Customer Reviews (2)

Wow!
This was an amazing title!I never knew what I was doing wrong until, finally, I purchased and read this book.
What a difference it made!
Well worth the effort to find one.
Cheers!

This book saved my game!
This was an excellent guide for reducing injury on the court. I play several times a week and didn't realize what I was doing wrong! Now I am more confident and certainly prepared for anything!! I recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Far more than a superb memoir about the highest levels of professional tennis, Open is the engrossing story of a remarkable life.
 
Andre Agassi had his life mapped out for him before he left the crib. Groomed to be a tennis champion by his moody and demanding father, by the age of twenty-two Agassi had won the first of his eight grand slams and achieved wealth, celebrity, and the game’s highest honors. But as he reveals in this searching autobiography, off the court he was often unhappy and confused, unfulfilled by his great achievements in a sport he had come to resent. Agassi writes candidly about his early success and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, his marriage to Brooke Shields, his growing interest in philanthropy, and—described in haunting, point-by-point detail—the highs and lows of his celebrated career.

Customer Reviews (466)

Why Assyrian
I loved the book! I have one question though, Agassi's father is Iranian, why does Andre say, twice in the book, that his father speaks Assyrian? Shouldn't it be Farsi? Can you enlighten me?

A Great Book!!
If you love Andre Agassi as a tennis player you will enjoy very much to get to know him as a person.
It is also a very easy to read book even if English is not your native tonge (as it is my case).
You will learn after reading this book that Andre Agassi is just as human as the rest of us (with an amazing sports skills of course).
I thank Andre Agassi for being Open with his fans with this book. Read it you won't regreat it.

A truly real and honest book all will love.
I just finished "Open" and was very impressed. Many times we think that famous and popular people live a life of ease. Andre Agassi had a tough upbringing. This book is brutaly honest and you do not need to be an avid tennis fan to enjoy it. This was the best autobiography I have ever read. I highly recommend it, especially to young people (teenagers). It teaches about values, respect, charity, honesty and hard work. Nothing that can be taught in what kids find in todays lame media. It consists of competition, humor, love and many different emotions. If you are young and confused please pick up and read this book. Enjoy.

Great book but the audio read was offensive
I would have giving this 5 stars but the audio book was read by someone(Eric Davies) who portrayed women as extremely vacant and drag-down-depressed. All women were portrayed this way by Davies. None of the men were. It wasn't the text Agassi wrote, it was the inflection Davies put in the voices of the women. It was painful to get through because of this. I can only guess he must have a very low opinion of women. I give Davies an 'F' for the reading because this. I give Agassi an 'A' because he wrote a compelling and honest book of his strife through tennis. But this is an Audio book review so Davies' reading gets one star because 0 isn't an option.

Open is open and revealing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Open. Being a tennis fan and recreational player, I put down the book I had already started to read it. I remember Andre more in his later years and hadn't realized what an up and down career he had and how many injuries he played with. I remember clearly his farewell speech. That speech and his writing showed what a huge heart he has. His story made me wish only the best for him and his family in the future. ... Read more

Product Description
Tennis Doubles Beyond Big Shots cuts to the chase with uncommon wisdom away from big shots. Whether you dream of winning Wimbledon, your tennis league championship, making your school team or simply enjoying more, Greg Moran's smart strategy will advance your tennis doubles game. How to build your dream tennis doubles team. Master the upfront and closeup game. Secrets to turning the tables on the serving team. Control the game without touching the ball. Add special tennis shots to your doubles arsenal. How to play longer and enjoy more. Plus! Access to 50 minutes of exclusive video with tennis doubles instruction featuring Luke Jensen, Grand Slam Tennis Doubles Champion, ESPN TV Analyst and other top teaching professionals. Mike & Bob Bryan, World #1 Tennis Doubles Champions say, "Mr Greg has great ideas on tennis doubles." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Common sense when you can't find it anywhere on the court
I play a lot of social doubles and I wasn't happy with my progress at the 3.1-3.5 level.I needed to clean up my tactics and strategies.Ugh.

Beyond the Big Shots did wonders for me.Its not heavy handed.It is written in an easy conversational style that really engages you.He breaks down the game into various components and then makes you think about what you're doing incorrectly.There are some funny little boxes with quips and quotes to lighten things up.The funny thing is that those are the things I remember when I'm on court and under pressure.

It is certainly a good book if you're a 3.6 and below doubles player to clean up your act.

Perfect for a frustrated, middle aged man
I've been trying to improve my game for the last 5 years. The harder I try, the more frustrated I get. This book was great for me.It has lots of useful ideas that help me play smarter, safer, more consistently.I'm not pressing as much, have reduced my errors, and actually hitting the ball better.Definitely the best tennis book I've bought.

Best Doubles Book Ever!
Greg Moran serves up an ace with his new book.His common sense approach to the game of doubles is extremely refreshing and his tips and strategies will instantly make you a better doubles player and teammate. ... Read more

Product Description
Billie Jean King didn’t want to play Bobby Riggs. He baited and begged her for months while she ignored his catcalls and challenges. But after Margaret Court’s ignominious defeat in the so-called Mother’s Day Massacre, Billie knew what she had to do despite the personal and professional risks: take on the self-proclaimed male chauvinist pig and slay the myths about women and weakness. And so it was that King’s acquiescence led to the Battle of the Sexes, one of the most wildly surreal moments of the decadent 1970s. The worldwide event, showcasing three sets of tennis in a raucous Houston Astrodome, forever changed the social landscape for women.

In A Necessary Spectacle, Selena Roberts, one of the country’s finest sportswriters and the only female sports columnist in the New York Times’ history, has created a masterful and entertaining journey through the 1970s and beyond, capturing the color and passion, tackiness and anger, prejudice and progress of an American culture in transition. At the heart of the story lies the intersection of two complex characters: Billie Jean King, the daughter of a homemaker and a firefighter who grew up in the Norman Rockwell tradition of the 1950s; and Bobby Riggs, the gambling son of a fundamentalist minister who won everlasting fame as a card-carrying sexist—not because he believed women to be inferior, but because he craved attention.

Roberts enjoyed unprecedented access to the characters in this story, including numerous in-depth interviews with Billie Jean King and her former husband, Larry, as well as the friends and family of Bobby Riggs, who died in 1995. Essential details and insights also were provided through hours of conversation with key figures in the women’s rights movement and Title IX fight, including Gloria Steinem and Donna de Varona, and with tennis legends of the 1970s, such as Chris Evert, Margaret Court, Rosie Casals, and others. This book reveals the outsize personalities of Billie and Bobby; the intensity and intricacy of the Kings’ longtime marriage; the simmering social revolution that pitted chauvinists against feminists and tennis players against each other; and a wrenching coming-out story recounted in intimate detail by Billie Jean King for the first time. By the end of the book, Roberts has traced the cultural continuum of Billie and Bobby’s night at the Astrodome. She relates its significance to the day Richard Williams began hitting bald tennis balls to his pigtailed daughters, Venus and Serena; to the glorious afternoon when more than 90,000 fans watched as the U.S. women’s soccer team won the 1999 World Cup; and, ultimately, to the present day’s second-generation battle to keep Title IX alive. The book’s poignant last scene between Billie and Bobby serves to remind us how much of an effect that 1973 match—and the passion it fueled for change—continues to have on American society, showing how necessary it was, and how necessary it remains.


1973. The Battle of the Sexes.

It was the match that changed everything. In this riveting book by New York Times sports columnist Selena Roberts, the whole spectacle returns, larger than life and more important than ever. This story reaches beyond two outsize and utterly fascinating personalities who emerged during a simmering social revolution that pitted chauvinists against feminists. It also chronicles the complex, longtime marriage of Billie Jean and Larry King; the cavalcade of issues that rocked the 1970s, from equal pay to abortion rights; and a wrenching coming-out story recounted in intimate detail by Billie Jean King for the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Necessary Spectacle
The story is far more thatn just a tale of a well-publicized tennis match.The author went far beyond the game and dealt with the significance of such a "spectacle" in the greater good of asserting credibility to women's sports, which later resulted in Title 9 and enhancing women in professional sports.The story also dealt with the personal battles and struggles of the star players.It is a well-written book that captures the deep attention of the reader and holds it throughout the story. It is an interesting and compelling story even for those who may not be avid sports fans.

the best about a great person, and tennis player
she changed the world that nite.read this to know how.

Goes A Bit Off Track
Some interesting archaeology about the now nearly forgotten King-Riggs tennis match. Roberts, of the NYT, brings to life how important this thing seemed at the time, even though it all looks decidedly quaint today. Where the author goes off is when she tries to relate this to the federal Title 9 law on equality for women in sports. It's a bit forced, even if valid. Perhaps it's the book's herky-jerky structure that is just not nuanced enough to make this work. She also includes some interesting background about the Williams sisters, the relevance being that they later reaped what Billie Jean King sowed, financially. Maybe so. In the end, Riggs comes off more sympathetic than pathetic, and King is a bit too deified. Still, this is some high quality social history about an episode whose effects still have an echo.

THE MATCH and how it changed the world
The subtitle of this book 'the Tennis Match that Leveled the Game' isn't quite strong enough. This single match, called the 'Battle of the Sexes' was far, far more than a tennis match, and the aftereffect was far, far more than levelling the tennis game.

For a tennis standpoint, before The Match womens tennis was not a serious sport. The women played, but almost by themselves. The money, the sponsors, television, the fame wasn't there. After it was all there.

From a legal standpoint, The Match put power behind Title IX that required equal funding in schools for men and womens atheletic programs. From the overall women's rights viewpoint The Match was in 1973, so was Row v. Wade.

Ms. Roberts is a sports columnist. This training gives her a newspaper like writing style that is very well suited to the subject she is covering here. The book reads almost like a novel, an excellent novel but also conveys the impact of The Match that changed women's sports forever.

GREAT BOOK ABOUT A GREAT LEGEND!
I'VE FOLLOWED BJK'S CAREER SINCE SHE WON HER 1ST WIMBLEDON TITLE IN 1961!THIS BOOK GIVES YOU A VERY CANDID LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF THIS GREAT TENNIS LEGEND, THE STUGGLES SHE FOUGHT BOTH PERSONAL & PUBLIC.
INTERSTING DETAILS ON THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES WITH BOBBY RIGGS AND HIS LIFE.
AN EASY ENJOYABLE READ FOR ANYONE, BUT ESP. FOR TENNIS FANS FROM THE 60'S70'S ON! ... Read more

Product Description
Tennis players will spend hours working on shot making and strategies for an upcoming match, but what do they do to mentally prepare? What do they do to insure that the decisions they make during competition best supports them in winning the match? Master ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mastering The Mental Side Of Tennis
Hemispheric Kinesiology is 30 years ahead of its time.

B.B.
Arizona ... Read more

Product Description
A depiction of the evolution of American's Women's tennis from 1874 to 1974--from a leisurely amateur sport to a vigorous professional athletic competition. ... Read more

Product Description
Tennis Instruction ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Jill Hammersley
Alot of nice pictures in her book here.
We're going back to the 70's!!
Surbek, etc...........
She puts in alot of good info.
I saw her play at a US OPEN one year, maybe 1976.
Love to see the chopper (her) vs. attacker (me) match!
These books are getting very rare!
I will find them before you! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
From Tennis Leviticus:"How it was that scores were not announced angered the Lord.that balls were sent to the server without the server knowing angered the Lord.that bad serves were willfully returned angered the Lord.And the Lord had many such examples, all of which vexed him sore."For the edification of tennis players everywhere, Mark Randall reveals The Lost Book of Tennis Leviticus whose simple precepts promise to return civility, common sense and sportsmanship to the court, and to banish all rancor and frustration.Well, all rancor, anyway.From the Preface:"While . bits of this etiquette are . still respected, players will no doubt be appalled to learn how . shoddy is modern custom compared to that of the ancients.Dependent for so long on oral transmission, these rules of conduct have been frayed by time, broken by ignorance, and abandoned for the shallow glamour of baser examples.It is my hope that. the return of these chapters in book form will serve enthusiasts of the game - as a primer for some, as a refresher for others - and that observance of the tenets expounded in its pages will redound to a greater and more general enjoyment upon the court."Mark Randall has been writing commentary and essays for over 25 years.His pieces have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, Harper's Magazine and Metro, among others, and have been cited by various publications including The Wall Street Journal.Randall's previous book, Not That You Asked, a broad sampling of his columns collected in book form, was praised by Art Carey of The Philadelphia Inquirer for "elegant writing.that combines the literary lucidity of Edmund Wilson and the wicked wit of Oscar Wilde."Also a swing jazz pianist, Mark Randall maintains a website of both writing and music at www.MarkRandallNotes.com ... Read more

Product Description
Tennis is a true lifetime sport—just ask any player over 50! But to play your best you need to change your game as the body ages, adjust your stroke technique, and take advantage of racket technology to maximize the depth and power of your shots. Tennis Past 50 will show you how to

• modify your stroke to gain more power without sacrificing control;

• play smarter with adjustments to position on the court and style of play;

• improve your doubles and mixed doubles game;

• choose the right equipment for your style of play, ability, and fitness level;

• eat right for better performance on the court; and

• avoid injury and improve your conditioning for better performance.

Tony Trabert,who was the top-ranked player in the world in the 1950s, and former Cal State Fullerton coach Ron Witchey provide winning instruction that will have you playing better than ever. No matter what your age and ability, Tennis Past 50 will help you perform at your best through the years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

INTERESTING REMINDERS
The book was short, to the point, well-written and easy to understand.Some of the info was obvious and intuitive but, just the same, it was worth repeating.The asides, which were short bios of famous tennis players, were interesting.

suitable for the novice
This book will benefit players who are beginners and started playing tennis for the first time at age fifty.Experienced and advanced players at age fifty or above will find the information in this book too basic to be of much help.

A wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques
The latest title in the Human Kinetics' "Ageless Athlete" series, Tennis Past 50 is a superb and very practical guide to the lifelong enjoyment of tennis. From using one's mind rather than raw brawn to stay ahead of the game, to healthy conditioning for older athletes and improving skill at doubles, Tennis Past 50 is an excellent and informative "how to" guide suited to older players at all skill levels. Tennis Past 50 is packed from cover to cover with a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques useful to tennis buffs of any age! ... Read more

Product Description
With every powerful serve and deft ground stroke, with every graceful volley and determined charge to the net, black tennis players, from Hall of Famers Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Evonne Goolagong, and Yannick Noah to future legends James Blake and the sisters Venus and Serena Williams, have forced open the sport's shuttered gates and demanded to be acknowledged. In Charging the Net, Cecil Harris and Larryette Kyle-DeBose draw on personal interviews and extensive research to chronicle the triumphs-and humiliations-of blacks in professional tennis from the 1940s to the present. For many fans and writers, Ashe, Gibson, and the Williams sisters personify black achievement in tennis, but others have made their mark. Charging the Net spotlights a wide range of competitors as well as the American Tennis Association, an organization that thrived despite racial segregation, thanks to such benefactors as Dr. R. Walter Johnson. The book will also introduce readers to two black officials whose success was short-lived; both have sued the United States Tennis Association, alleging discrimination based on race, gender, and age. Harlem-trained, Harvard-educated James Blake, who overcame career-threatening injuries to achieve World Top Ten status, has written a foreword to Charging the Net. The afterword is written by Robert Ryland, the first black to compete in a major college tournament, who later found the doors to tennis's premier venues marked Whites Only. With a clear vision, Ryland, the eighty-six-year-old coach, now looks at how far blacks in tennis have come and how far they have yet to travel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

incredible book
congradulations to the Williams sisters winning at WImbledon together and for them battling against one another for the championship.this Book is a Must read for the tennis fan in general and also from a basic rights and understanding of the history of Blacks in tennis. this book is very in depth and is a note for note line for line read. very informative. a must have.

Charging The Net
I found it a very informative and wonderful book to read.I really learned a lot about the history of Black tennis pros.I would definetely recommend for everyone to read this book.

Its lively presentation blends civil rights issues with tennis sports world insights.
CHARGING THE NET: A HISTORY OF BLACKS IN TENNIS provides a fine survey of the major black figures in tennis who forced the sport to integrate. Personal interviews and in-depth research details the challenges blacks faced in entering professional status in the tennis world, with chapters surveying the achievements of individuals, teams, and organizations alike. This is a top pick not just for sports libraries, but for any general-interest collection strong in integration issues and sports. Its lively presentation blends civil rights issues with tennis sports world insights. ... Read more

Product Description
Top tennis players use the time between points to prepare not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. A sure-fire method for this preparation is the 3-R’s® mental training system, presented in Focused for Tennis.

The 3-R’s system allows you to:

Release negative emotions that come from lost points or dropped games and stay positive;

Review what’s happened so far: what’s working, what’s not; and

Reset for the next point. Now that you know what you have to do, complete a preplanned routine to bring focus to your play.

Coauthored by sport psychologist Karl Slaikeu and former USTA tour pro Robert Trogolo, Focused for Tennis reveals the thought processes used by tennis champions to stay in a positive mental and emotional zone throughout a match.

Focused for Tennis also "spotlights" top pro players like Martina Hingis, John McEnroe, Steffi Graf, Michael Chang, and Monica Seles and explains how their mental training has driven them to consistently play championship-caliber tennis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Focused for Tennis - Slaikeu and Trogolo
Unfortunately, this is one of the most underrated and under-utilized tennis book ever published. While juniors may not benefit from this due to their lack of maturity and overall comprehension, collegiate and pros can greatly benefit from this work ofart.

Very practical tools
The author asserts that for every hour in a tennis match, the ball is in play only 4 to 15 of the total 60 minutes.That leaves a great deal of time for a player's mind to drift.Dr. Trologo created the "three R's" system to address this issue. The Three R system can be used to calm a player in the midst of a heated battle or may also give her a chance to psyche herself up and raise her level of energy to better respond to the other player.I recommend it to my tennis clients.

Focused for Tennis
Wonderful! This book will teach you how to focus on the most important part of the game....mental focus.It teaches you to restart each point and motivates you to deal with the most harrowing part of the game....yourself. Mental toughness never seemed so easy after reading this book. Thanks toKarl and Robert my game will never be the same.

amazing, brilliant!!!
This book by Karl Slaikeu is an amazing insight into the most essentialaspect of the tennis game!! I am thrilled that I found it, and willrecommend it to everyonein my league, club, etc.!! Fine work from awell-rounded, amazing author!! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Review of "Little Pancho"
Caroline Seebohm has done her homework and come up with an excellent, informative, and very enjoyable biography. Pancho's childhood in Ecuador was not easy. The description of what it was like in the early days of the pro tour (40's and 50's, before open tennis) is surely one of the best that you'll ever find. You'll get to read about Big Pancho's (Gonzales') point of view on things, which is something new for many of us. Segura played a crucial role in teaching the American superstar, Jimmy Connors.

This book should be required reading for today's and tomorrow's touring professionals, who are enjoying the fruits of the labor of guys like Budge, Kramer, Riggs, Mulloy, Schroeder, Parker, Kovacs, Gonzales, Hoad, Sedgman, McGregor, Pails, Olmedo, Laver, Rosewall, and of course, Pancho. Outstanding!

A Tennis Master
Good book about the early days of professional tennis, but not an intimate portrait of Pancho Segura. Seems more historical than biographical. That said, the contributions to the game by Segura are enormous from coaching hall of famers, like Connors, Ashe, Smith and Chang, to great matches with Kramer, Gonzalez, Rosewall, Riggs and more. Somehow even in Segura's own biography Big Pancho steals the spotlight from him. Also an except from The Tennis Partner captures an essence of the man that the book does not come close to. A very good chapter on Connors, whom he mentored and coached from his latter junior days through his three slam year in 1974. ... Read more

Product Description
More drama than Wimbledon!

After Tokyo is chosen as the site for the upcoming Nationals, Hyotei gets a shot at redemption by being given an invitational berth in the tournament.Meanwhile, a prodigy from Kansai is making his way toward Tokyo. Packing serious power--and a temper to match--in his small frame, this wild 7th-grader has talent and skill that could rival even Ryoma's.

Ryoma Echizen just joined the Seishun Academy's tennis team, which is known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. Its members are incredibly talented, gifted, and athletic. With rigorous and extremely intense practices, the upperclassmen of the team expect the very best from themselves and they expect even more from the new members of the team. While most of the freshmen are on pins and needles hoping they won't get cut from the team, Ryoma Echizen is confident, cool, and collected. Some might even say he's cocky, but at least he's got the skills to back up his attitude. Ryoma Echizen is the Prince of Tennis. He may be ready for the Seishun Academy tennis team, but are THEY ready for HIM? ... Read more

Product Description
“This book is THE perfect introduction and primer for parents whose kids like tennis and want to learn how to play the game correctly.”—Tennis Magazine—United States Tennis Association

Customer Reviews (7)

The image is not clear and detailed.
This book is not good enough for a parent to teach kids playing. Its image is too old and not clear. It is very difficult for you to learn how to grip the racket for example by seeing the pictures in this book.

Dated Book Needs Reworking
I was very disappointed in this book when I received it. There has been a lot more development in getting children interested in tennis than this book reveals. The production values of the book in terms of text, photographs and graphics are somewhat primitive. Pierce Kelley is a great guy, dealing with a topic he really loves, but he needs to get more help on communicating this in an effective way. Tennis has evolved tremendously since he grew up in Florida, but you would not know it from this book. There is a lot more gold left in this mine for Pierce or someone else to bring out.

Rewrite the book!
If you are a complete beginner, than this book is suitable for you - however, if you know nothing about tennis, you shouldn't teach your children to play it.

Described strokes in the book are old-fashioned, not recommended by ITF and at least 15 - 20 years old. Lendl would have such gameplay, Nadal not.

Not very helpful for our kids
This book was not helpful for us in terms of really engaging our kids, and we found the writing dry.There is a sexist streak too that won't win the hearts of mothers or daughters.

thanks to Pierce Kelley
This book is well written, thorough and insightful. Mr. Kelley's approach to teaching tennis can be used by any coach, parent or teacher trying to help any athlete learn the fundamentals of any sport. Having coached youth sports for over twenty years I can only say that I wish I had discovered this wonderful book sooner! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more