Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Section I The Improvement Process
1 Domination Delusion 15
2 You're Always Training Something 23
3 Feel Versus Real 29
4 Winneritis 37
5 Be Honest-How Good Am I? 46
6 Federer's Whiff and Serena's Volley 54
7 "Eureka!" Engineered 60
Section II On Court
8 Effortless Power: The Kinetic Chain 71
9 There Is No Bail 79
10 Good Feels Bad 86
11 String Theory: Let Go of Control 92
12 Practice Mind, Match Mind 100
13 Lessons or Tournaments? 107
14 Do(n't) Copy the Pros 112
15 Trick and Treat 117
16 Pushers I: Shape 123
17 Pushers II: Over and In 131
18 Ultimate Tennis Warm-up 136
19 Against the Wind 146
20 Mini Tennis 152
21 Find Love at the Net 161
22 Play Like You Practice: The Great Swing-Speed Conundrum 169
23 Strategy: Plan A 178
24 Warm Up Like Sherlock Holmes 188
25 Eye off the Ball 197
26 (Not Necessarily) Better to Serve Than to Receive 205
27 Serves II: First and Second 210
28 Return-of-Serve I: Serve + 1 216
29 Return-of-Serve II: The X Factor 222
30 The Do-Nothing Volley 230
31 Lessons: The Student-Coach Partnership 236
32 Doubles Therapy I: Come Together 244
33 Doubles Therapy II: Meet My Lesser Half 251
Section III The Mental Game
34 Mental Tennis Lies: Cry, Baby, Cry 261
35 Mental Tennis Truths: Emotional Shadow Swings 268
36 Dealing with McEnroes (and Lawn Mowers, and Babies, and Nadals) 276
37 Managing Tennis Energy: Intensity 283
38 Second-Set Slump 287
Conclusion: "Finding Fulfillment: Love for the Tennis Journey" Transformation Stories 291
Appendix A Glossary of Tennis Terms 303
Appendix B 30 Progressions for Tennis Improvement 311
Appendix C Match-Success Checklist 317
Acknowledgments 321
