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A phenomenon when first published in 1972, the Inner Game was a real revelation. Instead of serving up technique, it concentrated on the fact that, as Gallwey wrote, "Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game." The former is played against opponents, and is filled with lots of contradictory advice; the latter is played not against, but within the mind of the player, and its principal obstacles are self-doubt and anxiety. Gallwey's revolutionary thinking, built on a foundation of Zen thinking and humanistic psychology, was really a primer on how to get out of your own way to let your best game emerge. It was sports psychology before the two words were pressed against each other and codified into an accepted discipline.
The new edition of this remarkable work--Billie Jean King called the original her tennis bible--refines Gallwey's theories on concentration, gamesmanship, breaking bad habits, learning to trust yourself on the court, and awareness. "No matter what a person's complaint when he has a lesson with me, I have found the most beneficial first step," he stressed, "is to encourage him to see and feel what he is doing--that is, to increase his awareness of what actually is."
There are aspects of psychobabble and mysticism to be found here, sure, but Gallwey instructs as much by anecdote as anything else, and time has ultimately proved him a guru. What seemed radical in the early '70s is now accepted ammunition for the canon; the right mental approach is every bit as important as a good backhand. The Inner Game of Tennis still does much to keep that idea in play. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
The Inner Game of Tennis is a revolutionary program for overcoming the self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses of concentration that can keep a player from winning. Now available in a revised paperback edition, this classic bestseller can change the way the game of tennis is played.
Customer Reviews:
enjoyable read.......2007-09-23
if you are under pressure to improve your tennis game, this book will put you at ease, but you 'll still improve.
Good Mental Strategies.......2007-09-15
This book gives you the tools to help analyze the mental part of the game. It gives stratigies and examples. If you are serious about tennis, or, want to improve your competitive game. Get this book.
Inner game of tennis.......2007-06-12
great book. Bought three for a couple of my daughters friends
Maybe the best book ever!.......2007-05-17
Could make you better in everything you do in life... not an understatement...
The Inner Game of Tennis.......2007-05-16
While most of us would like to play like the pros, most of us will only run aroung the courts. This book helpes you to play more as a child. Just go out and do it. Don't try to over think.
Everyone says my game has improved over the past 6 months and want to know why. I just tell them to read the book.
Book Description
He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the Tour's biggest names -- all by playing his "ugly" game.
Now, in Winning Ugly Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player -- to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means outthinking opponents before, during, and after a match; forcing him or her to play your game. Gilbert's unconventional advice includes:
* How to identify the seven "Hidden Ad Points," and what to do when they come up
* Six reasons why you should never serve first
* How to beat a Lefty, a Retriever, a Serve-Volley player, and other troublesome opponents
* How to keep a lead, or stop a match from slipping away
* How to handle psyching and gamesmanship
Winning Ugly is an invaluable combat manual for the court, and its tips include "some real gems," according to Tennis magazine. Ultimately, Winning Ugly will help you beat players who have been beating you.
Customer Reviews:
Should be titled "Playing Smart".......2007-09-19
I'm not prone to exaggeration, and I don't write many reviews, but this is an excellent and unorthodox book. Do not recommend it to your opponents.
The title suggests using dirty tactics to win at all costs, while the book is actually about Gilbert becoming a world-class player despite his undistinguished strokes. Gilbert accomplished this through mental preparation. Sounds like common sense, right? Analyze your opponents and their strengths and weaknesses as well as yours, pay attention during the match about "who's doing what to whom". This book isn't about how to hit a forehand or backhand (Gilbert rightly points you to a club pro for that) but how to think about where to hit that forehand and backhand depending on what is happening in the match. It's really difficult to do it justice. I'm just an intermediate player but it has already begun to impact how I approach playing matches and what I try to do during practice rallies.
The anecdotes are very interesting, and Gilbert plainly writes about his weaknesses and failures. He compares a number of different players, and even if they're not the current crop, there's plenty to learn and absorb.
I had one revelation late in the book, in a section on psychological tricks that players use. Gilbert doesn't advocate them, and presents them instead so you're prepared if an opponent uses them. I used to idolize John MacEnroe because of his style of play, and considered his tantrums to be minor blemishes on a great career. The book explains that John MacEnroe and Jimmy Connors basically resorted to whining (my word, not Gilbert's) and completely disrupting a match when they were losing, in order to throw off the opponent, and they were accorded much more leniency than other players because of their stature. I think this casts a shadow on their legacies. Anyway, that's just a minor point.
The best I ever read about tennis mental game........2007-05-19
This is trully a great book! The author opens so many hidden stones of the game you would never thought about, and it is fun to read. I really love it! Brad, thank you very much for your excellent job. I wish you were my coach earlier or coaching my son now.
Focus on Winning.......2007-04-10
Take a walk inside the mind of the tennis player. Find out what should be going on inside the successful player's mind during a match.
Nice reading with good tips.......2007-03-09
It is worth reading although it could have been much briefer. Overall it is really fun to read.
Winnin Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis -- Lessions from a Master.......2007-01-22
The best tennis book I've ever read. Brad gilbert is a tennis genius and a very good writer. He has a keen sense of humor which is just in his personality - he writes the same way as he speaks (you can see him on TV a lot during the tennis tournaments). In this book he describes what is going on in player's head and what should be going on up there. He teaches how to be mentally strong during the matches. He also gives some very good practical advice on how to improve your strokes and how to play different style players. Very useful book for a tennis player. I'm going to re-read it again - every single page has wealth of valuable info.
Average customer rating:
- No more than common sense
- Just Plain Fun
- ZOOOOM!!
- Backyard Ballistics
- fun and easy
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Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices
William Gurstelle
Manufacturer: Chicago Review Press
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Whoosh Boom Splat: The Garage Warrior's Guide to Building Projectile Shooters
ASIN: 1556523750 |
Book Description
Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple—a match-powered rocket—to the more complex—a scale-model, table-top catapult—to the offbeat—a tennis ball cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, explains the physics behind the projects, and profiles scientists and extraordinary experimenters such as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton. This book will be indispensable for the legions of backyard toy-rocket launchers and fireworks fanatics who wish every day was the fourth of July.
Customer Reviews:
No more than common sense.......2007-08-26
Nothing particularly creative in that book that anybody with some common sense wouldn't come up with.
Just Plain Fun.......2007-04-24
Being a parent and a science teacher, I really love this book. It takes me back to my younger years when it was fun to launch anything more than 10 feet and still have all of your hair intact. What fun this book is! Gurstelle is great!
ZOOOOM!!.......2007-04-13
If you like launching projectiles at incomprehensible speeds, making very loud noises, or launching more projectiles at lightning speeds then this book is for you it includes a few types of spud guns, a kite that you light on fire and the hot air slowly lifts it off the ground, three rockets two of which dont use fire making them relitively safe and some notes on safty (how not to blow yourself up) and a bunch of other stuff
great book!!!!!!!!!!
Backyard Ballistics.......2007-03-09
This an entertaing book. It would be excellent for anyone with kids. If more children and parents worked on these fun projects the kids would get an education, get out of the house and away from Video Games.
fun and easy.......2007-01-10
We have tried the tennis ball cannon from this book so far and had great success with it. It was a great weekend project that was cheap and easy with great results. Great for summer time fun with the kids.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent resource on treating and preventing injuries...
- Johnson is "magic"!
- Review of, "Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff"
- So far, so good
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Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff
Jim Johnson
Manufacturer: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC
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Treat Your Own Knees: Simple Exercises to Build Strength, Flexibility, Responsiveness and Endurance
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7 Minute Rotator Cuff Solution
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The Sixty-Second Motivator
ASIN: 1598582062 |
Book Description
Based entirely on research from peer-reviewed journals and randomized controlled trials,
Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff is a complete program to prevent and rehabilitate rotator cuff injuries for athletes and non-athletes alike. In less than 100 pages, readers will learn precisely how the rotator cuff works, what can go wrong with it, and then are guided step-by-step through an evidence-based program that takes just minutes a week to complete. Drawing from the latest rotator cuff research,
Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff is especially useful for those who have been diagnosed with either a partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tear, experience shoulder pain, do upper body weight lifting, play a sport or have a job that involves repeated arm motions above shoulder level, have been diagnosed with "impingement syndrome," or for anyone simply wanting a healthy and properly functioning rotator cuff.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resource on treating and preventing injuries..........2007-09-06
This is a great book that concisely explains the anatomy and physiology of the rotator cuff including the bones, muscles, biomechanics, etc. in just enough detail for the average person to understand. It also describes how to distinguish between different types of injuries, how to approach rehabilitating them and collects a lot of rotator cuff injuries in one small volume. While the book is rather expensive for its size, it packs a lot of well-explained information into a small space.
I'm an ex-physiology teaching fellow and scientist. I thought this book was great and turned something that is often difficult to explain into something anyone who can read can understand. The diagrams are good and the book contains no unnecessary detail.
I also agree with other reviewers that while Jim Johnson isn't an expert on rotator cuffs, his book is thoroughly researched and he does have a PT credential and has undoubtedly had 15 years of clinical experience in a teaching hospital environment. This suggests he has a very good nuts and bolts understanding and hands-on experience.
Johnson is "magic"!.......2007-07-09
This is the second book of Jim Johnson's that I have bought. The first one fixed my back pains with a simple exercise to strengthen the Multifidus muscles.
The exercises in this book has significantly reduced pain and increased mobility in my left shoulder, allowing me to sleep through the night and lift my arm over my shoulder.
Review of, "Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff".......2007-06-13
I ordered this book for my brother-in-law who has experienced shoulder pain and not being able to lift his arm higher than shoulder level due to a rotator cuff injury he received in the past. I recommended it to him because of the wonderful results I got using the information in this book to treat my own right shoulder pain.
Having previously read, Jim Johnson's, The Sixty-Second Motivator, and finding it very helpful, I can tell you that I certainly had the motivation to try and stick with an exercise that would relieve my painful and restricting condition. And it sounded to me like my brother-in-law was in the same boat.
I used the Sidelying External Rotation exercise on page 55 of the rotator cuff book and got great results. The first time I tried it I could only manage to raise a 20 ounce can of pineapple about half way up less than ten times. I found the detailed instruction, precautions and notes particularly helpful and feel that carefully following them was why I experienced the gradual recovery. My wife sat beside me making sure I did the exercise slowly and exactly as the book states. After about four weeks I actually worked up to fully raising the can of pineapple 20 times. Later on I increased the weight little by little and began to feel good enough to resume some of the more physically demanding activities on our small farm.
Last week I was actually able to assist with harvesting our hay and didn't suffer during or afterward from any of the shoulder pain or stiffness that I had previously experienced many times. Yes, I was careful about what I did and how I worked, but for me to even attempt to try stacking a 60 pound bale of hay was completely out of the question a few months ago. I went from shoulder pain that caused me sleepless nites and not being able to lift my right arm any higher than shoulder level, to what I consider a darned good day's work.
This book is a real bargain and indeed I consider it invaluable when I think about how it helped me. And as you can see, I heartily recommend it.
So far, so good.......2007-05-11
Just as the book promised, I had a eureka! moment the other day. I bought this book because I have been having unidentified rotator cuff problems for years (I was a baseball and now am an avid softball player). Because everyone talks about rotator cuff tears, I assumed that's what my problem was. After reading Johnson's book, I was surprised and pleased to discover that my problem was most likely simply an impingement, and that no matter what your unspecified problem it is, it is likely to improve from his exercises (he cites the studies that prove this claim). Prior to starting his exercises, it was painful to soap up in the shower, sleep or do anything where I had to reach my back. Now, after just a month of the stretches and strengthening exercises I realized all of a sudden the other day (eureka!) that I have no pain in my shoulders! My range of motion is not where it should be yet in one shoulder, but it's improving. I still have a ways to go, but I'm encouraged by my progress so far.
Johnson's book is written to help people with all severity of rotator cuff problems. Anywhere from being unable to lift an arm overhead to near full utility of the joint. He also gives you measurements by which you can judge your flexibility, which is also nice to help you figure out what "normal" is.
I suppose the question still remains: why don't you just go to a doctor, idiot? I suppose the real answer is the inconvenience of going, the cost, and primarily, just that I'm a DIYer type my nature, and like to fix things on my own when I can.
The only reason I didn't go to 5 stars was because I got the impression from the book that Johnson is really just a guy (in the field) who reviewed some studies and came up with a program. Now, that's a great way to go about things, but I would not call him an *expert* on rotator cuffs. On the plus side, that does make him very easy to understand, as opposed to some of the surgeons out there who have written on the subject.
Average customer rating:
- This is a really good series for adolescent boys.
- Skeleton Key
- Skeleton Key
- A Great Start to a Series
- skeleton Key
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Skeleton Key (Alex Rider)
Anthony Horowitz
Manufacturer: Puffin
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Alex Rider: The Gadgets (Alex Rider Adventure)
ASIN: 0142406147 |
Book Description
Alex Rider has been through a lot for his fourteen years. He's been shot at by international terrorists, chased down a mountainside, and stood face-to-face with evil. Twice, young Alex has saved the world. And twice, he has almost been killed doing it. But now Alex faces something even more dangerous. The desperation of a man who has lost everything he cared for: his country and his only son. A man who just happens to have a nuclear weapon and a serious grudge against the free world. To see his beloved Russia once again be a dominant power, he will stop at nothing. Unless Alex can stop him first.
The phenomenon that is the Alex Rider series returns with pulse-quickening action as, for the first time, Britain's MI6 and America's CIA unite forces. Be glad Alex is on our side.
Customer Reviews:
This is a really good series for adolescent boys. .......2007-07-23
I am an English teacher reviewing this series for student consumption. I think it is an excellent series, especially for adolescent boys. The girls, however, enjoy it too.
Skeleton Key.......2007-05-21
Skeleton key
The book I just read was one out of five books of the series Alex Rider written by Anthony Horowitz. The book I read was called Skeleton key. Alex Rider saves the world again even though he is a young teenager. This book is a thrilling page turner and you will not want to stop reading! This book is all you will concentrate on while you read. Who ever likes spy and mystery books will love this story!
This great story starts off in a Cessna Skyhawk Sp coming in for a land at Cayo Esqueleto (Skeleton Key) I love how this book is always a mystery when you turn the pages. It is always very exciting as you read! The men in the plane were looking at a thermal intensifier. Things were going just the way they planed.
Unfortunately it was going to be kind of hard to land on the runway. But luckily there were two lights at the beginning of the runway. That was a little about the beginning of the book. But here is where the book gets exciting! Alex Rider is spying on a man named Alexei Sarav (bad guy). As Alex is spying in Sarav's mansion he gets caught. Alex Rider is held in Sarav's old horse shed, but manages to escape. (Man Alex is good!)
Now Alex has run into a big obstacle, to stop a nuclear bomb in England. All right I'm not going to tell anymore details about the book because I don't want to ruin the ending to the book. I really encourage people to read this great book and even the rest of the series because it's great too! So if you get the chance read the book Skeleton Key!
Skeleton Key.......2007-03-16
Skeleton Key by Anthony horowitz is an ultra-fast paced thrill. The book centers around the teenage superhero, Alex Rider, and how he yet again saves the world. This time Alex is sent to spy on a bomb smuggler named Alexi Sarav on the remote island of Skeleton Key. Alex gains a lot of information spying in his mansion, until he is found out. Alex is hled captive in Sarav's old horse shed, but somehow finds a way out through another MI6 gaurd undercover working for Sarav. Alex gets out with just enough time to stop the nucular bomb from exploding back in England.
I would give this book a four out of five becuase The detail is exceptional and I really love Anthony Horowitz and the way he writes. I would reccomend this book to any action seeking fan.
A Great Start to a Series.......2007-03-02
"I'm a spy in England. My uncle died on a mission. So they called for me. My problem is that I don't want to be a spy. The agency keeps on sucking me into this. I hate it, every time I almost kill myself." These are the words of Alex Rider. He's a spy in England, he has done other missions. He is talented at saving the world I would say.
He's more than just a spy, he has saved the world two other times. This is an action/adventure story. Skeleton Key is part of a series. It's called The Alex Rider series. The author is Anthony Howoritz. I think that boys 11-13 would enjoy this book. This book is definitely fiction, maybe a little to fake in parts. The story takes place in Wimbledon and then changes to two other settings. You will want to read the other books in the series in order. Read this book!
- Connor Mitchell
skeleton Key.......2007-02-28
The world saving teen Alex Rider. The book skeleton Key is about a teenager spy that saves the world. He went with the C.I.A to spy on sarov on the island called skeleton Key. Sarov capures him and holds him at his house. The two C.I.A agent he went with where never seen again. The theme of the book is when alex saved Russia from getting blown up. The reason why Anthony Horowitz might have wrote the book is for intertainment. The book was exiting and intence always because he was trying to escape from Sarov to save the world. In part of the book it said, The grind stones were getting closer with every second that passed. He could feel the vibration trensmited down the conveyor belt.This part was important because Alex Rider could have ben killed right their. I recomend all ages to reead this because it is intence, exiting, and all around fun to read.
Book Description
Sports Psychology Consultant Jeff Greenwald (#1 in the world in men's 35) is convinced that all of us who take the game of tennis seriously and have a passion to improve have much more potential than we even realize--potential just waiting to be tapped. This FearlessTennis program will ensure that you never, ever regret the way you play the game. Through live interviews, powerful pre-match visualizations, Jeff's insights and the reflections of top pro players, you will begin to close out a lead with authority, play loose and focused under pressure and without fear.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful Cd.......2007-06-27
Jeff Greenwald makes some very useful comments and analysis for improving your mental game of competitive tennis. His tone is deliberate, uses good examples from real experience and has usable suggestions.
Great Advice.......2007-01-18
There is really some good advice and suggestions in this CD for dealing with the tension and fears that can hinder athletic performance. Many of these can be applied to more than just tennis. One of the best keys for improving any athletic skill is reducing tension and this CD addresses several causes and introduces potential ways to address issues. I found the advice very relevant and useful.
Help for Mental Midget Tennis Players - Like Me.......2005-05-14
I bought this book specifically because this year I have been nervous and unconfident during matches. Was this helpful? Absolutely! Does it completely cure the problem and will listening to this make your problems go away? Absolutely not!
This tape hit right on the problems I had. That there is an internal conflict between my physical self and my ego. My ego makes me play tight when playing lesser talented people. It restricts my mental thought process when I'm getting beat by better players making me mad at myself instead of focusing on how I should try to cure the problem.
Let me give you an example where it immediately helped. I'm an adequate server but can be prone to double fault issues. This tape asks you to visualize the stroke or a part of the stroke you are struggling with and how to correct it. Now, that sounds simple. But instead of doing this, I was mentally losing it thinking of nothing in particular until I fulfilled my destiny with a double fault. In case you haven't noticed, it's a village idiot writing this review but at least I recognize this. I was actually surprised how well these simple adjustments in attitude helped. I'm still working on all the negative discussions that I have with myself on court.
Who knows, with a little work, maybe I'll be considered a normal humanoid.
Hey this really does help.......2005-03-15
Obviously if you are going to buy this CD you play tennis. Alot of tennis.
It does help with visualization and match play, relaxation etc. I was skeptical when I first listened to it, but it grows on you.
If you put some of his ideas into practice you really do relax on the court.
Shows to how to bring your best game to the court!.......2003-04-02
I've done a lot of sports in my life, and have only rarely been given any guidance by coaches about how to address the issue of nerves, tension, relaxation, focus, and playing my best physical game while my mental side was going crazy with the tension of the moment. It's no easy task, but Jeff Greenwald's "Fearless Tennis" finally tackles a subject that affects all of us who play the game, any game for that matter. Relaxing and hitting our best stuff under the pressure of a match, at any level, has always been elusive at best. It's obvious when your hear this CD, that Jeff has "been there". His professional experience on the tour gives credence to his insights on how the pressure of a match can undermine so devastatingly our ability to hit the ball like we do when it doesn't count. I think Jeff has done us all a great service by combining his extensive match experience, knowledge of the game, and advanced psychological training to produce this CD. I feel like Jeff has lifted a real load of mental anguish off my shoulders every time I walk on a court. I'm playing more relaxed, hitting out more on the pressure points, and am making fewer errors. I have mixed emotions about letting everybody know about this great CD.
It's helped me immensely , I'm just not sure I want my opponents to know this stuff too!
Bill Dunn - 4.0-4.5
Amazon.com
Written for tennis newcomers but with enough detail to satisfy seasoned players, Tennis for Dummies offers practical, substantive, and perceptive advice on a subject that the United States Tennis Association describes as a "sport for a lifetime." Patrick McEnroe--little brother of John McEnroe--collaborates with Peter Bodo to provide a wealth of tennis tips, such as the difference between a ball's pace on slick grass courts and the slow, high bounce experienced on clay courts. Useful advice includes such things as how to find a good coach, which Web sites offer the most comprehensive tennis news, and how to respond when your opponent questions a close call: "I'm sorry, but I never had a moment of doubt. That ball was clearly out." Sprinkled throughout the book are interesting anecdotes about McEnroe's career, including an amusing exchange with his fiancée during a match, in which she eagerly and innocently advised him to just "get it over the net, Pat!" Those keen to take up a new hobby or to simply learn more about the sport they already love will appreciate everything this book has to offer--game, set, and match. --Jeremy Storey
Book Description
Tennis is a sport for a lifetime. It really is a game that you can enjoy long-term, both as a player and a spectator. Played all over the world on surfaces ranging from concrete to clay the game of tennis is exciting to watch and even more fun to play.
Whether you’re an adult looking for a new challenge or a parent starting your kids off, Tennis For Dummies provides a terrific introduction to the sport. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, if you who want to start playing the game of tennis, but don’t have the motivation or information to do so, this book can show you the way. If you’re already into the game, you’ll find out how to take your skills to the next level.
This easy-to-understand guide will introduce you to the basics of the game and show you what it takes to improve each time you step on the court. Tennis For Dummies also covers the following topics and much more:
- Equipping yours elf with the right apparel, racket, and accessories
- Polishing your strokes—from your serve to lobs
- Finding out how the game is scored
- Shaping up with physical conditioning
- Dealing with common tennis injuries such as shin splints and tennis elbow
- Sharpening your mental game
- Exploring the finer points of tennis etiquette, both on the court and in the stands
- Discovering how to find the best tennis instructor for you
Whether you’re interested in playing singles or doubles, on hard court or clay, Tennis For Dummies will inspire you get out on a court and play. Featuring detailed photos, illustrations, and court diagrams this book can help you discover how the game of tennis is played and show you how to get the most out of yourself each and every time you pick up a racquet.
Customer Reviews:
good book.......2007-07-03
for someone who has never tried to play tennis before, likes to watch it on tv, is interested to play on their school team, or maybe sommeone getting back into the game, this book is really helpful in learning all about playing the game of tennis. a great refrence on everything tennis. i especaially like the cheat sheet. this is the only book i needed to buy because it has everything in it!
good.......2007-01-10
A good book. Lots of good tips. But if you really want to learn to play tennis get a teacher
Great for tennis beginners!.......2005-09-24
I just started playing tennis and jumped in with both feet - joining an ALTA team. Practices were great but I knew nothing about the rules and terms. This book does a great job of explaining everything and it turns out several women on my team own it!
This is a great book!.......2005-09-11
I had never picked up a racket before, and I found this book very helpful and easy to understand.
great information.......2005-09-06
It is clear, informative and very useful for the beginner or the one who has forgotten what she learned in high school phys ed.
Book Description
Can tennis really be this simple?
Just ask the dozens of world-class players who have made it to the top using Oscar Wegner’s groundbreaking approach. But if playing tennis isn’t so easy for you, if you never seem to play up to your potential, don’t blame yourself—blame the coach who taught you a lot of uselessly complex techniques. Play Better Tennis in 2 Hours is your guide to tennis as the pros play it—more intuitive, more fluid, and more fun. World-renowned tennis coach and ESPN commentator Oscar Wegner shows you how to focus your efforts on one thing—hitting the ball correctly. Your own natural athleticism will take care of everything else. Follow the simple drills in this power-packed handbook, and you’ll learn how to:
- Move to the ball efficiently and fluidly
- Stop worrying about foot position and stance
- Hit every stroke harder and more accurately
- Put a wicked topspin on your forehand
- Master both one- and two-handed backhands
- Combine control and power on your volleys
- Put more speed and spin into your serve and more punch in your return
"Known and respected all around the world, Oscar has given us another great contribution to tennis with this book."—Gustavo Kuerten, three-time French Open champion
"Oscar has broken the mold, demystifying the modern tennis stroke. There's genius in his analysis of pro techniques—the dynamics of what the racquet does to the ball, how power and spin are added. He understands how top pros really stroke the ball, and always have, all the way back to Tilden."—Andy Rosenberg, Director for NBC Sports Wimbledon and French Open
Customer Reviews:
Bad instructional book.......2007-09-10
This book maybe contains some useful information, but not for me. I would never recommend it as an instructional book.
Some parts are totally misleading for the beginners. Chapter about the serve especially disappointing - there is no sense to waist time to teach a serve like this. After reading this book I started immediately to look for other instructional material.
DON'T WASTE YOUR 2 HOURS OR YOUR MONEY ON THIS BOOK.......2007-04-21
If you are checking out this title, you are obviously looking for instruction and guidance to improve your tennis. This book will not serve the purpose. Look elsewhere.
BEST TENNIS BOOK EVER...but.......2007-04-05
Oscar's instructions are so deceptively simple that a beginner might have difficulty comprehending them. The best way to learn tennis with Oscar's technique is to buy his dvd's. Just google his name and you will find his website.
Oscar's tennis perspective has changed my game over nite. I've been playing the game using classic style for a long time and saw a decline in my ability to compete with modern players. Oscar's explanation of the modern forehand and backhand has made it easy for me to make the transition. My new skills has enabled me to compete with more success agaisnt modern players.
This book is good for players who have been playing for a long time using classical style of the 70's who want to adapt to the modern style of play.
Good companion for beginner while taking some lessons from the teaching pros. It's a great book for all you frustrated players looking for something to bring back the edge.
save your money!!.......2007-02-26
This book was very disappointing. I am a 4.0 player. I was expecting an advanced book since the man talks about how he had something to do with Gustavo Kuerten's success. But as the book went on it was more tailored for beginners, telling people to choke up on the racquet in order to learn a stroke, how to hit top spin, etc. It's explanations oversimplify everything to a fault and the pictures accompanying the text are amateurish and inaccurate. For example, in explaining the serve motion, in one picture a woman is using the eastern grip to serve (ala a beginner) but in another picture the guy is using a continental and the text does not point out the difference or that there are different grips at all like the eastern, semi-western, western or continental. On the backhand grip, he says to put the thumb behind the racquet. He talks about the american twist serve but only explains its effect; not how to hit it or what grip to use. In another example, he is explaining the windshield wiper forehand but the woman in the picture isn't doing it.
It is the worst tennis book I've bought from Amazon so far. No wonder there are only six ratings on it but they all rate it very highly so I bought it. Now I regret it.
If I started my tennis lesson this way.............2006-11-10
This book is all about the so called Wegner method of learning modern tennis. You can see from the start that this method is somewhat different from the traditional way of learning tennis.
I myself started play tennis from 10 years old, trained all the way by the traditional method of course. I didn't play very good, just an average college level player. I have become a partime coach for some kids recent years which made me started to look for new coaching materials. And something I found making sense is this Wegner method.
From my traditional training, I doubt this book at first, maybe like a lot other readers who are trained by traditional methods. But after some thnking and trying, I found some new concept and the best of all....it works!!!
Not only can I use this on my teaching tennis to some great result on kids, my tennis had improved amazingly after I adjust my concept of play. And, I found out that I play more and more like the PROs...such as Federer!!! I remembered in the old days that I had asked my coach:" Why is Agasii amd Sampras played different from us, and different from what you taught us?..." I was scolded by the coach:" BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AGASSI!!!" Now I know everyone can play the way the top pros play, it is just the concepts, not your physical diffenrence!!!
But, there are still some weakpoint in this book that makde me ranked it at a 4 stars rather than a 5 stars. The concepts are good but the description is a little misleading. Mr.Wegner tried to opposed the traditional way too much that sometimes he overexagerated his point. Which lead to some misunderstanding. For example, he keep exagerated the point " don't prepare too early"...whick is misleading in my point of view. What he is really trying to say is "prepare early, but do not take your racket back too early"......And if you try to practice by this misconcept, it will be a disaster...
If I started my tennis lessons this way(the correct concept way of course), I think maybe you would have heard my names in some grand slams, HAHAHA.....
Since I am too old now, I tried to teach some kids with these concepts , and now there are a lot of good and happy kid players in my team. I appreciate this book and this method. Think first and try this, you will like it!!!
Customer Reviews:
Tennis Bible.......2007-09-18
Where in the world has this book been all my tennis life? A must-read book for the doubles player seeking to improve his/her game. Every chapter is valuable, every tip should be committed to memory and practiced on the court. Our whole team has ordered and is reading this book to improve our court positioning and strategy skills. And, it is not boring. Instead it is actually riveting. Some parts I had to read 2 or 3 times, just to make sure I fully understood the concept. Not because the writing was poor, but rather because the strategy was so eye opening and new to me that I wanted to make sure "I got it." I highlighted this book like a textbook and plan on rereading it many, many times.
Not for the beginning player, though. Must be at least at the intermediate level.
This will improve your understanding of the game.......2007-03-01
You get a feeling right away that this book isn't going to waste your time. There is real content on every page. I play on a mixed doubles USTA league but I found much of this to be things I didn't know, hadn't figured out and didn't hear from my partners. I particularly liked the way the author mixed psychological tips with court positioning and shot selection. The one reservation I have is that there is a lot here to remember. Still, there are good chapter summaries so once you get the gist of what she's saying you can go to the bullet points to refresh your memory.
This is what too many pros don't teach you!!.......2006-10-25
This book is not for the beginner but for the intermediate player with come-to-net skills who wants to play SMART. Pat does a wonderful job in the book -- with humor and wit -- of getting you to understand the "beautiful dance" that is good doubles play. Most people who walk on a court with a partner to play a game of doubles play "singles" with a "helper." Pat clearly shows you how to work as a TEAM -- where to put the ball so that your partner is not hindered by your shot, but becomes more able to put the ball away for a winner. This is a stellar book for any enthusiastic and thinking tennis player. My copy is dog-eared from rereading.
Best Collection of Conventional Wisdom Clearly Stated.......2006-06-18
I did not see an original thought in the book, but that is not a negative. Pat has collected a consistent and complete book of conventional wisdom about tennis doubles strategy. She expresses it more clearly than I have seen anywhere, with excellent examples and illustrations. It is a book that you read on different levels as you master the art. I have loaned it out many times and will have to buy a third copy soon, because it tends not to come back.
Buy two and give one to your doubles partner, so you are reading out of the same hymnal. This is not a stroke production book, but a strategy book -- where to stand, where to go and what shot to hit.
Court Position - Shot Selection - Bible!!!.......2006-03-09
Excellant easy to read book on the mental decisions of Where should I be and towards where should I hit. Nothing on actual shot execution. I have bought over 10 copies and some seasons we actually use each chapter as the text for each weeks training/lessons.
If you want to get better by playing smarter doubles - this is it. I have over 20 tennis video's and this book is still the quickest way to improve your chances of winning a match.
Book Description
Groomed since the age of eight by his obsessive father Vince Spadea, by most accountsâexcept Andre Agassi:rsquo;s, who called Vince âa journeymanâ at age 25âhas been a success. At the start of the 2005 season, 19th seed Spadea was the only over-30-year-old player besides Agassi to be ranked in the top-20 on the world professional tennis circuit.
Now in his 13th professional season, Spadea gives a riveting account of the ultra-competitive and often hilarious world of a pro tennis player. He battles injuries, coaching and agent changes, and a slight from American Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe as he continues his improbable climb back up the rankings. Along the way, he considers taking two months off to appear on The Bachelor, practices with a still combative John McEnroe in a New York City tennis club, and prowls LA parties with his buddy, comedian Jon Lovitz, trying to pick up actresses like Natalie Portman and jump start his fledgling acting career.
Agassi, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Martina Navratilova, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Tim Henman, and Marat Safin are all analyzed in more colourful and personal terms than the tennis media has ever provided. In these pages, Spadea breaks the taboo of the âwhatever you see, hear and do here, stays hereâ locker room mentality.
Customer Reviews:
Unintentionally humorous.......2007-09-06
I love tennis. I watch so much--especially when the Slams are on--that even I admit it can be excessive. So it was nearly inevitable that I would read this book. Some comments made by TV commentators/retired tennis players about this book made it sound like Spadea dishes dirt. He really doesn't. If anything in this is "dirt" then I don't understand the term. Although this book is not well-written by any stretch of the phrase it is entertaining--but mostly unintentionally so. His writing makes him seem like an anti-social, immature complainer. The funny part is that Spadea clearly *believes* that he is a fun, artistic, over-looked gem of a man. All that said the book has merit if only to demonstrate the way that the pro tennis tour consumes a person so wholly that they often don't get socialized the way everyone else does. Spadea seems stunted, has poor social skills, and has few interests outside of tennis. (I have seen these traits in other tennis pros.) The one obvious interest is his supposed "rapping". Even that is (mercifully) absent in the second half of the book. We learn that Spadea has an odd focus on James Blake, offers a weak denial to homosexuality with hints to the contrary in the 240 pages preceding it, and that he called his mother in during a match that he was losing. At age 30. The book documents a year on tour, and not a particularly successful one. So it's not an uplifting book about a compelling hero. But in trying to relate the difficulties of life on the pro tour Spadea--unbeknownst to him--also shows us that it can hold a person back in areas outside of tennis.
Better athlete than author.......2007-08-28
Hoo boy. More whining from a third-rater* about how he doesn't get enough respect; I've just finished reading Nathalie Tauziat's opus, and now this. But at least Mlle. Tauziat was the French Nº 1 for seven years.
The bulk of the book is concerned with Mr. Spadea's year of 2005 in tennis, with brief descriptions of, and anecdotes about, players, coaches, fans, and other denizens of the tennis world, including women. The author's relationships with these are also described. By his own admission he doesn't try to get close to other male players (p.59), and this in itself is a problem for the book, because he's unable to portray them with any depth; nevertheless, I found myself hoping he makes a lot a money from it, because if all his relationships with women are like those described herein, one has to wonder if he'll be left with much else.
There's certainly scope for an "in-the-trenches account of life near the top of the pro tennis tour". Unfortunately, this one is neither particularly interesting, nor particularly informative; it's too self-centred to be either.
All of this does not of course mean that Mr. Spadea is a bad person, or that getting to the Top 20 is a contemptible achievement. Nor does it mean that his book is entirely without interest (hence the three stars). In fact, some of it has a kind of horrifying fascination, and parts of it (such as the tips on how to pick up girls) are unintentionally hilarious.
But if you want an informative, charming and witty book about tennis, get Gordon Forbes's A Handful of Summers: as I write, it's still available second-hand from [...], and if that fails it's still in print at Amazon UK (although the in-print [HarperCollins] edition is a cheesy one with no photographs).
*Rule of thumb (admittedly arbitrary, but at least well-defined) for the purpose of this review:
First-rater -- those who have won three different Slam championships; or in a particular Slam have won it three times, or have won the Triple Crown (singles/doubles/mixed) in one year .
Second rater -- all other Slam champions.
Third-rater -- everyone else.
This is not as brutal as the obvious definition, which also has the defect of not being applicable before the ranking system was invented:
First-rater -- those who are or have been Number 1.
Second rater -- those who are or have been Number 2.
Third-rater -- those who are or have been Number 3.
Interesting..........2007-01-11
if you are a tennis junkie. I came away not sure if I like Vince that much, and taking everything he wrote with a hefty grain of salt. But the inside take on the day to day of the tennis circuit was fascinating as well as the inside view of the other players.
Inside pro tennis.......2007-01-03
I really liked reading Vince Spadea's experiences at pro tour. What I knew before was 100% confirmed: it is extremely hard making it on tour. For those not knowing much about pro tennis I can highly recoment this book for anyone working at any field of tennis. Enjoy!
Spadea Establishes Himself as Odd Man of the ATP.......2007-01-03
I found this book to be mildly entertaining, but ultimately somewhat disappointing. A year-long journal of life on the ATP tour should make for an interesting read--which it did--but I was disappointed by the lack of "dirt" on the players. I was hoping for detailed accounts of wild apres-tournament parties, tales of drug use, eating disorders, poor sportsmanship, etc. Unfortunately, it appears that Spadea is a total bore. He talks of "messing around" with tennis groupies, but then states that they didn't have sex. This sounds more like 14-year-old locker room talk than the life of a 30 year old man. Plus, he doesn't drink or do drugs. He talks disparaging about players suspected of steriod usage, but provides less empirical evidence than has already been publicly reported. Also, the inclusion of Spadea's raps was distracting. The fact that a 30-plus year-old Caucasian man listens to, writes or has any interest in rap music is disturbing and partially illustrates the downside of chosing not to attend college. Overall, I was left with the impression that Spadea is not too bright and really doesn't know (or is unwilling to share) much about the off-court lives of his tennis colleagues.
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