The Inner Game of Tennis: The ultimate guide to the mental side of peak performance

by W. Timothy Gallwey

The player of the inner game comes to value the art of relaxed concentration above all other skills; he discovers a true basis for self-confidence; and he learns that the secret to winning any game lies in not trying too hard.

The first skill to learn is the art of letting go the human inclination to judge ourselves and our performance as either good or bad.

Letting go of the judging process is a basic key to the Inner Game;

judgments are our personal, ego reactions to the sights, sounds, feelings and thoughts within our experience.

letting go of judgments does not mean ignoring errors. It simply means seeing events as they are and not adding anything to them.

Judgment results in tightness, and tightness interferes with the fluidity required for accurate and quick movement. Relaxation produces smooth strokes and results from accepting your strokes as they are, even if erratic.

The first step is to see your strokes as they are. They must be perceived clearly. This can be done only when personal judgment is absent. As soon as a stroke is seen clearly and accepted as it is, a natural and speedy process of change begins.

To Self 2, a picture is worth a thousand words. It learns by watching the actions of others, as well as by performing actions itself.

Getting the clearest possible image of your desired outcomes is a most useful method for communicating with Self 2, especially when playing a match.

“If I was feeling frightened playing tennis, I don’t see why I would do it!”