No one seems to know much about racquetball. Squash gets all the attention (and rightly so) but racquetball in the right hands is literally one of the most incredible games to watch, bar absolutely none.
The main reason racquetball has never made it as a TV spectator sport (thus failing to attract sponsors) is that the ball goes so fast that it can’t be picked up by the camera. So basically you end up seeing two guys swinging racquets and you have no idea what’s going on half the time because you can’t see what’s happening to the ball.
But if you attend a pro tournament in person, as I have many times, you will witness such incredible displays of agility and sheer violence — both aural and visual — that you will come away swearing that the players are superhuman. Just watch these guys.
As I said, it’s very difficult to see what’s going on because of the camera, but I think you can see how incredibly fast and exciting the game is. And one hour of competitive racquetball (meaning friendly games, not professionally) will burn off an entire Big Mac with cheese.
This being said, I’m going to get back into it.
Anyone know of any facilities not too far from downtown?
Try Nautilus Cavendish Club
ReplyDeleteThanks, Blondee, I'll check it out. Apparently there are courts at the U of M as well, which is outside my back door, but I have no idea how to sign up.
ReplyDeleteThen I'll have to find someone to play with :)
The YMCA downtown has a raquetball court. It's a convertible court, i.e. when not in use it can be converted to a squash court, but there are already 4 other squash courts there.
ReplyDeleteI used to play *a lot* of squash, and tried again a couple months ago, after not playing in over 12 years. Needless to say, I was in pain.
How did I just know you'd check in on this, ClimbRocker . . . figures a rock climber would be a rocketball fan as well.
ReplyDeleteI belonged to the downtown Y back in the 90s but they destroyed and moved. Since I have no car and prefer showering at home (just easier than bringing a complete change of clothes) I'd love it to be in the vicinity of CDN. Perhaps I'll check out the YMHA that has newly opened in Snowdon . . .
And oh god, I am not looking forward to the pain that will result in this newly-50 body. Practicing only, my shoulder will kill me, but in a few games my ass will kill me . . .
Not looking forward to that.
That being said, I'll kick your rock-climbing ass if you'd ever care to join me. And THAT being said, maybe we can go to Paryse and eat a massive burger to cancel out our new-found health panacea.
Um, no, actually, I don't play racquetball. In fact, watching it bores the bejesus outta me, I can't even comprehend the point of it all. The ball bounces, you have time to get it, etc.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I've only used my squash racket once since I bought it. My latest pain-inducing indulgence is cardio cycle. It forces the toxins out of the sweat glands like nobody's business.
I've always been a big racquetball advocate but I never could quite figure out why it doesn't get the media attention it deserves. Maybe they could do something similar to what Fox did with hockey a few years back where they put something inside the puck so that the puck had an infrared glow on camera.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a second, check out my racquetball site.
Hot
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking in . . . I used to be TOTALLY A RACQUETBALL NUT
Go to all the tournaments, Mike Yellen, Marty Hogan etc. and even met Charlie Brumfield, who came back to my house (very disappointing, as he seems to be into little boys and I am most certainly not one, I'm a big boy and I'm into women, but I digress)
But I'd love to get back into it. I REALLY need to work out and there is no better thing
Will check out your site
Nick
Hot,
ReplyDeleteChecked out the site but there seems to be no contact page, so no way to email you directly . . . so, I can only respond here. But very intriguing-I'd like to get in touch with you
Definitely want to play racquetball again.
Nick