Named a Silver Winner in the Adventure, Sports, and Recreation category in the Foreword Reviews 2021 INDIES Book of the Year Competition
The Fein Points of Tennis: Technique and Tactics to Unleash Your Talent is an awesome compendium because of its breadth, depth, and quality. Paul Fein is a highly knowledgeable USPTA teaching pro (Elite rating), but what makes this book exceptionally authoritative are his insightful interviews with renowned coaches Pat Cash, Gene Mayer, Patrick Mouratoglou, Nick Bollettieri, David Macpherson, Harold Solomon, Toni Nadal, and Rick Macci. This oversized, 510-page instruction book is unique because, in addition to excellent coverage of technique and tactics, it also includes comprehensive chapters on very important but seldom-covered topics such as balance, grip firmness, the geometry of tennis, analytics, running speed, defense, playing in the wind, sidespin, and the strike zone. All things considered, I strongly recommend The Fein Points of Tennis for coaches, teaching pros, and serious players
— John Yandell, the Editor and Founder of Tennisplayer.net, the world's most authoritative website for tennis instruction and video analysis of world-class players.
The Fein Points of Tennis by Paul Fein, is an easy-to-read, authoritative collection of Paul Fein’s most incisive articles. It features topics seldom written about, such as the “modern forehand,” the “strike zone,” grip firmness, the critical importance of balance, and the geometry of tennis. It also provides an in-depth analysis of several underemphasized topics, such as playing in the wind, the half volley, match momentum, running speed, the subtleties of touch shots, and the arts of anticipation, lobbing, and wrong-footing.
The games of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and other stars are dissected so you can learn—and copy—the secrets of their greatness. Thought-provoking topics are comprehensively covered, including the two-handed vs. the one-handed backhand, how analytics changed tennis, what videography reveals, how America can produce tennis champions again, and whether Djokovic has the perfect game. How you can play better defense and close out tight matches, whether you should elect to start a match serving or receiving, and why and how you should use sidespin are among the many fine points you’ll discover in this unique instruction book. In addition, more than 90 action photos, with detailed captions, demonstrate the technique discussed in the text.
SECTION I: TECHNIQUE
Chapter 1—The Great Importance of Topnotch Technique Today
Chapter 2—The Modern Forehand and How Federer and Nadal Use It
Chapter 3—Should You Hit Your Backhand With Two Hands or One?
Chapter 4—10 Reasons Topspin Is Essential on Clay
Chapter 5—What Makes the Djokovic Backhand Great?
Chapter 6—Everything You Need to Know About the Volley
Chapter 7—How to Half Volley With Skill and Savvy
Chapter 8—Everything You Need to Know About the Serve
Chapter 9—11 Tips for a Better Service Toss
Chapter 10—What Makes Roger Federer’s Serve Great?
Chapter 11—How to Hit the Drop Shot
Chapter 12—Make Your Overhead a Smash
Chapter 13—How You Can Master the Lob
Chapter 14—Everything You Need to Know About Defense
SECTION II: TACTICS
Chapter 15—Why the Strike Zone Is So Important in Tennis
Chapter 16—The Geometry of Tennis
Chapter 17—Do You Know Where You Are When You Hit the Ball?
Chapter 18—Four Common Errors in Ball Judgment
Chapter 19—10 Tactical Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Chapter 20—Six Keys to Smarter Shot Selection
Chapter 21—The Art of Anticipation
Chapter 22—The Art of Wrong-Footing
Chapter 23—What You Need to Know About Shot Depth
Chapter 24—12 Reasons to Use Side Spin
Chapter 25—Smart Strategy for Drop Shots
Chapter 26—A Letter to Lefties
Chapter 27—How to Play in the Wind—and Win
Chapter 28—Those Nasty Net Cords
Chapter 29—Taking the Right Approach
Chapter 30—Should You Elect to Serve or Receive?
Chapter 31—Variety and Deception in Serving
Chapter 32—How You Can Play Better Defense
Chapter 33—The Importance of Momentum in Tennis
Chapter 34—How to Close Out Close Matches
SECTION III: INTERVIEWS
Chapter 35—Everything You Need to Know About Balance
Chapter 36—How Analytics Changed Tennis
Chapter 37—Nick Bollettieri: An American Original
Chapter 38—The Man Who Changed Serena
Chapter 39—How Tennis Videography Can Help You
Chapter 40—The Coach Who Created Rafael Nadal
Chapter 41—How You Can Play Better Doubles
Chapter 42—A Great Debate: How Important Is Grip Firmness?
Chapter 43—Everything You Need to Know About Speed in Tennis
SECTION IV: FINAL POINTS
Chapter 44—All-Time Great Quotes About Strokes, Strategy,
and Trends
Chapter 45—How Playing Other Sports Benefits Your Tennis
Chapter 46—Analyze Your Opponents to Win
Chapter 47—The Truth About Unforced Errors
Chapter 48—What Tennis Statistics Reveal—and Don’t Reveal
Chapter 49—The Secrets of Successful Senior Players
Chapter 50—What You Can Learn From Watching the Pros
Chapter 51—Tennis Instruction Books That Have Stood
the Test of Time
Chapter 52—How America Can Produce Tennis Champions Again
Chapter 53—Does Djokovic Have the Perfect Game?
Appendix A: Random Thoughts
Appendix B: Trivia Quiz
