Tennis Past 50 »

Now a 50-plus player himself, Tony Trabert has been playing tennis since he was six years old. He was the top-ranked player in the world in 1953 and 1955 and was just named president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Trabert won three of four grand slams, missing only the Australian Championships, and 10 majors in singles and doubles including Wimbledon and the U.S. and French Championships (now referred to as Opens). Trabert played for the Davis Cup team five times with one win and later served as Davis Cup captain for five years with the team winning twice.

He currently works as a television commentator for CBS Sports and Nine Network Australia. He has covered the U.S. Open since 1973 and Wimbledon since 1986, as well as the French Open at Roland Garros, and he's written two books on tennis. He knows many other players of renown who've continued playing into their 70s and 80s—some of whom are featured in this book.

Trabert and his wife, Vicki, are residents of Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Ronald L. Witchey is a biomechanist with a specialization in aging and tennis. His research on the benefits of tennis playing on functional fitness in older adults has been presented at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Teachers Conference, the annual meeting of the Society of Tennis Medicine and Science, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Sport-Specific Training Conference. He has also given numerous talks on circuit training, sports medicine, and biomechanics.

A lifetime member of USTA and a former member of the USTA Sport Science Committee, Witchey is the former head men's tennis coach at California State University at Fullerton, where he has been a professor in the division of kinesiology and health promotion for the past 37 years. He's currently the fitness director at SeaCliff Golf and Tennis Club, and he continues to teach biomechanics and anatomy at California State University.

Witchey holds a PhD in kinesiology from the University of Southern California. He lives in Placentia, California, with his wife, Ceci.

Tennis is a true lifetime sport-just ask any player over 50! But to play your best you need to change your game as the body ages, adjust your stroke technique, and take advantage of racket technology to maximize the depth and power of your shots. Tennis Past 50 will show you how to

• modify your stroke to gain more power without sacrificing control;
• play smarter with adjustments to position on the court and style of play;
• improve your doubles and mixed doubles game;
• choose the right equipment for your style of play, ability, and fitness level;
• eat right for better performance on the court; and
• avoid injury and improve your conditioning for better performance.

Tony Trabert, who was the top-ranked player in the world in the 1950s, and former Cal State Fullerton coach Ron Witchey provide winning instruction that will have you playing better than ever. No matter what your age and ability, Tennis Past 50 will help you perform at your best through the years.

Chris Evert

Aging doesn't have to mean losing your edge. Tony Trabert has been at or among the top throughout the years, and he will teach anyone how to play their best, not just past 50, but at any age.

Chapter 1: Playing Smarter, Not Harder
Chapter 2: Upgrading Your Equipment
Chapter 3: Hitting Your Best Strokes
Chapter 4: Assessing Your Fitness and Your Game
Chapter 5: Conditioning for a Stronger Game
Chapter 6: Eating for Competition
Chapter 7: Winning Strategies for Different Opponents
Chapter 8: Improving Your Doubles Play