Racquetball is a fast-paced game which is played on an enclosed
rectangular court. Using a short-handled racquet, each player
attempts to hit the racket ball in a manner that his opponent
cannot return.
Racquetball was developed around 1950 at a Greenwich, Connecticut YMCA
by a professional tennis and squash player and rubber company executive
named Joe Sobek. Joe developed a short, strung racket which he
called a paddle racket and designed a hollow rubber ball for use on the
YMCA's indoor handball courts. Sobek actively promoted the new sport
himself for about 15 years. Finally, in the late 1960s, it became known
as racquetball when U.S. Handball Association founder Robert Kendler
became interested in the sport and founded the International Racquetball
Association (IRA).
Racquetball racquet technology has come a long way since Sobek's early
prototype racquets. They are now made with lighter materials and feature
vibration dampeners and custom grips. Racquet prices range from about
$20 on up to $300 for a custom, high tech racquet. Besides a racquet,
you will need balls designed for racquetball play, as well as eye
protection and possibly racquetball gloves and white or clear soled
court shoes. Each racquetball player must wear a wrist strap, attached
to the end of the racket handle, to prevent the racket from leaving
the player's possession and hurtling through the air.