Customer Reviews

Tennis: Play the Mental Game

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What makes Ranney's book different is that it's not only fascinating to read, but it can be used again and again by reading a short section before each time you go out to play and then concentrating on implementing the principle in that section.. He concentrates on 4 Core Principles: Consciousness, Focus, Breathing, and Non-judgmental Play--If you just read about one of those principles before you play and then focus on it during your match, your game will not only improve, but you'll have more fun--one of Ranney's key points is that we hear "Watch the ball," so much that we assume we're watching it when we're not--he gives you exercises to really "see" the ball and you will be amazed how hard this is--but it gives you a goal for each point and with practice and concentration, you get better and better--then you focus on the next key point--breathing--and so on. An incredible bargain for the price.

Since reading this book, I have been experiencing a transformation in the way I feel when I play. I used to shout an angry "argh!" or wack my racquet against the curtain between courts when I would miss YAES (Yet Another Easy Shot). And tighten up--yes choke--when the point meant win-or-lose. I felt resigned that this was just "the way things are" and I'd never be able to change.

After reading "Tennis: Play the Mental Game" my time on the court has truly become more enjoyable--and I really am playing better tennis (just as the book promises!). Focusing on the ball, watching the spin to the "blur of the racquet", noticing my breathing and practicing a long slow exhale on return of serves--these simple steps have me more relaxed and feeling very present when I play.

Some portions of the book are repetitious, a bit like practicing strokes, but overall the book made it easy to grasp the concepts.

It will no doubt take me many more months to be "in the zone" for most of the playing time, but after a few weeks, I am enjoying the ongoing transformation in how I feel when I play.

Thanks for a great addition to the mental game of tennis.

Ranney's book is excellent: it is highly practical, focuses on reinforcing the basic core principles (e.g. repeating the same point from different perspectives) and keeps the whole book focused on the key concepts of focus, smoothness during a stroke (i.e., don't use any more muscles than you have to), visualization and playing without judgment.

I read the Inner Game (Gellway) and thought it was a great book. But I believe Ranney's book is equally important in helping apply those principles on a day to day basis in your game. Think of it as a workbook for the inner game - it'll tell you in simple, basic steps what to do on court.

These techniques have helped my game tremendously. While I enjoyed Gellway's book a lot, it would have been hard to put those ideas into practice without Ranney's book. I think the two books go very well together.

Like any new skill, breathing, watching the ball etc take a lot of practice before they become a consistent part of your game. I know I have a ways to go. But I also know that every time I do use those skills, I play as well as I can. And when I do that, I go home happy, win or lose :)

Reading this book gave me an immediate breakthrough on finally seeing the ball. I had read Tim Gallaway's "Inner Game of Tennis" several years ago. I actually searched the

Kindle Book store because I felt I needed to re-read it. My kindle search brought up David Ranney's book. I debated purchasing it because I did not think anyone could top the advice of "the Inner Game." With little expectation I bought "The Mental Game" and was pleasantly surprised. The author acknowledges where others have gone before but gives practical, useful advice on playing the modern game to improve techniques that brought me immediate improvement. I think reading this book is worth dozens of lessons and is a great service to the amateur tennis world.

A very good book about mental techniques for tennis. I am just at the beginning of the process. I need matches to experiment them. But it works on training...

A Must Read For Serious Tennis Players

I bought David Ranney's book a year ago and it was immediately helpful. The book gives you a framework for practicing and playing at your peak mental level. The drills that David has developed for this are fantastic. The trick is to keep reading the book over and over and to keep practicing.

I recently had the good fortune to not only attend David's clinic based on his book, but to also practice with him each day for two weeks. David is a born teacher; he can't help himself. With the help of the book and the practices with David, I have eliminated almost all the anxiety that I used to have when I played. This has allowed me to play in the moment without minute to minute negative judgment of my play. I am playing at a consistently higher level and more importantly my enjoyment of the game has increased greatly. Thank you David.

This book compliments the Inner Game Of Tennis. It assists those of us who are trying to master NOT thinking about how to play by providing tools to get to the Inner Game. Very helpful.

"In my opinion, the other present-day books on the philosophy of the mental game pretty much says what Tim Gallwey was saying over 30 years ago, only not so eloquently."

The above phrase, by the author himself on page 14, is ironically fitting for this very book!