Tennis Skills: The Player's Guide

The digital age has hit the tennis court. Games like Top Spin use lifelike animation and innovative hand controls to provide gamers with a realistic simulation game against real-life pros. Racquet-mounted sensors measure and track shots and impact speeds and provide analysis. But a player still has to know how to play the game, how to plan the next move and be able to anticipate an opponent’s likely return, all in an instant. A player has to build a winning strategy, play the full court and outsmart an opponent. All the sensors in the world can’t do that. Enter Tennis Skills, an in-depth guide to improving a player’s game. It features a battery of lessons designed by tennis professionals that lays down a solid foundation of stroke skills and game strategy. Clear instructions and annotated diagrams provide valuable coaching and corrective techniques ― a great value for any player. It’s like having a personal tennis pro on call for expert coaching. The book is fully illustrated with sequential pictures, court diagrams, tips, typical faults and coaching ideas which can help to build strong foundation skills and great players. Tom Sadzeck provides an abundance of visual features to help players of all levels improve their game and build on existing skills. Six chapters cover the game’s key skill sets, from basic techniques to singles and doubles strategies. There are more than 40 drills that focus on the target areas of form, strategy, coordination and footwork. Other coaching content include: Stroke-production exercises; Forehand, backhand, serve, volley, slice and other shots; A breakdown of each stroke to promote consistent form; Warm-up, grips, body position, footwork, targeting, follow-through; Court diagrams to help players visualize a stroke’s outcome; How to handle game pressure. Tennis Skills also features Master Stroke sidebars that give easy-to remember tips, Fault Finder boxes that point out common mistakes and Coach’s Comments that share the wisdom of seasoned pros. Whether the reader is new to the sport or a more experienced player who wants to improve his or her game and try new drills, Tennis Skills is a practical book to have in the equipment bag or locker.