| iv id="body"> | | | | In fact, I have no doubt tennis players will soon own |
| Mary Pat Faley is an energetic, positive can-do voice in | | | | very worn copies of Winning in Tennis and Life |
| the tennis world. Now she is ready to bring the tennis | | | | because they will use and revere the book so much. |
| and life lessons she has shared with hundreds of her | | | | Tennis players will love this book! I do not usually read |
| students to millions of readers. Her practical advice, | | | | testimonials in books because I prefer to make my |
| including detailed instructions for improving your tennis | | | | own judgments about a book rather than listen to |
| serve for tennis players and motivational exercises | | | | what everyone else has to say about it, but Winning in |
| perfect for anyone, will make even the couch potato | | | | Tennis and Life has so many testimonials in it I felt I |
| feel inspired to gain a positive attitude and achieve his | | | | had to read them. Most of them were from Mary Pat |
| goals. | | | | Faley's students, praising her teaching methods, |
| Winning in Tennis and Life is far more than a tennis | | | | kindness, advice, and ability to keep up with them-she |
| instruction manual. The book is divided into three | | | | keeps up with them so well on the tennis court that |
| sections: The Game of Health, The Game of Tennis, | | | | she doesn't even tie her shoe laces! These |
| and the Game of Life. Each section is filled with Mary | | | | testimonials convince me thoroughly that Mary Pat's |
| Pat's personal life stories, success stories of her | | | | students love her and benefit from her instruction and |
| students, inspirational quotations, exercises to help | | | | enthusiasm. In fact, many of her students have gone |
| readers achieve their goals, and Mary Pat Faley's | | | | on to be professional tennis players. |
| never-failing positive attitude. | | | | Mary Pat is the center of this book. She intended to |
| Mary Pat begins by telling her story of surviving four | | | | write a book about tennis. She has done so beautifully, |
| life-threatening pulmonary embolisms that made her | | | | but in reading this book, you come away loving Mary |
| slow down her tennis teaching. During this time, she | | | | Pat. As one of her student's testimonials says, "After |
| slowed down her teaching to recover, and she | | | | the book, it has to be Mary Pat in person." This woman |
| reinvented herself by becoming an author and writing | | | | knows no fear because of her positive attitude, an |
| the book she had always dreamed about: Winning in | | | | attitude she quickly inspires in her readers. I cheered all |
| Tennis and Life. In addition to using her own stories of | | | | the way for her as I read about her participation in a |
| struggle as inspiration, Mary Pat also provides | | | | bicycle marathon from San Francisco to Los Angeles |
| numerous stories from her tennis students of | | | | to raise money to fight AIDS; not only did she ride her |
| overcoming obstacles, including battles with cancer and | | | | bike, she went up and down the "Evil Twins" hills |
| blindness. | | | | SEVEN amazing times, encouraging the other |
| Intermixed with the personal stories is practical advice | | | | marathon participants to persevere along with her. |
| about nutrition, exercise, and how to keep yourself in | | | | I was impressed by her caring and wisdom when, as a |
| good health so you can continue to win in tennis and | | | | college student, she went to visit a juvenile prison; not |
| life. Mary Pat Faley discusses foods that will fight | | | | only did she befriend the inmates, but she |
| cancer, the importance of sleep, activities to reduce | | | | revolutionized their lives, helping them create an |
| stress, and techniques for focusing the mind so you | | | | outdoor fitness program to raise their self-confidence. |
| can become happier, healthier, and more successful in | | | | When faced with teaching a blind child to play tennis, |
| tennis or any other goal you set for yourself. | | | | Mary Pat took on the task whole-heartedly until the |
| At the heart of the book are Mary Pat's lessons for | | | | boy had succeeded, and her practical techniques and |
| improving your tennis game. Chapter 4 provides | | | | quick thinking made that goal attainable in an amazingly |
| instruction for every tennis move imaginable, complete | | | | short time. Readers will come away envious of |
| with diagrams to explain where to stand on the court | | | | anyone who has been taught tennis by Mary Pat, and |
| when serving or hitting the ball. Mary Pat breaks down | | | | soon, her readers will be knocking down her door for |
| her "Tennis is as Easy as 1,2,3" teaching method into | | | | personal instruction. |
| various instructions for: | | | | Many authors have tried to explain how the lessons |
| I. Grip. II. Forehand and Backhand Vollies. III. Forehand | | | | learned in a sport can be applied to achieve success in |
| and Backhand Groundstrokes. IV. Stances With Your | | | | life. Winning in Tennis and Life is the rare book that |
| Feet. V. Left-Hand Non-Dominant Hand. VI. Contact | | | | successfully makes the connection. It succeeds |
| Point. VII. Finish or Follow-Through. VIII. Forehand and | | | | because its author has already won in tennis and life, |
| Backhand Approach Shots. IX. Overheads. X. Serves. | | | | and even more because her book makes it apparent |
| XI. Return of Serve. XII. Split-Step | | | | that with every cell of her being she wants her |
| At the end of the book, Mary Pat also provides helpful | | | | students and readers to do the same. Double Score |
| Cheat Sheets to tear out and put in your racquet bag | | | | for Mary Pat Faley! |
| for easy reference when practicing. I recommend you | | | | - Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. |
| photocopy these because you will refer to them often. | | | | |