The Racquetball Party


Racquetball is full of excitement. It is a game that is characterized by blazing rallies from each combatant. Offensive shots are being thrown from almost every detail of the court. Fans are treated to a party filled with upbeat tunes.

Straight-in shots are delivered so as to strike the front wall lower than usual. A kill shot is produced when the ball comes in contact with the front wall so low that it bounces twice before reaching the service line. Another focus of straight-in shots is reaching areas of the court that the other player will have a hard time to cover. Hits that render the opponent unable to return the ball successfully are tagged as down-the-line and cross court passing shots.

There are shots called pinches and splats which primarily target the side wall before having a stint with the front wall. These shots cause the ball to bounce twice in quick fashion thus making it a potent weapon to end a rally. Pinches usually come in contact with the side wall going to the front portion of the court. The splat is an elongated variation of the pinch which targets the side wall leading up to the back area of the court.

Moreover, pinches can be categorized as reverse or frontside. A right-handed player performing a forehand to the right front corner is doing a frontside pinch while a forehand shot to the left corner can bring on a reverse pinch. A right-handed player makes a backhand frontside pinch when aiming to the left corner and a reverse double pinch when oriented towards the right corner. For players that are lefties the opposite of the mentioned conditions apply.

Moving on, the dink is an offensive charge that is applied to end a point. It is a very soft shot targeting the lower area of the front wall. The effectiveness of this shot lies in its ability to make the ball bounce twice before the opponent can reach it. It is commonly utilized in cases wherein the opponent is located deep in the court.

The Z shot is employed in order to confuse and tire out the opposing player. It is achieved by making a hard and high hit at the side wall making the ball hit the front then to the other side wall and finally back to the original side wall. If this offensive technique is properly executed the path of the ball will manifest a Z shape. It can be characterized by confusing bounces that can really heat up the opposing player.

The CB Pinch is an offensive move that can serve as a surprise attack. It can be performed as a fast response to a ceiling shot that leads to the front of the service line right after the bounce of the ball on the floor. Moreover it is characterized by a floor bounce with the ball geared up to softly and quickly target either corner in front of the service line. Since it is performed immediately after a ceiling shot-floor bounce the CB pinch renders the rear position of the opponent defenseless as the player rushed forward in order to make the shot.

Racquetball is a very dynamic game. One shot can turn things around so players have to be quick in each response they have to make.