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You and Your Grip
By Pat Bernardo
We get tons of people through the office and they all want the secret to racquetball in 3 minutes or less. For all you players who are upper intermediate or lower...pay attention here. How you grip your racquet and the little "cheats" we are about to reveal will make all the difference in the world. Before you read on...even if you're at work right now...go get your racquet or this won't make a lot of sense going forward...I'll wait. All right...racquet in hand...read on.
If you're like 95% of the intermediate or beginning players....you're holding your racquet "wrong" or at least wrong for your future (which should be at least an A level player with a few more of these newsletters). As you grip your handle....hold your arm out straight...does your racquet and arm form an "L" pointing towards the ceiling....if it does...you're stuck in the "C" or maybe "B"s until we get it straightened out. What you have in your hand is what I call a "hard weld" grip....As you hold your racquet this way try and flex your wrist back and forth only (no twisty wristy). Remember that range of motion because it's about to get a whole lot better. Now drop your pinkie finger down over and off the butt of the handle....grab the handle now...hold your arm out straight...your racquet is now pointing directly away from you along the line of your outstretched arm. I know it feels strange...but flex your wrist....look at the range and ease at which it can flick or snap...this is the good ole "ball and socket" joint. How much would you give to go hit a ball right now and try it out?!?! If you had the old grip...say hello to 10 more MPH on your serve (remember not to come off the back wall). Say hello to passing shots that actually go by your opponent. Say hello to an extra inch or two for all those gets! If you were meant to hold the entire handle in your hand like tennis, there wouldn't be a tether for your wrist! This will take some getting used to....I know it feels like the racquet will fly out of your hand....we've all gone through this transformation..now it's your turn....Welcome to Racquetball - your next level up!! If you already hold your grip like I describe above...my advice for a big leap forward is to go out and practice more... Have fun on the court!
Pat Bernardo |
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