Trash the Trash Talker
I got a phone call from an athlete I coach. “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 […]
The Guilt Trip Player
The guilt trip player can be a shock the first time you experience this. Let’s shorten that to GTP. The GTP plays on an athlete’s sense of fairness. The GTP knows their opponent wants to be perceived as fair. GTP takes advantage of that. Phrases like “If that is the way you are going to […]
3 Squares and Racquetball
From day one in my tournament life I did and still do devote myself to winning. With that in mind, here is the question posed to me. Should tournaments guarantee two matches? In most cases I say yes. Local, and regional tournaments emphasize play and competition so two matches should be guaranteed. This is not […]
New Coach-New Problems?
I have a student moving away from here to college and a new coach. I get very nervous about the move. Why? I have spent time teaching this student how to move and how to train. In comes a new coach with an entirely different way of looking at the game. Out goes the technique […]
One Step at a Time!
A few years ago I got this photo from an athlete I used to coach. The photo is one of my favorites and was sent to me by Melania Sauma, formerly on the Arizona State Racquetball team. The picture came to me at the same time I received an email from one of my athletes. […]
That Magic Pill Ain’t Magic!
This is a great question that was asked of me a few days ago. I am paraphrasing and it went like, “Coach, What is the risk vs reward of changing your stroke mechanics after you have been playing a long time?” Here is how I see it. “If I had a magic pill and if […]
Adapt Lesson to Athlete
(Editor’s Note: This one is from the archives!) Every once in awhile I come home totally wiped out. I am tired and I have to look back at my day to figure it out. Yesterday was such a day. I had a lesson with a player who had never had a lesson and was self-taught. […]
Be Where Your Feet Are
It seems like a simple thing but it is not. Keep your upper body over your lower body. Say what? Okay–you should not be bending forward at the waist to get to a shot. This puts you off balance. Arch your lower back, stay straight and centered. Your movement will be much better. How in […]
Raise the Bar for Juniors
I have been hearing this sort of statement from parents and even some coaches of junior players for as long as I have been coaching juniors. (48 years thank you very much!). What a bummer that this is an off-year in junior competitions. Now Junior or Missy will be on their off year next competition.” […]
Racquetball RX
As I watch some of my athletes play at the top levels, it occurs to me they probably are not doing what I am prescribing. Prescription after a poor performance. RX for athletes: 1. Every practice day work on your worst skill 2x more than your strongest skill. 2. Every practice day work your mechanics […]