JAI ALAI- LEVELS OF PLAY: Aspiring amateurplayers
can
easily learn to play in the beginner level and then move up.
Jai Alai comes in different flavors, you don’t have to, and certainly
the fronton won't let you start out with a hard ball. There are three
levels
of play and you need to be proficient at one before you advance to the
next
level, and in fact many people opt not to advance and find one ofthe
first
levels so much fun they stick with it. All levels have their own
advantages,
disadvantages and different characteristics, which are incurred due to
the
behavior of the different balls. The levels are as follows:
Rubber ball- Helmets are not required
and
is played with a rubber ball similar to the softer rubber balls sold at
toy
stores to play baseball, it is bouncy and rather soft. This is the
“entry
level” of jai alai. It is played in a smaller court, which is
approximately
75 X 20 feet, and you can safely learn the basics such as throwing,
catching,
serving and rebote, as well as the rules of the game. In my opinion,
you should
learn to at least throw and catch by practicing with a tennis ball
against
any wall, before you attempt to go in the court, it would be much more
fun
and you don’t get discouraged or timid among other people who already
know how. Many players will stay at this level because is safe, you
don’t
need to buy a helmet, cestas don’t break with the rubber ball
and it is not only fun to play, but also very good exercise.
Plastic ball- it is played on a slightly
larger
fronton than rubber ball, approximately 70 X20 feet, with a harder ball
than
the rubber ball. It is made out of plastic, and some of the newer balls
are
made out of a PVC like material. Helmets are required because even
though
the ball is not very hard and dense as the hardball, it can cause
substantial
head injury. Here is where you polish your skills before going to
hardball;
the ball behaves a lot more like the hardball than the rubber ball
does. Most
people play this for years before going to the hard ball and even just
stay
playing plastic ball, which provides a great deal of exercise and lots
of
fun. There are some advantages to this level of play, most players are
already
skilled, having learned on the rubber ball court, the volleys last
longer
than in hardball, the exercise level is greater than in any of the
other two
levels, the cestas last longer, the fun factor is high especiallywith
some
of the newer pvc-like balls which even sound almost like a hardball,
and
the danger level is relatively low. The disadvantage is that…well….
It just ain’t hardball, but if you never played hardball you won’t
mind staying at that level of play. In fact, I would say the majority
of players
would stay at this level, even trying hardball and just coming back to
plastic.
Definitely better volley and greater exercise than hardball, unless you
get
good at hardball and play with very good players who can sustain
volleys and
make the shots.
Hard ball- What a feeling! But be warned-
Helmets
are definitely required! Unfortunately, at the time of this writing,
there
is no court available to the amateurs, since the one at North Miami,
where
I played over 10 years, closed several years ago, leaving only
the plastic
and rubber ball courts open, and none of the professional frontons are
available
for amateurs, but anyways, I will reference my thoughts and experiences
on
the hardball court. The professional hard ball courts do not have a
specific
set size, just like baseball fields differ in measurements, but most
measure
165-180 feet long, and I’m not sure about the width and height, the
amateur court at North Miami was a small one, about 140 feet long and
about 30 feet wide. The ball is really hard; roughly three quarters the
size of
a baseball and a lively bounce, such as a golf ball.
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The advantage of hardball is
the
adrenalyn rush and awesome fun, the
cracking
sound of the ball and the
speed
are intoxicating, and the time in
the
court is usually intense and
focused,
all eyes are on the ball at
all
times due to the dangerous nature
of
the sport. The disadvantages are
that
volleys are not sustained as in
plastic
ball, if you don’t play with
good
experienced players it usually becomes
a
serve ---> return ---> ”point
over”
kind of play, the court is
big
and the less experienced players
just
can’t catch well or make the
shots,
but there are ways around it,
such
as play in leagues with good
players,
that’s when jai alai is the
most
fun, the great plays and long
volleys
become the norm. Another disadvantage
is
that the cestas need constant
repair
from the abuse of the hardball,
and
that could be rather costly.
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My experiences as an amateur
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