Customer Reviews

Think to Win: Strategic Dimension of Tennis, The

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not fond of tennis books that tell you all about grip and how to swing the racket for top spin, slice, etc. You can't learn that from a book. It's like reading a book on how to swim the crawl. And besides, that's boring stuff that takes up the majority of every banal tennis book. This book is so very different. It doesn't mess around, but tells you that, when the ball lands here, you've got these options, etc. And it goes into detail, with illustrations, letting you know why, based on physics, that certain shots are low percentage shots. There is a wealth of info on net play, baseline play, approach shots, all with a concentration on placement, instead of racket swing. If you have the ability to play and be competitive, I suggest this book.

This book is ideal for those of us who have the strokes; however don't know what to do with them. The ideas of keeping the ball crosscourt, attack down the line, keep the ball in play, utilizing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as information on strokes can only help a player improve. My success rate in turning matches into victories has increased tremendoulsy since applying the ideas. Most coaches and players mainly concentrate on strokes which are important; moreover this book tends to avoid situations which can cause potential problems down the road. I have worked hard on my game over the years with mixed results; however I know realise if you do not use strategy properly it all does not work! Rarely do coaches teach this information to players as one parent put it "...all we ever get is forehand and a backhand " I feel more coaches should be aware that progress is a lot more effective when strategy is taught. The results of the players that I h! ! ave coached have improved immeasurably since applying these principles; the game is easier to handle! Fox looks at it from a players perspective who needs direction-there are a lot us around-I ask the question why this information was not provided earlier! You also get advice on doubles in this book which makes it unique in both singles and doubles play. This book is for those who have the strokes. There is high level of credablity in the pages, Fox who is a former professional player, a high level college coach, and an academic writes from the battlefield. I do recommend the video version of this book as the concepts are put into practice. This one is a treasure for anyone who wants to improve from beginners to professional level players.

"Think To Win," is the best book I've ever read on tennis strategy-and I've read a bunch of 'em. Allen Fox doesn't just tell you how to stroke the ball, he shows you how to PLAY TENNIS! Fox's book has done more for my game than many (too many, I'm sorry to say) years of lessons. His insights on the subtleties of court geometry were a revelation to me, and have improved my winning percentage immeasurably. Buy "Think To Win," along with Brad Gilbert's "Winning Ugly" (who, by the way, was coached by Fox at Pepperdine) Between the two, you'll find the majority of the information you'll need to play successful, competitive tennis.

This book specializes in strategy from a geometric point of view. This means that it helps you analyze your options and explains why an option is best. It also explains what is the best spot to recover to after hitting a certain shot. I find this very useful because the author throughly explains why. I don't often apply something to my game unless I know exactly why I am doing it. This way I won't feel reluctant or unsure about doing something. This book takes away my reluctance because the author explains exactly why what he preaches is ideal. It is ideal because he explains how what he says is the best based on angles, court coverage, and percentages. I also enjoyed the chapter on strategy of past champions and current champions such as McEnroe or Becker, and the chapter on game plans. I didn't like his advice on tennis strokes though, but it is still worth the read just for another opinion because no one knows everything. I'd give this book a 4.5 star rating and I believe it is a must read for any tennis player.

This book very clearly explains the purposes of various shots, how to decide on a winning style for yourself, and how to construct winning points from the baseline and from the net. For a college player or old timer most of this will be old hat, but for the vast majority of intermediates who have learned the strokes but can't win against experienced players, this is mandatory reading. The diagrams are clear but they do require a few seconds of thinking and visualization; this is strategy after all.

Having throughly enjoyed Brad Gilbert's book, I hoped to learn even more from his former coach who shaped Brad into the world class player he was. Unfortunately this book is written in the typical how to play tennis and be better at it. There are pictures showing the different strokes and grips. It's actually not similar to Brad's book at all although it does have a couple examples of how Brad and other players used mental advantages to win matches against better players.

If you are a beginner and want to read a good "how to" book, this would be fine. But if you already play and are looking for some useful tips from a master, this doesn't quite fill the bill.

Mr. Fox is very detailed in his explanations. His insights are very interesting, sometimes a little too scientific. He covers all the aspects of the game, from technique to strategy and court positioning. I find this book suited more for coaches than for players, although players can benefit from it, too. If you are a player, like me, I would reccomend Gilbert's "Winning ugly". Although Fox was the one to coach Gilbert, I think Brad's book is more practical and it can help you win more immediately and against specific types of players.

I'm a clay court tennis player 6.0-6.5
This book is a contribution to the strategic view of the tennis game undoubtedly.
However, the groundstroke instructions are a little "old style" or "antiquated methods". Today the biomechanical research, have shown that the wrist must to be involved in all the groundstrokes, like a kinetic chain. This is the reason of the tremendous power in the modern game. Nevertheless, this book is a very "educational book" of the world of strategic tennis. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I have read many tennis instructional books, and not one is better than this one. I re-read this book recently, and was struck again by how excellent it is.

Very informative! Learning quite a bit of strategy and tactics. Can't wait to put it to use.