Customer Reviews

Competitive Tennis

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has been a valuable tool in helping me move up in the USTA ratings scale. The exercises are helpful and easy to execute. It is a book I recommend to any club player looking to improve or maintain their game.

..."Competitive Tennis" is a well-written book designed to help the club player improve his/her game. It successfully does that, so I would highly recommend it.

I am a self-learning tennis player and have been stuck in a tennis rut playing at the 3.0 level for about 6 years off-and-on (2 years of which I was inactive). I didn't know much about strategy and this book has helped me move up to the 3.5 level within 3 months. I found the singles and doubles strategy sections to be extremely valuable and easy to understand and execute with effective results. With the tips provided on technique I'm able to compete against 4.0 players in doubles and give them problems with my serve and forehand. This book is great for people like me who are stuck playing at low levels and don't have the money to spend on expensive coaching. However, it is not as valuable for players at the 4.0 and above levels, but can be used as a reference guide for those players if they are coming back from a long time of not playing.

This is a great tennis resource for anyone who loves the game and respects the mechanics of tennis. It systematically takes you through the drills and skills to move up the ladder in your tennis ability. It's anchored firmly in the real world by basing its perspective on USTA ratings, which all of us have to deal with if we're going to pursue this wonderful pastime. The authors are clear and concise, and explain everything in a perspective that never loses sight of the goals.

If you buy several tennis books, this will be your favorite; if you buy only one, this should be it!

This book attempts to take the player through systematic improvement and provides a template of sorts on what to work on.
It uses the National Tennis Rating Program to evaluate how to improve. For example a 2.5 player might work on consistency whereas a 3.5 player might be working on producing spin and developing elementary tactics. Graphics are reasonable but there are a few technical errors that may be inconsequential. Coaches and pros may find this book useful to organize their curricula.

Drills are explained wordy and could be presented better. Still it is a useful book and there should be more books like this that not just examine solely beginner, "textbook", or world-class strokes. One problem with using the NTRP system is that it places learning in separate discrete phases. Actual learning or playing doesn't occur this way but overlaps from level to level. Therefore, a reader who is 3.0 should not just practice the 3.0 material but also the 3.5 and 4.0 materials if he or she really wishes to improve. This, of course, doesn't mean that the 3.0 player will be as good as the 3.5 but is learning how to get there. As a well-known tennis professional, I would recommend this book to most people who are committed to long-term improvement.

The word "comprehensive" comes to mind. Covered all aspects of the game and covered them in great detail. It even provided useful drills. Stroke maechanics were well explained and some of the strategies were enlightening.This tape is pretty close to a one stop tennis shop.