My Racquetball Forehand

One part of my game has plagued me throughout my racquetball playing has been my forehand.  (No it is not because I am left-handed)  The flaws in my forehand show up in two areas of my game. 

1: Power – as compared to other players at my level or higher, my forehand lacks the “snap” that other players have in their forehand shots. 

2: Hitting down the line.  Because of the ‘hitch’ that is in my forehand stroke and timing of hitting, when I attempt a down-the-line shot.  (Note: For a lefty, the forehand side matches up with a right-handers backhand, generally the weaker stroke) my shot hits the side wall, the front wall and then the opposite side wall leaving a set-up for my opponent.  Frustrating to say the least!  This was a primary reason for my loss in the State Finals two years ago.     

One of the keys to the forehand stroke is the hips.  One coach had me wear a long sleeved jacket with my left arm out of the sleeve.  Using just my hip and should rotation (my arm at my side) get the sleeve of the jacket to move forward.  Another area is getting my butt down and not bending at the waist.  Kinda like a goblet squat.   Hip flex mobility is one area I am working on in hopes to fix this problem. 

Undoing 35 years of bad form is not going to be easy though.  Here is Ben Croft and a text-book example of the forehand stroke.

Being left-handed is being in good company. 

Left-handed Racquetball Champions

Kane Waselenchuk – Current #1 ranked player and was undefeated from January 2009 through September 2013 - 4+ years!

Cliff Swain - #1 Ranked Player 1990, 93, 94, 95, 98, 02. Best serve of all time

Mike Ray - #1 Ranked Player in the World 1992. Voted by his fellow pros as having the best forehand ever.

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It's been a month

The good: I have averaged 2 kettlebell workouts a week for July.  I think I am seeing results from the workouts; however I have been struggling with my back cramping up. I started jumping rope before and after morning racquetball.  I could barely make 60 jumps without my legs feeling like they were on fire and breathing like a charging rhinoceros.  Now, I’m at 90 seconds and looking to move to two minutes.  I started a very effective hamstring/hip stretch using stairs. 
 
The bad: No real appreciable weight loss during the month.  I really don’t count weight loss unless its 5lbs down for a week.  I was hoping to be 5 to 7lbs down for the month.  Some good news though.  I am starting a 6 week fitness challenge at G365 Fitness. The challenge is a combination of nutrition and exercise goals. 
 
The ugly: I’m playing morning racquetball and started the Monday night league however I have not dedicated any time to practice specific drills.  I thought I would have 30 minutes in the morning before racquetball, but so far I haven’t made it.  Hopefully I can make some headway here.  Here is one drill I want to start, the Star Drill.  It is designed to help with movement. I did wear my HRM and recorded 674 calories burned for 58 minutes.  

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Just trying to keep up

Interesting story. 2 weeks ago I was out of town for work, M-Th. So I was going to be a good guy and keep up with exercising. I brought my jump rope! The morning routine was jump for 3x 90s, 15 GS w/35lb dumbbell and 10 pushups. End it all with a 60s plank. I did this for 2 of the 3 mornings I was there. An accomplishment in itself! As fate would have it, on the last morning, I left the jump rope at the workout center. I realized it when I unpacked. I got another one and I was reading the recommendations on the back. 12 minutes, 5x a week, burn 650 calories. Hmm.. 12 minutes of continuous jump roping! I can barely do a minute and a half. I can’t imagine 12 minutes! 650 calories for 60 minutes it only 10.8 cal/min. Secondly, I get emails from the kettlebell blog and today’s was titled, 7 fun and whimsical kettlebell workouts. It was not the Kb weight or reps, but this statement, 15 minutes on the clock and accumulate as many quality rounds as you can. 15 minutes! I know from kb class, that after 8 stations of ~30 seconds (~6 min), my heart is going to pop out of my chest. And I am not using 24s. 20s, & 14s with a 32 for DLs. Am I just that completely out of shape? Is it the extra 40lbs? My last class was a technique/strength class. 532 cal / 50 min. 10.6 cal/min. HR max 158 (94%), 132 (78%) avg. Still sweating an hour later. But good news, my back didn’t cramp up! Barb kept on the lighter bells specifically to help with the back. A nice blood blister under my callous too.

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The Hit List

Over the last two years, I have played in a number of tournaments.  Since the racquetball community is small, you play against the same people at these tournaments.  For this season, I have developed a hit list.  These are the people I believe I should be able to beat.   

The Hit List (MN Rank, age)

Matt (102, 28) – Doesn’t have the body of a racquetball player and wears those annoying headphones  I won the first game, and then he served 7aces in a row in the second. Ouch!

Al “the Rabbit” (72, 40s) – Very hard hitter, motor always on high.  I need to use strategy against him.  He can run down every shot.  His weak spot, mid to high to his backhand.  Of course I learned that after.

Jon (75, 40s) – This quote sums up playing Jon. “So what now, Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound?” Every match Jon plays goes to the tie-breaker (Like 11-10).  I refereed his 2013 US Open match.  2 hours! 14-15, 15-14, 11-10.  I Lost to him in a tie-breaker in a summer tournament. 

Ron (151, 47) – Claims the secret to his game is Dance, Dance Revolution.  We are at the Strandemo camp together. Beatable, but I gotta learn not to skip all my backhand shots.   

Pat (116, 40s) – I lost to Pat in 2013 State Singles final after a grueling day of matches.  Big hitter, but not much of a kill shot, weak backhand.  I feel I should have beaten him.  I want a rematch!

I also have a Wish List too.  These are guys that if I beat them it would be a good notch in the belt.

Little Jimmy (113, 40s) – He hates it when I call him that. 2012 U.S. Open Men’s 35+ C Champ, 2014 Minnesota State Singles Men’s B Champ. It would be like beating Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. I have beaten him in casual play, but we have not played each other in a tournament.  Solid forehand pinch, loves to dive and complain.

Max (103, 50s) – A lefty too!  Does not make mistakes.  I buy my racquets from him.  Lost to him in the 2013 U.S. Open secondround 45+ C. 

Adam (125, 30s) – I was a little better in the beginning and then he just took off.  Helps to have an uncle as the racquetball coordinator!  …and be younger.  Lost to him in the 2013 U.S. Open C

Grant (76, 40s) – You need a bulldozer to get him out of the center.  Gotta utilize ceiling shots more. 

T.J. (77, 40s) – Solid player.  Doesn’t make many mistakes, capitalizes on yours.  I need to play well throughout the match to win.  I have lost to him twice.

Ron “Booger” (120, 50s) – An absolute character.  A complete master of the garbage shot.  I played him in my first tournament in 2012, (Men’s 50+ A) I don’t believe he ever hit a shot over 50 MPH!  I was taken apart like a watch and wondering how does a guy who looks like a walrus kick my ass like that.  However, injuries have taken their toll on him.  He is also ½ of the 2012 U.S Open Men’s C doubles champion team with Little Jimmy.

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Such Promise...

From Scoundrel’s post, the 2012-2013 Racquetball season ended on a high note.  A 1^st in MN State singles Men’s 45+C and a 2nd in Men’s C.  A disappointing second I might add.  Still very good for my second year of returning to competitive racquetball.   I was looking forward to the 2013-2014 season and was expecting to be good results.  I took lessons from SteveStrandemo, a big time player in the early 80’s. At the 2013 US Open,  I lost out in the second round of Men’s C and 45+C, however, I made to the semi-finals in Men’s C doubles.  There was the win at the Turkey shoot in Mixed B with Sheri and a Consolation win with Alan.  Then came the winter of 2014 and I lost just about every match.  I was mostly playing Men’s B.  Was it my playing or was the competition much better? I finished the 2013-14 season on a down note losing out of both Men’s B divisions, B and 45+ B.   Nagging injuries crept in also, my wrist in February and plantar fasciitis in late April.   

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Racquetball Wednesdays

Woke up, got outta bed… Forgot to set the alarm… While it was Pete and Clark that restarted my racquetball passion 7+ years ago, it was the accidental discovery of the morning racquetball players that has kept me playing each Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 6AM. Because I overslept today, I didn’t get my pre-racquetball exercise and warm-ups in. (Stretching, jump rope, specific drills). Jumped right in and continued to skip shots. I Finished with 90 seconds of jump rope. 90 seconds of jump rope may not sound like much, but boy do my legs get pumped! I’m also breathing like a race horse.

 On Wednesday’s we have the regulars, plus the once a weekers. Today we had regulars, Al, (Nancy out with kayak injuries), Arlan the Quick, Steve the Greyhound, and Steve the Whippet. Additionally, we had Big Dick, Little Dick and Rex. I played about 90 minutes. Some singles, some doubles. Worked up a good sweat. 

The morning crowd is thinning out some now. We’ve lost Marvelous Mark to rheumatoid arthritis, Dale aged out and Kern’s shoulder can’t take any more repairs. Roger’s legs and age have caught up to him. Super Dave moved to the greener pastures of Milwaukee, and Ray never returned after the meltdown. However we did get a new slogan out of it, “don’t go all Ray now.” Ralph’s hip got the best of him. Jimmy the Mouse stopped after being hit one too many times (with the ball and racquet!) Jeff switched to LA Fitness. Recently, we lost Terrific Tom for 8 months with a torn rotator cuff and repair. Little Mike is just returning from knee replacement, retirement and moving up north. Steve the Whippet’s missing ACL is becoming a problem.

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Kettlebell Tuesday

50 minutes, 520 calories, 75% average HR.  My lower back didn’t cramp up until about half-way through this time.  I still haven’t gotten to the bottom of this problem yet.  It also plagues me in racquetball.  The gal next to me was using a 24kg as compared my 20kg for swings, goblets and dead lifts.  For doubles, she was using 16’s vs. my 14’s for cleans, clean and squat, swings and renegade rows.  Generally a strength session with ~ 30 second sets done in a ladder format.  We finished with lots of ab work – 2 rounds of pull-overs, planks, criss-cross leg raisers, side planks, leg raisers alternate leg.  Mixed in all of this were squat holds, sumo squats, 3 point hold and push-ups. 

I go to G365 for my kettlebell classes.  They are taught by RKC II instructor, Barb.  The classes are between 4 and 12 people, mostly women, mostly over 40 and strong as hell.  I seem to be the only one breathing like a race horse and sweating like a pig in class.     

Kettlebells are a key element in my training.  I get everything I need in these sessions - Strength, Cardio, Flexibility and Sweat.  It was Scoundrel who introduced me to kettlebells and if it wasn’t for kettlebells, I don’t know what I would be doing for general exercise.  While working on my technique, my goal is to reach 12 calories/minute for these sessions.

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Week One

The first week started out slowly.  About two weeks ago I increased my kettlebell classes to 3 a week (Tue/Thu/Sat) except for last week (only 2) because of the 4th of July.  The kettlebell sessions are about 45-50 minutes, burning about 500 calories with an 80% average HR.  On Saturday I played some pick-up racquetball with some of the regulars.  Let's just say I've got some work to do.  Skipping the ball has become a big problem.  I broke out the jump rope.  Initially aiming for 1 minute of jumping for warm-up and another 1 minute after I'm done playing, by the count of 35, my calves are burning and thighs are screaming.  On the weight front, I'm up 10lbs from 2 months ago.  I did not get any dedicated racquetball practice in.  

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What do I want out of this?

There are several aspects I want to accomplish with this training.
1. Improve my physical condition
    - Increase stamina
    - Get stronger
    - Become more flexible
    - Work on past injuries
2. Better court movement
    - Reaction time
    - Quickness
    - Movement
3. Develop racquetball skills
    - Serving, particularly my drive serve
    - Forehand
    - Shot selection 
4. Lose weight
    - Lose 20lbs

I will expand on each of these areas in further posts. 

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Herein lies the heart of the struggle

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