The Art of the Comeback
WPH Media, Tucson, AZ
Sports are games of momentum swings, none more so than handball. Unlike most sports, handball players retain the serve/ball after winning a rally, making long runs more likely than other sports in which the scorer immediately becomes the defender. This “make it-take it” handball rule often creates large leads and deficits, which invariably leads to memorable comebacks. Look no further than this Race 4 Eight season; R48 #1 Lucho Cordova has rallied from 1-12 deficits twice to win games, while Vic Perez rallied from a one-game and 9-13 deficit in game two to stun Lucho in Montana. In previous seasons, Killian Carroll has erased 13-0 deficits to win, while Robbie McCarthy famously rallied from a 15-1, 14-1 deficit at the Tucson Memorial to win.
How can these momentum shifts happen?
1) At the pro level, the skill differential is very thin, meaning if one player can build a 13-1 lead, his opponent is capable of erasing that lead.
2) Sports are extremely psychological. The player building a huge lead suddenly starts to feel the pressure, especially playing against a higher-ranked favorite, while the player facing the deficit feels less pressure.
3) A bad bounce, bad call or a bad error – what ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Vincent calls the “drop of water” – can quickly shift the momentum, breaking the concentration of the winning player and taking him out of his zone, thus evening the playing field.
4) Fatigue can play a major factor. The player who has built a large lead can suddenly hit a wall, opening the door for a comeback.
5) History and past success and/or failure plays a large role. A player that is used to winning never sees any deficit as insurmountable, while a player not used to winning may grow a lump, as they say in pool halls. Scoring the final points can often be more difficult than scoring the first points in a game, especially when breaking through a barrier against a particular player or advancing to a particular round.
How do today’s Race 4 Eight stars overcome deficits?
10-time R48 Champion and R48 #1 Lucho Cordova
The few things I do is I start playing a lot more intense. I don’t really adjust since by the time I’m losing I’ve probably already tried to adjust. The thing is I can make big comebacks because I’m usually not playing 100% on early rounds. I try to play a bit better than my opponents. So when somebody who I should beat is beating me, I can still usually play better and that’s what I do. I hit everything hard and try to retrieve everything. I think specifically the retrieving part makes it hard to score on me, especially at the end of games since my opponents might be a bit more tired and the shots they were using aren’t working anymore and the ball is coming at them a bit harder so it’s hard to adjust. I usually play pretty relaxed if I’m up or down or tied. So don’t really think about too much. I just play my game, but like I said, with more Intensity.
I usually have in my mind that I can still come back (regardless of the score). And I get to a point where I’m like, ‘ok it’s now or never’ and I start playing harder. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
28-time WR48 Champion and WR48 #1 Catriona Casey
My main philosophy when trailing is to never give up. I know both from personal experience, and from watching others, that momentum can always switch. I never feel like the game is over either way- whether I’m ahead or I’m behind… anything can happen! It sounds very obvious, but I just focus on playing each point at a time. Sometimes, you might be trailing and have not done a whole lot wrong! Most players will have a purple patch at some stage, so you have to ride that out. Often though, you might need to try something different, for example, change the serve and see if you have more success with that. If you chip into that lead, your opponent may start to tighten up. There’s nothing more satisfying than coming back from a big deficit!
Former Race 4 Eight Finalist and Current Race 4 Eight #9 Pro Vic Perez
I try to encourage myself as much as possible. I want to go into the court with a positive mindset and good attitude without showing much emotion. My strategy definitely changes (when facing a deficit). You have to have a good memory during the match or even previous matches that were possibly played years ago. I make mental notes of how I was able to score points and how I didn’t. I try to anticipate my opponent’s thoughts and potential shots. I try to remember my opponent’s favorite shots so that way I can anticipate my returns better. Breathing exercises tend to help. Taking a timeout to regain confidence. Staying mentally strong by not panicking during critical moments of the match. You have to train yourself to want to take risky shots during close matches.
[Thoughts after losing the first game and trailing 9-13 in game two to Lucho in Montana] – I told myself if I score a few points to put some pressure on Luis. I knew a few points would change the dynamic of the match and can potentially alter the outcome in my favor. I had to build momentum and maintain it.
SR48 #2 and former football player Kyle English
An athlete’s mindset is 90 percent of his/her performance. I’ve had all sorts of different mindsets while being down or out in an event – from anger, which causes you to lose focus on performance, or the feeling of defeat before even losing, which causes that same lack of focus on performance, to being more relaxed and less stressed knowing that since I’m being outmatched, I can take a time out and use it to strategize a change of pace and new plan of execution knowing the opponent won’t change what’s working for them.
One thing that’s for certain is that I know every opponent I go up against in a WPH bracket has more experience on the court than I do. That has helped me improve quickly by learning new things from each loss and adapting from them to become better and more consistent.
At the end of the day, I am an ultimate competitor and I’m hunting for as many upsets as possible. That is the only mindset I try to keep! I’m coming for everyone’s lunch!
2023 R48 Player’s Championship Quarterfinalist David Walsh
I’ve come back from a big deficit a few times, a few 9-0’s tiebreak comebacks. I suppose my thoughts are just to stay relaxed, nothing to lose at that point. Go for your shots. I’m relatively calm in general, so I think this benefits me. My strategy does not really change. Just apply pressure and see what happens. Being 9-0 can be a dangerous place to be at times too.
I just take things rally by rally, stay focused and think about the next shot at all times. I always feel as though I’m in the game regardless of the score. I like the challenge and playing under that pressure.
WR48 #4 Dr. Ashley Ruiz
When I’m down, I usually just concentrate on getting back in the box. I’m trying to avoid mistakes that give away easy points. I may change my strategy depending how far down I am. Sometimes I will just decide to shoot everything if the pass game isn’t working, or vice versa. I try to adjust against my opponent. If they like to play up front, I will slow the game down.
Thank you to all of the Race 4 Eight pros for sharing how they approach the Comeback
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David Fink
WPH Senior Writer