exception because the game is lower and faster!