Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master [Paperback]

Brad Gilbert (Author), Steve Jamison (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 31, 1994

He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the Tour's biggest names -- all by playing his "ugly" game.

Now, in Winning Ugly Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player -- to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means outthinking opponents before, during, and after a match; forcing him or her to play your game. Gilbert's unconventional advice includes:

* How to identify the seven "Hidden Ad Points," and what to do when they come up

* Six reasons why you should never serve first

* How to beat a Lefty, a Retriever, a Serve-Volley player, and other troublesome opponents

* How to keep a lead, or stop a match from slipping away

* How to handle psyching and gamesmanship

Winning Ugly is an invaluable combat manual for the court, and its tips include "some real gems," according to Tennis magazine. Ultimately, Winning Ugly will help you beat players who have been beating you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Winning Ugly explains Brad's formula for a winning tennis game. He understands the mental part of tennis better than anyone I have ever met. Brad helped me improve my game and I believe he can improve yours." (Andre Agassi)

"Priceless for tennis players of all levels." (Chris Fowler, ESPN)

"Winning Ugly is great. These are pro tactics that will improve a recreational player's game fast. Winning Ugly teaches how to play better tennis and is very entertaining." (Pete Sampras)

"Winning Ugly is a totally new approach to getting more out of your tennis game. I wish it had been around when I was learning how to play." (Jim Courier)

About the Author

Brad Gilbert is considered by experts to be among the world’s foremost tennis analysts. A former “Giant Killer” on the ATP Tour, his acute observations are now heard worldwide on ESPN.  Gilbert has coached Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray among others. He lives in San Rafael, California, with his wife, Kim, and three children, Zach, Julian, and Zoe. Visit his website at BradGilbertTennis.com.

Steve Jamison collaborated with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden on the national bestseller Wooden on Leadership. He lives in San Francisco, California. Visit his website at SteveJamison.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (May 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067188400X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671884000
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Tennis
  • #13 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Racket Sports

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for all competitive players November 9, 1999

By G. R. Parker

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Winning at a tournament and league level is dictated by mental and physical conditioning, not shotmaking. This book tackles the mental aspect, giving tips on how to think about each point with winning (not shotmaking) in mind. It helps you deconstruct your opponents' game, as well as your own, so that you just plain win. Plus, having read this book and using it will give you a mental confidence.

I keep it in my tennis bag, not to read during changeovers, but to remind me that I'm there to win. It's that simple. Another reviewer noted that INNER TENNIS is the theoretic, while WINNING UGLY is the downright practical.

Or instead you can just go buy yet another book that shows you a different way to hit your forehand volley. It's your pick. Gilbert's a winner, and the book is engaging reading as well.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Analytical and Intelligent Tennis September 7, 2002

By John

Format:Paperback

Winning Ugly is a great book on how to gain the advantage in a tennis match in ways other than perfecting your strokes or training into world-class shape. The book is divided into three sections. The first is on preparing for a match and gaining an edge before the match even begins. Gilbert goes through planning, equipment preparation, stretching, overcoming nervousness, and how to mentally prepare to win the first few games. Some things in the chapters on equipment and stretching may be a little elementary but are nonetheless good tennis knowledge. The next section is on strategizing during your match and recognizing critical points. The last section is on developing a good mental game. Throughout the book, Gilbert uses examples from his own career and analyzes other players. These illustrations are perhaps the most valuable aspects of the book. Written in the early nineties, Winning Ugly talks about the top level pros of its time. The concepts, however, will never become outdated. The book is very easy to read. The reader gets a feel for Gilbert's analytical approach to playing tennis and can use it as an example for his own game. In one chapter, Gilbert goes into how to deal with certain types of players. It would have been nice if there was more of this, but overall, Winning Ugly is a great book and will help improve anyone's game.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great! September 11, 2004

By Future Tennis Star

Format:Paperback

While I have enjoyed reading many books in the past, the book I am currently reading, Winning Ugly, has been especially enjoyable for me. It has been good not only because of the fact that it is on the subject of improvement on my favorite sport, tennis, but also because it has many lessons that apply to life off the court. It is very amusing because of the examples he uses, that often have John McEnroe at the butt of a joke.

The author of Winning Ugly, Brad Gilbert, has a great writing style. I think part of the reason that I enjoy this book so much is because of how he makes points by explaining how he has actually used what he talks about against players like Jimmy Conners, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Andre Agassi. It's not a book about the basics of tennis, or how to hit the ball and such, it's a book about the mental aspect of the game, or as he describes it, playing smart. One of the first points he makes is how important it is to stay focused. He talks about how throughout his whole professional career he was playing and beating many players, who, on paper, should have won. The main reason he was able to beat so many players who had a "better game" (i.e. more powerful, cleaner shots) was because of simply making observations, and changing his plans accordingly. A great example of this would be many of his matches against Becker. He realized that in a contest of who could hit the ball harder Becker would win, hands down. So he changed his strategy, instead of hitting the ball as hard as he could, like most players would, he went for shots that didn't generate much power, making Becker hit a shot he isn't comfortable with, and giving him an edge.

This book doesn't just help my game, or prove that Brad Gilbert is a great coach and player; he doesn't need to write a book to prove that. He's been number five internationally for long periods at a time, and coached both Andre Agassi and Andy Rodick. What the book proves is that there is a connection between the mind and body that can help improve performance in sports, and elsewhere. It also exposes many important aspects of planning and being able to change plans, without loosing focus and getting distracted by the fact that things may not go your way. I still haven't finished the whole book, but I can honestly say that I get excited every time I read it. That's why this book is, even though I still have more to read, among my top favorite books.