|
|
Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Ball games > Racket games
The game of tennis raises many questions that are of interest to a
statistician. Is it true that beginning to serve in a set gives an
advantage? Are new balls an advantage? Is the seventh game in a set
particularly important? Are top players more stable than other
players? Do real champions win the big points? These and many other
questions are formulated as "hypotheses" and tested statistically.
Analyzing Wimbledon also discusses how the outcome of a match can
be predicted (even while the match is in progress), which points
are important and which are not, how to choose an optimal service
strategy, and whether "winning mood" actually exists in tennis.
Aimed at readers with some knowledge of mathematics and statistics,
the book uses tennis (Wimbledon in particular) as a vehicle to
illustrate the power and beauty of statistical reasoning.
Formerly reserved for the elite, tennis has become a popular sport
over the years. And even if you don't play yourself, the tennis
lifestyle exerts a certain fascination. It's not uncommon at Grand
Slams like Wimbledon to find it more interesting who's watching
from the stands than who's down on the court. However, famous
tennis personalities are also a source of conversation - just
remember John McEnroe's infamous outbursts. This, the ultimate
tennis book is dedicated to the stories on and off the court, it
explains the history of the sport, shows the most important courts
and tournaments, the most exciting competitions and legendary
athletes. Tennis fashion and equipment are also covered, and who
knows, maybe after reading this entertaining tennis compendium you
will feel the need to pick up a racket. Text in English and German.
Born in the segregated South in 1943, Ashe overcame racial
prejudices and segregation to break into the world of tennis, which
had traditionally been dominated by whites. He rose to the top of
the sport, winning three Grand Slam trophies and playing on the
Davis Cup team. His tennis career came to an abrupt end when he
suffered a heart attack while in his thirties. Ashe began a
post-tennis career that included speaking out on social issues that
mattered most to him, including educational excellence for African
American athletes, the injustice of the apartheid system in South
Africa, and better health care for all Americans. After contracting
the AIDS virus through a blood transfusion, he began to speak out
on the subject of AIDS in order to help people understand the
disease. After a brilliant career on the tennis court, Ashe devoted
the remainder of his life to fighting for social justice at home
and abroad and to fighting the illnesses that had struck him while
he was still a young man. Steins tells the inspiring story of
Arthur Ashe, a great tennis champion whose skills on the court as
well as his exceptional and honorable personal characteristics made
him stand out among all players of his generation. A timeline and
other appendices highlight Ashe's career and life.
Originally published in 1930. The author was All-England Singles
Champion of that time. A fascinating look at the sport at that
time, accompanied with advice that is still useful and practical
today. Contents Include: The Racket and How To Hold It - Footwork
and Poise - Stroke Production - The Smash - The Lob (Or Clear) -
Drop-Shots - The Drive - Service - Return of Service - Feinting -
Tactics (General Ideas) - Doubles (Side by Side Formation) -
Doubles (Back and Front Formation) - Singles - Match Winning. With
photographic illustrations. Many of the earliest books,
particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now
extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are
republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality,
modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
 |
Tennis Mindset
(Hardcover)
Bill Allen; Illustrated by Carla Strozzieri
|
R545
R499
Discovery Miles 4 990
Save R46 (8%)
|
Ships in 18 - 22 working days
|
|
|
This comprehensive guide, covering the entire spectrum of tennis
subjects, lists and evaluates more than 950 English-language books
and over 150 tennis films and videotapes. Among the subjects
treated are rules and techniques of play; histories of the game;
biographies and autobiographies of champion players; psychological
approaches to improving one's game; advice on matters of fitness,
physicial conditioning, and rehabilitation of tennis-related
injuries; the construction and maintenance of tennis courts; tennis
in schools and recreational settings; the administration of
tournaments; tennis equipment; the traveling tennis player; tennis
humor; and tennis films and videotapes.
He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court – but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game.
Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.
Agassi makes us feel his panic as an undersized seven-year-old in Las Vegas, practicing all day under the obsessive gaze of his violent father. We see him at thirteen, banished to a Florida tennis camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning fast return.
And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world's best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.
Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match, and every public relationship. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals, Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals the depression that shatters his confidence, and the mistake that nearly costs him everything. Finally, he recounts his spectacular resurrection and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.
In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, Open will be read and cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi's game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed and power.
|
You may like...
Rafa: My Story
Rafael Nadal, John Carlin
Paperback
(1)
R360
R321
Discovery Miles 3 210
|