1513 Racquetball Chronicles XII

Tonight JB and BB both showed up so we played cut throat. A few things. First, the Wilsonville court is brutal. After playing in the well lighted, spacious, ventilated courts at Hocken, it was a real shock going into the court where none of those things are true.

I struggled all night to see the ball because sweat was constantly in my eyes and fogging up the glasses. After game one they either had waterfalls or fog.

Second, I do not like what cut throat does to positioning. It makes it impossible to have good fundamental position for returning the serve.

Third, with one left-hander and 2 right handers, if the left and right hander set up properly, there is no place the serve has the advantage.

Anyway, we let BB serve first as he was theoretically the weakest player. I deliberately set it up so he would have an advantage of being able to hit it to either of our backhands...and so JB and I would each be serving to each others backhand.

Well, BB was serving better than I have seen him serve and hitting more and better shots. He surprised us both with running out to a 3-0 lead. JB was one and done.

Then i started serving. And I was doing everything "right". I was alternating who I served to. I was hitting to their forehands. I was just serving and hitting really well and shot out to a quick 7 points.

Next rotation was quick for the other two and I scored 3 more quick ones. Then they switched it up to where they were each to their forehand...so I settled down lower and instead of trying to create rallies and alternating where I served, I found their trouble spot and just blistered it there repeatedly, racking up a devastating and convincing 15-6-3 or so win.

And quickly discovered I do not care for cut throat much. It is not often clear whose ball it is, you have to rely on the other guy...to me, racquetball is very much an individual sport. There is less action in cut throat and less still in doubles.

Anyway, the next game the shift continued, but this time JB was serving. And this time his strongest serve was to BB's backhand. And BB is the weakest of the three players. Unlike how I was playing, JB was relentless, putting every serve right there. He scored about 8 points before there was a return.

So BB and I switched, but it was much too late. Furthermore, it meant JB had a strong advantage as server while the other two had only disadvantages. I scored 7 or 8, I think BB got maybe 1 and JB won.

To me it was about as little fun as I have had playing racquetball. It was standing there watching one player take advantage of a clear mis-match that turned it from a game into serve, pick up the ball, serve, pick up the ball while the third guy watches people pass by outside the court knowing he will get no action.

Game 3 BB started strong, serving about 3 or 4 quick points. Then I scored about 3 with my serving to each player...except now it was to their forehand. So I had to really buckle down and dish up some mean serves. I actually scored an Ace to each of their forehands and created a weak return off a z-serve to the middle.

Rotate. BB scores a couple.

I score on a ferocious rally where I had to hit a passing shot past each of them, stop three kill shot attempts they made, and finally hit a spectacular kill of my own. I was so tired that there was no chance of another.

We continued this way, each scoring a point or two on our serve. BB was scoring his half off his serve and half off rallies, JB off his serve, and I was splitting my points.

I actually took a 13-11-10 lead and had the serve. I then missed about 4 easy kill shots as we kept rotating with BB scoring a couple. I got to 14, then BB closed the door.

So that was cool. We each won a game and lost two. It hid a lot of BB's and JB's weaknesses and took away my strengths. Not sure I will play too much cut throat, though. Just do not enjoy it near as much as I do singles.

BB and I then played a quick game of singles, but now his serve had deserted him and he was not returning as well as he had. It was pretty much a demolition and then we were done.

The lessons I learned tonight were not good ones, so I am going to pass on them. I do need to get the pinch shot down...and schedule better so it is all singles baby.