Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies [Paperback]

Ed Turner (Author), Woody Clouse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1995

Whether you're a competitive tournament player or a recreational player, Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies will help you improve your game.

The authors—veteran instructor Ed Turner and #9-ranked professional racquetball player Woody Clouse—show you all the shots and strategies for success on the court. And you'll see them from two views: the objective eye of an instructor and the keen competitive eye of a touring professional.

Using more than 140 photos and illustrations, the authors provide practical tips for beginning through advanced players, plus drills for each level. Inside you'll find valuable information on:

- selecting equipment and facilities;
- safety and injury prevention and treatment;
- conditioning to improve strength, power, flexiblity, and endurance;
- common errors and how to correct them;
- effective game strategies for doubles and tournament play; and
- mental conditioning and outthinking opponents.

This invaluable handbook is divided into three parts that cover everything you need to know. In Part I you'll learn how to pick out the equipment and facility that's right for you. The authors also outline a conditioning program that will help prevent injuries and improve your skill level.

Part II shows you how to use practice sessions and drills to broaden your arsenal of shots. You'll strengthen your forehand and backhand and learn how to hit effective passing, kill, backwall, and ceiling shots. The authors also address the all-important serve.

If you're a competitive racquetball player, the secrets you'll find in Part III of Winning Racquetball are indispensable. You'll discover how to use your brain as well as your feet to cover the court, out-think your opponent, and play effective doubles and cut-throat games. And, top-ranked player Woody Clouse gives you a glimpse of the practice regimen and professional demands of an International Racquetball Tour professional.

You'll also find a practical mini-clinic designed to help you diagnose and correct the 13 most common errors made by racquetball players.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Millions of Americans play racquetball, yet instructional material is scarce. This guide, written by a veteran instructor (Turner) and a ranked professional (Clouse) provides tips for both the seasoned recreational player and the novice. They examine everything from equipment to match strategy in straightforward, conversational language augmented by more than 140 photos and line drawings. Readers will learn how to select a racquet and a facility; how to condition themselves specifically for the sport; and how to avoid the most common types of injuries. There are also excellent tips for doubles play, mental conditioning, and gamesmanship. In addition, the authors break the game down into offensive and defensive skills, an approach often overlooked in racquet-sport instructionals. A key feature is the inclusion of drills to develop the recommended shots and strategies. Too often players just play, forgetting that even a minimal amount of time devoted to skill development can pay huge dividends. In areas where the sport is popular, this is the instructional of choice. Wes Lukowsky

Review

Use this as a training tool teaching skills and strategies to learning and improving one's racquetball game. From mastering skills and shots to understanding the elements of service success, this provides black and white photos to illustrate step-by-step pointers covering the entire game. -- Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics; 3rd Edition edition (October 11, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873227212
• ISBN-13: 978-0873227216
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #672,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Racket Sports > Racquetball

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Information that is Very Valuable, March 14, 2000

By 

Jesse Leal, Jr. Real name is Jesus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies (Paperback)

One has to apply the information that has been read from this book and use it on the racquetball court. The information is very direct, and their is no mystery to it. One of the authors who contributed information on this book [Woody Clouse] emphasizes that one has to practice hitting alot of balls on the court, lift weights, and run sprints in order to get better as a player-Male or Female. International Racquetball commissioner Hank Marcus along with Irt player Jon Ellis give this book a very positive evaluation. The book has many pictures illustrating situations where one has too be hitting the ball away from the player, etc. The book has several chapters that emphasize all the aspects of game-conditioning, nutrition. The book also has several pictures of players who play on the professional tour. Cliff Swain, Andy Roberts, Mike Ray, Drew Kachtik , and Ruben Gonzales are some of the player photographs one will see in this book. I have to say that my play was really very limited and highly primitive. I only knew how to serve the most basic serve in racquetball and that was the drive, and that was the only shot I knew since the beginning. I was very fortunate that when I was playing the game I purchased this book during the time to help improve my play. It has been a couple of months now, and my play is alot better. I can do a Z-serve, a left and right drive serve, and my lob is coming there. I also learned to hit the ball away from my opponent and not to hit the ball to him or her but away from my opponent. Alot of patience is needed, and alot of practicing if one desires to improve. So if your a racquetball player who is from Moscow, Russia, or Tijuana ,Mexico, or from Houston Texas who wants to be more knowledgeable playing the game, I highly recommend this book too you.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars from beginner to advanced, May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies (Paperback)

i am a current teaching club pro and after a few lessons, i have suggested to my students that they look at this book for a superb instruction, strategy, and exercises through drills to take their game to another level. this easy to read book is more than worth the price of 13.56 they are selling it for......cheaper than a one hour lesson with me. Well worth the investment.

35 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much solid information here., February 21, 2000

By 

Kevin Utter "Fair Trade" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies (Paperback)

I was disappointed by the lack of advanced instruction in this book. Winning Racquetball includes precious little information that an intermediate player wouldn't already know. It seems this book is mostly filler. I was expecting insight on advanced strategies and how to improve on fundamentals. Instead I found a lot of information on how I should eat and what I should wear.