How do I win a rally?
This is a question that everyone asks themselves at some point in a match. It's most likely to come into your mind at the time when you are most desperate for a point but suddenly any cheap points seem to have completely disappeared. At this point it is important to remember that in Racketball there are four main ways to win a rally!
Racketball is by far the most defensive of all racket sports with the longest average rallies both in terms of time and number of shots. The sports best characteristics are derived from this making it incredibly good for burning calories, cardiovascular fitness and forcing players to think tactically to win. The four tactics that you should be thinking about to come through victorious are listed below.
Move your opponent out of position and then hit into space
If your opponent is in position in the centre of the court then they are likely to be able to retrieve the ball no matter where you decide to place it. Try to think a couple of shots ahead. Your opponent might be able to retrieve your first shot but if this shot moves them out of position your next shot might stand you a better chance of winning you the point. A good example of this would be hitting a good drop shot into the front right that your opponent only just managed to retrieve. Your opponent might not be able to recover to the T before you can hit a follow up shot away from where they are, into space and winning the point.
This is a question that everyone asks themselves at some point in a match. It's most likely to come into your mind at the time when you are most desperate for a point but suddenly any cheap points seem to have completely disappeared. At this point it is important to remember that in Racketball there are four main ways to win a rally!
Racketball is by far the most defensive of all racket sports with the longest average rallies both in terms of time and number of shots. The sports best characteristics are derived from this making it incredibly good for burning calories, cardiovascular fitness and forcing players to think tactically to win. The four tactics that you should be thinking about to come through victorious are listed below.
Move your opponent out of position and then hit into space
If your opponent is in position in the centre of the court then they are likely to be able to retrieve the ball no matter where you decide to place it. Try to think a couple of shots ahead. Your opponent might be able to retrieve your first shot but if this shot moves them out of position your next shot might stand you a better chance of winning you the point. A good example of this would be hitting a good drop shot into the front right that your opponent only just managed to retrieve. Your opponent might not be able to recover to the T before you can hit a follow up shot away from where they are, into space and winning the point.
Hitting the ball tight
No mater how fast your opponent is if you keep the ball tight they will need skill to take it off the wall and not lose the point. There are a few shots to employ that are very effective at resulting in this outcome. The straight drop and straight drive are the most obvious, the two wall boast and narrow cross court are less obvious but no less effective.
When hitting the straight drive or drop focus on your line. If the ball hits the side wall early then it will pop out into the middle. With the straight drop focus on front wall, floor and then side wall. For the straight drive make sure that it does not hit the side wall until after the back of the service box. Follow the links to the narrow cross court and two wall attacking boast.
Send your opponent the wrong way
When watching the best Racketball players in action this is something that you will constantly see them attempting to do. In most racket sports this is something that is very difficult to do as in badminton and tennis you are facing your opponent which makes subtle changes hard to detect. In Racketball you also have the option of hitting the ball into the wall which gives you far more options than even a highly deceptive sport like Table Tennis.
A great way to think about how to send your opponent the wrong way is to develop two or more options from the same position, think of these as partnership shots. The most popular partnership shot at the top of the game is between the straight drive and the boast. Played from the same position on the court but heading to opposite corners. If your straight drive is so effective that your opponent must cover it to avoid losing the point and you are able to at the last minute change this shot into the two wall attacking boast you might be able to send your opponent the wrong way. Follow this link to our shot partnership page for more information.
No mater how fast your opponent is if you keep the ball tight they will need skill to take it off the wall and not lose the point. There are a few shots to employ that are very effective at resulting in this outcome. The straight drop and straight drive are the most obvious, the two wall boast and narrow cross court are less obvious but no less effective.
When hitting the straight drive or drop focus on your line. If the ball hits the side wall early then it will pop out into the middle. With the straight drop focus on front wall, floor and then side wall. For the straight drive make sure that it does not hit the side wall until after the back of the service box. Follow the links to the narrow cross court and two wall attacking boast.
Send your opponent the wrong way
When watching the best Racketball players in action this is something that you will constantly see them attempting to do. In most racket sports this is something that is very difficult to do as in badminton and tennis you are facing your opponent which makes subtle changes hard to detect. In Racketball you also have the option of hitting the ball into the wall which gives you far more options than even a highly deceptive sport like Table Tennis.
A great way to think about how to send your opponent the wrong way is to develop two or more options from the same position, think of these as partnership shots. The most popular partnership shot at the top of the game is between the straight drive and the boast. Played from the same position on the court but heading to opposite corners. If your straight drive is so effective that your opponent must cover it to avoid losing the point and you are able to at the last minute change this shot into the two wall attacking boast you might be able to send your opponent the wrong way. Follow this link to our shot partnership page for more information.
Wait until your opponent makes a mistake
This is the old school Racketball tactic but it is still the most effective go to tactic when your back is against the wall. This tactic requires a strong mind and fit body to see through but remember that there are four ways that a rally can end.
- You hit a winner
- Your opponent hits a winner
- You make a mistake
- Your opponent makes a mistake
If you adopt to go on the defensive in Racketball it might mean that you won't find a winner but if you focus on retrieving and not making an error you are able to restrict the rallies conclusion to only one possible outcome. Just get ready to run, and run a lot!
