Smart Tennis : How to Play and Win the Mental Game

Rating:
Summary: Comments and suggestions
Review: Dear John,

Your book Smart Tennis is very smart. Congratulations ! It was a pleasure for me to read it, to learn many new tips about mental tennis and to understand more about psychology.

I would like to give you my personal comments :

1. I am a tennis player and a management consultant. And I found many similarities between those two worlds : what is good for the tennis player is also appropriate for the management consultant. And it guides me in both sectors. 2. I appreciate the structure of the book and its positive philosophy. It's easy to read and to remember. Your book is my new « livre de chevet ». 3. I completed the test (TMBC) in Chapter 1. My first surprise is that my strength is Imagery and, for me, the most impressive chapter is Imagery. You have focused on new dimensions and it is very practical for me. 4. Your book seems to be complete from the beginner to the professional. But, you know, life curve for any professional is like an Inverted U : growth, top, and decline. What about the time when a professional realizes that he is at the beginning of his decline or really declining ? It's an important question and a painful period for a professional during which he needs psychological support. A question that can be answered, maybe, in your monthly column Mental Equipment ! Or in Smart Tennis II ! 5. I would have a suggestion : your Tennis Mind-Body Checklist (TMBC) could be answered on your Web Site (Dr. John's Smart Tennis Site) with the results and their interpretations. By doing so, it would be both a marketing tool for your book and an easy interactive tool for the tennis player or any other professional ! 6. Your book is so interesting that my wife, Suzanne, who has a degree in translation, thinks it would be a good idea to translate it in French. The market is so big !

I want to thank you for your smart book and for having taken time to read me. I would appreciate your comments.

A fan of your Mental Equipment column and a believer in your philosophy,

Jean-Paul Laberge, M.B.A. Québec, Canada [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Finest Work on the Mental Aspects of Tennis
Review: I reviewed an advanced copy. I assure you that Smart Tennis is the finest work on the mental aspects of the game that I have read ... and I have read most of them! John Murray's book will go a long way toward helping you discover the right way to prepare for and deal with the mental challenges presented by competitive tennis.

Ron Waite, USPTR Professional & Tennis Columnist

Rating:
Summary: Mental equipment is truly important
Review: Mr. Murray does an excellent job of proving that "mental equipment" is helpful and beneficial to your game. I truly believe that you can't operate to your fullest physically without aid from the mental side of the game. The only thing that I was less than satisfied with is that he dedicates majority of his book to illustrate how mental equipment is important, but offers little assistance in improving your mental equipment. He uses excellent examples and truly illustrates his point clearly and directly. As for tips on how to improve your mental equipment, he has only offered about 1-2 pages worth of advice. For example, he spends 32 out of 34 pages of the chapter on attentional control, explaining the different types of attentional control, the problems with attention (such as:excessive stress, choking, etc.), and also explains how having selective attention and concentration is highly useful. He goes on to tell you the optimal effects of stress on attention. The only problem with all this is that after illustrating all the problems, and explaining where you need to be in terms of attention control, he offeres little advice to explain how to achieve the optimal attention control. In fact, only 2 pages out of 34 were actual advice on how to improve attention control and find that state of effortless effort commonly called the "zone" by tennis players. But, one must give Mr. Murray credit for writing a book on the mental game as very few books are written on this subject effectively. Afterall, isn't the human mind very complex? My suggestion is to buy the book if you want to learn about his philosophy on the mental game of tennis, but if you want advice on how to improve the mental game, then you might be slightly disappointed unless your satisfied with the 2 pages of every chapter dedicated to specific tips for improving.

Rating:
Summary: Mental equipment is truly important
Review: Mr. Murray does an excellent job of proving that "mental equipment" is helpful and beneficial to your game. I truly believe that you can't operate to your fullest physically without aid from the mental side of the game. The only thing that I was less than satisfied with is that he dedicates majority of his book to illustrate how mental equipment is important, but offers little assistance in improving your mental equipment. He uses excellent examples and truly illustrates his point clearly and directly. As for tips on how to improve your mental equipment, he has only offered about 1-2 pages worth of advice. For example, he spends 32 out of 34 pages of the chapter on attentional control, explaining the different types of attentional control, the problems with attention (such as:excessive stress, choking, etc.), and also explains how having selective attention and concentration is highly useful. He goes on to tell you the optimal effects of stress on attention. The only problem with all this is that after illustrating all the problems, and explaining where you need to be in terms of attention control, he offeres little advice to explain how to achieve the optimal attention control. In fact, only 2 pages out of 34 were actual advice on how to improve attention control and find that state of effortless effort commonly called the "zone" by tennis players. But, one must give Mr. Murray credit for writing a book on the mental game as very few books are written on this subject effectively. Afterall, isn't the human mind very complex? My suggestion is to buy the book if you want to learn about his philosophy on the mental game of tennis, but if you want advice on how to improve the mental game, then you might be slightly disappointed unless your satisfied with the 2 pages of every chapter dedicated to specific tips for improving.

Rating:
Summary: Integrated and On-Target
Review: Smart Tennis is the best explanation of mind-body factors in sport that I have read. Murray's knowledge of the tennis player's experience is exceptional. He provides a coherent and flexible set of suggestions that fits different court personalities and help players improve. A great book...

Rating:
Summary: Thorough, thought and action provoking
Review: The book starts with a test to help you determine where you have the largest opportunity for improvement, then each chapter covers a specific need area. The book helped me immediately in a match and I hadn't even finished the book. However, I'm having difficulty with the goal setting area as the writer recommends making goals that are measurable (i.e. % of 1st serves in). For me, I don't have a way to measure the starting point or the matches after. Otherwise, it is extremely helpful & I'm determined to find a way to measure these things.

Rating:
Summary: "Learn how to use your mind to excel at tennis."
Review: This is carefully planned, practical and pragmatic guide for tennis players who want to conquer the psychological aspects of the game. Dr. Murray's decision to start the book with a personal evaluation makes great sense. I have counseled and coached highly ranked athletes who participate in tennis, golf, bowling, boxing,baseball and basketball. I got some great ideas from this book and I am certain that other athletes, therapists and coaches will too. This is a super book for anyone who wants to use their mind to excel at this challenging sport. Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. Author of-- How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis E-mail: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: This is a great book
Review: Whether you be a beginner, a recreational player, of any age, or a professional tennis player this is a book people at all levels of ability will want to read. It is a great book for anyone who likes to play tennis. Dr. Murray writes very well and his insights on the mental aspects of the game, which are so important, will help all of us play better tennis.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great book
Review: Whether you be a beginner, a recreational player, of any age, or a professional tennis player this is a book people at all levels of ability will want to read. It is a great book for anyone who likes to play tennis. Dr. Murray writes very well and his insights on the mental aspects of the game, which are so important, will help all of us play better tennis.