Life Time Fitness : Blog List - Racquetball

Racquet Loaner Program Launches Nationwide November 20th!

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:45:27 GMT

Racquet Rental program launches this Friday nationwide- sponsored by Ektelon!

Get in the Game and Play with Fire!

Life Time Fitness in partnership with Ektelon is excited to announce our new loaner program.

Forgot your racquet? New to the sport and don't have one?

No problem- just visit our Activity Center during their open hours and borrow one for free!

All loaner racquet rules and policies and be found by clicking here! Rental Policies

Check with your Activity Center for all hours they are open. The rental program is first come first serve and you will need a court reservation to borrow one.

So get in the game and play with fire!

Racquetball leagues launch in September

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:36:29 GMT

Players are craming the sign-up sheets to fill the courts with the vibrant sound of a league racquetball match.

With Racquetball's unofficial "summer offseason" coming to an end, it means it's time to pick up a racquet and get involved in the Life Time Fitness Racquetball Leagues!

The new session of leagues begins on September 7th, with registration closing six days prior on September 1st, and if you click here you can find some rules, regulations, and details about the sign-up process and how the Box Leagues work. You can also click on the league sign-up banner at the top of the National Racquetball page to register your spot in a league.

Tip of the Week, 8/9: The Pinch Shot

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:04:45 GMT

The pinch shot is a situational shot that can be used for either offensive or defensive purposes, and should be a regular part of your racquetball arsenal. Here is how, and when, to execute a pristine pinch shot:

1. The shot itself: A "perfect" pinch shot will hit the side wall about three feet from the front wall and will be kept very low to the ground. The goal of the pinch shot is to deflect the ball off the side wall and then the front wall, with the resulting ball direction heading towards the opposite sidewall. Employed with an offensive mindset, the pinch shot will force your opponent to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time and will usually generate a winner opportunity for you. Defensively, the shot can be used to change the pace of a rally or to keep your opponent on their toes (if you rarely use the shot).

2. Court position dictates the shot: You do not want to use a pinch shot if your opponent is in front of you because the ball remains in the front court for the entirety of the pinch shot. Thus, if a pinch shot is used with your opponent in front of you, your opposition will have an easy time returning the shot. Another key to the pinch shot is hitting the sidewall closest to your opponent. Since the ball deflects away from this sidewall after it hits the front wall, hitting the sidewall closest to your opponent increases the distance he/she must cover to return the shot.

3. Use your typical swing mechanics: Follow through the ball, aim for your spot on the sidewall, and maintain the look of your normal stroke. That last part will be a bit difficult; remember, we want to keep this shot low, so it is only natural that your approach or swing may vary from your normal stroke. But do the best you can to mask your delivery. This will maximize deception and allow you the ability to recover if you make a less-than-desired pinch shot.

Tip of the Week, 8/2: Match Preparation

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:29:49 GMT

Tom Sweeney warming up ahead of his Big16 Summer Shootout match at St. Louis Park.

An old adage tells us that "showing up is half the battle." But with any athletic event, just "showing up" doesn't quite fulfill our body's (and our mind's) need to prepare for the inevitable exertion it will undertake. Here are a few ways to get yourself ready for any racquetball match:

1. A healthy diet helps: Hydration is first and foremost. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after a racquetball match to prevent cramping and increase endurance. In terms of food, stay away from excess sugar and salt - these can stunt your energy levels. Replace these with fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates - these nutrients do far more for your match fitness and are easier for your body to digest.

2. Start with some light calisthenics: The goal here is to just get the heart pumping. Jumping on a treadmill for a light 5-minute jog or just taking a 5-10 lap run around the racquetball court you will be playing on will do the trick (choosing the latter is preferable - it takes less out of you and will get you accustomed to the lighting/feel of the court).

3. Keep it simple when stretching: Stretching is an important step to get ready for a racquetball match - but don't overdo it! The worst thing you can do is perform a stretch too intensely, which can lead to joint or muscle aggrevation. For your arms, perform a few circular rotations - going from wider rotations to smaller - in both the front-to-back and back-to-front directions. For your legs, bounce lightly on the balls of your feet. Other stretches can be utilized if you have injuries or specific areas of your body that tend to act up during a match, such as touching your toes to stretch your back, or rotating your ankles to increase blood flow to the area.

4. Easy hits when you warm-up: When you begin to hit your practice shots, start with some low-velocity forehands and backhands to develop a rhythm. As you go through these shots, you can ramp up your stroke speed to align it with in-match play. You don't necessarily have to avoid practicing fancier shots during your warm-up, it's just not encouraged; remember, the point of the warm-up is to get you ready for the match. Showing off your skills is nice, but it also might tip your opponent to how you play and aid his/her effort during the match.

Butchert, Carroll take Big16 Summer Shootout crowns at Bloomington South and Minneapolis Athletic Club

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:23:58 GMT

The tournament gets underway at Bloomington South.

The Racquetball Summer Shootout saw big numbers at the Bloomington South and Minneapolis Life Time Athletic Club locations. The round-robin format tested every player's endurance, especially at the MLTAC where the 8-player tourney brought out the competitior in everyone.

The MLTAC champion was Mike Butchert who earned 51 points and escaped a stiff challenge from early favorite Dan Poretti, who finished with 49 points. In their lone matchup, Butchert took down Poretti 11-5 thanks to some efficient play that left Poretti stunned and unable to recover. Another big upset took place later in the evening, when Bryn Johnson vanquished club pro Paul Schulz by the same 11-5 score as the Butchert-Poretti match. We wish Bryn the best of luck in the future, as he will be leaving the Twin Cities to pursue new opportunities by the Puget Sound of Seattle.

There was a gutsy performance from Chris Carlson - who played injured throughout the MLTAC Shootout - and a trememdnous showing by 74-year old George Bohlig, who saw the tournament through from opening serve to closing point. Following the Summer Shootout, the players were treated to dinner at Zahtar, where the participants had a blast and gained a sense of camaraderie (in addition to plenty of pizza).

Steve Carroll was in top form during the Summer Shootout on July 23rd.

In Bloomington South, Steve Carroll rolled his way to a 55-point final and a perfect 5-0 match record for the evening. Kevin Lovegreen (46 points), John Finley (44 points) and Alan Stokes (40 points) all battled to dethrone Carroll's dominant play, but in the end it was Steve's night as Shootout champion.

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the Big16 Racquetball Summer Shootout, and we look forward to providing you with more tournaments in the future!

Tip of the Week, 7/26: Intricate Improvements

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:21:44 GMT

A racquetball match can be turned on its head by the best of efforts or the tiniest of errors. Something as minute as a poorly place pinch shot could affect an entire match - your opponent gains advantage off the poor shot, you are forced to hustle more to make up for the mistake, momentum shifts, and the match can be lost. Hyperbole? A bit, yes - but this can (and has) happened, in some shape or form, to many players before. So let's discuss some simple steps you can take to improve your overall awareness and ability on the court to prevent, as best we can, this scenario from arising:

1. ALWAYS keep your eye on the ball: I never liked it when my baseball coach would tell me this back when I played 12-year-old recreation baseball, because it seemed like one of the biggest "duh" comments anyone could make. "Of course I'm going to look at the ball," I would think. "I have to in order to play the game!" However, you would be surprised how few people actually practice this mantra (and my .220 batting average as a baseball player tells you all you need to know about my "eye on the ball" awareness). It makes a huge difference in all sports, and it's even more important for racquet sports. In racquetball, players tend to not watch the ball when the play is behind them (i.e. the ball is to be played by your opponent, and you find yourself between the front wall and your opponent) because it is a natural reaction to protect your face from a shot that, essentially, will be coming right at you. Even in this case, you want to look at the ball - whenever you aren't looking at the ball in play, you lose a sense of where the ball will go, where you are supposed to go, and where the play is being directed. So, if the play is behind you - cover your face with your racquet. By looking through the strings and watching your opponent's shot, you can better judge the placement of the ball and react accordingly. In addition to watching the ball off your opponent's racquet, see the ball to your racquet on any shot you take. Your ball striking and shot accuracy will see a marked improvement.

2. Angles, not fireworks: Most unforced errors happen when a player overpowers his/her shot, or tries to go too low with their shot - the result being the ball buried into the ground before hitting the front wall. Cut back on unforced errors by keeping calm and composed. Use the angles of the court to get your opponent off balance instead of trying to beat your opponent with sheer power. Check back at our TOW from July 5th for more on shot selection details.

3. A full follow-through on your backhand: This is where another batch of unforced errors can happen. Many players use more of a "punch" backhand, where the stroke begins at the back leg and ends at the front leg - resulting in a quick, and inaccurate, "punch" at the ball with the shot almost always going wide and weak to the player's backhand side. This gives your opponent plenty of time to react and an easy shot to make. So work on your backhand stroke: get a full wind-up, with your racquet over your shoulder and facing either the back-wall, or the opposite side-wall. Swing through the ball (remember: keep your eye on the ball!) while making contact at your front leg. These two quick alterations to your backhand will make a big difference in your stroke.

Big 16 Review: Racquetball Summer Shootout

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:55:54 GMT

Ben Anderson (in white) and Tom Sweeney battled during their Summer Shootout match at St. Louis Park.

The Racquetball Summer Shootout was hosted across the nation last night as part of the Big 16 at Life Time Fitness. Players gathered at their LTF clubs to compete in a round-robin tournament during Racquetball's "off-season", as everyone started to gear up for this fall's new session of leagues.

I was able to get over to St. Louis Park to catch the fervor of Ben Anderson and Tom Sweeney locked in the tourney's opening match. Anderson lived in Wisconsin for a few years before recently moving back to the Twin Cities. He displayed great vision and creativity, as he utilized a few behind-the-back and between-the-legs shots to build a lead. But Sweeney stayed in the match with a bevy of passing shots that kept Anderson off-balance.

Sweeney prepares to return a power serve from Anderson.

In the end, Anderson topped Sweeny 11-9 - but it was a well-played match by both. All participants at the SLP Racquetball Summer Shootout were given the exclusive ability to try out brand new Ektelon racquets, allowing everyone to try new racquet weights and grips in preparation of future matches.

It was great to see everyone hitting the Racquetball courts late in July. Thanks to everyone who made the Summer Shootout a big success!

Racquetball Programs are on the rise in Minnesota

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:47:44 GMT

Starting in September, Minnesota Life Time clubs will experience a whole new world of racquetball. Life Time is working with both USA Racquetball and our Minnesota Racquetball Association partners to offer exciting new programming that will grow the sport and increase its popularity.

In addition to a variety of league formats that are currently available at Life Time Fitness, a new city-wide team league will launch in October at St. Louis Park - the first of its kind in Minnesota. The league be open to both members and non-members, and will offer entrant an opportunity to meet new players from all across the Twin Cities. To continue the develop of racquetball, we will be expanding our junior programming with after-school events, high school teams, and summer camps.

Other features such as a new loaner racquet program, monthly socials, dynamic tournaments, and clinics with ranked professionals will be added in the coming months. If you have any questions, contact your club's Racquetball Pro for more information or visit your club's Activity Center.

We welcome all players to join our National Racquetball Group for the most current information, and to get involved and stay connected by checking out your club's Racquetball Sub-Community. We look forward to providing you an even greater racquetball experience in the near future!

Tip of the Week, 7/19: Returning Serve

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:40:25 GMT

As we've already discussed, serving in any racquet sport is a big advantage. Now let's learn how to turn your opponent's advantage into your advantage:

1. Use a backhand grip: Most serves are to the backhand side of the returner, so being prepared for that before the ball enters play is important. Square up to the side wall, and place a controlled shot on the ball.

2. Stay centered on the court: You should remain as close to center court as possible (even knowing that a backhand is more than likely coming), with about a 5-foot buffer from the back wall. If your opponent utilizes a power serve, increase your distance from the back wall to about seven or eight feet.

3. Study the server: If your opponent isn't cautious with his/her service form, they might tip you to what kind of serve is coming. Look for things like quicker torso movement, alterations in body position, and changes in foot position.

4. Variation: Try to employ different shot types and placements when you return serve. Passing shots, ceiling shots, and pinch shots are all fine when returning (depending on court position and your opponent) - mix these in with different placements of your return, and your opponent will struggle to get into a rhythm.

5. Confidence and composure: Be confident in your return. There is a psychological aspect to all sports, and if you give off an air of confidence when your opponent is serving, he/she may be pressured into thinking a perfect serve is the only way to get you off-balance. At the same time, remain composed and don't try to overpower or overthink your return. Put a nice, level swing on the ball and get ready to continue the point.

Tip of the Week, 7/12: The Wrist

webmaster@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:58:51 GMT

How you use your wrist during play can impact both your game and your health, so hear are some quick and simple improvements you can make for your wrist movement and utilization:

1. After making contact with the ball, snap your wrist: Again - do this after contact with the ball. If you are snapping the wrist during your swing, it will make for a very long day on the court - errant shots, ineffective shots, and a disruption in your overall form can result from an early wrist-snap. So, begin with good footwork and positioning, and then during your follow-through snap your wrist to generate power and to complete proper shot form.

2. Strengthen your wrist with drills and warm-ups: Push-ups and pull-ups can improve your wrist strength; but the best way to keep your wrist limber, strong, and ready for racquetball is with light free-weights (in the 3- to 5-pound range). Curling the weight with your wrist both up and down will do wonders for it.

3. Snapping your wrist can save your elbow: Racquet sports have this side-affect, as the torquing and general grind that comes with swinging a racquet will iritate the elbow. To off-set that, your wrist comes into play. If you are swinging with your wrist locked the whole way through, the force generated by your swing is concentrated at the elbow - which is when and where all the leverage and stress of swinging a racquet will cause iritation. So snap that wrist! This will alleviate some of the force of your swing that would normally affect the elbow. Also, do your best not to tense up when swinging. You can generate plenty of pop when snapping your wrist without clenching-up your arm. Play it smart and locate your shots instead of always defaulting to a power shot.