TennisIDENTITY

Book review: Tennis Skills & Drills

Tennis Skills & Drills is a new book by 8 year ATP tour veteran Joey Rive and Scott Williams, former coach to Tommy Haas and Max Mirnyi. The book is more of a tennis manual than long read and does a nice job explaining modern day stroke techniques, shot making and game tactics for all player levels. 

This is a great have-at-home especially for for those trying to grow their game without the benefit of regular private lessons.The authors have gone into tremendous detail on just about every aspect of shotmaking.They even cover game-plan breakdowns.

It's like the tennis instruction diary I've tried to create based upon multiple lessons and always dropped. You can skip around from section to section focusing on what your game needs most or what you have coming up (big match). Doubles players there is a tactics section for you too.

At $24.95 Tennis Skills & Drills is a fraction of the cost of an hour lesson and worth it if you are willing to take the time to read and absorb.

Look for world #5, David Ferrer, on the cover. Yeah, I'd like to have HIS game. Published by Human Kinetics and available now at bookstores everywhere..

Sunday with "RAFA"

Book review: RAFA by Rafael Nadal and John Carlin.

I hung with RAFA Sunday thanks to Irene. The storm hit with winds not unlike his game, fierce and unrelenting. No power, no Open, just this guy (left). Not all bad. 

Yes, it's here: Nadal's rituals, insecurities, off-court personality, Mallorcan home life, girlfriend Mary, long-time team, injuries, challenges and on-the-road life.

What I loved most though was the opportunity to get inside Nadal's head (it's a very heady game), to see how a passionate young soccer fan grew to be a veritable tennis gladiator and how he now thinks about playing both philosophically and tactically.

Joan Forcades, Rafa's physical trainer, refers to Nadal's success as the result of a holistic approach that results in the "perfect synergy" of head, body and emotions. Any player can take a page.

Rafa also uses the book to set the record straight on a number of stories that have permeated his coverage for years. No, for example, Uncle Toni did not force him to hit left handed. It was Rafa's choice. No, he is not superstitious, he simply needs a well ordered on-court plan to stay focused. His locker room regime is even more intense.

Toni comes off as somewhat of a tyrant although Nadal never says so much. Until very recently he accepted all that his uncle/coach has dished out as a means to a successful end. Honestly, not many kids (or tennis parents) would put up with what he has. A vision of Agassi hitting balls with his Dad came back to me here, the difference being that Nadal always had a choice. He is a self-imposed grinder at practice as much as in competition. 

Writer John Carlin has done a nice job of weaving Rafa and his parade of personalities and tournaments into a great read that is interjected with bursts of blow by blow match play. You will watch Nadal with new eyes.

RAFA is available at bookstores worldwide and at Tennis-Warehouse. MSRP $27.99.

Who gets the point? The rules of unofficiated tennis matches. Friend at Court 2011.

There are a myriad of odd situations that come up during unofficiated tennis matches: A ball rolls on court during a point, someone's contact lens falls out, a player purposely distracts his or her opponent while serving. Wouldn't it be nice to know the offical call right then and there and put an end to the guessing?

Friend at Court The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations 2011 is a big help when issues arise and it's a FREE downloadable PDF (click that last link) making it easy to reference on court via your smartphone. Bookmark it and you've got the word on just about anything that could possibly come up.

Want the book for your bag instead? Buy it at the USTA shop.

Björn Borg vs. John McEnroe. A look back.

 

Tis the 30th anniversary of Björn vs. John. Rediscover the era in new  books:, tv programming and in this  quick little retrospective. Fun. Love the clothes!.

P.S. Another good read on the topic, the just-out: EPIC John McEnroe, Björn Borg and the Greatest Tennis Season Ever by Matthew Cronin.

"HIGH STRUNG: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and the Untold Story of Tennis's Fiercest Rivalry."

HIGH STRUNG: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and the Untold Story of Tennis's Fiercest Rivalry by Stephen Tignor hits bookstores tomorrow. 

2011 happens to be the thirtieth anniversary of the last Borg/McEnroe Grand Slam finals meeting, the 1981 U.S. Open; the cool Swedish Adonis vs. the ill-mannered American Superbrat.

That Open marked the end of an era and not just in the world of pro tennis. I recall a chalkboard at our town courts where people listed the time they arrived and kept track of who was playing too long. Young mothers wearing ruffled panties and short skirts brought playpens courtside for their mid-morning game. Borg was gorgeous, McEnroe unbelievable, and tennis was cocktail party topic; the game had over-arching magic.

The fuel behind it all? The personalities and rivalries of the pro game. Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, Ilie Nastase, Jimmy Connors, McEnroe, Borg and more. The shot-making, good looks and on-court behavior were absolutely fascinating in the relatively dry world of sports coverage ("the agony of defeat" excepted). Who didn't want to watch a match to see what Connors or McEnroe would do next? 

As HIGH STRUNG visits one of the most marked rivalries of the 70s/80s it also explores the growth of the tennis industry that today is a finely tuned machine. IMG and Nike (McEnroe wore one of the first pairs of Nike tennis shoes) are both woven into this read that presents the battles alongside the rise of tennis marketing and the undercurrent outrageousness that pervaded the sport. 

Tennis is back for sure but it IS different. Marquee players have learned that keeping emotions in check will help them to win and well entouraged personalities keep private lives under the hood. I enjoyed this revisit to an old and very entertaining tennis era. 

My only complaint (I am Swedish) Tignor spelling Bjorn without the ö. Like Söderling, it's a different name without the dots. Björn...that's it. Otherwise, all good.

Find it at bookstores worldwide beginning May 17, $20.99 USD.

"A Game to Love" (and Covet).

If a picture is worth a thousand words A Game to Love: In Celebration of Tennis is worth 500,000. Mike Powell, an award winning sports photographer, has filled this coffee-table masterpiece with a luscious array of modern day tennis images so loaded with raw character, emotion and detail I literally stopped my day to enjoy every page on the spot. 

"Television," Powell says, "is dominant in its positions, and leads how most of us can see [an] event, but the power of the great still image is that it will freeze a memory and make it iconic, in a way that a moving image does not."

I ached over a shot of Roger Federer. I've watched hours of the guy, both live and on tv; never have I seen an expression like this. 

The close-ups are to die for: Serena Williams' focus (and perfect manicure) mid-point; Rafael Nadal's hands holding a gleaming US Open trophy, the stained and frayed finger bandages, vestiges of the raging battle that got him there. Dinara Safina's anguish and utter frustration mid match.

A Game to Love takes you to and through the four majors: Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open and is interspersed with images from tournament grounds, quotes from tennis greats and observations by Powell himself, a clear connoisseur of the game. 

Buy it on amazon or at bookstores everywhere beginning April 1, 2011, $40 USD. Currently available for pre-order.

Images: Mike Powell

New Tennis Books: Help with Strokes, Strategy and Tennis History

Tennis Made Easy by Kelly Gunterman is a how-to tennis manual. Gunterman, currently the Director of Tennis at the Amelia Island Plantation in Amelia Island, has a 30 year history with the game at all levels and a knack for explaining tennis technique.

The manual was written to help beginner and intermediate players but advanced players may also find it helpful as it serves as a reminder that less is always more. Included are tactics, strategies, practice drills and a range of topics including perfecting your serve, positioning, pressuring the opponent, and how to play singles or doubles. Clear information on choosing equipment and deciding what to pack in a tennis bag is also included.

If you can only afford a private every once in a while, this book (loaded with photographs of current WTA and ATP pros in action) offers a helpful way to hone your technique and game without shelling out the big bucks.

List is $19.95 and available on amazon

Bud Collins has also just released the second edition of The Bud Collins History of Tennis An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book.

This 816-page volume - a compilation of records, biographies and year-by-year recaps – is dedicated to John Isner, Nicolas Mahut and chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani, the three principles from the record-breaking longest match of all-time at 2010 Wimbledon. This is an update of the book he released in 2003 (which had Serena on the cover wearing Puma).

Facts and more facts. "If you know nothing about tennis, this book is for you. And if you know everything about tennis—Hah!—Bud knows more, so this book is for you too!" says Martina Navratilova. It's a great refresher on what's gone down over the years in our game. No tennis home should be without it.

List is $35.95 and available on amazon

More tennis books here. Click and scroll down.

New Tennis Books: "Hardcourt Confidential" by Patrick McEnroe and "Come to Win" by Venus Williams.

Thumbs-up on two tennis related reads that came out over the summer:

HARDCOURT CONFIDENTIAL Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Trenches by Patrick McEnroe with Peter Bodo

Patrick McEnroe has lived and breathed the tennis world a long time (25+years). He has been a top level player (a Grand Slam champ in doubles), Davis Cup team captain, coach, sports commentator and of course brother to American tennis icon John McEnroe. The guy loves to tell stories which is how this book reads, a collection of short stories from the inner world of our game.

I loved the insights on player personalities (Bryan Brothers, James Blake, Andy Roddick and more) as well as the behind the scenes goings-on that the general public is not privy to (wild cards, player coaching, surfaces and more). Much of it is pretty fascinating stuff for a tennis lover. The lives pro tennis players live is intense.

Certainly this is not a how to help your game book but any player will come away with a good sense of the work ethic, head and talent that someone needs to make it to the top our game.

$25.99 (hardcover) and is available at amazon

COME TO WIN: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession by Venus Williams with Kelly E. Carter.

Come to Win is more of all-person's read than tennis read but the game plays a role here. There are references to tennis in Venus' introduction but she put the book together with the belief that what she learned playing tennis helped her find success in business.

She wanted to know if others felt the same way about their sport and asked a variety of A-Listers what in their sports experience inspired them toward success as an athlete and again later in life.

The book is a collection of essays by business leaders, media figures, creative executives, politicians and doctors that demonstrate how important playing sports was and still is to success. A few examples: turning losses into learning tools, visualizing a course of action, learning to block out distractions, the importance of preparation etc.

Those profiled who played/play tennis are: Brian P. Kelley, Billie Jean King, Scott McNealy, Leland Melvin, Susan Merseau, Melissa Payner, Robin Roberts, Condoleeza Rice, Irene Rosenfeld, Meg Whitman and Jeff Zucker.

Philip Knight, Vera Wang, Soledad O'Brien and Donny Deutsh are a small handful of the many other interesting personalities offering up stories.

Good read for a tennis player or really anyone who enjoys playing sports.

$25.99 (hardcover) at amazon and at bookstores nationwide.

Products that Fuel a Young Kid's Passion for Tennis.

So you want your kids to love the game as much as you do? Here are a few products that will get your kid cruising on court:

Just released, Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids, by Steven White, is an easy to understand read that illustrates the game's basics in terms the average young player can completely understand.  White is a professional tennis instructor and former satellite tour player who has a knack for explaining the game without being overly technical. The illustrations are contemporary, not unlike the "Prince of Tennis" series and add a fun, modern flair to the book. 

Certainly there is no substitute for getting on court and hitting balls but as we adults know you really can't study the game too much and having a categorized book to reference/remind is a good thing. You might even want to breeze through it yourself from time to time. Recommended for age 8 and up. Bring Your Racquet retails for $14.00.

I've talked about QuickStart tennis before, but want to mention it again as this game is growing like mad nationwide and you can get a kit to play at home, on your driveway or local town court -- really anywhere you have a hard surface. QuickStart has recently been incorporated into Tennis Skillastics, a new program offered by Skillastics that helps schools to introduce tennis in schools without the need of official sized courts. 

If your kid gets frustrated hitting regular balls on a court, watch them smile after trying Quickstart or as mine call it, "mini tennis." It will grow their confidence and big court game as well. Here are a couple of links to get the mini Net and balls you need. The racquets they are using already are fine.

For the little girl in your life, encourage tennis with Go! Go! Sports Girl Gracie who loves the game of tennis. Gracie is a soft 16" tall, quality doll with tennis accessories and a surprise tummy "tattoo" that says Dream Big Ace It. $19.99. Get Gracie for your little tennis girl.

Keep small hands busy and thinking about the game with the US Open Tennis Coloring & Activity Book by Kristin Vaughn and Peg Connery-Boyd, $10.16. This came out last year but still features some of the best - most recognizable - tennis players in the world. Find it HERE.

You can also find what I call mini-me tennis attire, junior sized versions of the looks the pros are wearing. adidas makes Ana Ivanovic's spring adilibria dress $42, or Fernando Verdasco's summer edge polo, $34 (pictured left).

Are you Fearless on Court?

So you just can't convert a break point, win that tie-break or hit like you do in practice? How's your head? Both teams and athletes are spending bucks and time on their mental games these days. Heinz Gunthhardt, Ana Ivanovic's new coach for example, is working to get a struggling Ivanovic to "un-think" her game.

The Fearless Mind: 5 Steps to Higher Performance, is a great new read on the topic. Author, Craig Manning, PhD, has played tennis on both collegiate and pro levels in addition to coaching BYU’s Division 1 tennis program into a national Top 20 program.  He has practiced and played with many of the world’s top professional athletes, including Pat Rafter and Wayne Arthurs. He is now a sports psychology consultant and as such had six client athletes at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

 Manning explains how athletes can become successful through developing a fearless mind that sets realistic goals, beats mediocrity, embraces greatness and ultimately builds game. Most of his examples come from the court, useful from this reader's point of view; I don't get as much out of psych books that use football and such to illustrate points.

"High-performing athletes are very disciplined at directing their attention to the task at hand and not feeding their own egos," says Manning. "It is important to be setting goals that drive effort. They must also be ones you have control over." For example, You have control over executing balls. A goal for the weekend warrior might be: If you generally make 2-3 balls cross court before missing in a match, make your immediate goal to hit 5-6. Goals for high-level players would go hand in hand with their level of play.

The Fearless Mind refers many times to keeping a "Mental Skills Journal" that keeps goal records. You can buy one Manning has created at Visualize One.

The Fearless Mind is published by Cedar Fort Inc, and retails for $14.99. I got a lot out of it.

Andre Agassi's OPEN. A must-read about one of tennis' most unique identities.

It has been said that you can't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. Walk with Andre Agassi in OPEN, his just released autobiography.  If you thought you knew him, you will be blown away. There is sadness in those brown eyes.

The revelations concerning his hair and drug use are only asides in a life where growing up meant unwillingly living tennis larger than anyone can imagine. The cast of characters and settings are familiar. We meet Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Brad Gilbert, Nick Bollettieri, Gil Reyes and many more. OPEN offers a fascinating, intimate glimpse at the inner workings of the game and the player who was once number 1.

Agassi comes across as a sweetheart of a guy, a remarkably talented athlete who has until now held his real story close. The media was far too quick to judge so much. Available now:

Open: An Autobiography

Robert Tuchman, author of "100 Sporting Events You Must See Live." Addicted.

Robert Tuchman is a tennis addict with an enviable job.  As president of Premiere Corporate Events he has attended many of the world's biggest sporting events, multiple times. Pulling from his experiences he has just published The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime  ($17.95 USD).

As you might expect of a tennis lover he has included all of the slams although none of them are in the top 10. Just one away, at #11 is Wimbledon; the U.S. Open is  #48; Roland Garros, #54; and the Australian # 84 out of the possible 100. Tennis crazed readers you will have to take up the ranking philosophy with Tuchman yourself but what is noteworthy about the entries is the depth to which they go to present how to best take in and enjoy each of the big-deal events live.

The book is a  Frommer's-esque guide for sports travel fanatics who want to delve into a pilgrimage of live sports events but don’t know where to start. Covered are: ticket brokers, travel and hotel recommendations, best on-site hospitality and local restaurants. I like the Insider’s Edge sections which offers key tidbits that only a regular would know. “It doesn’t matter how large a screen fits into your living room,” says Tuchman. “Absolutely nothing compares to the raw energy and excitement you feel when you’re there live cheering alongside thousands of fans.” Gotta agree there.

About Tuchman’s tennis game; he's an all-court player and lover of singles; rec player since age six; favorite surface: grass; racquet: Prince Speedport Silver; attire: required whites when playing at the Westside Tennis Center in Forest Hills, New York (pictured) but  basic tees and shorts on NYC Central Park Courts; label loves: Nike and Under Armour; weapon: a two handed backhand that delivers a mean flat ball; past tennis influencer: Andre Agassi; current influencer Rafael Nadal;  Facebook friends with Nick Bolletieri (who shares interest in the New York Yankees); Dreams to play on: Center Court at Arthur Ashe.

With what Tuchman does for a living, that dream's a possible reality.

A Tennis Journal For You and Only You.

From technique to strategy, wouldn’t it be nice to refresh on past lessons just prior to a match?  Take a cue from Serena Williams, who has been seen glancing at notes during changeovers.  Create a training manual pertinent to YOUR game and you'll never say "I hope I remember this" again.

SportMinder’s Tennis Trainer is a new categorized notebook, a totally personal tennis journal, that is designed to improve retention of learned material through active note taking on your game, after a match, lesson or clinic. 

The spiral bound notebook, sized  to fit in your racquet bag,  gives you an organized place to jot quick tips from lessons. There are sections for pre-match, warm-up and match reminders, match results, strategies, fitness goals, stroke tips and tournament schedules.

SportMinder gets a big thumbs-up from both the pros and rec. players who checked it out.  $19.95 USD each or two for $30. Learn more or buy at SportMinder. They will custom print covers for groups, clubs or teams.

On This Day In Tennis History...Pick a Day, Any Day.

Just out, Randy Walker's  On This Day in Tennis History: A Day-by-Day Anthology of Anecdotes and Historical Happenings is a tasty mini-encyclopedia of tennis events and anecdotes, 1920s to current day. January 1 through December 31, not a day is skipped. The well written entries include major tournament victories, summaries of great matches, trivia, statistics as well as little known and quirky happenings. I went right for my birthday which in 1996 turns out to be the day Andre Agassi was disqualified from a match for the first and only time in his career. It was also the day in 2005 that Rafael Nadal beat Agassi in Montreal. There were of course better days for the guy. The day of the cover shot is just one.

This is a great coffee-table pick up, an essential for the tennis enthusiast or sports fan with a Jeopardy loving mindset. $19.95 USD.

Zagat's Best of the Sony Ericsson Tour

Zagat's Best of The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour 2008 was developed by the Sony Ericsson Tour and Dubai Duty Free. It features restaurants and shopping locations from the world's biggest tennis tournaments, 60 events in 34 countries. WTA Tour player opinions are interspersed throughout. It's a rare find, a guide listing New Haven alongside Moscow and London but here it is; great have if you are a tennis traveler who desires the occasional move beyond tournament fare. The guide is available on the tour and at Tennis-Warehouse for $18.95 USD. You can also access the listings on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour site, although they only post info for current tournaments.

"American Doubles" by Marcia Frost -- Behind the Scenes of this Time Honored Tennis Game

Just released, American Doubles, by Marcia Frost offers a revealing glimpse of the American doubles scene, the individual personalities, alliances, successes and struggles. Frost, a long-time and well respected tennis journalist, tells the story of just how strong doubles is in the United States. The Bryan brothers grace the front cover, a smart choice as the pair is surely responsible for the recent resurgence of media interest in the doubles game. They are still just about the only doubles duo receiving any significant network television air-time; hopefully this will change, as it's great to watch and most adult players do play doubles.

The book contains stories of how players have conceded a chance at singles stardom to preserve ties with a doubles partner, why sibling pairings are tough to beat, and how Americans thrive in a team environment. Both former and current players are discussed. Frost notes that doubles is now being emphasized in junior training, showing kids how to move beyond baseliner singles to a game with more aggressive style and net play. Newly instituted combined USTA singles and doubles rankings will certainly also encourage more juniors to pick it up.

This is a motivating, interesting read. Buy it at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other fine bookshops. Suggested retail: $26.95 USD.

Condition Thyself for a Stronger Game

Anyone who plays aggressive tennis knows that it's not enough just to play. ATP and WTA players spend hours strengthening their bodies to improve stamina and power. We're not saying YOU need to spend hours but even a little fitness training will go a long way to improving your game.

Ultimate Conditioning for Tennis was developed by Alan Pearson the Chief Executive of SAQ International Ltd., an internationally renowned training organization. The book contains tennis specific exercises which are easy to follow and, a good section of which, can be done alone. Some require inexpensive training equipment, a court or a group. The group exercises are great for a clinic or team practice. You can pick and choose what your game needs more of (i.e balance, fast feet, overhead power) or focus more generally on what they call ultimate conditioning.

The book includes sample training sessions both for the professional and recreational weekend player. Buy it at www.amazon.com, $15.95 USD.

Friend at Court 2008 -- Tennis rules you will use

For 2011 Friend at Court post click here.

This handbook, put out by the U.S.T.A., answers just about every question you've ever hand on-court during play. Do you get two serves if a ball rolls across the court between your first and second serves? What should you do with the score if someone serves out of order? Looking through this book, we can't find a situation that's not covered. Keep "Friend At Court" in your tennis bag and you will never have to debate a rule again.

Friend At Court 2008 contains: The official ITF Rules of Tennis, ITF Cases and Decisions, The Code: The Player's Guide for Unofficiated Matches, and much more.

This indispensable book is written for tennis officials, tournament administrators and players. It is available on-line at www.ustashop.com  $6.75 U.S.D. Great book, great price.