SPORTS/TENNIS
''Winning Ugly is great. These are pro tactics that will improve a recreational player's game fast. Winning Ugly teaches how to play better tennis and is very entertaining.'' - PETE SAMPRAS
He's been called the best in the world at the mental game of tennis. Brad Gilbert's strokes may not be pretty, but looks aren't everything. He has beaten the Tour's biggest names-all by playing his ''ugly'' game.
Now, in Winning Ugly Gilbert teaches recreational players how to win more often without necessarily even changing their strokes. The key to success, he says, is to become a better thinking player-to recognize, analyze, and capitalize. That means outthinking opponents before, during, and after a match; forcing him or her to play your game. Gilbert's unconventional advice includes:
How to identify the seven ''Hidden Ad Points,'' and what to do when they come up
Six reasons why you should never serve first
How to beat a Lefty, a Retriever, a Serve-Volley player, and other troublesome opponents
How to keep a lead, or stop a match from slipping away
How to handle psyching and gamesmanship
Winning Ugly is an invaluable combat manual for the court, and its tips include ''some real gems,'' according to Tennis magazine. Ultimately, Winning Ugly will help you beat players who have been beating you.
''Winning Ugly is a totally new approach to getting more out of your tennis game. I wish it had been around when I was learning how to play.'' -JIM COURIER
BRAD GILBERT, known as the Tour's ''Giant Killer'' because of his ability to beat the superstars, is among the top fifteen players in all-time career winnings. He is an Olympic medalist and has represented the United States in Davis Cup play. Gilbert lives in San Rafael, California, with his wife and their two children.
STEVE JAMISON is a writer, television producer, and host. He lives in San Francisco.