Winning Ugly : Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master

Rating:
Summary: This book is great!
Review: While I have enjoyed reading many books in the past, the book I am currently reading, Winning Ugly, has been especially enjoyable for me. It has been good not only because of the fact that it is on the subject of improvement on my favorite sport, tennis, but also because it has many lessons that apply to life off the court. It is very amusing because of the examples he uses, that often have John McEnroe at the butt of a joke.

The author of Winning Ugly, Brad Gilbert, has a great writing style. I think part of the reason that I enjoy this book so much is because of how he makes points by explaining how he has actually used what he talks about against players like Jimmy Conners, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Andre Agassi. It's not a book about the basics of tennis, or how to hit the ball and such, it's a book about the mental aspect of the game, or as he describes it, playing smart. One of the first points he makes is how important it is to stay focused. He talks about how throughout his whole professional career he was playing and beating many players, who, on paper, should have won. The main reason he was able to beat so many players who had a "better game" (i.e. more powerful, cleaner shots) was because of simply making observations, and changing his plans accordingly. A great example of this would be many of his matches against Becker. He realized that in a contest of who could hit the ball harder Becker would win, hands down. So he changed his strategy, instead of hitting the ball as hard as he could, like most players would, he went for shots that didn't generate much power, making Becker hit a shot he isn't comfortable with, and giving him an edge.

This book doesn't just help my game, or prove that Brad Gilbert is a great coach and player; he doesn't need to write a book to prove that. He's been number five internationally for long periods at a time, and coached both Andre Agassi and Andy Rodick. What the book proves is that there is a connection between the mind and body that can help improve performance in sports, and elsewhere. It also exposes many important aspects of planning and being able to change plans, without loosing focus and getting distracted by the fact that things may not go your way. I still haven't finished the whole book, but I can honestly say that I get excited every time I read it. That's why this book is, even though I still have more to read, among my top favorite books.



Rating:
Summary: Must have in your library
Review: "Winning Ugly" is a great tennis book! Brad Gilbert shares his pro experience in order to help players that lack mental preparation before match, and "thinking" while playing it. I was happy reading "Winning Ugly" as going through its pages I realized my mistakes and got new hints for improving my game. I never seen Brad playing, but after reading his book I might purchase couple of DVDs with "winning ugly" strategy in action.

Rating:
Summary: A pure ace from start to finish
Review: After playing women's doubles in our inter-club league for such a short time and being so unsuccessful. The tennis pro at the country club where I belonged recommended Brad's book. After reading and highlighting the book I would like to say I won every match I played. Well I didn't. But it was not for a lack of trying. I tried everthing that Brad said. After a while , with book constantly at hand. I did win some matches.! I know I drove some poeple to distraction. ( a nicer way to say I DROVE THEM CRAZY ) quoting Gilbert. Well our Pro took the book off me, I thought to throw it away. Instead he went to the USopen that year and had Brad Gilbert autograph it for me. It is ONE of my prized possessions. Along with Jimmy Connors autograph on my Prince Racquet cover. Thanks Brad. I may never be famous for my tennis. But it has made tennis a lot more interesting

Rating:
Summary: THE book of the decade on tennis.
Review: After reading WINNING UGLY I was able to beat better tennis players without playing better tennis. Steve Jamison, Andre Agassi, Brad Gilbert...thanks.

Rating:
Summary: Great for the club player
Review: As a 4.5 club player with a reputation for "losing ugly" (read choking) this book had an immediate positive effect on my game. Gilbert's mantra about not donating points interspersed with his hysterical recounting of his own experiences with the mental game while facing guys like Conners and Mac, make this book an entertaining but valuable read. Gilbert relishes his image as a blue collar everyman with "ugly" strokes, which makes the book more appropriate for us folks who won't ever hit like Sampras. Don't expect any tips about technique though, this book is strictly about making the most of what you already got.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book for any Level Player
Review: As a tennis professional, I found the book very helpful for my students and very easy to read. It gives you information you can use in your next match and see results! If your a 3.0 or a 6.0 you'll get something out of this book that will make you better.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: Being a recreational player, I play very often (3-5 games a week). My problem was that I was very frequently defeated by weaker guys because of my terrible footwork, which resulted from nerves and focus loss. I was (and am) great while warming up, but later on I kept getting off balance.
This book was the only thing that really helped me. Brad is a genius! Currently, I am on a 20-game winning streak. Thanks to Brad, my opponents are the only ones who get pissed off now.

Rating:
Summary: Brad is a genius!
Review: Brad teaches you how to prepare for matches, think properly during a match, and how to take advantage of certain situations other players might miss. I bought this book and couldn't put it down the moment I started reading and finished it in one sitting. After reading this book I realized that when I was on the court I wasn't using my game to the best of my ability.
Did my tennis improve after reading it? Well in tournaments before I got the book I had one win and four losses. After reading it, I won 2 doubles tournaments, 3 singles tournaments and had a total record of 32-4. So did it improve? You bet! This book helped my game more than any lesson could ever help!

Rating:
Summary: read ' n' weep
Review: Do I regret not watching Brad Gilbert's ugly & boring matches ? You bet!!! Now, 'Winning Ugly' has become a reference for all my tennis partners here in Paris. A mere look at the book cover is enough to understand the contents. Brad's wit and pure common sense match Harvard Business books on decision analysis and game theory such as 'Thinking Strategically' by Dixit and Nalebuff, or 'the US marine book of strategy' applied to tennis. A page turner.

Rating:
Summary: Winning Ugly is a Winner
Review: Even if the tips in this book don't help your mental game (and I can't see how it wouldn't), the stories of some of Brad Gilbert's most memorable matches from his perspective serves as very interesting reading anyway.