Tennis

About the Product

Let the game’s most brilliant players and coaches teach you World-Class Tennis Technique! You’ll find the most up-to-date information, based on solid scientific principles and presented in a practical, easy-to-understand manner. No other book on the market offers the level of world-class instruction and expertise found here.
World-Class Tennis Technique is written by some of the world’s top experts in biomechanics, tennis technique, and coaching, including

• Patrick McEnroe
• Jim Loehr
• Mary Joe Fernandez
• Stan Smith
• Tom Gullikson
• Pam Shriver
• Former world-class players
• National coaches
• Past or current Davis Cup Captians

Together these venerable tennis pros present a detailed, comprehensive look at the optimal biomechanics and technique for playing tennis. Each chapter features an expert with a scientific or technical background matched up with one of the top internationally known coaches. They explain the modern game and share their research, knowledge, and experience. Their explanations are succinct and to the point, making the best techniques easy to learn.

You’ll learn to improve your technique in every aspect of the game, including

• perfecting your strokes,
• improving your footwork and positioning,
• training the appropriate muscle groups,
• choosing the right racquet and equipment for your style of play,
• adjusting to different court surfaces,
• maintaining proper technique under pressure, and
• analyzing your own game.

You’ll find an in-depth analysis of the proper fundamentals of each stroke—forehand, backhand, volley, overhead, serve, return, and specialty shots—presented with an incredible selection of full-color sequence photos.

Learn the science behind the strokes to hit the ball with greater force, accuracy, and consistency. Then master and fine-tune your execution to excel in competition. With World-Class Tennis Technique, you’ll soon play better than ever.

About the Author

Vic Braden is one of the most recognized tennis instructors in the world. Braden has authored five books, produced countless videos, and hosted several television series. He is a licensed psychologist, author, sports educator and researcher, videographer, and television commentator. Braden got his start as the head tennis coach at the University of Toledo in 1952. After a stint as an elementary school teacher and psychologist, he served on the management staff of the Jack Kramer Professional Tennis Tour and cofounded the Jack Kramer Tennis Club in 1961. He founded the Vic Braden Tennis College in Coto de Caza, California, in 1974 and now has Vic Braden Tennis Colleges in Kissimmee, Florida, and St. George, Utah. Braden served as a member of the Wilson Sporting Goods advisory staff from 1952 to 1999 and as an instruction editor for Tennis magazine from 1974 to 1999.

Howard Brody is an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania where he was the academic and technical advisor to both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. Brody played varsity tennis and earned his bachelor’s degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his master’s and doctoral degrees at California Institute of Technology. He has written many papers and articles on the physics of sports, particularly tennis. Dr. Brody is a member of the International Tennis Federation Technical Commission and the USTA Sports Science Committee and Technical Committee, he is a science advisor to the USPTR, and he is on the technical advisory panel of Tennis Magazine. His book Tennis Science for Tennis Players was published in 1987. In 1996, Dr. Brody received the USPTR Plagenhoef Award for Sports Science.

Donald Chu is a leading authority on power training and conditioning, a former president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and a frequent contributor to the National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal. Chu has been a conditioning consultant for the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Lions, and Chicago White Sox as well as a consultant for the U.S. Tennis Association, professional tennis players Todd Martin and Lindsay Davenport, and the U.S. national and Olympic synchronized swimming teams. He is currently the director of the physical therapist assistant program at Ohlone College in Neward, California. Dr. Chu, who earned a PhD in physical therapy and kinesiology from Stanford University, is a professor emeritus of kinesiology and physical education at California State University at Hayward. Chu is a registered physical therapist, a certified athletic trainer through the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and a National Strength and Conditioning Association—certified strength specialist. He has received many honors, including the NATA’s Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award in 1995 and the NSCA’s President’s Award for Service in 1993.

Andrew Coe is the head of product development and technical functions within the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and he has worked with the organization since 1996. Coe has spent more than 20 years in the tennis industry and previously worked for Dunlop Slazenger International. At Dunlop Slazenger, Coe was closely involved with the development of an award-winning racket manufacturing technology, which was used extensively by champions such as John McEnroe and Steffi Graf.

Miguel Crespo is the research officer for the tennis development department of the ITF. Crespo is responsible for the ITF Coaches Education Program and has been involved in the writing of many of the ITF’s coaching education publications. He also travels the world conducting coaches’ workshops and reporting on the latest developments in the field of coaching. Crespo holds a PhD in sports psychology and a BA in philosophy. He is a former director of the National Coaching School for the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation. Between 1984 and 1989, Crespo was the traveling coach and captain of the Spanish national junior teams. He has taught coaches at all levels and has written articles and books for coaches, players, and officials of the game.

Paul Dent is a national coach for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in the United Kingdom. Dent spent three years as the coaching research officer for the LTA, where he researched physical conditioning, tactics, technical development, mental skills development, and sports medicine. He also worked for five years as the coaching excellence manager for the LTA, where he produced and developed information for the UK’s top performance coaches working with the top junior and senior players. Dent has presented at the ITF World Coaches Conference and at the ITF Asian Coaches Workshop.

Todd Ellenbecker is a physical therapist and the clinic director of Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is a member of the USTA National Sports Science Committee and a certified USPTA tennis teaching professional. Ellenbecker is the chairman of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Shoulder Special Interest Group. He has conducted research and lectured internationally on shoulder and elbow rehabilitation and is the author of two books, The Elbow in Sport and Complete Conditioning for Tennis. He received his physical therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Arizona State University.

Bruce Elliott is a professor of biomechanics and head of the department of human movement and exercise science at the University of Western Australia. He has published more than 130 articles and written or edited 10 books and 23 book chapters on sport biomechanics. Elliott, a former A-grade tennis player in Australia and a tennis coach, links biomechanics theory with the applied problems of coaching. He has been a speaker at every National Tennis Conference in Australia and has given presentations at the USA National Tennis Conference, International Medicine and Science in Tennis Congress, and at the ITF Asian Conference. He was the inaugural Chair of the Western Australia Institute of Sport from 1984 to 1994 and the vice president in the Australian Association of Exercise and Sports Science from 1993 to 1995. Elliott was also the scientific chair for the Fifth IOC World Congress on Sport Sciences Pre-Olympic Conference and supervised the biomechanics research projects at the 2000 Games in Sydney for the IOC Medical Commission.

Mary Joe Fernandez has reached the quarterfinal or better in 17 Grand Slams in her career, while capturing 2 Grand Slam doubles titles and amassing 7 singles titles and 19 doubles crowns on the WTA Tour since turning pro in 1986. She captured Olympic doubles gold medals as a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1992 and 1996. Fernandez was elected to the WTA Tour Players’ Council for a fourth consecutive year in 2000. She also serves as a member of the USTA executive board and as a spokesperson for the WTA Tour’s F.I.R.S.T. Serve schools program.

Tom Gullikson, the USTA director of coaching, reached at least the third round of all four Grand Slam Championships during his playing career. Gullikson and twin brother Tim reached the 1983 Wimbledon doubles finals, and he won the 1984 U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Manuela Maleeva. Gullikson joined the USTA Player Development coaching staff in 1988 as a coach for touring professionals. As a USTA Player Development coach, he has coached many top American players such as Jennifer Capriati, Jim Courier, and Todd Martin. Gullikson served as the U.S. Davis Cup captain from 1993 to 1999, captaining the team to the 31st Davis Cup title for the United States in 1995. He also served as the men’s coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. He was named USOC Elite Coach of the Year for Tennis in 1996. Gullikson was named the USTA director of coaching in 1997. He is a 1973 graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Patrice Hagelauer is the performance director of the Lawn Tennis Association and previously served as the director of men’s tennis at the French Tennis Federation (FFT). Under Hagelauer’s coaching direction, French players achieved a total of 24 ATP Tour victories. He worked with Yannick Noah during Noah’s 1983 French Open victory and has also coached Henri Leconte and Guy Forget. He was the coach for the French Davis Cup team for 16 years, leading the team to victory twice during his tenure.

Richard “Dickie” Herbst is the general manager of the Longwood Athletic Club, the head coach of the New York Hamptons, and the coach of 1999 Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson. Herbst played tennis at Pepperdine University, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English before returning to his native New England to coach and develop programs for tennis clubs. He coached several touring professionals, including five-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist Tim Mayotte and Patrick McEnroe. Herbst was then tapped by the USTA as part of the team headed by Tom Gullikson to develop national junior talent. He served as the national coach for the boys 14s division at the 1998 World Junior Championships.

Jose Higueras, special advisor to USTA Player Development, has been part of the USTA staff since 1988. His primary responsibility is coaching players through the USTA Touring Pro Program. As a coach, Higueras is best known for helping Michael Chang win the 1989 French Open to end America’s 34-year drought of men’s titles there. Two years later, Higueras helped Jim Courier win the French Open and eventually achieve the number one ranking. In his days as a touring professional, Higueras reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1982 and 1983 and won 15 career singles titles and three career doubles titles. He ranked as high as number seven in the world during his playing career. Higueras won the ATP Tour Sportsmanship Award in 1984.

Ben Kibler, MD, is the medical director at the Lexington Sports Medicine Center in Lexington, Kentucky, and is a founding member and former president of the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science. Dr. Kibler is a member of the USTA Sports Science Committee and the medicine advisor to the USPTR. He received the Plagenhoef award for contributions to tennis sports science from the USPTR in 1998. A fellow in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American College of Sports Medicine, he is also a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Duane Knudson, PhD, is an associate professor of biomechanics in the department of physical education and exercise science at California State University at Chico. Dr. Knudson is a member of the USTA Sport Science Committee and has done extensive research on the biomechanics of tennis. He is also well known for his research on the qualitative analysis of movement and the application of sport sciences in qualitative analysis.

Jack Kramer has served the sport of tennis from his days as a top player and promoter to his television commentary and innovations in the structure of professional tennis. As an 18-year-old, Kramer was the youngest player in the Davis Cup finals when he played doubles with Joe Hunt against Australia in 1939. After World War II Kramer began to dominate amateur tennis, winning Wimbledon in 1947 and the U.S. singles titles at Forest Hills in 1946 and 1947. He also helped the United States recapture the Davis Cup from Australia in 1946 and defend its title in 1947. Kramer then turned to the professional tennis of the time, dueling Bobby Riggs and then Pancho Gonzalez. In 1952, Kramer took over the promotion of professional tennis. When the open era in tennis began in 1968, Kramer helped devise the Grand Prix structure that was used until the ATP Tour took over in 1990. In 1972, Kramer helped form the Association of Tennis Pros, which was the men’s players’ union, and served as its first executive director. Kramer also served as a television commentator for more than 20 years.

Jim Loehr is recognized worldwide for his contributions and innovations in training and performance psychology. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class athletes, including Jim Courier, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Monica Seles, golfer Mark O’Meara, boxer Ray Mancini, and the NHL’s Eric Lindros and Mike Richter. He has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Nightline, the CBS Evening News, and CBS Morning News and has been featured on many other television programs. The president and CEO of LGE Performance Systems, Loehr conducts corporate training programs for hundreds of corporations worldwide. He has authored 12 books and produced several audio and video programs. Dr. Loehr is a full member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the NSCA, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sports Psychology. He has been a monthly columnist for World Tennis and Tennis magazine for 10 years and has received the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award.

Patrick McEnroe was selected as captain of the United States Davis Cup team in December of 2000. After helping Stanford University to a pair of NCAA titles, McEnroe spent nine years on the ATP Tour, reaching the semifinals of the 1991 Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the 1995 U.S. Open. He also won 16 doubles titles, including the 1989 French Open doubles title with Jim Grabb, and competed for the United States in Davis Cup play in 1993, 1994, and 1996. Since retiring from professional tennis in 1998, McEnroe has been a television commentator for CBS Sports and ESPN and for the Imus in the Morning program. He has served on the ATP Tour Players Council and is a member of the USTA’s board of directors. McEnroe also owns the New York Hamptons of DuPont World TeamTennis and is the author of Tennis for Dummies.

David Miley is the executive director of Tennis Development for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is responsible for overseeing the juniors, veterans, and wheelchair activities of the ITF as well as the ITF Development Program. Since joining the ITF in 1991, he has visited more than 100 countries, advising member nations on all aspects of tennis development, conducting coaches’ workshops, and directing junior programs. Miley has also coauthored many of the ITF’s coaching education publications, including the ITF Advanced Coaches Manual and the ITF School Tennis Initiative Teachers Manual. A 1980 business graduate of Lander College in South Carolina and a 1982 graduate of University College at Dublin, Miley was twice the Irish men’s doubles champion and is a former nonplaying captain of the Irish men’s team.

Lynne Rolley is the USTA director of program development and has coached tennis for more than 25 years. Rolley became the first woman to serve as head coach of a men’s NCAA varsity program when she coached the men’s tennis team at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California, from 1970 to 1973. As a player, Rolley once ranked in the top 10 in singles and doubles in the United States and was a double quarterfinalist at the 1966 U.S. Nationals with Val Ziegenfuss. She was hired as a USTA national coach in 1988, served as an assistant coach to the U.S. Federation Cup teams in 1993 and 1994, and was promoted to USTA director of coaching for women in 1994. She coached the U.S. women’s team at the 1999 Pan American Games. She is a member of the ITF Coaches Commission.

Nick Saviano is the director of the USTA Coaching Education Program. In this role, Saviano directs and runs the USA Tennis High Performance Coaching Program in conjunction with the USPTA and USPTR and is the liaison between the USA Tennis Player Development Program and tennis academies in the United States. He was a touring professional for nine years, earning a top-50 world singles ranking and reaching the round of sixteen at Wimbledon in 1980 and 1982. Twice an NCAA All-American at Stanford, he helped the Cardinal to the 1974 NCAA title. As a coach for the USTA, he has worked with many top American players including Jim Courier, David Wheaton, Todd Martin, Jared Palmer, Vince Spadea, and Justin Gimelstob. Saviano was hired as a USTA national coach in 1988 and was promoted to USTA director of coaching for men’s tennis in 1994. He was named the USTA director of technical development in 1998.

Michiel Schapers is the national coach for men’s tennis for the Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Association. Schapers played professional tennis from 1981 until 1993, reaching an ATP ranking of 25 in April of 1988. He reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 1985 and 1988 and made the quarterfinals at the 1988 Olympic Games. In mixed doubles, Schapers reached the finals of the French Open in 1988. He worked as a full-time private coach on the ATP Tour with Daniel Vacek and Alexander Radulescu in 1994 and 1995. He started in his current position in 1995 and served as the Dutch Davis Cup captain from 1998 through 2000.

Pam Shriver ranked among the world’s top 10 professional tennis players throughout the 1980s and with Martina Navratilova was part of one of the greatest doubles teams of all time. Shriver reached the U.S. Open final as a 16-year-old amateur in 1978. She has won 21 singles titles and 112 doubles championships, including 22 Grand Slam titles in doubles. Shriver also won the 1988 Olympic gold medal in doubles with Zina Garrison. In 1999, Shriver was awarded the WTA Tour’s David Gray Service Award for lifelong service and commitment to the game of tennis. Currently, she is serving her second term on the board of directors of the USTA. She is a former president of the Women’s Tennis Association and was a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness from 1986 to 1992. Shriver is also a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, honorary chairperson of the Baltimore Tennis Patrons, and vice president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She is a tennis analyst for ESPN, HBO, ABC, CBS, the BBC, and 7 Sport in Australia. Shriver is president of Women’s Sports Legends and made her debut on the Virginia Slims Legends Tour in 1996.

Stan Smith dominated tennis in the early 1970s, capturing the U.S. Open in 1971 and Wimbledon in 1972. He was the world’s number one player in 1971 and 1972 and the top-ranked American in 1969 and 1971 through 1973. In addition to his 39 singles titles, he captured 61 doubles crowns in his career. Smith and long-time doubles partner Bob Lutz captured four U.S. Open doubles titles between 1968 and 1980. Smith was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, and he is a member of the halls of fame for the University of South Carolina, South Carolina, and Intercollegiate Tennis. Smith served as the director of coaching for the USTA from 1988 to 1993, and in 1994 became the USTA’s associate director of Player Development. In 1997 he became special advisor/coach of USTA Player Development. He served as the men’s tennis coach for the U.S. Olympic team in Sydney. Smith’s current associations include his design company, Stan Smith Design, which has designed dozens of top facilities around the world.

Craig Tiley is the head coach of the University of Illinois men’s tennis team and the director of tennis at the Adkins Tennis Center. Tiley, a native of South Africa, competed professionally on tennis circuits in Europe, Africa, and the United States. He holds two bachelor’s degrees—in economics and business administration—and a master’s degree in exercise science. Tiley holds the highest certification from the USPTR and USPTA, serves on the Prince National Advisory Board, is a USTA clinician and Jr. Davis Cup Coach, and has worked as a tennis analyst for Prime Network, TWI, and NBC television. He is also one of the few coaches serving on the USTA National Committee. In 1996, 1998, and 1999 Tiley was named NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and was named the national collegiate coach of the year in 1999. He was named the USPTR National Coach of the Year in 2000. Tiley also coaches several touring professionals and has served as the Davis Cup captain for South Africa since 1998.

Dennis Van der Meer owns and operates the Van der Meer Training Center, where he oversees the technical development of aspiring tour players as well as established WTA and ATP members. Van der Meer founded the United States Professional Tennis Registry and the Van der Meer Tennis University, where more than 10,000 coaches from 124 countries have attended his courses. A native of Namibia, Van der Meer was a leading young South African tennis player before emigrating to the United States in 1960 to become head professional at Berkeley Tennis Club. He has received several coaching awards, including a citation in 1965 from the United States Foreign Affairs Department for his worldwide contributions to tennis. In 1997 he received the Developmental Coach of the Year Award by the United States Olympic Committee. Van der Meer is also a founding and current member of the ATP Tour Coaches Association. He has produced numerous coaching videos and written several tennis books and numerous coaching articles. In 1992 he was designated the first National Master in Tennis by the President’s Council on Fitness and Sport.

Frank van Fraayenhoven is the full-time coordinator for coaches education within the Royal Dutch Lawn Tennis Association. He has been involved in the education of coaches for more than 20 years and has worked with coaches and players in more than 50 countries. From 1986 to 1989 Fraayenhoven was a national coach, working with both top juniors and top professionals from the Netherlands. He has written a book (published in Dutch) and many articles on tennis. He has been one of the regular speakers at the European Coaches Symposium during the last 17 years. Today, Fraayenhoven is working with the other Dutch national coaches to produce a new development program for talented players. He is a member of the ITF Coaches Commission.

Ron Woods is the director of the USA Tennis Plan for Growth, a $50 million, five-year effort to recruit new players to the sport. Woods was a professor of physical education and men’s tennis coach at West Chester University in Pennsylvania for 17 years before joining the USTA in 1984, where he served for more than 10 years as the first director of Player Development. He was awarded the International Tennis Hall of Fame Education Merit Award in 1997. He was also honored by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) as 1982 National Coach of the Year and designated a Master Professional in 1984. Woods is a member of the coaching committee of the USOC and is also a member of the United States Professional Tennis Registry.

About the Editor

Currently the executive director of the American Sport Education Program, E. Paul Roetert spent many years as the director of sport science and coaching education at the United States Tennis Association (USTA). He developed their sport science program and continues to serve on the sport science committee.

Roetert is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He is also a member of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR). In 1998 he received the USPTR’s Plagenhoef Award for sport science; in 1999 the Editorial Excellence award from the National Strength and Conditioning Association for his work on the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; and in 2000 the Outstanding Alumni award from the University of Connecticut.

Roetert holds a PhD in biomechanics from the University of Connecticut. Originally from the Netherlands, he now resides in Champaign, Illinois, with his wife Barbara.

Jack L. Groppel is a cofounder and partner in the highly regarded LGE Performance Systems, Inc., which helps athletes train both mentally and physically to perform at the highest levels of sport. Groppel is an instruction editor for Tennis magazine and is in his 13th year as chairman of the sports science committee at the USTA.

Like Roetert, Groppel is a Fellow in the ACSM. He is also a USPTA Master Professional and one of only eight Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) International Master Professionals worldwide. In 1987 the USPTA named him National Pro of the Year. Groppel has also been named to the Midwest USPTA Hall of Fame and has received the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award. He has traveled to more than 45 countries training tennis coaches to teach the game more effectively.

Groppel holds a PhD in exercise physiology from Florida State University. He and his wife Jodie live in Algonquin, Illinois.

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