The Education of a Tennis Player PDF
Preview The Education of a Tennis Player
THE EDUCATION of a TEN N I S PL AY ER THE EDUCATION of a TEN N I S PL AY ER ROD LAVER with BUD COLLINS n e w c h a p t e r p r e s s The Education of a Tennis Player is published by New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) and is distributed by the Independent Publishers Group. (www.ipgbook.com) © Rod Laver, 1971, 2009 ISBN: 978-094-2257-625 Cover photo courtesy of Getty Images. Back cover photo courtesy of Corbis. Bud Collins/Rod Laver photo (prior to Introduction) courtesy of Getty Images. Photo of Laver wedding (page 13), BBC photo shoot (page 65), French Open trophy ceremony (page 108) and Wimbledon photo (page 178) are also courtesy of Getty Images. Photo of 1969 US Open (page 216) courtesy of Corbis. New Chapter Press wishes to thank Kirsten Navin, Bill Mountford, Robert Geist, Andrew Tasiopoulos and Irene Tan for help with this project. Cover & book design by Kirsten Navin Printed in Canada ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It dIdn’t hurt to be born an australIan. CertaInly I can’t thank my Mum and dad, Melba and roy laver, enough for their part in my tennis life—for always having a court wherever we lived, and thus making it possible for me to play a game all my life, for fun and a living. (I have long since forgiven dad for his early judgment that my older brothers had the tennis talent in the family.) I’d also like to thank: those same brothers, trevor and bob, who hit with me even when it was a bother. Charlie hollis, who showed me what the game was really about— and how to get where I had to go. harry hopman, who made me and the rest of his dynasty, from sedgman to newcombe, realize that talent is nothing without fitness. roy emerson, good friend and remarkable doubles partner—strong enough to have carried me. Ken rosewall and lew hoad, who finally convinced me to turn pro by offering to back the guarantee with their own money. (I hadn’t real- ized anybody was that anxious to beat me.) bud Collins, who yanked the whole story out of me, and who suf- fered as much as I did when I lost. (after all, he shares in the royalties from this book.) For randy Walker, our current publisher, who was excited about republishing this book after forty years. and to anita ruthling Klaussen for her endless and caring editing. and for Mary, who made it the grandest slam. r.l. CONTENTS IntroduCtIons i 1 turn oFF the raIn 1 lesson 1: Mental Preparation 15 2 soMethInG Called the Grand slaM 17 lesson 2: The Killer Instinct 25 3 CharlIe hollIs 26 lesson 3: Conditioning and Equipment 30 4 brInG a Coat and tIe 33 lesson 4: Tennis Anyone? Any Age? 41 5 the FIrst leG oF the Grand slaM: the australIan 42 lesson 5: Confidence and Shrugging off Bad Luck 55 6 lIVInG WIth PaIn 56 lesson 6: Handling Injuries, and Other Props 60 7 south aFrICa 62 lesson 7: Changing Your Game as You Grow Older 66 8 the daVIs CuP JItters 68 lesson 8: Pressure 78 9 ParIs In the sPrInG, 1962 80 lesson 9: Don’t Change a Winning Game (And Always Change a Losing Game) 86 10 the year oF the reVolutIon 87 lesson 10: Playing on Clay 92 11 the seCond leG oF the Grand slaM: the FrenCh 94 lesson 11: The Serve and Spin 104 12 the FrenCh oPen FInal and Kenny roseWall 105 lesson 12: Forehand and Topspin 112 13 thIrteen straIGht losInG PoInts 113 lesson 13: Doubles 116 14 ParadIse reGaIned–WIMbledon 120 lesson 14: Court Conditions and Surfaces 131 15 resPeCtabIlIty Is a Club tIe 133 lesson 15: Court Manners and Etiquette 138 16 a shaKy beGInInG 140 lesson 16: The Crisp Volley 148 17 a Man naMed GonZales 150 lesson 17: Playing Against Familiar Opponents 157 18 a FeW Words FroM Mary laVer 158 lesson 18: The Care and Feeding of a Tennis Player 164 19 the thIrd leG oF the Grand slaM: WIMbledon 165 lesson 19: The Backhand and Topspin 170 20 three doWn and one to Go 171 lesson 20: Returning Serve 184 21 the sPoIls oF VICtory 185 lesson 21: “Equipment” 189 22 the beGInnInG oF the end 192 lesson 22: Know Yourself 197 23 the last leG oF the Grand slaM: Forest hIlls 199 lesson 23: Hitting Through the Ball 205 24 seMIFInal 207 lesson 24: Chipping and the Middle Approach 212 25 Grand slaM 213 lesson 25: The Lob and the Answer 220 26 lIFe aFter tWo Grand slaMs 222 27 1973 WIMbledon boyCott/daVIs CuP 236 28 alMost “heaVyWeIGht ChaMPIon” 242 29 the stroKe 245 30 ePIloGue 249 aPPendIX a: The Grand Slams 250 aPPendIX b: The Complete Year of Laver’s Grand Slam 257 aPPendIX C: Rod Laver 260 IndeX 264
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