Hi! My name is Malia Bailey and we're going over the fundamentals and basics of racquetball. Right now, we're going to go over the basic strategies when you're beginning to play. So, we're going to start from the beginning of our rally. Again, we're going to start serving.
Alright, once I serve, I want to come out of the box. Again, we can come out of this service box right after the ball breaks the plane of this short line. So, we can come out with the ball. So, we serve and what we're going to do, we're served to this corner.
So we serve the ball, we come out when we can. We come out of the box watching the ball. Always keep your eye on the ball. There is too many times where I have seen beginners, they serve and they come out like this. They have no idea where that ball is.
When you're facing the front wall looking this way, the ball can be anywhere back here. It may be in the middle of the court and the receiver is getting ready to hit the ball. If you're facing the front wall like this, you have a nice target for your opponent. So, if you keep your eye on the ball, whether it's in this corner or this corner, you'll know how to move. If the ball pops out, you can move one direction or the other to make room for your opponent to take his shot.
We always want to try to maintain center court position, which is about a foot or a foot-and-a-half from the 5 foot line. This is where we want to be. This is where we can retrieve the most balls. However, we do have to relinquish this position when we're blocking an opponent. So, we have to get out of the way.
So, we serve, serve to that corner. We come out. Watch the ball, stay low and then we're in good position to see where that ball is. Also, we want to watch the ball come off your opponent's racquet.
As the receiver, you are back here, watching the serve. The serve goes to this corner. Again, if you can be aggressive with your shot, hit a nice low shot or just go to the ceiling. Bring your opponent back or pass them, get them out of the center court position, so you can move up. Again, watch the ball.
We talked a little earlier about movement. When you move on the court, always face the side wall. Forehand, you cross-over and move and shuffle. When you move, it's more efficient than trying to move this way and then turning. Sometimes, you're not going to have enough time. So, face the side wall as soon as you decide whether you're going to hit a forehand or a backhand and be in position to return the ball.
So basic strategies, when you play racquetball as the server, pick your serve, watch your serve, come out of the box and be ready to return the next shot. As the receiver, watch the serve, pick your returner serve, that will be hardest for the server to return and you take over center court position or of course, ideally get the serve.
Thank you so much for watching this video. I hope you've learned something and take away some drills that you're able to use in your playing. I wish you safe playing and have lots of fun.
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