I'm thinking of taking up Racquetball. Advice?

[BreweryYardRat]

I tried it once a few years ago and liked it a lot. Sort of like tennis with A/C and the ability to make 3-D bank shots off the court walls.

It's also pretty popular at my college, so I wouldn't have too much trouble finding a partner.

How much does decent gear cost?

[hickman]

1. That's still around? Geeesh.

I tried it in the 70's. Then again I never liked competitive sports. I did love water skiing. Snowmobiling was a hoot.

[Redstone]

2. Not a hell of a lot, if I remember right. Damn, I used to enjoy playing that; very

few rules, and old age and cleverness can beat youth and skill every time. Just ask my younger brother, the Star High School Athlete, who fatmouthed me about being old and having bad knees, bad back, yacketa yacketa...I took him to school on the court.

Redstone

[BreweryYardRat]

3. The one time I tried it, it WAS a lot of fun.

Not much stopping distance when you're racing for a ball, though. I hit the wall a LOT.

And congrats on beating your mouthy kid brother.

[Redstone]

8. Oh, yes. The walls figure heavily in the play, and not only with the ball.

Redstone

[Lars39]

4. *Do Not* turn around when someone else is serving.

I gave a guy a black eye. Felt horrible.

[Billy Ruffian]

5. Can't speak to decent gear

I haven't played in a number of years.

Right now, racquets run from about $20 to over $200.

You can go cheap on the racquet, but don't go cheap on your shoes, and absolutely do NOT go cheap on your eye protection.

[SPKrazy]

6. Have Good Knees

otherwise your body will go one way and your knees another

wear eye protection

gear is cheap relatively.

don't know costs, but you need a raquet, balls, and some eye protection.

[Shakespeare]

7. Be very, very kind to your elbows.

Don't overdo it, and if you're playing a lot, consider wearing a support brace. You think tennis elbow is bad? You don't EVEN want raquetball elbow. I went nuts for raquetball about 15 years ago, and I still have tendonitis that flares up from time to time because I really overdid it. I still play occasionally, but I always have pain afterward. :-(

[Redstone]

9. Long-term game damage? I know that. I still have a click in both of my wrists

from those years of foosball.

But I do have those old trophies as well...

Redstone

[Shakespeare]

10. See, I never got the raquetball trophy.....

....maybe that's why I'm still bitter about the tendonitis. ;-)

[Redstone]

12. That's gotta hurt. I understand. I played football until my brains fell out, including

semi-pro for $75 per game, way back when, and have nary a trophy to show for it. But the attendant aches and pains remain.

Redstone

[HEyHEY]

11. every time you're scored on - do a shot