Cover -- Copyright -- Contents -- FOREWORD -- PREFACE -- 1 RACQUETS -- INTRODUCTION -- Choosing a Racquet-the Basics -- Mistakes When Buying a Racquet -- Three Types of Racquet -- Racquets and Player Psychology -- Racquet Features Combine with Strokes -- Selecting a Racquet Is Art & Science -- Care of Racquets -- RACQUET PROPERTIES -- POWER -- The Components of "Power": Exit Speed, Rebound Speed, Racquet Speed -- Match Point Box 1.1: Effect of Grip Firmness on Power -- The Maximum Exit Power Point Changes with Racquet Speed -- Comparing Racquet Power -- Racquet Power Defined as Rebound Power -- Match Point Box 1.2: Maximum Effort Power -- Rebound Power Is the Sum of All Racquet Properties -- Power and Energy Loss -- Match Point Box 1.3: Maximum Theoretical Ball Speed -- The Bad News: Rebound Power Values Aren't Readily Available -- CONTROL -- Rebound Control -- WEIGHT -- Weight and Apparent Weight -- The Six "Weights" of a Racquet -- Racquet Weight -- Light vs Heavy Racquets -- Ideal Racquet Weight -- Balance Point and Pickupweight -- Swingweight -- Twistweight -- Spinweight -- Hittingweight ("Effective Mass") -- STIFFNESS (FLEX) -- Racquet Stiffness -- Measuring Racquet Stiffness -- Match Point Box 1.4:Vibration Comparison between Racquets -- Racquet Vibrations, Sweetspot, and Feel -- Vibration Dampening -- Shock & the Center of Percussion -- Match Point Box 1.5:The Difference between Shock and Vibration -- CUSTOMIZING A RACQUET -- Match Point Box 1.6: Customizing Weight, Balance, & Swingweight -- Further Reading -- 2 STRINGS -- STRINGS AND THE MODERN GAME -- STRINGBED STIFFNESS -- Static & Dynamic Stringbed Stiffness -- Effect of String Material and Gauge on Stringbed Stiffness -- Effect of String Tension on Stringbed Stiffness -- Effect of String Pattern on Stringbed Stiffness.

Effect of Headsize and Stringbed Suspension System on Stringbed Stiffness -- Match Point Box 2.1: Rise in String Tension During a Shot -- Stringbed Stiffness Summary -- TENSION AND PERFORMANCE -- Tension and Power -- Tension Loss and Going "Dead" -- Tension Loss and Feel -- Tension Loss and Control -- Tension Loss and Sound -- Tension Loss and Prestreteching -- Tension and Spin -- Tension and Player Perceptiveness -- DWELL TIME AND PERFORMANCE -- Dwell Time -- Dwell Distance -- Dwell Error -- Dwell Time and Force -- General Rules of Dwell Time -- Further Reading -- 3 BALLS & BOUNCE -- BALL BASICS -- Ball History -- Rules about Balls -- Match Point Box 3.1: Ball Testing to Compare New and Old Balls -- Pressurized and Pressureless Balls -- BALL BOUNCE OFF THE COURT -- Friction -- Bounce Factors -- Bounce Factor #1: Angle of Incidence -- Bounce Factor #2: Incident Speed and Spin -- Bounce Factor #3: Hardness of Court -- Bounce Factor #4: Court Smoothness or Roughness -- Horizontal Bounce Speed -- Effects of Friction on Ball Spin -- BALL BOUNCE OFF THE STRINGS -- Angle of Impact -- Tilting the Racquet Head -- The Bounce Path off the Strings -- Further Reading -- 4 SPIN & TRAJECTORY -- SPIN BASICS -- Generation of Spin -- Influence of Incident Angle and Spin on Rebound Spin -- Match Point Box 4.1: Effects of Spin on Bounce off the Strings -- Types and Uses of Spin -- 18 Different Ways to Hit the Ball -- Spin Before and After Bounce -- Effect of Grip on Spin -- Can Racquets and Strings Increase Spin? -- Match Point Box 4.2: Can Players Feel Spin -- Increasing Spin with Stroke Technique -- Simple Topspin Experiment -- Match Point Box 4.3:Topspin and the Federer Forehand -- Effect of Racquet Tilt on a Topspin Forehand -- SPIN AND THE SERVE -- Ball Toss -- Tips on Serving -- Arching the Back to Serve -- Slice Serve -- Serve Actions -- Forearm Slows Down.

Match Point Box 4.4:The Sampras Serve -- Force on Handle -- TRAJECTORY -- Vertical Launch Angle -- Hitting the Ball Deep -- Further Reading.