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Calculated Risks
Later,
another great player of the 70s named Steve Strandemo continued Brumfield's
work. Strandemo was not a natural athlete, but he managed to stay firmly in
the top eight because he had a thorough understanding of winning principles.
He contributed two additional factors to Brumfield's work. First, Strandemo
studied videotaped matches to compile statistical data that
supported Brumfield's theory of a floating center. Second, he discovered
that even with the advent of “power racquetball” and the expanded racquet
sizes of the 1980s, this theory is still valid today.
Strandemo
realized that to play and win consistently at the professional level, a
player must understand certain basic truths of the game. Often, players who
relied entirely on superior athleticism or dramatic weapons were outclassed
by less athletic but smarter players.
Marty Hogan
changed the face of racquetball with his hyper - aggressive style. While he
was famous for his power style, his most superior asset was a sense of
timing about when to play conservatively and when to unleash his trademark
power game.
Without the basic comprehension of when to take calculated
risks, the opponent could easily penetrate his athleticism by playing the
percentages and wear him down. Hogan found that if everybody played by the
numbers, it was smart calculated risk-taking that usually won games.
To summarize,
the winningest players understand certain basic truths about the game. They
are able to rely on playing the numbers for consistent wins over other
players of nearly equal ability. They then expand their games to include the
extreme techniques to beat equal or more superior opponents.
Importantly,
they develop the understanding, the timing, and the confidence to know when
to play by the numbers and when to take a risk for a winner. Similar to
Hogan, the major difference between Sudsy Monchik and top amateurs is his
thorough understanding of smart play coupled with his timing for venturing
into extreme play.
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