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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

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.