Racquetball is a fast moving and competitive game played in an enclosed court. In racquetball, all four walls as well as the ceiling are in play at all times. As a result, a player often has the chance to make a play on the ball even if it has passed her once. The game requires a strong serve, excellent ground strokes and clever strategy to give the player a chance to win.
Serve
The serve is the most important shot in racquetball. You can only score points when you are serving in racquetball. In order to serve correctly, you must hit the ball from the serving box off the front wall and have it bounce past the service line onto the floor before it hits the back wall. The primary serve in racquetball is the drive serve. A player stands in the middle of the service box and drives it hard and low off the front wall so it goes to the rear forehand or backhand corner of the court. The server should vary her serve so her opponent cannot predict which shot is coming next. In addition to the drive serve, the lob serve, the backhand serve and the Z serve will keep an opponent off balance. Using these off-speed serves is similar to how a pitcher in baseball will use his change-up and curveball even though his fast ball might be his best pitch.
Court Strategy
One of the most important elements in racquetball is establishing forward court placement. If you are in front of your opponent on the court, you are dictating the pace of the point and your opponent is scrambling to make a return. When you can get to the front of the court, it is easier to hit the ball to a spot where your opponent cannot reach it and that will give you the point.
Low Shots
The best way to hit the ball in order to help you compete is to strike the ball so it hits low on the front wall. If you hit the ball perfectly, it will hit inches from the floor and roll out when it returns toward the back of the court. That will give you a winner. However, even if you don't hit a rollout, the lower your hit the ball the tougher it will be for your opponent to return the ball. The higher your return the easier it will be for your opponent to return your shot.
Ceiling Ball
Using the ceiling is an outstanding strategy if you find yourself trailing in the point and you are just barely getting your racquet on the ball to stay alive. Angle your racquet upward to send the ball to the ceiling. The closer to the front wall the ball hits the ceiling, the deeper the ball will rebound to the backcourt. Your opponent will have to wait for the ball to get deep in the court and then apply a perfect stroke. If he lacks patience, he might make a mistake or hit the ball high, which will give you a chance to get back in the point.
Warning
You can't hide in racquetball. After you hit the ball, you have to get out of the way and let your opponent hit and then he has to do the same for you. However, in an enclosed court it's not always easy to get out of the way. If you feel you are going to strike your opponent with your racquet, don't hit the ball. You must call "hinder" in order to avoid injuries. When a hinder is called, the point is played over.
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