Tennis: Winning the Mental Match

This book is truly excellent. Most tennis books are either by 1) top players (although there is less and less of that these days as top players now make so much money they do not need to supplement their income by writing a book) who have the experience of playing at the highest levels of the game but do not have either a strong educational or coaching background or 2) coaches who have a strong educational or coaching background but have not played at the highest levels of the game. The author, Allen Fox, is exceptional in that he has both: he reached the quarterfinals in singles at Wimbledon, was a member of the U.S. Davis Cup team and also had wins over the best players in the world at the time and he also has his Ph.D in psychology from UCLA and was a very successful college coach. The book presents both theory (e.g., what it is in our wiring that drives humans to want to win at tennis even if the match is at an average club level) and highly practical tips on how to improve your performande on the court. What is remarkable about the practical tips is that many are ones I have not heard expressed before but yet are so grounded in common sense that it makes one wonder why I have not heard them previously (e.g., regarding choking: since everyone chokes the real key is how you react to it - if you choke on an important point and get upset by it and as a result lose the next few points that creates far more damage to your chances of winning than by losing the single point because you choked). A must read.

This book could be titled “competition 101”, as a comprehensive introduction to the mental and emotional aspects of competitive sports, with an emphasis on the unique dynamics of tennis. It builds simple operating principles covering all aspects of the game, and is a good next step after reading Gallwey’s classic “The Inner Game of Tennis.” Great anecdotes and tremendously readable. Thus book is not encumbered by lists like “the 20 things you must keep in your head” that other attempts at this topic often fall victim to.

A great look inside what it takes to be mentally strong on a tennis court. Fox takes you through all the pitfalls and thought processes you need to be strong.

This is an excellent book for tennis players of all levels. That's so, even though the tennis advice genre has a predictable format that is not conducive to great literature. Boiled down to its essence, a full length book contains 12 to 30 insights bracketed by lots of self congratulatory throat clearing and anecdotal blather.Allen Fox follows this format, but here's the key: his psychological observations are acute, valuable, and (to me) original. He does a great job of helping the reader to understand the mechanisms behind inconsistency, choking, and suboptimal performance. This book will help you become a better, happier, more self-aware player..

I am in a wheelchair. If you think playing tennis is tough then get into a wheelchair and give it a go. I'm in my sixties and having been active most of my life and having to adapt to a wheelchair now has been a bit of a challenge. "Winning the Mental Match" has helped to reinforce the state of mind I need not only for tennis, but for life. This is a book that will be regular reading for me. Thank you, Allen Fox

Very interesting and well written, many important helpful lessons on getting the best mental aspects of tennis

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.

You hear this advice from coaches, friends etc and there is a logic to it but until you read the reason behind the advice Allen Fox gives you is when it clicks and it REALLY! works.Never thought I would be reading a self help book on tennis but I can never give enough thanks to my friend who recommended it to me.

Improving your tennis has 3 core components: improving your technique, improving your fitness, and improving your mental game.There are LOADS of resources out there for the first two, but it's much more difficult in my experience to identify something that works well for improving the mental game.Allen Fox's book seems to hit the mark. It's easy to read, doesn't pull its punches about where problems lie, and suggests practical solutions.I made notes from the book, and then had a crib card that I took with me onto court last weekend. I have played my opponent about 60 times, and only beaten him once. I beat him for the second time this weekend. I put that down to putting into practice what I'd learned in this book.But, just as for all development, I anticipate I'm going to have to continue to work on this in the months and years to come. But great to have an excellent book!

A fantastic book full of no nonsense tips from a seasoned professional and coach. I’ve been playing tennis for 40 years an read many similar books - this is one of the best. I wish I had the benefit of this advice when I was a much younger!

Highly recommended for the competitive tennis player. As the parent of a competitive junior, this book opened my eyes and is full of wisdom, insight and understanding. Thank you Dr Fox!!!

great book. Excellent service.

Dr Allen Fox is a master of mental tennis, this is a great tennis book and must read. This chapters are well organized and very practical.