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If you love the game of tennis, you'll love Paul Fein's insightful comments on the game that fill this book. From the "look behind the curtain" that Paul provides in his interviews with Pete, Mac, Jimbo, etc., to the well thought out logic he applies to many of the current controversies of the game, you will find much interesting, amusing, and thought-provoking material in Tennis Confidential. Buy it.
As Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (IMGCA), I am always searching for new material, stories and background on sports psychology that I can bring to our members via articles, training programs and our IMGCA Certification programs.I have followed Paul Fein's writing for years and have always been greatly impressed by his tennis acumen, his intellectual depth, and his writing style. He is one of the very best tennis writers being published today, and this book, Tennis Confidential, is no exception. This is a superb addition to the tennis literature, and one you will want on your bookshelf.Paul's in-depth analysis of the social context of tennis is remarkable, and I really appreciate his engaging interviews with tour players that reveal the hidden mental dimension.This book has appeal to all tennis players. I highly recommend this book for players, coaches, teachers, parents and officials.
Chapters I particularly enjoyed include the Burning Issues section, in which Fein examines modern topics like power, blacks' domination, new stats, and more; Controversies, with topics such as equal prize money, women's tennis superiority, the let rule, and more; and all time top 10 matches, with many surprises, but deep analysis.No wonder my 2nd favorite sport is baseball. Not tips on playing, but about the pros, especially stories, history, analysis, etc. As a tennis fan, especially in a family with few tennis fans, I enjoy reading outside material about the game. Both it and tennis, my favorite, invite analysis, discussion, controversy, have rich histories, and no clock. So I figured this book would fit right in with my appetite, especially from the subtitle, 'players, matches, and controversies.' I was right.Tennis Confidential contains all of this and more. I was excited to read about events that happened before I was around, and also enjoyed reading about events that happened while I was around, and Fein brought a fresh and inside perspective to dozens of topics. Reading this book allows me to appreciate the game more, want to discuss it more, and proud to be a tennis fan.Plus, the author is very friendly and happy to discuss his work. I met him at a tournament, and we took a picture together.
Several of the articles received writing awards. History fans will definitely enjoy the six retrospectives and the 10 greatest matches.
Pro tennis has plenty of controversies about on-court coaching, the scoring system, equal prize money, ranking systems, doubles reforms, the service let, etc. As a former coach of several world-class players and also former National coach for the French, Swiss and Hellenic tennis Associations, I most appreciated the originality and expertise in Tennis Confidential.
Interviews and features with Agassi, Serena Williams, McEnroe, Ashe, Navratilova, Borg, Sampras and other champions are also eye-openers. The essays analyze them with more thoughtfulness and fairness than I've seen before.
Your opinions about certain issues will undoubtedly change after you read these essays. On a light note, everyone will have fun with "True Confessions" and the amusing and sometimes shocking trivia that is sprinkled throughout the book.
This is a book you will want to read and re-read.
Tennis Confidential is not an encyclopedia, but it IS encyclopedic. There's a lot of substance within its covers: player profiles, interviews, controversies, history, greatest matches, and even a brief history of racquet design. Fein's passionate concern for the sport is evident throughout. He writes, "If tennis tries to be all things to all people, it will lose its brilliant uniqueness and end up being nothing much to anyone." His book, however, comes close to being all things to all tennis fans.
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