Author: DV
The Paddle Re-Kill
Hello everybody and welcome to Cooney’s Instructional Corner. In the first lesson, we will be looking into a niche shot that some of our top players use on the tour and hopefully you can use as well after this insight.
A Shot Description – To move upon your opponent’s attempted kill, using the ball’s momentum that was intended for your detriment to your advantage. Then with a stiff arm guiding the ball with open hand or fist back to the position on the front wall where your opponent was supposed to hit it in the first place.
Minimalism. This is the word that springs to mind when mentioning the paddle re-kill. Minimalism is an art movement that came into being in the early 1960’s. It is defined by simplicity in design, vacant of any style or grandeur. This shot is just that. It may be unpleasing to the eye of handball enthusiasts because it is fundamentally lacking, but there is no doubting its effectiveness. There are no illusions about what this type of shot can do for your game. It conserves energy, frustrates your opponent and is other shots that require you to put your body in positions that only the most serious athletes can execute over the course of a weekend tournament. The paddle re-kill offers an option to your game that can be performed under any physical condition and age.
How to hit it?
The technique in hitting the paddle re-kill can be broken down into these simple steps.
- Stiffen your arm and tense your bicep to turn your arm into a paddle. Arm can be bent or straight as long as the you just move from the shoulder with elbow locked in position
- Holding backswing; Over emphasizing your back swing can lead your opponent to thinking twice as to where you are hitting the ball, thus, disguising the paddle kill and leaving your opponent flat footed when you place the ball back where it came from.
- Push through the ball. Unlike most other shots, you are always told to swing through the ball. This shot is the exception. You push into the ball and guide it to its intended direction. You don’t offer the ball anything but a stiff arm and direction. The momentum that is already on the ball will be all that’s needed to execute this shot.
Body position does not matter in this shot as you are using the balls momentum to direct it, not using your body to create more torque or power. So body position is not too important, Facing the ball sideways or head on are all that’s needed.
Knowing when & where.
For all handball shots, it is when & where you hit them that can be the difference between a good shot and a bad one. Hitting the paddle re-kill is no different. The following points are indicators of when it is the best time to hit this shot in order to minimize your errors and making this shot effective.
- The shot should be hit almost always when your opponent is behind you. This decreases your margin for error in making the shot which also leads us on to our next point.
- Hit it straight. The paddle re-kill is best when directed straight as this is the closest distance between you and the front wall. Also, if the ball pops up and your opponent is moving into position, the ball will be unavoidably moving back in your direction, making it more than likely a replay.
So next time you are at the club, leave the gallery handball and glory seeking of hitting an aesthetically pleasing shot behind you and see if you can add this simple shot to your arsenal. After executing this shot you will begin to see that sometimes less is more in the game of handball and ability can be counteracted with a simple straight to the point stiff arm kill.
Stephen Cooney hails from Ballaghaderreen, Ireland and currently visiting New York City, playing, training and on hand to give coaching advice at the famed New York Athletic Club. After a successful junior career that saw the “Coondogg” rise to the top of the Irish junior ranks, Mr. Cooney quickly established himself as one of the top stars on the Race 4 Eight tour. In just 13 months as a full-time R48 pro, Mr. Cooney rose to the coveted position inside the R48 Elite 8.
Mr. Cooney and the World Players of Handball are thrilled to bring Cooney’s Instructional Corner to wphlive.tv. Mr. Cooney will discuss various skills, techniques and strategies to help you improve your game, beat your rivals and have more fun on the court.
If you have questions for Mr. Cooney, please contact him at cooney@race4eight.com
JR WPH Kansas City
Junior WPH is pleased to announce the newest Junior WPH sponsored team, the Junior WPH Kansas City. Junior WPH KC features more than a dozen handball players between the ages of 5-14 learning from Kansas City’s WPH Coach Nick Scherzer and other Kansas City junior handball volunteer coaches.
The young handballers are separated into two groups based on their ages and taught the proper throwing and hitting motions. The older group transitioned quickly into rallying and playing points, while the younger group relished the opportunity to hit the ball and play cross-court two-bounce. “All of the kids loved playing and receiving and praise from the coaches,” revealed Coach Scherzer. “The kids learned the side-arm stroke, the back wall shot, defensive shots, the bowling alley swing, the V-pass and handball strategy.”
The conclusion of the 2015 fall/winter Junior WPH KC session was participation in Kansas City’s Handballesta winter handball tournament. The Junior WPH KC players entered the junior brackets, with the older Junior WPH KC players also entering the Contender Men’s B. Many of the Junior WPH KC members will be heading to the USHA Junior Nationals in Chicago in late December.
Junior WPH KC will continue in 2016, with the next session starting in February. “It blows my mind how teachable juniors are in this sport,” stated Coach Scherzer. “All of the kids listen so well and are eager to learn. All of the kids from the 2015 fall/winter session are registered for the 2016 winter/spring session and we’re going to try to recruit more.”
The World Players of Handball is proud to support the WPH Kansas City flourishing junior handball program. Follow the Junior WPH Kansas City and all of the WPH sponsored teams at juniorhandball.org.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development and supporting teams like the Junior WPH Kansas City. Donate on-line at www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718.
Log onto wphlive.tv, Like the World Players of Handball on Facebook, or follow the WPH on Twitter @dfwph and @wphlive for all of the handball news from on and off the court! The World Players of Handball is a non-profit foundation aiming to grow the game of handball through innovation and inspiring the next generation of players through junior clinics with certified WPH coaches, junior tournaments and the Race 4 Eight tour.
WPH UWF Argonauts Winter/Spring Update
The WPH sponsored University of West Florida Argonauts enjoyed an incredibly busy 2015 Fall/Winter semester, hosting the 2015 Argonauts Classic, attending the Bud Kelly Memorial Handball tournament in Chattanooga, TN, the Bear Bash in Springfield, MO and the Texas State Handball Championships in Austin, TX. The UWF Argonauts also held a WPH instructional clinic and exhibition with WPH Coaches and Race 4 Eight pros Luis and Daniel Cordova and twice-weekly handball clinics at the UWF Rec Center.
“We have had a great semester attending a number of great events and learning from some of the game’s best players,” revealed UWF Handball Team founder and ambassador Michael Morgan. “The bright spot of the semester was unquestionably our freshman class. The freshman have really come on strong, as they have attended tournaments, made major strides in their handball development and most importantly, all seem to have caught the handball bug and are eager for more next semester. At one of our larger events, we even introduced the UWF freshman player’s parents to the game and had them playing throughout the weekend.”
The WPH UWF Argonauts will be even busier in the 2016 Winter/Spring semester, as the Argonauts will host a Collegiate Nationals tune-up tournament in January, featuring the University of West Florida handball team and the University of Texas and Missouri State University handball teams, as each squad prepares for a full slate of spring tournaments. Following the Collegiate Nationals tune-up tournament in January, the Argonauts will head to the R48 V Stop #3 in New Orleans, the Collegiate Nationals, the Florida State Championships, the Southwest Regionals and potentially the Southeast Regionals.
The World Players of Handball is proud to support the UWF Argonauts’ flourishing college handball program. Follow the WPH UWF Argonauts and all of the WPH sponsored teams at juniorhandball.org.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development and supporting teams like the WPH UWF Argonauts. Donate on-line at www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718.
Log onto wphlive.tv, Like the World Players of Handball on Facebook, or follow the WPH on Twitter @dfwph and @wphlive for all of the handball news from on and off the court! The World Players of Handball is a non-profit foundation aiming to grow the game of handball through innovation and inspiring the next generation of players through junior clinics with certified WPH coaches, junior tournaments and the Race 4 Eight tour.
Junior WPH at Tucson’s Lohse YMCA
Junior WPH proudly coaches weekly Saturday clinics at Tucson’s downtown YMCA in the fall of 2015, introducing the game to numerous junior players and establishing a group of consistent players that have developed a passion for the sport. The Lohse YMCA clinics are partially funded by the Tucson Conquistadores, one of the country’s most philanthropic youth sports foundations and hosts of the Champions Golf Tour’s Conquistadores Classic every March.
Junior WPH’s Tucson Lohse YMCA clinics provide opportunities for Tucson youth to develop handball and life skills under the guidance of WPH Certified Coaches. The World Players of Handball is extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with Tucson’s Lohse YMCA and to provide young people with the ability to flourish through handball. The mission’s of the Lohse YMCA and the World Players of Handball are parallel, as promoting leadership, character building, discipline, integrity, social responsibility and developing physical health through physical activity are the cornerstones of both the YMCA and the World Players of Handball. Both the Lohse YMCA and the World Players of Handball are dedicated to improving the lives of young people to make for a better future.
Junior WPH is also thrilled and honored that the Tucson Conquistadores recognizes the value in the tremendous opportunities that Junior WPH is providing for young people. As with all Junior WPH handball programs and youth sports programs supported by the Conquistadores, sportsmanship, camaraderie, respect for yourself, respect for the sport and respect for your opponent is paramount.”
Log onto wphlive.tv, Like the World Players of Handball on Facebook, or follow the WPH on Twitter @dfwph and @wphlive for all of the handball news from on and off the court! The World Players of Handball is a non-profit foundation aiming to grow the game of handball through innovation and inspiring the next generation of players through junior clinics with certified WPH coaches, junior tournaments and the Race 4 Eight tour.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today and supporting the growth of the game. 100% of the donations received by the WPH go towards junior handball development. Donate on-line at www.thehandballstore.com, send your generous gifts through PayPal (extremehandball@cs.com) or by mailing checks to: WPH, 3561 E. Sunrise Dr. Suite 125, Tucson, AZ, 85718.
2015 Junior WPH Fall/Winter Clinics at Khalsa School P.E. Classes
For the third consecutive year, Junior WPH heads the handball coaching at Khalsa School’s P.E. classes in Tucson, AZ for the 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Each of the 60 middle school students are given the opportunity to learn and play 1-Wall handball throughout the semester on one of the country’s premiere 1-Wall court facilities at Khalsa School, one of Southwest Arizona’s most highly rated charter schools.
The middle school students are introduced to each handball lesson with a specific handball warm-up and taught the proper fundamentals of throwing and hitting the ball with both hands. By the end of each lesson, the students are often serving and rallying with one another.
“We are very fortunate to have the kids learning handball from one of the world’s best instructors,” stated Khalsa School P.E. Teacher Kevin Nichols. “The kids are really taking to it and it’s a great opportunity for them to learn new skills and have fun doing it.”
Junior WPH Battle of the Border II
Tucson’s Fred Lewis Foundation and Junior WPH Juarez faced off for the second time in three months in November of 2015 in the exciting junior handball team competition “Battle of the Border.” Fred Lewis Foundation’s Head Coach Abraham Montijo and Junior WPH Juarez Coach Richie “Drft” Fernandez proudly coach two of the most organized and successful junior handball programs in handball, and both Coach Montijo and Coach Fernandez were thrilled to watch their players pulling together as a team in the unique competition.
Just as FLF had done in the first Battle of the Border in August, Team FLF won five of the seven matches to clinch the cup. “We love hosting the Battle of the Border and providing opportunities for the Tucson and Juarez juniors to compete as a team,” revealed WPH Youth Donor and Development Director David Fink. “The kids are really an inspiration to players of all ages and levels and we are thrilled to have their passion for the game, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the sport.”
Junior WPH at the 50th Anniversary Juarez Handball Tournament Presented by the WPH
Junior WPH was thrilled to sponsor the 50th Anniversary Juarez Handball Tournament November 28th-29th, 2015 in one of North America’s best adult and junior handball communities. 17 junior handball players competed in advanced and beginner small ball and big ball singles tournament divisions, with each junior playing multiple matches in both codes throughout the weekend. Junior WPH is proud to sponsor Team Junior WPH Juarez, providing equipment, clinics and opportunities to travel to tournaments across the United States and Mexico. The WPH excited to watch the growth of the Team Junior WPH Juarez program at each event.
For a full recap from the 50th Anniversary Juarez Handball Tournament Presented by the WPH, click here
Junior WPH Clinic and Tournament at the 2015 Tucson Memorial/Junior WPH Benefit
More than 50 junior handball players from Arizona, California, Ohio, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico participated in various small ball and big ball junior handball divisions, as well as learning from several of the game’s best pros in an exciting junior clinic and skills competitions. Emerging R48 top pro and Irish Senior handball sensation Killian Carroll teamed with WPH Master Instructor David Fink to teach an unforgettable junior instructional and target-hitting competition. “Having a top pro like Killian stepping into junior clinics is incredible for the kids,” revealed Fink. “The kids were treated to world-class instruction from one of the game’s future legends and learned techniques that will help them become better players.”
Between the Junior WPH clinic, juniors participated in multiple small ball and big ball age and skill level divisions, with many of the junior players playing in three divisions. “Our kids are having an amazing experience at the Tucson Memorial,” stated WPH Juarez Coach Drft Fernandez. “We are so thankful to the WPH for providing our juniors with the opportunity to travel, compete against other juniors, and learn from the best coaches and the game.”