Your objective when you are playing is to make your opponent uncomfortable, end of story. The more uncomfortable you make them feel, the more mistakes they will make. The more mistakes they will make; the more opportunities you will get. The more opportunities you will get, the more you can take advantage of those situations by going offensive to end the rally and/or score a point, or force your opponent to go defense.
Bouncing back after losing a match is not easy to do, but it is a MUST if you want to be successful and build your championship game. It’s inevitable that we ALL win and lose matches, but it is what we do when we lose a match that counts the most. Losing should be a learning experience, NOT beating yourself up experience. Just ask yourself, “Did I play well and lose? Or did I play poorly and lose?” The key is to learn from your mistakes and remember your successes. Let go of all the negative thoughts, and remember your great
“Playing the Percentages” is what I teach, preach and live by. It is how I coach Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria and how I coached Jason Mannino and Sudsy Monchik and ALL my other students. No matter what level of player you are, pro or amateur, “playing the percentages…in other words playing the odds” is a philosophy I have always supported and encouraged players to play by. It not only works in racquetball, but in many other sports…let’s take a quick look: 1-Basketball – If you had one second left in a game and you were down by one point
How do the Pros stay cool, calm and collected during a match? That is the million-dollar question, but it can be answered. The more relaxed and at ease you are, the better you will play. The more uptight you are, out of control, and full of rage, the worse you will play. Just take a look at these professional athletes and you will see what I mean: In the finals of the US Open Paola Longoria, the #1 Player in the World, played against Frederique Lambert. There was a questionable call in the 3rd game that resulted in a side
NO ONE is exempt from injury as it is part of being involved in sports. It can range from minor, like a light strain or pulled muscle, to severe, like a torn ligament/meniscus or major tendinitis. Racquetball is a racquet sport that is quick with lots of change of direction and explosion so be as prepared as possible. In my career I have been a witness to so many injured racquetball players (including myself with a slight tear in the rotator cuff) who took the necessary steps to comeback from their injury as strong, if not stronger than before: -Rocky
We have all been in this type of situation before when we are losing the game/match and are “playing from behind.” We try to get back to good form and even up the game/match or possibly forge ahead. It is critical at this point in the match to play smart strategy as there is very little room to make any mistakes. (more…)
[caption id="attachment_7045" align="alignright" width="300"] Rocky Carson holds center court against Jose Rojas during the 2017 Shamrock IRT Shootout. Photo by Juan Martinez.[/caption] Detectives investigate a situation and gather information before they can make a determination of what happened or what they need to do to solve the mystery. A “racquetball detective” is no different. You, the racquetball detective, must analyze your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses as well as your own strengths and weaknesses to determine the game plan you need to beat your opponent. Here’s a simple formula: (more…)
Offensive versus defensive shotmaking is a great topic as many players are confused which shot to hit. Knowing when to take an offensive shot versus a defensive shot is a VERY important part of shot selection and can win or lose the match. Too often I see players do the complete opposite of what they should do. (more…)
By understanding sample game situations and tactical strategies of what to do in the heat of the battle you will then be on your way to building to your “championship level of play”. You need to be able to analyze the situation, figure out what to do, and then adjust your game plan and strategies so you fully understand how to play each and every point/game and match. This information will allow you to close out the game/match that you have the lead in, or come back from a deficient in the game/match you are behind in or win a
[caption id="attachment_1646" align="alignright" width="150"] Coach Fran Davis[/caption] With The National Doubles Championship still in mind, it's apropos to cover some doubles “Return of Serve Strategy”. Get the Serving Team to the Back of the Court …..Pass, Pass, Pass! The best return of serve for doubles is a pass, if possible, trying to keep your opponents from getting back into good center-court position. If you cannot attack early, then go to the ceiling, which still gets the serving team into the back court, your number one goal. Once the serve is hit, if the non-serving partner is slow getting back out of
