Tennis for Dummies (Paperback)

~ (Author), Peter Bodo (Author), John McEnroe (Foreword) "You don't need 17 other people with their own mitts to play a game..." (more)
Key Phrases: racquet materials, strung surface, common tennis injuries, Grand Slam, Davis Cup, French Open (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Written for tennis newcomers but with enough detail to satisfy seasoned players, Tennis for Dummies offers practical, substantive, and perceptive advice on a subject that the United States Tennis Association describes as a "sport for a lifetime." Patrick McEnroe--little brother of John McEnroe--collaborates with Peter Bodo to provide a wealth of tennis tips, such as the difference between a ball's pace on slick grass courts and the slow, high bounce experienced on clay courts. Useful advice includes such things as how to find a good coach, which Web sites offer the most comprehensive tennis news, and how to respond when your opponent questions a close call: "I'm sorry, but I never had a moment of doubt. That ball was clearly out." Sprinkled throughout the book are interesting anecdotes about McEnroe's career, including an amusing exchange with his fiancée during a match, in which she eagerly and innocently advised him to just "get it over the net, Pat!" Those keen to take up a new hobby or to simply learn more about the sport they already love will appreciate everything this book has to offer--game, set, and match. --Jeremy Storey

Product Description

Ace your tennis game with all the tips, tricks, tactics, and techniques of professional tennis players awaiting discovery in Tennis For Dummies, written by veteran tour player and ESPN sports commentator Patrick McEnroe (with a foreword by brother John). This is your grand slam guide to tennis, whether you're a player or a spectator. You'll find courtside coverage of everything from equipment and etiquette to scoring and strategies packed inside this friendly and fun primer.

Whatever your level of play, you'll find what you need -- and what you want to know -- in this insider's guide to great tennis. Conquer the courtside vernacular, improve your basic strokes, learn a little strategy, bounce back from common injuries like shin splints and tennis elbow, and even make the move up to the big leagues and competitive tennis matches. With Tennis For Dummies, take a sneak peek behind the scenes at pro matches or peruse Mac's lists of the top ten male tennis players, female tennis players, and matches of the Open era.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (August 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076455087X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764550874
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #123,916 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the world of tennis, June 13, 2004

A Kid's Review

Actually i'm fourteen but I bought this book entering my freshman year of high school to get acquainted with the game. It really does a thorough job of introducing one to the tennis world, covering everything from gear, tennis racquets, grips, strings, and the different types of strokes (forehand, backhand, volley, lob, serve, spins), and what the strokes ARE, but does not focus on how they should be implemented during matches. Advanced tennis players will probably already know most of the info in the book, but absolutely superb for beginners. It really helped me get started with tennis and reduced a LOT of beginner's confusion (eg. what stroke is that again... which is my forehand/which is my backhand, and what they should look like, how do i score, what in the world is a volley?? really detailed information on gear, how to score, what the grand slams are, short bios on historical players, and a lot more) really, really helpful and a must read for all beginners, a good reference book for intermediate players. After attending 6 weeks of tennis camp and hard work outside of tennis camp, I got into my school's JV team, muchly thanks to this book but also thanks to the fact that we didn't have cuts this year because too many people dropped out of tryouts.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for a beginner, May 9, 2001

By A Customer

I am an advanced player who has been training everyday for several years. This is an excellent overview of tennis. It does not get very detailed into anything, but it covers everything. What do I mean? For example, when it talks about forehand, it shows you basically how to hit it but doesnt include much more information like about open stance, semi-open stance, hip rotation, etc. It does include the very basic information. It also gives you information about the pro tour, how the tournaments work, and grand slams. I also like a few creative pages of information like "a day in the life of a pro" and "mommy, where do pros come from?" I recommend it for any beginner to intermediate player and it could even add one or two tips to the knowledge of the advanced player (afterall, no one knows everything!).

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good tennis book for a beginner, October 9, 2002

By	Anton Krylov (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think it's a good and well-written book for a beginner. I wish it had more detailed pictures when authors are explaining techniques of the game . It has some, but the majority of techniques described in words rather then pictures. However, I wasn't able to find much better book with regard to visual explanations. On the other hand, when it comes to keeping in mind a novice, you can't beat the Dummies books.