Tennis: Winning the Mental Match

by Allen Fox

THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF Tennis is more difficult mentally than most other sports. It feels more important than it is; it has a diabolical scoring system; drawn-out competitive matches are highly stressful; and losing can be very painful. During competition emotions get out of hand, fears and nerves are hard to control, and confidence comes and goes. This book attacks these and other issues faced by players of all levels. Dr. Allen Fox’s solutions are logical and straightforward, and most importantly, they have been tested on court and they work. ABOUT THE Allen Fox, Ph.D. won the NCAA singles while earning his B.A. in physics and being named All-UCLA and All-University of California Athlete of the Year. He remained at UCLA to earn a Ph.D. in psychology, and as a graduate student was is 3-time member of the US Davis Cup team, reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals, and won titles including the U.S. National Hardcourts, Canadian Nationals, and Cincinnati. Dr. Fox coached the Pepperdine University teams to top-five NCAA rankings for 10 consecutive years. He presently coaches Igor Kunitsyn (career high of #35) on the ATP tour, and has consulted on strategic/psychological issues with players of all levels, including pros Dinara Safina, Sam Querrey, and Dimitri Tursunov, elite juniors, and recreational players. He is on the staff of the Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, Ca. OTHER BOOKS, WRITINGS, AND SPEAKING BY DR. ALLEN Allen Fox has authored two other books on tennis, “If I’m the Better Player, Why Can’t I Win?” and “Think to Win,” and a book on generalized achievement, "The Winner's Mind" (USRSA, 2005). He is an editor of Tennis Magazine and is a sought-after public speaker, having appeared at the national conferences of the USTA, USPTA, and PTR, and on the Tennis Channel with his popular One-Minute Clinics on psychology. WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THE JOSE HIGUERAS, Dir. of coaching for the "Allen describes problems that are real for players of all levels. His solutions are simple, honest, and most importatly, useful." TRACY AUSTIN, 2-time U.S. Open winner & former world #1: "I have long respected Allen Fox's ideas and sound judgment. His unique and insightful book on the mental game is simple, practical, and will certainly help you play better." BRAD GILBERT, Renound coach of Agassi, Roddick, "Allen is very smart. What I learned from him at Pepperdine helped me greatly as a player and coach, some of it so subtle it didn't completely jell until years after I left school." JAY BERGER, USTA head of men's tennis & former world's #7: "Allen is one of the most widely-respected people in the country on the mental game. I have worked alongside him at elite USTA junior training camps, and his ideas are straightforward and practical. I highly recommend his book to players of all levels."

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2010

Reviews

[Hank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in this book makes intuitive sense. Fox has been on the professional tennis court and is a licensed pyschologist. Both experiences give huge impact to all advice in this book. The writing is easy to follow and split up well although some of the chapters stretch a bit to fill space.

All aspiring, competitive level tennis players should read this book. Nothing in it is surprising but the well laid ou reasons for thinking about what a player is doing and when is priceless. I found myself bookmarking something in almost every chapter.

As a side note, when I reviewed this on Amazon (stars plus a very brief paragraph) it automatically marked it as read on Goodreads and inserted my short non-thought out review. I can say I really don't like that. I wouldn't mind if it went the other direction but Amazon reviews are an afterthought for me, Goodreads is the real universe.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and useful tips that are beneficial to any tennis player! The mental game is incredibly important and an often overlooked aspect of the game, its the mental game that often distinguishes champions from average players, and this book gives real life examples and strategies for how to buil your mental game.

Towards the end their was some helpful tips with how to motivate kids as players, which is very important to inculcate a love of the game. Also, although short, the section on mental game with doubles partners is incredibly important - the energy you have with your partner can often lead to victory or defeat depending with how self motivated your team is.

Overall a great must read for any tennis player!

[Courtney Mroch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I really needed some mental strategy for my tennis game, and this book gave me lots to think about. He covers getting out of slumps, staying mentally focused, creating game plans. It was a really good book. I also appreciated he recognized there are different styles of players. He encourages players to figure out what kind of player they are (aggressive and more prone to a offensive game, or more laid back and prone to a defensive game), chatty vs. non-chatty, etc. It's okay to be however you are. You can work within your bounds. And if you play doubles, it's crucial to find a partner who understands and respects your play style. I've already started implementing some of his techniques. I'm confident I'll be referring back to this book to help me keep me focused on developing my mental game along with my physical one.

[cristi holland lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be reading again

I am extremely happy that I purchased this book. The part about slowing the match down when u r behind was surprising...I will use that. Having a ritual for the serve helps u focus on your plan. I had the confidence rollercoaster recently and this book helped me realize they come in phases and practice n playing matches helps to build it.

[Jesse Dang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good application in tennis and life

In line with Allen Fox's other books - this book gives the reader a few lenses to apply when on the tennis court. It is helpful advice that keeps the game in perspective and ones journey to become better in tennis. I did find that a lot of his insights and advice can be applied in life as well.

[Kailie Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good info.

[Lynette Hague · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of insightful and useful information that can be applied quickly on the tennis court and in any other situation where you need mental toughness.