Swim is a celebration of swimming and the effect it has on our lives. It’s an inquiry into why we swim—the lure, the hold, the timeless magic of being in the water. It’s a look at how swimming has changed over the millennia, how this ancient activity is becoming more social than solitary today. It’s about our relationship with the water, with our fishy forebearers, and with the costumes that we wear. You’ll even find a few songs to sing when you push out those next laps.Swimming enthusiast Lynn Sherr explores every aspect of the sport, from the biology of swimming to the fame of Esther Williams; from turquoise pools and wild water to the training of Olympians; and she reveals the secret of buoyancy so that anyone can avoid the example of the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who lamented, “Why can’t I swim, it seems so very easy?” When his friend, the biographer Edward John Trelawny, said, “because you think you can’t,” Shelley plunged into Italy’s Arno River and dropped like a rock. With Swim, you can avoid that happening to you. 

From the bestselling author of Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect and the preeminent golf psychologist to the game’s top players comes the defining guide to mastering the enormous challenges of chips, pitches, bunker shots, and putts.  It is no secret that more than two-thirds of the shots a golfer makes are shorts ones: putts, chips, and pitches. Long drives may garner applause, but whether a golfer wants to win the Masters or just five bucks from a friend on Saturday morning, it’s the little shots that make the difference. In The Unstoppable Golfer, Dr. Bob Rotella takes the same wisdom and experience that have worked for clients like Davis Love III and David Toms to help you master this special art of short shots and avoid all the frustration out of this increasingly challenging element of the game.Requiring extraordinary levels of concentration, the short game is typically a source of fear for amateurs and pros alike. Here Dr. Rotella teaches readers how to overcome that fear by using their minds to achieve a state of calm in which focus is on one thing alone: the hole. In addition, he explains the science of memory and how knowledge of the brain’s workings—especially those areas that deal with physical tasks—can markedly improve a golf game, particularly when it comes to getting out of a bunker or taking the measure of a long putt. For casual and dedicated golfers alike, a better short game provides one of the ultimate pleasures of the game—a pleasure they will come to know by training their minds to The Unstoppable Golfer.

Drawing on his work with some of the top teams in professional sports, noted sport psychology consultant Gary Mack shares with you the same techniques and exercises he uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle." These 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes will help you gain the "head edge" over the competition.

Dr. Bob Rotella is one of the hottest performance consultants in America today. Among his many professional clients are Nick Price (last year's Player of the Year), Tom Kite, Davis Love III, Pat Bradley, Brad Faxon, John Daly, and many others. Rotella, or "Doc," as most players refer to him, goes beyond just the usual mental aspects of the game and the reliance on specific techniques. What Rotella does here in this extraordinary book, and with his clients, is to create an attitude and a mindset about all aspects of a golfer's game, from mental preparation to competition. The most wonderful aspect of it all is that it is done in a conversational fashion, in a dynamic blend of anecdote and lesson. And, as some of the world's greatest golfers will attest, the results are spectacular. Golfers will improve their golf game and have more fun playing. Some of Rotella's maxims include: * On the first tee, a golfer must expect only two things of himself: to have fun, and to focus his mind properly on every shot. * Golfers must learn to love 'the challenge when they hit a ball into the rough, trees, or sand. The alternatives -- anger, fear, whining, and cheating -- do no good. * Confidence is crucial to good golf. Confidence is simply the aggregate of the thoughts you have about yourself. * It is more important to be decisive than to be correct when preparing to play any golf shot or putt. Filled with delightful and insightful stories about golf and the golfers Rotella works with, Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect will improve the game of even the most casual weekend player.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs."--John Wooden Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, Wooden presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Coach shares his personal philosophy on family, achievement, success, and excellence. Raised on a small farm in south-central Indiana, he offers lessons and wisdom learned throughout his career at UCLA, and life as a dedicated husband, father, and teacher. These lessons, along with personal letters from Bill Walton, Denny Crum, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Costas, among others, have made Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court an inspirational classic.

The latest edition of the best-selling sport and exercise psychology book on the market, Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fifth Edition, provides a thorough introduction to the key concepts in the field. Written by internationally respected authors, it provides students and new practitioners with a comprehensive view of sport and exercise psychology, bridges the gap between research and practice, conveys principles of professional practice, and captures the excitement of the world of sport and exercise. A supreme effort has been made to meet the increasing needs of professors, practitioners, and students. To further improve the total learning experience, the fifth edition features the following: • A streamlined online study guide that provides an interactive learning experience for students • A new full-color format that visually engages students in the information • An emphasis on the educational journey that students take through the field of sport and exercise psychology, helping them envision where they can be most successful in the field • Thoroughly updated material that reflects the latest research and practice to keep readers aware of recent findings and hot topics in the field • New sidebars with contemporary practical examples, case studies, and anecdotes to help students understand various theories and concepts Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fifth Edition, provides students with a unique learning experience, taking them on a journey through the origins and goals, key concepts, research development, and career options available in the field. The book contains seven parts that may be studied in any sequence. Part I introduces students to the field, detailing its history, current status, and the various roles of sport and exercise psychologists. Part II focuses on personal factors that affect performance and psychological development in sport, physical education, and exercise settings. In part III, the authors focus on two major classes of situational factors that influence behavior: competition and cooperation, and feedback and reinforcement. Part IV focuses on group interaction and processes, while part V discusses how psychological techniques may be used to help people perform more effectively. Part VI addresses the various roles psychological factors play in health and exercise. The final section, part VII, deals with topics of psychological development and well-being that are important to both society and sport and exercise psychology, including children’s psychological development through sport participation, aggression in sport, and moral development and good sporting behavior in sport and physical activity contexts. The online study guide allows the subject of sport psychology to come alive to its users. The study guide works directly with the text; mentions of the study guide appear throughout each chapter to encourage students to apply knowledge gained from the text. This online study guide features several individual and small-group learning activities that may be completed electronically and saved as an .rtf file. This new format allows instructors to choose whether they would like students to complete the activities for personal use, print and hand them in as assignments, or submit them for assessment as an e-mail attachment or through a learning management system. The study guide activities require students to do the following: • Use actual sport and exercise psychology instruments to assess their skills • Determine how to respond to real-life scenarios (with short answers or essays) • Review and design research studies and experiments • Search the Internet for relevant information • Apply and test their understanding of principles and concepts of sport and exercise psychology Audio and video clips—some with associated activities—offer considerable insight on the issues discussed in the text. The audio clips feature esteemed experts from the field discussing key course concepts that they have studied and refined during their professional careers. Students will hear from experts such as Diane Gill, Rainer Martens, Robin Vealey, and other pioneers in the field. The video clips provide students with a realistic look at how sport psychology consultants interact and communicate with athletes to improve athletic experiences, allowing students to peer into the real world of a practicing sport psychology consultant. Both the audio and video clips help students understand the research and practice of sport psychology in today’s society. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fifth Edition, also supplies in-depth learning aids to help students think more critically about applying the material. These aids include chapter objectives and summaries, informative sidebars, key terms, key points, and discussion questions in each chapter. The enhanced design, artwork, and photos will also help make the material more interesting and accessible to readers. Updated ancillary materials, including an instructor guide, test package, and presentation package, are available online for instructors. Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fifth Edition, is a powerful learning tool for understanding human behavior in sport and exercise settings. This fifth edition continues to ensure that future researchers and practitioners in the field are well equipped and enthused about the possibilities and challenges they will encounter.

Without a doubt the classic guide to mental performance enhancement for baseball. Here in the third edition, authors H.A. Dorfman and Karl Kuehl present their practical and proven strategy for developing the mental skills needed to achieve peak performance at every level of the game. The theory and applications are illustrated by anecdotes and insights from major and minor league players, who at some point discovered the importance of mastering the inner game in order to play baseball as it should be played. Intended for players, managers, coaches, agents, and administrators as well as fans who want a more in-depth look at the makeup of the complete baseball player.

In Scorecasting, University of Chicago behavioral economist Tobias Moskowitz teams up with veteran Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim to overturn some of the most cherished truisms of sports, and reveal the hidden forces that shape how basketball, baseball, football, and hockey games are played, won and lost.Drawing from Moskowitz's original research, as well as studies from fellow economists such as bestselling author Richard Thaler, the authors look at: the influence home-field advantage has on the outcomes of games in all sports and why it exists; the surprising truth about the universally accepted axiom that defense wins championships;  the subtle biases that umpires exhibit in calling balls and strikes in key situations; the unintended consequences of referees' tendencies in every sport to "swallow the whistle," and more.Among the insights that Scorecasting reveals:Why Tiger Woods is prone to the same mistake in high-pressure putting situations that you and I areWhy professional teams routinely overvalue draft picks The myth of momentum  or the "hot hand" in sports, and why so many fans, coaches, and broadcasters fervently subscribe to itWhy NFL coaches rarely go for a first down on fourth-down situations--even when their reluctance to do so reduces their chances of winning.In an engaging narrative that takes us from the putting greens of Augusta to the grid iron of a small parochial high school in Arkansas, Scorecasting will forever change how you view the game, whatever your favorite sport might be.From the Hardcover edition.

“10-Minute Toughness is a solid mental training program. In fact I feel it is the best of its kind. . . . [It's] what the title says: ten minutes a day that connects your talents and abilities to the outcome you're seeking. As a retired NFL player looking forward, I can see as many applications for the toughness Jason Selk's program brought out of me in the business world as there were on the football field.” --Jeff Wilkins, Former NFL Pro Bowl Kicker “The mental side of the game is extremely important. 10-Minute Toughness helps the players develop the mental toughness needed for success; it really makes a difference.” --Walt Jocketty, General Manager of the 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals “Jason Selk has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy developing effective mental-training programs and coaches workshops. He is truly committed to helping individuals and teams to perform at their very best, when it really counts.” --Peter Vidmar, Olympic Gold Medalist Mental training is a must for high performance both on the field and off. But simply hoping for mental toughness isn't going to build any mind muscles. You need a proven routine of daily exercises to get you where you want to go. 10-Minute Toughness is your personal coach for boosting brainpower and achieving a competitive edge in whatever game you play. With quickness and ease, you'll learn how to master your own mind and psych out your opponents using personalized techniques from one of America's most successful sport psychology consultants. Like no other program available, the 10-Minute Toughness (10-MT) routine gets you ready for the competition in just ten minutes a day.

The mental game may be more important in poker than in any other form of competition. It's one of the only games in the world where you can play perfectly and lose-again and again. Hundreds of poker players have turned to mental game coach Jared Tendler's revolutionary approach to help them play their best, no matter how badly they're running. In this book you'll find simple, step-by-step instructions and proven techniques to permanently fix problems such as tilt, handling variance, emotional control, confidence, fear, and motivation. With the games getting tougher, now is the time to take these problems head on. *Discover the most definitive work on tilt ever released. *Read stories from eight players who made major improvements using Jared's techniques. *Get motivated with methods used by SuperNova Elites.