Arthur Ashe On Tennis: Strokes, Strategy, Traditions, Players, Psychology, and Wisdom - Hardcover

Arthur Ashe; Alexander McNab

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679437975 ISBN 13: 9780679437970

Publisher: Knopf, 1995

Synopsis

Featuring introductions by Billie Jean King, Lori McNeil, John McPhee, and George Vecsey, this collection of invaluable instructional advice and tennis wisdom from the late Arthur Ashe is infused with the finest insights of a great man and a great tennis mind.

About this title

From Booklist:

Near the end of his too short life, Arthur Ashe became a symbol. After contracting AIDS through a blood transfusion, he faced his death with dignity and tried to use his condition to raise AIDS awareness. Years earlier, he had done much the same when a heart condition halted his tennis career. Almost--not quite--lost in this admiration for Ashe the man is the memory of Ashe the tennis player, winner of multiple tournaments including the men's singles crown at Wimbledon in 1975, where he defeated Jimmy Connors in the finals. People remember his game with terms such as fluid and graceful. Reading this instructional guide will also bring to mind intelligent and determined. Ashe's focus here is on the mental aspects of tennis. Following heartfelt and poignant introductory essays by John McPhee, Billie Jean King, George Vecsey, and Lori McNeil, Ashe, along with coauthor McNab, discusses when and why to use the various strokes rather than how. He also explains his pet theories on competitive psychology, how to choose a teaching pro, doubles play, tennis tradition, and strategies for playing a lefty. There's also a section in which he dissects some of the best-known current players. It's not an especially well organized book (doubles strategy, for example, is buried in a chapter called "Wisdom" rather than placed in "Strategy"). But such quibbling is beside the point; the tone here is more conversational than instructional. Imagine sitting in the grass beside your local outdoor courts and sharing a soda and some thoughts on the game you love with one of its most articulate and gracious ambassadors. An excellent book. Wes Lukowsky

From Library Journal:

McNab, a contributing editor at Tennis magazine, worked with Ashe on this book for two years prior to Ashe's death in 1993. The intent was for Ashe to answer those questions about the game that he was most frequently asked. The book is thematically divided into two sections. The first half is geared toward intermediate to advanced players and gives instructions on how to improve one's game. The second half focuses on the history of tennis, individual famous players, conditioning, and other points of wisdom. Unfortunately, the book reads like several short magazine articles pasted together rather than a full-length study. When read individually, the essays are informative and useful, yet their cumulative effect is choppy and abrupt. Buy only according to demand.
--J. Sara Paulk, Satilla Regional Lib., Douglas, Ga.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0679437975
• ISBN 13: 9780679437970
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 143