Racquetball Shots - Heights of Each Shot

Racquetball is a unique racquet sport because there are so many different shots you can hit at any given time.  If you really want to become a top level player you'll need to learn each of these shots, and how to hit them consistently.  If you just play for fun you'll really enjoy learning more shots and ultimately have more fun.

There are some important terms you should know before you continue that will help you understand how to hit each shot.  The terms pertain to the height on the front wall at which you hit each of the shots in the game.  The terms are:  pass, pass-kill and kill, and they are measured in inches.

The pass shot is hit one to two feet high on the front wall, depending on how hard it is hit.  That is, a pass is designed to "pass" your opponent and bounce twice before hitting the back wall.  Some players hit the ball very hard and can hit a pass that is one foot high, while other players who don't hit as hard can hit their passes at two feet high and still keep it off the back wall.  Practice your passes to determine how high you should hit them based on your power.The beauty of a pass shot is that you can't skip them.  A skip is when the ball hits the floor before hitting the front wall and results in a loss of rally for you.  Pass shots are high percentage shots that are designed to keep your opponent in the back court as well as limit your chances for skips.  Double benefit

The kill shot, on the other hand, is a much lower percentage shot.  However, if you can hit an effective kill shot you can end the rally immediately.  Kill shots are hit six inches or less on the front wall and are designed to bounce twice before crossing the foot-fault line (the solid red line that is closest to the front wall).Kill shots can be a lot of fun and usually immediately end the rally, but use them only in appropriate situations are you'll find that you're skipping far too many shots giving your opponent free points.

The pass-kill is simply a hybrid shot that is between the pass and kill height.  It is hit roughly six to twelve inches high on the front wall.

As a general rule, hit passes when your opponent is in front of you and kills when they are behind you.

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Racquetball Shot Types

Now that we understand the 3 different ball heights that are used for offensive shots in racquetball, let's move on to the actual shot-types.

Down the Line Shot in Racquetball: This can be the perfect shot to hit if you are close to the side wall as pictured above. However, if your opponent is also close to the side wall you'd be hitting the ball right back to them, and we don't want that. In that situation you might want to check out the Cross Court Shot below.

Straight-In or Down the Line Shot

A Straight-In Shot is a shot that goes directly toward the front wall.  A commonly used strategy for hitting a straight-in shot is to hit it "down the line" or "down the wall".  This is racquetball terminology for a straight-in shot that travels between the hitter and the wall and is parallel to the wall (as pictured).  The ball is contacted off the front foot within your hitting zone so that your racquet angle is parallel to the front wall (see Stroke Mechanics).

This is one of the most common shots in the game and also one of the most effective.  You've heard the phrase "the fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line".  Well, that phrase comes in to play during this shot.

There are three heights to hit this shot:  Pass, Pass-Kill, or Kill.  If you're not yet familiar with those terms, check out the section above that describes each shot height.

Cross-Court Shot in Racquetball: The Cross-Court Shot can be the perfect shot to hit if your opponent is in center court or shaded too close to the side of the court that you are on. Master your cross-court and control the game.

Cross-Court Shot

A Cross-Court Shot is a shot that ends up near the back corner in the exact opposite side of the court you hit it from (as pictured).  It is struck toward the front of your stance, so that your racquet is angled in a way that would propel the ball across the court (see Forehand Mechanics).

There are a number of reasons that you would hit a cross-court shot, but the main one is because it moves your opponent out of center court.  As you can see in the diagram, if my opponent were in center court when I hit the cross-court, they wouldn't be for long.  They would have to travel to the deep back corner and retrieve the pass.

It is also effective when your opponent is "leaning" toward your down the line shot.  Hit a cross-court and mix them up.
 
There are 3 ways to hit this shot:  Pass, Pass-Kill, or Kill.  If you're not yet familiar with those terms, check out the section that describes each shot type.

Pinch Shot in Racquetball: Focus on staying low and contacting the ball at its lowest point. And remember, pinch to the side of the court that your opponent is on. If they are shaded to the right, pinch to the right corner. If they are shaded to the left, hit a reverse pinch (see below).

Pinch Shot

A Pinch Shot is an offensive shot that is designed to end the rally by hitting the ball low into the corner that you are facing.  The pinch shot should be hit at kill shot level, but can also be effective at pass-kill level as well.  Ideally, the lower you hit it without skipping it the better.
 
The pinch shot is very specific in nature.  As you can see in the picture, you should strike the ball very low in your hitting zone and back in your stance so that your racquet is angled toward the front corner that you are facing (see forehand mechanics).  The ball will then travel toward the side wall in the corner, rebound toward the front wall and then bounce away from the front wall, very low, taking its second bounce before your opponent can retrieve it.  The second bounce should ideally happen closer to the front wall than the foot fault line so that you're opponent can't retrieve it.

Reverse Pinch Shot in Racquetball: The best time to hit a reverse pinch shot is when your opponent is either behind you on the court or shaded to the left. Going for a reverse pinch shot when your opponent is in front of you isn't wise because of the nature of the shot. It is designed to place the ball in the front court. So if your opponent is in the front court, why would you want to hit the ball to them?

Reverse Pinch Shot

A Reverse Pinch Shot is an offensive shot that is designed to end the rally by hitting the ball low into the corner that you are not facing.  The Reverse Pinch shot should be hit at kill shot level, but can also be effective at pass-kill level as well.  Ideally, the lower you hit it without skipping it the better.

The reverse pinch shot is very specific in nature.  As you can see in the picture, you should strike the ball very low in your hitting zone and forward in your stance so that your racquet is angled toward the front corner that you are not facing (see forehand mechanics).  The ball will then travel toward the side wall in the corner, rebound toward the front wall, and then bounce away from the front wall, very low taking its second bounce before your opponent can retrieve it.  The second bounce should ideally happen closer to the front wall than the foot fault line so that you're opponent can't retrieve it.

Splat Shot in Racquetball: The splat shot can be hit at many different heights within your hitting zone, similar to most other shots in racquetball. However, to give yourself the highest chance of hitting a good splat you should contact the ball knee level and lower.

Splat Shot

The Splat shot is a very unique shot in racquetball.  It is similar to a pinch shot, the difference being that you stand closer to the side wall when you hit a splat.  It is called a "splat" because of the perceived sound that it makes when it hits the front wall.  The ball has so much spin on it that it "splats" on the front wall like a water balloon breaking.

The contact point is back in your hitting zone, as pictured, so that the racquet is angled in a way that the ball will propel toward the side wall, just like the pinch.  It is this angle and the velocity at which you hit the ball into the side wall that causes so much spin.

After you contact the ball, it hits the side wall in front of you (the distance varies so just focus on where you're hitting the ball in your hitting zone).  The ball then shoots toward the front wall low with a lot of spin, hits the front wall making the "splat" sound, and then trickles off the front wall, bouncing twice before your opponent can retrieve it.  If you hit it properly, you will notice that the ball almost bounces sideways off the front wall due to the amount of spin.

Ceiling Shot

The ceiling shot is the #1 defensive shot in the game of racquetball.  It is the easiest way to get your opponent out of center court, and allow you to re-position yourself there.  If the ball is out of your hitting zone, or you are off balance, hit a ceiling ball to get your opponent out of center court and buy yourself time to get back into position.

The ceiling ball should be aimed just a few feet back from the front wall, on the ceiling.  Do not hit the front wall first and then the ceiling.  Always hit the ceiling first to increase your consistency and accuracy.

After hitting the ceiling, the ball bounces high and toward the back wall, preferably into one of the corners.  The best ceiling balls do not come off the back wall, but are close enough to it to give your opponent trouble trying to return it.