ENJOY YOUR GAME - Why tennis is the most beautiful game in life - and how you always win! That is the title of the tennis book by Patrik Kühnen and Felix Grewe . A book that you enjoy as soon as you pick it up and leaf through it for the first time. At least that's how I felt when I was allowed to read the book on my tennis vacation at Easter. And the joy continued throughout the 274 pages of reading. With this book, the two tennis enthusiasts Patrik and Felix have created a guide that is not only made for tennis players, but also offers lots and lots of advice for a joyful and contented life in addition to tennis tips in all chapters. A guide that offers a lot of transfer performance from the tennis court into everyday life . With lots of real-life stories, concrete exercises for your tennis game, but also for your general well-being. And now you're probably excited to see how we review the tennis book, which is actually much more than that. So read on quickly and let my enthusiasm inspire you!
Things are off to a good start: Michael Stich didn't miss the opportunity to write the foreword to the book. He sums up what the quintessence of the game of tennis should be - regardless of the level of play. Tennis should be seen as a fun game and not as work. It's fun to continue with the warm-up by the two authors Patrik Kühnen and Felix Grewe, in which they both briefly and concisely describe how and why this book came about.
Now let's get into the first chapter , which entitled "Concentration & Focusing" . By the time you open the first chapter, you will come across some very beautifully and colorfully designed pages. Roger Federer is also in the picture and is quoted why he simply enjoys playing tennis, regardless of success or failure. Such relevant quotes from tennis and sports legends run through the entire book, offer a short break and make you think every time. I actually read through many of these quotes several times or went back to them because they are so apt and to the point.
But back to concentration and focus: the most common troublemaker when playing tennis is in our heads and throws our thoughts off track. The joy of the game turns into grinding self-doubt. Here the two authors give great advice on how to get the voice in your head under control. Concrete work instructions (write down your critical voices in your head and their statements for them), stories from Felix's and Patrik's "diary" loosen up the topic wonderfully and bring in further solutions from different situations and experiences.
For anyone who knows Timothy Gallwey's book "The inner game" or the Mental Match Play methodology derived from it, this chapter is not new in terms of content. However, the diary entries and various quotes bring a wonderful variety to the solutions that are certainly familiar to some.
Chapter 2 "Training & Preparation" continues with many exercises that can bring more joy to training and ultimately more efficiency for the competition. What does training mean to you and how do you (consciously) approach it? Here the authors show the differences between performance and learning goals . If we always try to learn and get better during training, we will enjoy training more overall. An important tool for learning is visualization : here the authors provide readers with some basic and easy-to-follow exercises.
Sure, after the training we continue in Chapter 3 with “Competition & Analysis” . Each of you knows it: everything goes well in training, but in the match you feel the pressure, which is sometimes heavy and paralyzing on your arms or legs. Patrik and Felix give lots of tips and tricks on how to deal with pressure situations. This includes, among other things, various breathing techniques that can bring relaxation. More enjoyment of the game comes not only from more relaxed playing and good breathing, but also from less self-criticism and a relaxed approach to external, unchangeable factors. For all areas, the authors find short and sweet little helpers that each of us should try out.
And if things still don't go well? Chapter 6 "Defeats & Crises" is about . Dealing with defeat is examined from various aspects. How can you make peace with defeat,
Chapter 7 "Tennis & Life" starts with a wonderful story by and about Niki Pilic. The stories try to draw parallels from tennis to the “other” life. Much of what we tennis players experience on the court has many parallels in real life. For me personally, this chapter drifts a bit too much into the “happiness & gratitude” corner. There are many, many approaches here that can be found in the corresponding happiness guide literature. I think the drawing of parallels itself is wonderful and correct; in my opinion, there should have been a little less.
The last chapter is the “finale” of the two authors. A recording of a conversation between Felix and Patrik that was created after chapter five was completed. You almost feel like you're sitting at the table while they're talking. They take up certain areas of the book again and illuminate and discuss them again from a slightly different perspective than in the book. A great and successful finale!
is a lot of fun to read simply because of its impressive layout A very, very big compliment to the layout designer!
But the content is in no way inferior to the quality of the layout. A book that, on the one hand, reads loosely and breezily, but on the other hand, in many places it encourages thought and self-reflection. And that provides a lot of concrete solutions for (supposedly) tennis-specific issues. Wonderfully written and very, very varied. In my opinion, the two authors create an environment when reading that makes you feel like they are sitting next to you and reading to you from their diaries. While reading it, you can be transported to many tennis courts and into many conversations. Dive in and out - it works wonderfully! A big thank you to Patrik and Felix! Not many guidebook authors manage to be so approachable. And that also creates a great deal of joy and is a win for every reader! A book that every tennis fan should read and is an ideal gift.
Register now and be the first to know about new tennis hotels and tennis camps as well as great promotions.
You can unsubscribe at any time. Please note our information on data protection .