Primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiac disease characterized by thickening (hypertrophy) of the left ventricular (LV) wall, dyspnea and/or fatigue in the setting of a normal or supra-normal LV ejection fraction. The specific mechanisms underlying heart failure-related symptomatology in non-obstructive HCM are poorly defined, but as the vast majority of HCM patients with heart failure have apparently preserved LV contractile function, their symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue are presumed due to perturbations of the relaxation/filling phase (diastole) of the cardiac cycle, which has been termed "diastolic dysfunction". In fact, diastole is mechanistically complex and involves LV pressure decay (relaxation), chamber compliance and atrial contractile function. LV end-diastolic volume, which represents fiber stretch, governs LV contractile function and stroke volume via the Frank-Starling mechanism. End-diastolic fiber stretch is, in turn, dependent on late diastolic filling due to atrial ejection. This atrial "booster pump" is load-dependent and also responsive to inotropic effect. The interaction of atrial inotropic reserve, LV end-diastolic pressure (atrial afterload) and LV compliance (which mediates LV end-diastolic pressure and volume) may be generically considered as "atrio-ventricular coupling" which, in theory, should be at least partially responsible for modulations in exercise-induced augmentation of cardiac output related to enhancement of LV end-diastolic volume or "preload reserve". Previous studies have suggested that limitations of preload reserve may explain exercise-associated symptoms of congestive heart failure. The potential ability of new technologies to accurately assess atrio-ventricular coupling as it relates to preload reserve present opportunities for investigation into mechanisms of heart failure operative in patients with stiff left ventricles with intact systolic function. Elucidation of these previously unapproachable mechanisms may be important in targeting therapy and the design and analysis of future interventional trials.