Racquetball is a game that depends on speed, quickness, competitive fire and shot-making ability. Since it is played in an enclosed area, players are almost constantly in the line of fire. They must protect themselves at all times and they must use strategy and mix up their shots if they want to gain an edge on their opponents.
Array of Serves
You may have a great drive serve and it has helped you advance in the game of racquetball. You have power and consistency and that makes you a confident player. However, when playing at the advanced level there is a lot more to serving than power. Think of a baseball pitcher who has a dominating fastball. When that pitcher advances up the baseball ladder, he quickly learns that a fastball is not enough when it comes to being a consistent winner. Instead, he has to mix up the fastball with the curve, slider and change up. The racquetball server must mix up his drive serve with a lob serve, a Z-serve and even a backhand serve. In the long run, this will give the server a big advantage over an opponent who only hits drive serves.
Back Wall
Advanced racquetball players can take advantage of the back wall shot by putting it away with a kill shot far more often than the medium-level player. The key factor that advanced players know and lower level players tend to forget is that they must keep their eye on the ball and not the spot on the back wall where the ball hit or the spot on the front wall they want it to strike. The longer your keep your eye on the ball, the longer you can wait before hitting it. The longer you can wait, the better the chance you have of hitting it low on the front wall and putting your opponent away. Advanced players look at the back wall shot as one they can put away while lower-level players are often flummoxed by the shot.
Rally Strategy
This is the area that tends to separate the moderate player from the advanced player. The rally begins once the server has his second touch of the ball. The key to being successful in your rally is knowing your position compared to your opponent. If you are in front of your opponent when you strike the ball, you have a chance to put your opponent away. If you are behind your opponent, you must realize he has the advantage and your goal should be to change positions on the court so your are in a position to hit the winner. This can be done by hitting solid ceiling balls and driving the ball deep to your opponent's backhand side. An advanced player will show patience throughout the rally and avoid mistakes like hitting a skip ball that ends the point in your opponent's favor.
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