AboutRob Chabot Expertise Racquetball. Know all the rules, etiquette, etc. Am familiar with equipment and am active on the applicable newsgroups when I have time. I can be of service to players up to the "advanced" level. Have been playing since the mid 1980s.
NOTE: I cannot answer questions on "what kind of racquet should I get?" This is like asking "what kind of dog or car should I get?" There are so many factors I do not know where to begin - how long have you been playing, do you prefer a top heavy or frame heavy racquet, how often do you plan on playing, etc. I recommend you find a pro shop that allows you to "demo" (borrow) racquets. You can usually borrow racquets for one to three days. A borrowing fee may be involved - and if you end up buying the racquet from that shop, it will usually credit you the loaner fees you have already paid against the purchase price of the racquet.
Experience Won the Ohio State University Intramurals tournament ("A" Division) six out of six times entered.
Question I'm a newer racquetball player with the "blessing" (or curse, in my opinion) of being ambidextrous. I know well the wrist-strap rule which prohibits the switching of a racquet between hands during a point, but is it legal to switch hands completely (by shifting the cord and racquet to the opposite hand) during the 10 second grace period between rallies? Thanks for any help.
Answer I've never been asked this question - this is a new one for me. I've reviewed the rules of the USRA at http://usra.org/Rulebook/tabid/839/Default.aspx and - based on my reading - as long as the ten seconds in between serves is not violated, it appears switching hands in between serves *is* permissible. There is an explicit rule that states you cannot switch hands during a rally (rule 3.13 (c.7)) but there is no mention of switching hands in between serves. Since it's not mentioned, logic tells me it *is* permissible to switch hands in between serves.
Not sure if it's a good strategy on your part, though. I recommend developing one hand over the other as your rball playing hand. If you feel playing with both hands is a good thing, I'd recommend determining if the person you're playing has a weaker forehand or backhand - and then using your hand that would hit a forehand to that weak point on the opponent. Example - if your opponent is right-handed and has a weak backhand (relative to forehand) - and assuming your accuracy and power is *EQUAL* using either hand (this is a very big assumption) - you'd play that match with your left hand - since a left hand forehand is to a right hand's backhand. (This assumes your forehand is always strongest/most accurate.)
