The basic fundamentals of any sport need to be practiced. When I first started playing this game I used my experience in high school, Air Force, and college football. Every practice in football the basics were practiced. Practices to this day are broken into: Warmup, skills by position, Drills, controlled skeleton scrimmages, scrimmages and conditioning. In today’s era post practice rehab, strength training or some form of film review is also done.
Let’s translate that to racquetball. Every day warmup, practice skills and shots, do controlled game rallies, with post practice work.
Now I’m realizing many of the players I am coaching have their own personal trainer for strength and conditioning. Those trainers are oblivious to the racquetball skills I am teaching. The trainers need to be taught what the coach is doing or they may not be on the same page! One more thing about the PT folks would be they only get the athlete for an hour or so at a time one or two days per week. Meanwhile a racquetball load of work could lead to over-training.
Trainers and coaches need to communicate.
Basics have to be practiced every practice.
Sport specificity is imperative, not optional.
Skills need to be broken down with movement and without movement.
Moving to movement skills and drills are cool if the basics have been mastered.
If the basics have not been mastered you will be rehearsing incorrect skills.
If the basics have not been mastered you will get good at playing incorrectly!
Rest is as important or maybe even more important than the work!
A good training schedule is important.
Breaking that schedule when life gets in the way-family-school-work-is mandatory!
Life priorities need to adhered to, not a training schedule!
Go get’em tigers!!