Ethics
Some years ago I returned to international team Coaching, as a private coach only, for the USA Junior team. It has been 14 years since I coached for the USA. I donated my time and efforts and I lost a ton of money but a few things prompted me to help the USA. The coaches […]
Process Poet
There is a reason for every kill shot and every miss. Know those reasons and your game takes off. My first question when I began playing was “Why did the ball go there when I was aiming over there?” Nobody I knew could really answer that question so I had to find out for myself. […]
The First Rule is No Rule?
The first rule is there are no rules-only guidelines! In a conversation I once had with the greatest player in racquetball history he made this statement: “You know it is hard to learn racquetball because there is always an exception to every rule. There are really no set rules when it comes to footwork and […]
Be Creative, B, E, Creative!!
After the skills have been mastered; forehand, backhand, drive serve, serve return, conditioning, shot selection, nutrition, and positioning comes that one area that is really hard to teach. That for lack of a better word is creativity. How do I define creativity? That is hard to do. Examples of creativity 1. Coaching yourself. It is […]
Make Super Serves
Use the service box! Use all of the box! Today’s game consists of serve and how well you can return. To be effective in serving you have to move around the service box. Serving from one position can doom you. Put it another way. How many times have you been serving and the opponent is […]
No Joke Choke
Dear Coach, I have an athlete who does everything great in practice but in a match is helpless. Do you have any advice for this athlete? Signed Coach of Choker! Dear Coach of Choker, This may quite simply a case of not being under enough pressure in practice. The more pressure you practice under, the […]
Doubles Troubles
Doubles is a crazy game and two good doubles players will defeat two good singles players. Here are some signs of common doubles errors: 1. One (or more) players are on the wall–standing near or against a sidewall is a big no-no. Why? Not only are you out of position, you can be hit with […]
Journey More Than Destination
It has been my experience that many athletes undersell themselves. For whatever reason their opinion of their game is way too low. Why? Athletes tend to see results, not ability. I see what could be, not what is. This creates a problem for the athlete. It is hard to believe in a coach if you […]
More Holdups than a Grade B Western Movie?
I cannot stand stealing points. Our game is going to change forever if we do not fix this ridiculous hinder begging. This was written after observing matches at an international tournament. I saw so many holdups I thought I was in the old West in the 1800’s! Some players have gotten so good at it […]
Thank the Local Legends
disclaimer-this is a mythical letter–so do not try to find the player in Texas! haha) Coach Help-one player in my State is winning all the tournaments. We cannot beat this player. What to do? Signed, Ticked off in Texas Dear “Ticked off”, (Editor’s note: Charles Garfinkle passed away some time ago. This post was […]