Recommended if you like: the smell of a fresh can of tennis balls, being prepared, the sun in your eyes, lists, playing mind games, believing in yourself, the sound of thousands of people gasping at an unbelievable shot.

Un vero e proprio manuale pratico del tennis con tante tecniche e strategie da mettere subito in pratica anche per i tennisti più neofiti. Davvero interessante, una lettura assolutamente consigliata a tutti i praticanti di questo fantastico sport.

This is an interesting read mostly about the psychological aspect of tennis. Gilbert talked about some of his past notable wins against some of the biggest names during his time and how he won those matches with an upper hand by having a plan.

The book started pretty well, particularly his own match analysis with Becker or Connors or some of his frequent archenemies. I enjoyed reading his commentaries about his mental preparations going into every matches and treating it as if like it is a psychological game of chess. The middle section about some of the tactics that he used whilst playing the game are less useful and interesting to me. But the final section on mind games and psyching examples are a fascinating read as well.

Play Tennis Like You'd Do Business - "... strengths. Your opponent’s weaknesses. Your main goal against that player. Maybe a tip you got at your tennis lesson. Things you’ve thought out before the match. It’s important information that can easily get forgotten during the match."

In short, the biggest takeaway from the book for me is reinforcing the old adage - failing to plan is planning to fail. For any competitive sports or endeavours out there where there is only one winner, it is very important to to align your mindset, staying focused and having that mental edge prior to the start. It is also important to have different scenarios frequently played in your mind before the starting line so that you won't be surprised at anything your opponent is throwing at you. It is all about having the game plan. Personally, the mental aspect of the book can be transferable to trading as I can refer to most things the author said to trading. Overall, an interesting read and is worth to refer back from time to time. 3.5/5 rounding up.

Read with the 2023 US Open in the background. Another testament to the fact that talent is overrated. As Arnold Schwarzenegger explored in “The Education of a Bodybuilder,” tenacity, hard work, and hard thinking about what in the game -whatever game you are in - really matters, are what out you at the top. Plus, Brad Gilbert can be a real pisser.

This is a fascinating topic: how does very good tennis player (who does not possess world beating talent), and using his head, earn wins over some of the best players in the world (and history). While I would generally describe myself as a thinking player, there is a lot to learn from this book; how to make the most of your game, how to pick apart an opponent, and how to find patterns that give you the best change of winning.

If I had a criticism, it's that I would have liked more analysis from the sidelines after his playing career (tactis he worked on with Agassi), including up to present day. Granted, that would require a new edition, but it would be fascinating to see Brad suggest ways one would approach trying to beat Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner.

Well written, thought out, and a very enjoyable read.

For all tennis lovers, this is a great book to read! Brad Gilbert shares some very useful tips to win your club or friendly Sunday matches. I have tried out some of the tips and I can confirm that it works!

My favorites: have a proper warm up routine before the match; find your opponent weakness on the court and go for it; prepare earlier when the ball is about to cross the net; move inside the baseline on your opponent second serve; stay mobile and on your toes (foot work)...etc.

Easy book to read and to return to in case you need a quick fix on your game. You will learn a lot and you will gain more confidence as you walk on the court for your next match.

"Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis" by Brad Gilbert and Steve Jamison is an excellent resource for tennis players, coaches, and fans who are looking to improve their mental game. The book provides a comprehensive look at the role that mental toughness, strategy, and tactics play in the sport of tennis.

Gilbert and Jamison's writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand, and they provide practical tips and techniques that can be applied to help players win even when they are not playing their best. The book covers a wide range of topics, including the importance of mental preparation, how to stay focused during matches, and how to handle pressure and adversity.

The authors also provide in-depth analysis of some of the most memorable matches in tennis history, and they explain how mental toughness and strategy played a key role in determining the outcome of these matches.

In conclusion, "Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis" is an excellent resource for anyone looking to improve their mental game. The writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand, and the authors provide practical tips and techniques that can be applied to help players win even when they are not playing their best. If you are a tennis player, coach, or fan, I highly recommend this book as an excellent resource for improving your mental game.

An Entertaining and Informative Read from Cover to Cover

I really enjoyed reading Winning Ugly, however I would only recommend this book to tennis players looking to improve their game or hardcore tennis fans. The author, Brad Gilbert, obviously has an immense understanding of the game of tennis not only on the physical side, but the mental side as well. In fact, he may have the best mental understanding of anyone in the sport! Gilbert goes deep into classic matches he played and the mental strategies he has used to beat the best players of his time. Ever heard of John McEnroe, or Boris Becker? These are some of the biggest names ever seen in tennis and Gilbert was able to beat them on occasions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the informative, non-fiction style of his writing and I could easily compare his style to that of Chris Kyle’s in the book American Sniper. There are occasions where the reading got a little dull, but for the most part it was a fantastic read and I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Such a great book! I enjoyed every bit of it and I think I was already applying a lot of principles from here in my matches.

Not having weapons as strong as some of my opponents, I constantly have great results and the mental game is something I considered very important and that can get you winning a lot of matches.

It's very easy to see how we overlook a lot of things all players consider as "irrelevant" or "not important", but believe me, apply even 25% of these principles and you will see a lot more positive results.

Keep your mental game strong!

I remember the furore when this review came out and thought I'd turn to it having taken up tennis again recently and steadily gotten involved in more and more competitive matches. It's a bit like a training course in that one or two pearls of wisdom are to be derived but overall, it's a little disappointing and tame, even if the central tenet, that mental toughness can overcome a multitude of technical drawbacks is only too true.

Gilbert loves winding up the likes of John McEnroe and is a real caricature of a brash Californian but I found quite a lot of it obvious - as a 47 year old with a weak backhand and a tendency to commit unforced errors, I've already had to think deeply about how to beat opponents of greater youth and ability and so much was familiar. The stuff on gamesmanship is actually pretty tepid too - save for the section on deliberate throwing toys out of prams to gain an advantage and to influence an umpire and the section about dodgy line calls. The most unappealing thing about the book is Gilbert's tendency to list his achievements according to the prize money on offer at the various events - topical given I read this during the week of Sam Allardyce's sacking as England manager.

Cycling could probably do with a similar treatment mind.

Cartea aceasta m-a ajutat să înțeleg mai bine tenisul profesionist: cum se joacă la cel mai înalt nivel, strategiile de joc, pregătirea necesară pentru un jucător numărul 1 și cum pot câștiga ca începător.

Spre deosebire de cartea The Inner Game of Tennis, aceasta pune accent pe structură și rațiune, mai mult decât pe intuiție, ceea ce rezonează cu modul meu de abordare.

În final, consider că această carte trebuie citită de toți jucătorii de tenis, indiferent la ce nivel joacă, dar și de fanii sportului.

As a tennis player you would I would recommend this book, many people do, but I don't.

Brad Gilbert has the opinion that you win however, a lot of his advice in the book as be prepared is so obvious to any serious player.

But his ideas behind the way to win are want most coaches have done all their lives, teach your pupils to play the best they can, it is always hard to loose, yes it is, but his treatment and ideas I do not agree with , near to cheating.

I do not recommend this book