Product Description
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 racquetball player and instructor Ed Turner and #9-ranked professional racquetball player Woody Clouse—show you all the shots and strategies for success on the court. Using more than 140 photos and illustrations, the book includes dozens of practical tips and 35 drills for better practice and performance.

Inside you’ll find valuable information on

• selecting equipment and facilities;

• 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 training and outthinking opponents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Too superficial for the better player
I regretably have to agree with an earlier reviewer who panned this book as being too basic to be really useful for the more advanced player.I figured that reviewer was looking for "shortcuts" to getting good, without the hard work of practicing the basics -- and I believe in the importance of working hard at mastering the basics.So I purchased the book.But, the problem is that the basics covered in this book are too basic -- like how to pick a racquet and the trajectory of a lob serve.Those are things the beginner needs to see, but the better player knows them in principle, but needs help in learning how to execute them better -- not the "what" of winning racquetball, but the "why" and the "how" so that the skills can be practiced and developed.It's not that there isn't good stuff in this book -- there is.It does a good job of treating the fundamentals, but that's where it stops. If you've already got a solid grasp of the fundamentals and are already playing at a reasonably advanced level, I would recommend the "Advanced Racquetball" DVD by Jim Winterton which demonstrates the mechanics and strategies that will allow better players to take their game up another notch.A word of warning -- Winterton's DVD is very good, but it is so loaded with specific coaching information that it can be hard to digest it all.Sometimes you just want to yell "explain that a little better before you move on!"But at least, when you've been exposed to Winteron's coaching comments you know what you're not doing right and need to work on, and because it is video rather than static pictures, you can play and replay the stroke mechanics being illustrated.

Not bad, could be much better
I would like to see stop action sequenced photos of the basic forehand and backhand strokes. There is no picture of a decent backhand stroke in the chapter entitled "Hitting Forehand and Backhand Shots" and only two instructional photos.

All instructional photos in the book are of Woody Clouse a LEFT-HANDED player. Why would you use photos that are appropriate for only 10% of the population?

The text presentation is quite good but the photos leave a lot to be desired.

Information that is Very Valuable
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 ofballs on the court, lift weights, and run sprints in order to get better asa player-Male or Female.International Racquetball commissioner HankMarcus along with Irt player Jon Ellis give this book a very positiveevaluation. The book has many pictures illustrating situations where onehas too be hitting the ball away from the player, etc. The book has severalchapters that emphasize all the aspects of game-conditioning, nutrition.The book also has several pictures of players who play on the professionaltour. Cliff Swain, Andy Roberts, Mike Ray, Drew Kachtik , and RubenGonzales are some of the player photographs one will see in this book.Ihave to say that my play was really very limited and highly primitive. Ionly knew how toserve the most basic serve in racquetball and that wasthe drive, and that was the only shot I knew since the beginning. I wasvery fortunate that when I was playing the game I purchased this bookduring the time to help improve my play. It has been a couple of monthsnow, and my play is alot better. I can do a Z-serve, a left and right driveserve, and my lob is coming there. I also learned to hit the ball away frommy opponent and not to hit the ball to him or her but away from myopponent. Alot of patience is needed, and alot of practicing if one desiresto improve. So if your a racquetball player who is from Moscow, Russia, orTijuana ,Mexico, or from Houston Texas who wants to be more knowledgeableplaying the game, I highly recommend this book too you.

Not much solid information here.
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 mostlyfiller.I was expecting insight on advanced strategies and how to improveon fundamentals.Instead I found a lot of information on how I should eatand what I should wear.

Superb. This book taught me a lot about the game!
If you gotta have just one book to win in racquetball-- this is it!My friends (after being frustrated with my newfound techniques) were surprised about my transformation... from a novice player to a real good contenderwithin a month.I plan to join tournaments soon and win.Thanks to thisbook. ... Read more

Product Description
"Shadows" is a gritty, uncompromising book and also, unusually, a boy's love story. It focuses on Jamie, a fifteen-year-old squash prodigy and his relationship with his overbearing father, who is determined that his son will achieve the success he himself never enjoyed and drives the boy to a point almost beyond endurance. Then Jamie finds a girl hiding in his shed, and in helping her to escape from the danger that is pursuing her, he is at last able to deal with his own problems. He realises that he can't run away for ever. He has to come out of the shadows and face up to his father, whatever the cost. It is the winner of the Angus Book Prize and the Lancashire Children's Book Award. This title comes from the major prize-winning author, Tim Bowler who won the Carnegie Medal with "River Boy". It contains strong themes of overcoming fears, helping others, and standing up for what you believe. It provides new cover treatment to match Tim Bowler's wonderful new novel, "Storm Catchers". The author was born and brought up in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and now lives in Totnes, Devon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Bullshit
If you hated "Apocylpse" by Tim Bowler you will hate this book much more!

What Friendship Is All About
This isn't a bad overall story but it does go through its slow moments especially at the start when the reader is forced to read the play by play action of a squash game. Although it may be a little bit unrealistic in the no questions asked do anything for a friend events of the book it does show what true friendship is about and what everyone will hopefully achieve one day.

Jamie is a top squash player but he has never beaten his rival Danny. His dad reminds him of this every time he loses by giving him a beating.Jamie's mum does nothing to stop this abuse and also suffers at the hand of Jamie's father.Jamie only really has one friend who goes by the name of Spider until one night when fleeing from a beating he comes across a pregnant girl in the shed behind his house.He quickly learns she is on the run from two men who want her dead and since he was planning on running away from his problems anyway he decides to join her in her bid to escape the men and get to a refuge for battered women in a town far away from both their problems.

Shadows
Tim Bowler has created a story full of pain, abuse and despair but also full of friendship, love and hope. These great emotions and the protagonist's personal development from the oppressed son of an ambitious father to an independent, self-confident young man fascinate the reader and the tension that can almost be sensed physically will keep also you reading.
Absolutely recommendable!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shadows - they won't let you go
Tim Bowler has created a story full of pain, abuse and despair but also full of friendship, love and hope. These great emotions and the protagonist's personal development from the oppressed son of an ambitious father to an independent, self-confident young man fascinats the reader and the tension that can almost be sensed physically will keep also you reading.
Absolutely recommendable!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Master the shots and strategies to control center court and win points. Racquetball: Steps to Success features expert instruction, clear photographs, 3-D court diagrams, more than 80 drills, and a proven system for improving your game.

Stroke mechanics for the forehand and backhand and more than 35 shots, including serves, serve returns, and front-wall, side-wall, ceiling, and back-wall shots, are covered and illustrated.

Learn when finesse trumps power, why a risky kill shot may be a better choice than a high-percentage ceiling shot, and what shots will move you into—and your opponent out of—the critical center court position.

As part of the popular Steps to Success Sports Series, with more than 1.5 million copies sold, Racquetball: Steps to Success covers it all to give you the tools to rule the court!

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent for beginners
This is the best book for beginning players I've ever seen. Well-organized, well-written, with large, clear diagrams and photos. The fundamentals and strategies are all sound and clearly explained. Don't be misled by the picture of the book's cover on Amazon, which makes it look like a cheesy home-press photocopy job - the actual book has a full-color glossy cover and is professionally produced in every way. I'll be giving this book to every novice player I play against. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
RACQUETBALL TODAY is one of several activity texts in Wadsworth's Physical Education series. It covers all the basic fundamentals of the sport and is suitable for players of all levels. Full of illustrations, helpful checklists, and photos of players in action, RACQUETBALL TODAY is a valuable instructional and reference book for any racquetball activity class. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Racquetball Today
Great book for all levels of racquetball players.It has helpful illustrations and stategies to practice.

Best technique
I was having some problems with my technique and found the advice I needed, this book is definitely written by a professional racquetball player and a champ. ... Read more

Product Description
"Excerpt from the book..."
_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he
now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution. We hope no
racketeers read this story. They might, as a result, cause the
police some trouble. Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._


... Read more

Product Description
"Excerpt from the book..."

By DAVID H. KELLER, M.D.

_With Dr. Keller's genius for hitting at vital spots every time, he
now gives us a brand new idea and an ingenious solution. We hope no
racketeers read this story. They might, as a result, cause the
police some trouble. Fortunately, however, the racket has a flaw._

... Read more