What’s in your Racquetball Bag?
Your racquetball bag is your lifeline for everything and anything you might need during a game or in preparation for a racquetball match. Racquetball bags come in all shapes and sizes. I am not sure you could have a racquetball bag that is too big but I am positive that you can have one that is too small. We keep all the essentials needed like our racquets, balls, and goggles in our racquetball bags, but there is so much more that you find that you need as you play more and more. Racquetball bags can be like a gym bag with a couple of handles and a strap to go over your shoulder, they can be almost like a luggage bag and rolling wheels and even come in the form of a backpack. These seem to become very popular because of their ease of carrying them. This is especially handy when the racquetball backpack is large and pretty heavy.
What are the essentials needed in my racquetball bag?
To be honest, there really are only a couple of things we have to have with us to play a game of racquetball that are essential. The short list of these items is a racquetball racquet, a racquetball ball, sneakers that are court-ready, and eye protection (goggles).
This seems pretty basic and you can probably fit all of this in any ole’ gym bag with room to spare. But what you don’t know at first, is that eventually, you will want to have other items with you that you will use pretty regularly, some other stuff that you will use occasionally, and other things you will use hardly ever. These items are discussed below.
What should I have in my racquetball bag that I will use regularly and occasionally?
Some items we keep in our racquetball bag and others we bring along with us because we will probably use them that day.
One of the items you may add to your racquetball bag to bring with you that day may be an extra change of shirt. Let’s face it, this game will make you sweat, some more than others. When you sweat through your shirt, it’s courteous to change it between games. I don’t know about you, but when you accidentally touch or bump into that opponent whose shirt is sopping, dripping wet, it is kinda nasty. Throw a couple of extra shirts in your bag on the way out of the house.
Another thing to throw in the racquetball bag on the way out the door is a towel. It’s nice to have something to either wipe your face off between games or wipe a really wet spot on the court during a game.
I like to stay hydrated so I usually have a Powerade or Gatorade in my bag when I head out to play
racquetball. Some guys like to drink plain old water, but I feel like the Sodium and Potassium in these drinks help me to retain fluid so I can stay hydrated. I avoid the ones that contain sugar.
If I have not had a chance to eat something, I’ll sometimes grab a Kind bar, banana, or a small bag of nuts to have in the bag in case I feel like I need something in my stomach between games.
I also regularly use headbands when I play which have to be laundered, so having a good supply of these in the bag is a must. Some guys like to use bandanas as well as wrist sweatbands.
The obvious things kept in the racquetball bag are a racquet, balls, gloves, and goggles but it is a good idea to have backups of all of these, especially if you are playing racquetball tournaments. Wouldn’t it be terrible if you had to forfeit a match your winning because of a broken racquet or a broken racquet string?!?! Follow the links for more information on Racquet stringing and Racquet repair.
Usually, you will find you have some extra balls rolling around the bottom of your bag but it really stinks when you show up to play or practice and you cannot find a ball.
Many times you will see people with multiple racquetball gloves hanging from their bags. This is because they can get sweaty and players want to have a dry glove handy.
What other things are kept in a racquetball bag?
Here is where the racquetball bag becomes cluttered with things. Goggles are great when first bought but eventually they begin to fog up during play. This is why many people will have anti-fog spray or wipes in their racquetball bags. This comes in very handy.
Some kind of first aid kit is helpful for cuts and abrasions that occur during play. Having at least some bandaids stowed away in the racquetball bag is a good idea.
But let’s not stop there. You never know when an ace bandage might be needed for a twisted ankle or sore elbow. An ace bandage is also helpful in holding ice in place if an injury occurs.
It couldn’t hurt to have some Tylenol or ibuprofen stowed away in the bag. Not all of us are in our twenties and aches and pains are part of the aging process. Let’s throw some icy hot or Biofreeze patches in the racquetball bag too. Those things are great if you’re experiencing some muscle pain.
Don’t forget to have a pair of scissors or a knife available. They are needed more often than you might think. Anything from a thread pulls on a shirt to a sliver of the racquet grommet hanging off like a hang nail can be remedied by using either one.
Another couple of items that some people like to keep in their racquetball bag is a tripod to video themselves during gameplay or even during practice sessions. This is a good way to see your mistakes. The other item that some people like to have is blue tape. This is used during practice sessions to mark places on the front or side walls to help with practicing shots.
In conclusion, There are a few things that every player needs to have with them so they are prepared to play racquetball. Some racquetball players want to be prepared for just about any situation and others fly by the seat of their pants and carry only the basic minimum with them in their racquetball bags.
Some things to keep in a racquetball bag are essential and others are optional. This will be different for each person. For instance, I could not survive without a headband and others have never worn one.
The longer you play, the more you will realize what you want to carry with you in your racquetball bag but one thing is for sure….. at some point, you will need something you do not have.
Here is a list of the items mentioned that could be found randomly in people’s racquetball bags:
Racquet – extra racquet
pack(s) of balls – different kinds
Goggles – extra goggles
Anti-fog of some type – spray or wipes
Gloves
Court shoes
Towels
Change of shirt
Headbands – Bandanas
Armbands
Tylenol/ibuprofen
Icy hot – bio freeze patch
First aid kit
Ace bandage
Bandaids
Knife/scissors
Water/Gatorade
Kind bar/oat bar/small bag of nuts
Tripod
Tape