Table of Contents
Introductions i
1 Turn off The Rain 1
Lesson 1 Mental Preparation 15
2 Something Called The Grand Slam 17
Lesson 2 The Killer Instinct 25
3 Charlie Hollis 26
Lesson 3 Conditioning and Equipment 30
4 Bring A Coat and Tie 33
Lesson 4 Tennis Anyone? Any Age? 41
5 The First Leg of The Grand Slam: The Australian 42
Lesson 5 Confidence and Shrugging off bad luck 55
6 Living With Pain 56
Lesson 6 Handling Injuries, and Other Props 60
7 South Africa 62
Lesson 7 Changing Tour Game as You Grow Older 66
8 The Davis Cup Jitters 68
Lesson 8 Pressure 78
9 Paris In The Spring, 1962 80
Lesson 9 Don't Change a Winning Game (And always Change a Losing Game) 86
10 The Year of The Revolution 87
Lesson 10 Playing On Clap 92
11 The Second Leg of The Grand Slam: The French 94
Lesson 11 The Serve and Spin 104
12 The French Open Final and Kenny Rosewall 105
Lesson 12 Forehand and Topspin 112
13 Thirteen Straight Losing Points 113
Lesson 13 Doubles 116
14 Paradise Regained-Wimbledon 120
Lesson 14 Court Conditions and Surfaces 131
15 Respectability Is A Club Tie 133
Lesson 15 Court Manners and Etiquette 138
16 A Shaky Begining 140
Lesson 16 The Crisp Volley 148
17 A Man Named Gonzales 150
Lesson 17 Playing Against Familiar Opponents 157
18 A Few Words from Mary Laver 158
Lesson 18 The Care and Feeding of a Tennis Player 164
19 The Third Leg of The Grand Slam: Wimbledon 165
Lesson 19 The Backhand and Topspin 170
20 Three Down and One To Go 171
Lesson 20 Returning Serve 184
21 The Spoils Of Victory 185
Lesson 21 "Equipment" 189
22 The Beginning of the End 192
Lesson 22 Know Yourself 197
23 The Last Leg of theGrand Slam: Forest Hills 199
Lesson 23 Hitting Through the Ball 205
24 Semifinal 207
Lesson 24 Chipping and The Middle Approach 212
25 Grand Slam 213
Lesson 25 The Lob and the Answer 220
26 Life After Two Grand Slams 222
27 1973 Wimbledon Boycott/Davis Cup 236
28 Almost "Heavyweight Champion" 242
29 The Stroke 245
30 Epilogue 248
Appendix A The Grand Slams 249
Appendix B The Complete Year of Laver's Grand Slam 256
Appendix C Rod Laver 259
Index 263
