Advanced Techniques for Competitive Tennis

Rating:
Summary: SOMETIMES DIFFICULT, SCIENTIFIC TENNIS BY WORLD-CLASS COACH
Review: Very comprehensive book by a top world-class coach. At times, however, it appears the author attempted to do too much. For example, the title concerns advanced competitive tennis but also includes simple beginner children drills (should they be here?). Another example is trying to cover the anaerobic latic, anaerobic alactic and aerobic energy systems on one page. Perhaps it needs elaboration or not mentioning at all. The focus of the book should be on technique since that is the title. The nutritional section is quite weak considering other resources are available. Nutritional tips and facts are also scattered throughout the latter half in highlighted boxes which doesn't make sense since it appears disorganized. The best portions are the biomechanics -- stroking, movement, etc --, the general training principles, and drills. Schönborn has some excellent insights into the biomechanical techniques at the highest level and applies not only scientific knowledge but common sense. He challenges many traditional points of teaching with strong justification. The translation into English from German appears to be a bit crude. The text reads more like a paper a scientific sports journal (e.g., Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise or The Journal of Teaching in Physical Activity). There are some very nice diagrams and graphics and some not very nice ones. It reminds me of a more graphical, physically appealing version of Tennis Training (Castellani, D'Aprile, & Tamorri, only in Italian but the most comprehensive tennis science book ever written). Not as readable as the Science of Coaching Tennis (Groppel, Loehr, et al) or High Tech Tennis (Groppel) but more comprehensive. A nice resource for the serious player. Not recommended for beginners or someone not interested in science. A must for any serious coach.