Recommended Tennis Books

Below you can find a list of the tennis books that I recommend. Over the years I must have read hundreds of books on Tennis.

Unfortunately, there are not many good books on the market when it comes to the crucial topic of developing tennis technique!

If you surf my website you will find Vic Braden mentioned many times I am sure. Vic is the pioneer when it comes to teaching tennis and a lot of what I teach is based on Vic’s work. I highly recommend any book by Vic Braden

In general, I found it hard to find many good books on the subjects of tennis technique and tennis strategy. For the mental side of tennis and tennis movement/tennis conditioning you can find a lot of good information though.

Tennis Books

Tennis 2000 – Vic Braden

In my opinion the number one book to read for tennis instruction is Tennis 2000! All of Vic’s information is based on scientific research, not his opinions! The book will teach you sound fundamentals to develop great strokes and give you lots of other information on all aspects of Tennis.

Yes the pro game these days is played a little different from a technical standpoint than what is being taught here but everybody needs to master the fundamentals taught in this book first! The pros simply add little segments to fundamentally sound stroke mechanics!

The Inner Game of Tennis – W. Timothy Gallwey

This book is considered the bible on the mental game of Tennis. In The Inner Game of Tennis Gallwey describes the distinction between Self-1 and Self-2 in Tennis. Self-1 is the ego-mind that tells you “Hit the ball harder” for example and Self-2 is the doer or your natural ability. He talks about the importance of quieting Self-1 to allow yourself to get in the zone. This concept was groundbreaking when the book was first published and I think it is still the best book to read on the mental game of Tennis!

Mental Tennis – Vic Braden

Again Vic sets a high standard. In Mental Tennis Vic explains in detail the most relevant psychological aspects for the game of Tennis. Vic is a licensed psychologist and I regard this as one of the best books to read on the mental game!

Power Tennis Training – Donald Chu

A great book if you want to improve your fitness on the tennis court! In Power Tennis Training Donald Chu covers many aspects of Tennis Fitness. To name just a few, the book will show you exercises for your warm-up, core/trunk exercises, medicine ball drills as well as on court drills!

Complete Conditioning for Tennis – Paul Roetert Todd Ellenbecker

This is another great conditioning book for Tennis. In Complete Conditioning for Tennis, the authors Paul Roetert and Todd Ellenbecker from the USTA have done a great job at compiling tons of information on tennis conditioning.

Some of the areas covered include: Fitness Testing, Agility and Footwork Training, Speed and Quickness Training as well as Core Stability Training!

Muscle Memory and Imagery: Better Tennis – Dr Archie Dan Smith

It is muscle memory that makes your tennis game what it is, for the good or for the bad. If you want to take your game to a higher level you need techniques to create the muscle memory needed to win. This book is the science of muscle memory – how to avoid messing up, and how to optimize. Research and common sense suggests you can improve and have the good results stay with you – all with less time and effort. This book is the way to Better Tennis, no matter what your level – novice or pro. By practicing differently than you have ever been instructed, science suggests you can substantially improve your game. You achieve this by use of Muscle Memory Practice. This book tells how.

Click the link for more info on Muscle Memory and Imagery: Better Tennis

Winning Ugly – Brad Gilbert

The classic book on what it takes to succeed in the cut-throat world of professional Tennis and one of the most popular tennis books on the market! In Winning Ugly, Brad Gilbert tells a lot about what goes on on the professional tennis tour and what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of Tennis! His focus is on the mental and tactical sides of the game!

A Modern Guide for Tennis Improvement: How to Improve at Tennis if You Really Want to

John Williams shares his unique perspective on tennis improvement, the dietary and training regimens of the current professional stars plus insights into the future of tennis. John combines a lifetime of playing and teaching tennis to produce a book that can be used as a reference to aid the tennis-playing public in finding a pathway for improving and enjoying this great game.

Click the link for more info on A Modern Guide for Tennis Improvement: How to Improve at Tennis if You Really Want to

Tennis Related Books

Talent is Overrated

This great book by Geoff Colvin describes in detail the process that it takes to become great at any task. The theory in the book is that talent is not nearly as important as most people believe and instead it is deliberate focused practice that matters.

Overall a great book even though I believe that athletic talent does play a big role in Tennis success!

Click the link for more info on Talent Is Overrated

The Talent Code

Daniel Coyle travelled around the world to find the so-called “talent hotbeds”. One of the hotbeds is a tennis club in Russia that has produced an enormous amount of successful tennis players.

Coyle examines how they are trained and why their training methods are so successful. Overall a great read for any sports fan!

Click the link for more info on The Talent Code

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