Tennis and Life 30 Winning Lessons for the Two Greatest Games

Games are made up of structured but unpredictable situations, with rules and variables and competition, and they produce wins and losses. This description fits life at least as well as it fits tennis. Even the terminology of tennis matches many of the most pivotal and defining words of life: love, faults, serve, receive, winners, challenges, holds. 

New York Times #1 bestselling author and tennis champion Richard Eyre shares thirty principles that will help you enjoy both games more—and play both games better. Since both are largely psychological exercises, our success (and our happiness) in both the game of life and the game of tennis depends greatly on our attitude, and Tennis and Life teaches readers how to alter our attitudes and thus improve our performance in both games.

Richard and Linda Eyre are New York Times #1 bestselling authors whose writing career has spanned four decades and whose books have sold in the millions. They have appeared on virtually all major national talk shows, including Oprah and Today, and have seen their books translated into a dozen languages. 
 

THE WARM UP (a dozen unique ways in which tennis mirrors life)

• i.   It is the ultimate individual game
• ii.  It is a constant mix of acting and reacting
• iii.  You always get another chance
• iv.   You make the calls
• v.   You warm up your opponent (and play at his level)
• vi.   The score keeps starting over
• vii.  Some points are dramatically more important than others
• viii. There are huge time variables
• ix.  Variety and invention usually beat repetition and convention
• x.  There are games within games within games
• xi. There are lots of ways to win and to watch
• xii. It’s all about love, service, and receiving

First Set

• 1.   Long Range Perspective
• 2.   Receiving
• 3    Confidence and Intimidation
• 4.   Break Back
• 5.   Praise not Criticism
• 6.   Right makes Might
• 7.   Don’t miss short
• 8.   Start Strong
• 9.    Go For It
• 10.   Loosen Things Up
• 11.   Take Yourself Lightly
• 12.    Don’t Stall too Soon
• 13.   Transform your Anger
• 14.   Get a Little Coaching now and then
• 15.   Outlast your Opponents (live long)
• 16.   The Art of Rejoicing (Celebration)
• 17.   Goal: Winners
• 18.   Winners and Risk
• 19.   Big Days
• 20.   Stewardship
• 21.  Serendipity

Second Set                                                   

• 22.  Matches are not Practices
• 23.   Four points to win
• 24.   Start well, End well
• 25.   Intermediate goals
• 26.   If you’re losing, change your game plan
• 27.   Moving Forward
• 28.   Find the Angles     
• 29.   “This is what I live for”
• 30.   Make mistakes
• 31.   Visualize and practice      
• 32.    Game Plan
• 33.   Enjoy getting old
• 34.   The sensual game
• 35.   Music and poetry
• 36.   Watch and perceive
• 37.   Be still; Mantras and meditation
• 38.   Joy and the art of celebration (rejoicing)
• 39.   Love
• 40.   There are always two goals
• 41.   Pizzazz and Élan
• 42.   Forget yourself by serving
• 43.   The speed of going slow
• 44. Lightning and waves
• 45.   “Moments”
• 46. Grunts and sighs
• 47. Anticipate—predict but be unpredictable
• 48.  Switching on and off—zoning and auto pilot
• 49.  Relishing big points
• 50.  Mind games, confidence and selective memory
• 51. Good . . . the enemy of best

                                     
PART TWO: DOUBLES                

1. Take someone with you
2. Encouragement, accolade, and affirmation
3. Create each other
4. Specialization
5. Mutual confidence
6. Communication
7. Oneness

            
THE SHOWER (three methods of implementation)

i.    Implementation by shifting focus and concentration
ii.   Implementation by self-programing
iii.  Implementation by extra-centeredness


 
 

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