Racquetball Basics - Grips and Strokes

Malia Bailey: Hi, my name is Malia Bailey and today we are learning the basic fundamentals and basics of racquetball. Right now we are going to go over the backhand and forehand grips and their strokes. What I want you to do is take your racquet, put it in your hand, unrest and drop the racquet, so its resting on your forefinger very comfortably. We dont want to grab it and hold it like a hammer. This is going to be the extension of your arm. When you have the racquet in your hand, you want this portion of the racquet to intersect your thumb and your forefinger. What I also would like you to do is take your grip, position your grip, so that your pinky is right on the end of the butt of the racquet. This is called the butt. So thats your basic forehand grip. What we are going to do now is learn the stroke using that grip, kind of, a four step process. What I would like you to do is take your racquet and hold it up like this, with your off hand up like this. This is position 1. Position 2, what you are going to do is step into the ball as you are watching the ball, thats position 2. So you will go, 1, 2. Position 3, what you are going to do is bring this arm around, so it will open up your chest and help you rotate your shoulders and your hips. Alright, so this is position 1, position 2, drop that knee, clear the way, butt of the racquet through first, point of contact, have full extension and follow through; 1, 2, 3, 4.

Now we are going to go over the backhand grip and the backhand stroke. When you hold your racquet with your forehand, what I want you to do is take your thumb and your forefinger, and just rotate the racquet in your hand about a quarter of turn. So that this portion of your racquet grip here intersects the V in your thumb and your forefinger, having your thumb situated about here for a little support, when you contact the ball. Again, you want to still have your pinky at the butt end of your racquet.

We are going to start with our racquet like this, elbow out a little bit; not in here like this, out, very confident. This hand is going to be crossed underneath. So this is going to be position 1. Position 1, nice little step, thats position 2. 1, 2, then a little rotation for 3. You are like this, 1, 2, 3, and then 4. Again, bringing the butt of the racquet through first, full extension and again following through. So 1, 2, 3, 4.

Here is to look at both of those strokes in full speed. Coming up next, we are going to go over basic serves.