Best Table Tennis
Includes tactics against different styles, grips, and surfaces as well as tactical and strategic thinking. The book then explores the tactical and strategic development needed to have the specific tactical tools needed in any given match - your "tactical toolbox." Introduction. Chapter 1: Tactical Thinking. Chapter 2: Strategic Thinking. Chapter 3: Your Tactical Game. Chapter 4: All About Spin. Chapter 5: Beginning Tactics. Chapter 6: Conventional Tactics. Chapter 7: Tactical Examples. Chapter 8: Service Tactics. Chapter 9: Receive Tactics. Chapter 10: Rallying Tactics. Chapter 11: Different Grips. Chapter 12: Pushing. Chapter 13: Loopers. Chapter 14: Blockers, Counter-Drivers, and Hitters. Chapter 15: Choppers. Chapter 16: Fishers and Lobbers. Chapter 17: Non-Inverted Surfaces. Chapter 18: Hardbat Tactics. Chapter 19: Doubles Tactics. Chapter 20: Tournament Tactics. Chapter 21: Coaching Tournament Matches. Afterword: Tactical & Strategic Thinking Revisited. Glossary Table Tennis Terminology. Appendix: Recommended Reading. About the Author. Index. See his webpage at www.TableTennisCoaching.com, including his daily table tennis blog.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It talks about the concept of strategies and tactics. Strategies are what you want to achieve in life and tactics are steps you take to get there."
"As with most, mid to lower level table tennis players, I am always looking for resources. The title might give some the impression that it's only for high IQ table tennis masterminds... My suggestioned alternative title would be "Table Tennis for People Who are Tired of Getting Beat"."
"I would say this book is mostly aimed at beginner and intermediate players, but advanced players could no doubt benefit from the tactical insight offered by Mr. Hodges in this book."
"Excellent book."
"It's an awesome book to read if you would like to learn about table tennis in depth as a table tennis professional player or not, very nice book."
"I feel like it focused my thinking onto a number of important aspects that apply to each of the different shots and situations that you can face against each opponent."
"In addition to correcting my bad strokes I can now work on correcting my bad mental habits."
"It's a great book that I will recommend to anyone interested in the great sport of table tennis."
Two-time Olympian and sports writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed draws on the latest in neuroscience and psychology to uncover the secrets of our top athletes and introduces us to an extraordinary cast of characters, including the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband – and the three Hungarian sisters who are all chess grandmasters. He admits his argument owes a debt to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers , but he aims to move one step beyond it, drawing on cognitive neuroscience research to explain how the body and mind are transformed by specialized practice. He takes on the myth of the child prodigy, emphasizing that Mozart, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, and Susan Polgar, the first female grandmaster, all had live-in coaches in the form of supportive parents who put them through a ton of early practice. In this insightful and entertaining book, Matthew Syed takes us a step deeper into the world of sports, showing us how much we can learn about our own behavior.” (Dan Ariely, New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational). “A cutting edge dissection—and ultimate destruction—of the myth of innate talent in the pursuit of excellence.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've been very interested in reading one of the books which are based, at least to a degree, on the work of Anders Ericsson and purposeful practise being more important than talent you are born with. Each book seems to take a somewhat different view of the importance of various aspects that have been shown to lead to superior performance -- purposeful practice and opportunity (such as having a good coach available) being the primary aspects."
"While one should acknowledge the existence of those rare individuals will seemingly superhuman aptitudes, according to the author, most "experts" in whatever field reach the pinnacle through a combination of factors--factors within the reach of mere mortals!"
"I read it twice already."
"This book goes into great detail about how a work ethic, allows ANYONE the opportunity to succeed by dispelling so many myths on why players, musicians, athletes, people in all sorts of industry become successful. Just loved his analysis referring to countless studies and real life examples of Earl and Tiger Woods, Mozart and his father, David Beckham and his work ethic."
"One of the best books i've read in a long time."
"Insightful and a great read."
"Great read , good insights."
"In the end, the basic tenants of focused practice, supporting family members, access to great coaching, internal desire to succeed, willingness to commit to excellence...etc."
Table Tennis: Steps to Success combines the knowledge and experience of master instructor Richard McAfee with essential table tennis techniques and strategies for today's player. "In Table Tennis: Steps to Success, Coach McAfee covers all the essential skills for becoming a successful table tennis player.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The instructions and diagrams in the book clearly illustrate the mechanics of each stroke, and the drills get you on your way to mastering them. If you don't live in Denver and can't get personal coaching from McAfee this book will go a long way towards improving your game."
"There are more illustrations and explanations for handshake though (well look at the cover), this slight bias did not matter for me that much as most of the underlying mechanics to the various strokes like the loop are similar between PH and SH."
"My friend who is about 1400 commented in amazement, "You learned how to do that since last week just by reading this book! This book has several good drills and even though it's not too advanced it really teaches you how to actually master the basics."
"Pretty detailed."
"It is a good comprehensive text book for novice and intermediate players with many pictures of examples and drills."
"I had to get a book which would help me train the youth around me the right way to play table tennis and this book provided a whole lot, I followed Richard McAfee to his facebook column and saw the big work he is doing."
"one of the best coaches in the USA."
"Richard has so much experience and love for this game that the book only begins to expertly illuminate a lifetime of experience."
Best Table Tennis
Two-time Olympian and sports writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed draws on the latest in neuroscience and psychology to uncover the secrets of our top athletes and introduces us to an extraordinary cast of characters, including the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband – and the three Hungarian sisters who are all chess grandmasters. He admits his argument owes a debt to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers , but he aims to move one step beyond it, drawing on cognitive neuroscience research to explain how the body and mind are transformed by specialized practice. He takes on the myth of the child prodigy, emphasizing that Mozart, the Williams sisters, Tiger Woods, and Susan Polgar, the first female grandmaster, all had live-in coaches in the form of supportive parents who put them through a ton of early practice. In this insightful and entertaining book, Matthew Syed takes us a step deeper into the world of sports, showing us how much we can learn about our own behavior.” (Dan Ariely, New York Times bestselling author of Predictably Irrational). “A cutting edge dissection—and ultimate destruction—of the myth of innate talent in the pursuit of excellence.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I've been very interested in reading one of the books which are based, at least to a degree, on the work of Anders Ericsson and purposeful practise being more important than talent you are born with. Each book seems to take a somewhat different view of the importance of various aspects that have been shown to lead to superior performance -- purposeful practice and opportunity (such as having a good coach available) being the primary aspects."
"While one should acknowledge the existence of those rare individuals will seemingly superhuman aptitudes, according to the author, most "experts" in whatever field reach the pinnacle through a combination of factors--factors within the reach of mere mortals!"
"I read it twice already."
"This book goes into great detail about how a work ethic, allows ANYONE the opportunity to succeed by dispelling so many myths on why players, musicians, athletes, people in all sorts of industry become successful. Just loved his analysis referring to countless studies and real life examples of Earl and Tiger Woods, Mozart and his father, David Beckham and his work ethic."
"One of the best books i've read in a long time."
"Insightful and a great read."
"Great read , good insights."
"In the end, the basic tenants of focused practice, supporting family members, access to great coaching, internal desire to succeed, willingness to commit to excellence...etc."
Best Badminton
Both visual and verbal information are presented so that readers can easily understand the material and improve performance. The basic approach in all of the Teach, Coach, Play activity titles is to help readers improve their skills and performance by building mastery from simple to increasingly complex levels.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderfully written, with pictures and the traditional method and rules/regulations!"
"Very useful / instructive."
"Its a very rich book for who is begining has coach."
"This is good for casual players to learn some basic concepts of tactics from the drills diagram."
"This lets you learn the basics, proper techniques, and some good drills."
"More drills than I ever could use, but the instruction regarding techniques and strategy was good."
"This book by Donald C. Paup and Bo Fernhall covers everything you need to know about the game of badminton."
"This is one of the best books i have read on the sport of badminton."
Best Squash
Maria Toorpakai hails from Pakistan's violently oppressive northwest tribal region, where the idea of women playing sports is considered haram-un-Islamic -forbidden-and girls rarely leave their homes. A DIFFERENT KIND OF DAUGHTER tell of Maria's harrowing journey to play the sport she knew was her destiny, first living as a boy and roaming the violent back alleys of the frontier city of Peshawar, rising to become the number one female squash player in Pakistan. "Armed with a squash racket and enormous will, Maria Toorpakai has risen from the turmoil of tribal life in Pakistan to become not only a world class athlete, but a true inspiration, a pioneer for millions of other women struggling to pave their own paths to autonomy, fulfillment, and genuine personhood. The harrowing details of her story include human rights abuses and shameful treatment of women, and Toorpakai's personal account gets to the truth of the matter in a uniquely powerful way. "This astonishing and inspirational memoir chronicles more than Maria's life; it also relates the story of her parents, an incredible couple, who, despite the odds, fought for the betterment and education of themselves, their children, and the Pakistani people.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"To see this defiant warrior find her ground and believe and trust herself, her God and her parents is the definition of love. Her egotism didn't even stop me from loving this book."
"This is story about one fearless young woman and her very brave family."
"They put their lives and the lives of their children in the crosshairs of death by allowing their children the freedom to find their way."
"Ladies, that is your Father's Day gift to me.""
"It would be interesting to find out why her mother was allowed to teach and set up schools given the strictures placed on women."
"It is a story that needs telling."
"Maria's parents are super beings, her sister Ayesha has accomplished much and it is so good to know that Maria is now living in freedom."
"I highly recommend this book for book group discussions as well."
Best Racquetball
Take your game to the next level with Championship Racquetball —the most comprehensive guide for mastering the skills, tactics, and strategies of today’s game. Renowned coach and hall of famer Fran Davis teams up with racquetball legend and top-ranked player Jason Mannino to share their expertise and secrets on every aspect of the sport—from mastering the skills to recognizing weaknesses and establishing the strategies that will dominate your opponent during match play. 1 player in the world during 3 different seasons and ended 2003 as the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Player of the Year. Mannino served on the International Racquetball Board for over 5 years and was instrumental in developing the governance for the International Racquetball Tour. Mannino has contributed to numerous articles for Racquetball Magazine and on the Men’s Professional Racquetball. Forum .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you start to notice a pattern in missed shots (skipping short of the wall, fault serves, self-practice becoming less effective, getting trapped, etc) this book has the features for diagnosing your “Problem” and it’s “Corrective Action”. The first or second chapter of the book illustrated the bad habit I’d developed and sent me back to ‘relearn’ and commit to re-establish the muscle memory of the trigger finger, handshake grip."
"For example, when describing the intermediate forehand shot technique they write, "Weight shifts slightly back, approximately 10 percent, as you step forward so you can drive off the back foot as you pivot, but it ends up approximately 60/40 toward the front." They also describe common errors, the correction, and the reason behind the correction."
"A thorough analysis of ways you can improve your game, for beginners or advanced players."
"This book is entirely comprehensive and not only details the how what why and provides examples, but also goes beyond the physical aspects of competing and becoming a champion player into the strategy and mental requirements too!"
"One can read this text and see its application in every serve by Paola Longoria! One may benefit from that focus or not as one sees fit, but it certainly does NOT detract from an excellent text on how to proceed to better levels of quality in execution of basic racquetball play."
"OK book."
"I started playing racquetball 7 months ago and I have used this book religiously to improve my skills."
"Yes, some of it seems repetitive as some have pointed out in reviews, but that makes it a simple read when using it as a reference and looking for something specific."