When I first started playing, I didn’t like to wear racquetball goggles. In fact, I never purchased a pair until I took a class in college which required protective racquetball eyewear. I went to a local sporting goods store and tested a few pairs until I found one that was somewhat decent. Although I had to wear the racquetball glasses during class, I wouldn’t wear them when I was playing with friends.
I talked my girlfriend into entering the intramural mixed doubles tournament with me. At this point she had only been in a racquetball court once or twice. The very first game of the tournament I hit her in the eye with the racquetball. Fortunately, no permanent damage was inflicted. I don’t think she was to happy about the ball scratching her retina though. Needless to say, we’ve been wearing goggles ever since.
I still didn’t appreciate the fact that the goggles I had altered my vision, even if it was just a small change. There were other problems as well. Sometimes when I would dive for a ball the goggles would shift on my face and obstruct my vision, the strap to keep them attached to my head would become uncomfortable the longer I played, and sometimes the goggles would fog up.
Eventually I couldn’t stand my goggles. So my wife (the girl I hit in the eye with a racquetball) and I made a trip to the sporting goods store and tried on every single pair of racquetball glasses they had. We both liked the fit of the Ektelon O3 Bones. Ever since I purchased those goggles, I no longer have any of the negative side effects of my old goggles. It’s a good thing too, because eventually I would have started playing without protective goggles again — and I’ve taken my fair share of hits to the head. In fact. during one game my opponent hit me square in the eyes with his racquet. My goggles took the brunt of the blow and saved me a lot of pain and possibly my vision.
It’s important that you find a pair of goggles that are comfortable for you. I like the Ektelon O3 Bones because they feel like sunglasses almost. They lenses are very close to my eyes and I don’t need a strap around them to keep them in place. While this suits me just fine, it may not be for everyone.
There is a wide selection of racquetball goggles on the market. It is highly recommended that you try on as many different pairs of goggles as you can until you find the one that fits your face and works well with your game.
For information on specific brands of goggles you can follow these links.
