As a university racquetball instructor, Dr. Timothy Baghurst could not find a textbook geared toward the beginning college player. He found that most textbooks were both too expensive and thick for a student taking an eight week course. So, he wrote his own book.

Beginning Racquetball for the College Student: A Survival Guide, published by Bent Tree Press, is well-suited for any player wishing to improving their game. Dr. Baghurst, an assistant professor at Henderson State University, made two key changes to his book to differentiate it from other racquetball texts on the market. First, he wrote the book in a conversational tone so that the book would be more interesting to read than a typical academic text. He wanted his students to come out of class saying that racquetball is fun activity that could be a lifetime pursuit. Second, he hired an artist to replicate the strokes and techniques of each shot to give the perception of motion and to ensure that the book would not go out of date with the pictures.

 The book is now being used as the core text for racquetball classes in several universities and can be purchased on Amazon for $18.75.