Beginner tennis book that explains the terms: Mudri X Professor Kim

What kind of book is Mudri X Professor Kim Tennis Master Class?

Mudri X Professor Kim Tennis Master Class (머드리 X 김교수 테니스 마스터 클래스) isn't a technique manual that only teaches you how to hold a racket. It's closer to a tennis general-interest book that even people who don't exercise can enjoy. It answers questions one by one, like "Why is it called a forehand?", "What is no man's land?" and "What do ATP 250, 500 and 1000 mean?"

Lately I often think I'd like to learn some kind of sport. Walking and the gym feel familiar, but I always thought tennis was a sport far removed from me. Actually, my younger sibling was a competitive tennis player when we were young. I watched them sweat on the court training all day long and only thought, "That must be really tough." I never took any interest in tennis itself.

Then I happened to read this book, Mudri X Professor Kim Tennis Master Class.

At first I assumed it was just a simple tennis beginner's book. But once I started reading, it wasn't merely about how to grip a racket. It was closer to a general-interest book, made so that tennis fans and complete non-sporty people like me can enjoy it. Because it clears up questions like "Why is it called a forehand?", "What is no man's land?" and "What do ATP 250, 500 and 1000 mean?" one by one, it was easy to read without any pressure.

Author Lee Hyung-taik, the first Korean ATP Tour champion, shares his know-how

The biggest feature of this book is its author: coach Lee Hyung-taik, a former national team player and the first Korean to win an ATP Tour title.

Even people who don't know tennis have probably heard his name once, since he's a symbolic figure in Korean tennis history. Perhaps that's why the book isn't just dry theory; experience and know-how from his real playing career are tucked in throughout.

The "Mudri's Legend Episodes" section

The "Mudri's Legend Episodes" corner that pops up here and there in the book was especially fun. It covers everything from an unprecedented upset in ATP history to how he reached the round of 16 at the US Open, and situations he faced in real matches, so it felt like watching a sports documentary. I think these real-match stories are why a sports book never gets boring.

Table of contents: 6 chapters from rackets to strategy

The book is organized into 6 big themes. Just looking at the table of contents makes you curious about all the tennis trivia inside.

Chapter 1: Rackets

It explains basic concepts of tennis equipment such as the racket head, sweet spot, overgrip, Continental grip and string tension. I used to watch tennis and think of it as just "a racket," so it was fascinating to learn that each part has its own name and role.

Chapter 2: Courts

It covers the differences between clay, hard and grass courts, then the deuce court, ad court, baseline and no man's land. I'd never heard the term no man's land before, and now I understand why players try to avoid that particular spot.

Chapter 3: Techniques

It explains techniques that come up often in matches, such as the forehand, backhand, flat serve, slice serve, kick serve, volley, drop shot and lob, in an easy way. I never understood what commentators were saying on TV, but now I think I can follow them to some extent.

Chapter 4: Equipment

It introduces tennis-related gear such as supports, elbow braces, tennis socks and medicine balls. There's a lot of injury-prevention information too, which should help people starting as a hobby.

Chapter 5: Tournaments

It explains match rules and the tournament system: ATP 250, ATP 500, ATP 1000, Grand Slams, seeds, byes, lucky losers and more. It's a big help in understanding the terms tennis fans use.

Chapter 6: Strategy

It presents practical match strategies like anticipating rather than reacting, split-stepping on every shot, and getting the ball over the net. There seemed to be plenty of useful content not just for beginners but for club players too.

Global tennis English conversation included

A surprisingly good part of the book was the global tennis English conversation corner. English terms are used heavily in tennis worldwide, so English expressions come up often when you watch overseas matches or YouTube lesson videos. Having the book explain them naturally made them much easier to understand.

For example, it includes usable sentences such as ways to refer to the winner and the runner-up, and expressions for talking about match results. It felt like getting English study as a bonus.

Is it fun even if you've never played tennis and aren't sporty?

Even though I've never played tennis, I read Mudri X Professor Kim Tennis Master Class to the end with real interest. Honestly, I have never played tennis.

Because I saw my younger sibling struggle as a player when we were kids, my first thought was always, "That sport must be so hard." And tennis really does drain your stamina. You have to repeat short sprints and sudden changes of direction, and use your whole body to hit the ball. That's why you often see players collapse from exhaustion after a match.

But reading this book changed my thinking a little. If you drop the pressure of having to play like a pro and approach it as a hobby, tennis seems like a very appealing sport. You get cardio and strength work at the same time, and it's not a solo activity, so you can enjoy it with other people.

Above all, the sight of people rallying on the court looks really cool. I even found myself thinking I'd like to take a lesson someday if I get the chance.

Who I'd recommend it to

• Beginners who want to start tennis
• People who found the terms hard to follow while watching tennis broadcasts
• Anyone curious about the ATP, Grand Slams and other tournament systems
• People who want to learn tennis as a hobby
• Readers who like general-interest sports books
• Anyone curious about coach Lee Hyung-taik's stories

Verdict: an all-in-one primer that changes how you watch tennis

Mudri X Professor Kim Tennis Master Class is not just a tennis technique book. It's a comprehensive primer that packs rackets, courts, techniques, equipment, tournaments and strategy, everything about tennis, into one volume. Even a non-sporty person like me read it to the end with interest, and it added to the fun of watching tennis broadcasts.

Watching my sibling as a child tennis player, I only ever thought of it as "a really tough sport," but this book helped me understand a little better why so many people love tennis.

If you're about to start tennis, or want to know it more deeply, it's worth reading once. After you finish, tennis matches on TV will look completely different from before.