The Mental Game: Cognitive Training, Creativity, and Game Intelligence in Tennis

Elite tennis players like Rodger Federer or Rafael Nadal not only perceive everything that is happening around them, but they also foresee the next game situations. This ＂mental speed＂ lays the foundation to build master performances in extremely complex situations. This book offers a theoretical framework in which anticipation, perception, attention, and memory processes play a big role in a tennis player’s ability to win on the court. The diagnostic tools and useful examples aid the training of cognitive abilities. With more than 50 on-court practice drills to build game intelligence, every tennis player will strengthen their mental game and win their matches.

Prof. Dr. Daniel Memmert is executive head of the Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics at the German Sports University in Cologne. His main research areas are movement science, sport psychology, and sport informatics. He has trainer licenses in soccer, tennis, snowboarding, and alpine skiing and is the author of books on modern soccer training. In addition, Daniel cooperates with national and international professional clubs, the German national team, and DAX companies, and he organized the first international master’s degree in Game Analysis. Former tennis player Stefan Leiner was sports director for the Tyrolean Tennis Association. In his more than 20 years of coaching, he supervised players on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour. Since 2014, he has been managing director of the player agency Topseed. His tasks with Topseed include optimizing the sporting environment of tennis professionals, assisting with their marketing, acquiring new members, and implementing sports science findings into everyday practice.