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Racquetball an up and coming game
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4 sport which has gained popularity in the last few years
is racquetball. Here, Steve Tutschke returns a ball. The
ball has to hit the front wall of the court in order to be
“good." Photo by Sam Stroder
By MARGARET JOHNSON
Battalion Reporter
Raquetball is rapidly becoming
the new “in” game of today, even
though it originated more than 20
years ago.
Joe Sobek, a tennis and squash
pro of the 40’s, introduced a game
in the 1950’s called “paddle-
racquets.” It was similar to paddle-
ball, which evolved from tennis and
handball.
The racket for paddle-racquets
had strings rather than the solid
The racket is about eight in
ches wide and 17 inches long.
A safety string is attatched to
the base of the handle. It is
worn around the wrist during
the game to keep from sling
ing the racket.
wooden paddle that was used for
paddleball. Sobek’s rules, howev
er, leaned more toward squash
than handball.
By 1959, the popularity of the
new game had spread throughout
the nation. After the National Pad
dle Racquet Tournament in 1968,
players and officials met and
adopted the name “racquetball”
and formed the International Rac
quetball Association.
The equipment used for racquet
ball is similar to that of tennis except
on a smaller scale.
“The racket resembles a minia
ture tennis racket, except the hand
le is shorter,” said Bill Bohne of
Athletic Attic, a local sporting goods
store. “They are also made of simi
lar materials.”
The racket is about eight inches
wide and 17 inches long. A safety
string is attatched to the base of the
handle. It is worn around the wrist
during the game to keep from sling
ing the racket.
Rackets vary with the quality and
design.
“Racket frame compositions
vary from wood to aluminum to
graphite,” Bohne said. “Wooden
rackets are cheaper and they aren’t
as sturdy. Aluminum rackets which
is what we sell most, are more
popular because they last and are
in the middle price range.”
Graphite rackets are half as light
as aluminum and are considered
the best available, Bohne said. And
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the cost proves it.
“Your basic price for a good rack
et is about $20-$35. Graphite rack
ets run about $80. And since we
don’t have the demand forthem, we
don’t stock them.”
Different companies offer diffe
rent varieties of shapes, styles and
weights. The shape of the racket
head is usually a teardrop or rectan
gular. The racket weights range
from eight to 16 ounces. Lighter
weights, such as eight to nine
ounces are recommended for girls
and women while men and boys
prefer the nine to 10 ounce range.
Racquetball balls are molded
rubber, a little bigger than a golf-
ball. They can be bought already
inflated with compressed air, or
ready to be inflated with an air
pump.
“A good can of balls costs
around $3 and will last a good
while,” Bohne said. “If you are an
avid player, naturally you will go
through them faster than amateur
players.”
The demand for racquetball
equipment has increased over the
past few years, Bohne said.
“We sell a good deal of equip
ment, especially during the winter
months,” he said. “In fact, we stock
more racquetball equipment than
we do tennis.”
Racquetball has increased in
popularity here on campus, so
much that the constant demand for
courts cannot be met.
“Phone calls for court reserva
tions start at 8 a.m. By 8:30, the
courts are filled up for the following
Racquetball balls are molded
rubber, a little bigger than a
golf-ball. They can be bought
already inflated with com
pressed air, or ready to be in
flated with an air pump.
day,” said a spokesman for the de
partment of Health and Physical
Education. “The only way you can
get a court if you don’t call or come
by at 8 o’clock in the morning, is if a
miracle happens and someone
cancels.”
Reservations for the courts,
which are on the second floor of
DeWare Field House, can be made
for the following day starting at 8
a.m. weekdays, and at 10 a.m.
weekends. The courts are open un
til midnight.
Any faculty, staff or student with
a current ID may use the courts,
which are also used for handball.
Rackets can be rented for 25 cents
an hour, but a player must bring his
own balls.
"We just started charging for the
rackets because of the abuse to
them,” the spokesman said. “Also,
this will help with the upkeep.”
Four years ago, the A&M Rac
quetball Club was formed. It spon
sors three tournaments each
semester.
“Membership is open to anyone
at $5 a semester,” said Mike Hare,
club president. “This covers your
entry fee for the tournaments we
host, besides making you a mem-
Reservations for the courts,
which are on the second floor
of DeWare Field House, can
be made for the following day
starting at 8 a.m. weekdays,
and at 10 a.m. weekends. The
courts are open until mid
night.
ber of the club.”
The organization is open to any
one interested in racquetball, Hare
said, not just to avid fans.
“Racquetball is increasing in
popularity at a phenomenal rate.
Still, though, not many people know
how to play it correctly, such as ten
nis, because they haven’t been ex
posed to it,” Hare said. “That’s
when tennis has the advantage
over racquetball.”
There is a possibility that rac
quetball could surpass tennis in
popularity, but the chances are slim
because of court facilities.
“Really, racquetball is better ex
ercise than tennis, but if you don’t
live in a college town or own a mem
bership in a club, you are at a dis
advantage,” Hare said.
Another drawback in racquetball
is the lack of television coverage.
“People can watch (Bjorn) Borg
or (Jimmy) Connors onTVand then
go out and try to play like them,”
Hare said. “Racquetball is difficult
to air because the courts are en
closed or three-sided and too, since
the ball travels at such a high rate
of speed, it makes it hard to follow.”
A national group of concerned
racquetball players realize the dis
advantage of not having the sport
aired on television. This group,
Hare said, is trying to get the rules
amended for television purposes.
“This will either make money be
cause of the racquetball exposure
or lose money because the rules
would be changed,” Hare said.
“Racquetball is now expensive
because of the court facilities. If the
rules could be amended for televi
sion, I feel this would be a clear
advantage to the game.”
Racquetball rules
— The combined width and length may not exceed 27 inches and
the weight of the racquet should not exceed 16 ounces. A safety
string is attatched to the base of the handle. It is worn around the
wrist during the game to keep from slinging the racquet.
— Racquetball is played on a three-to-four wall court. Enclosed
courts are the most popular, because they allow use of ceiling shots.
— The short line, which is parallel with the front wall, divides the
court in half. The service line is five feet in front of the short line, thus
creating the service zone. On each end of the service zone is the
service box. In back of the short line, is the receiving line.
— To serve, a player stands in one of the service boxes and must
hit the front wall with the ball’s first bounce landing behind the short
line.
— A game is won by the person or persons scoring 21 points first.
Unlike tennis, only the person serving can win points.
Racquetball may be played by two to four players. When played
by two, it is called “singles,” three as “cut throat,” and four as
“doubles.”