The “how” of racquetball is more important than the “what”. I can say, hit the ball down the line but when my athlete does not, I can say, “they do not listen to me.” or “Try it again!” Or…
I can teach “how” to hit the ball down the line with proper footwork (not stepping to the side wall) and technique, hitting at full extension on the forehand and the backhand.
Trust me, the “What”is easy to teach but the “how” is not. It takes patience with the athlete and coach’s role in this process. The only way is repetition and feedback. Since racquetball is a game of opposites, (you try harder, nothing good happens, you try easier, good things happen) you move forward the racquet has to move back and if the ball goes left, it is coming back right etc. There are no shortcuts to this process. It takes time and if you just play you are risking injury and making the process less efficient.
Play and practice or “functional training” is what i am thinking. I am always inventing new drills just to get my athletes to the ball in an efficient manner so they can execute the shot they want to hit, not the shot they have to hit.
If that sounds ambiguous; it is! I do not like to explain in public what I teach because it is misunderstood by many. Most of what I do and teach, very few others do. I say very few because my athletes who are now coaching do teach the same concepts. Their approach may be different, but it is the same stuff!!