The Inner Game of Tennis.

By W. Timothy Gallwey.

The classic guide to the mental side of peak performance.

I heard the title of this book mentioned in a podcast, and because my son plays tennis I ordered a copy, thinking I would share the content with him. Having read it and loved it, I think at 13 he may not be ready to hear the main principles, but I was struck over and over again at how relevant this book is for adults, and anyone who is trying to cover ground in their lives in a meaningful way. Gallwey wrote this book in 1974, and the longevity of its relevance is astounding.

Indeed, we all pay far too much attention to ‘Self 1’ and would do better to entrust ‘Self 2’ to help us reach our true potential. It is amazing that we house both selves, and even more interesting that we entertain so much of what the destructive and bossy Self 1 tells us. Chapter by chapter, I became more aware of the power of our inner talk, and the possibilities that all of us have to live closer to our true selves, and achieve what is most meaningful to each of us.

It took only a few hours to read this book, and I would like to read it annually, to remember to trust in myself, and lest I forget to stop listening to destructive inner talk.

Chapter 1: Reflection on the Mental Side of Tennis

A common complaint of tennis players: ‘Its not that I don’t know what to do, it’s that I don’t do what I know.’ The typical lesson over instructs, with too many things for the player to think about. Saying less, and noticing more, often results in errors correcting themselves. To change behaviour and habits, images often work better than words, showing is better than telling, and trying too hard can often produce negative results.

When you become immersed in a flow of action, the mind becomes so concentrated and focused that it becomes still, and functions unconsciously and automatically, without interference from conscious thought. If you can begin to learn how to focus your attention and trust yourself, that is more valuable than learning to hit a ‘forceful shot’. There is huge benefit in mastering the art of effortless concentration.

Chapter 2: The Discovery of the 2 Selves

When you are talking to yourself, there are two separate entities. The “I” is the teller, and gives instructions, and “myself” is the doer, and performs the action. The key to better tennis (and better anything) lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller (Self 1) and the natural capabilities of Self 2. Self 1 thinks Self 2 doesn’t hear well, or has a short memory, or is stupid, when actually it is quite the opposite! The hub of the problem is that Self 1 (who is thinking too much, and trying too hard) does not trust Self 2, who embraces effort and can do its own thing unimpaired.

Getting it together mentally involves:

·      Learning how to get the clearest possible picture of your desired outcomes.

·      Learning how to trust Self 2 to perform its best and learn from both successes and failures.

·      Learning to see what is happening, non-judgmentally.

Chapter 3: Quieting Self 1

It is the constant thinking of the ego mind that causes interference with the natural capabilities of Self 2. When Self 1 is quiet and focused, harmony exists, and peak performance can be reached. The mind is still when it is totally in the here and now, in perfect oneness with the actor and the action. ‘Getting it together’ requires slowing the mind – less thinking, calculating, judging, fearing, worrying and controlling.

Quieting the mind is a gradual process involving the learning of several inner skills:

·      Letting Go: When we unlearn how to be judgmental, we can achieve spontaneous and focused play. Judgement is the act of assigning a negative or positive value to an event, which promotes a thinking and an emotional process, and then trying, which often results in tension and poor performance. Letting go of judgements means seeing events as they are and not adding any meaning to them. When the mind is free of any thought or judgement, it becomes still and acts as a mirror, and a natural and speedy process of change begins.

·      Awareness of What Is: Knowing where the ball is, and knowing where your racket is – feeling where they are is knowing where they are. If you let yourself observe your racket with detachment and interest, you can feel what you are doing, and your awareness naturally increases. There is a natural learning process which operates in everyone, if it is allowed to.

Non-judgmental awareness is the acknowledgement of one’s strengths and accomplishments, and can facilitate natural learning, whereas judgements interfere.

Chapter 4: Trusting Self 2

When Self 1 appreciates Self 2, self-confidence emerges. Everyone who inhabits a body possesses a remarkable instrument – a tremendously sophisticated and competent collection of potentialities. Learn to trust yourself – let your body perform the action required; much like a trusting parent that lets a child perform their own actions, so that they will learn from them. Self 1 often interferes with the inherent wisdom of the body. Detached interest is what is necessary to let your tennis game develop naturally. Trust your body to learn and play, and in a short time it will perform beyond your expectations.

• Let it Happen: If your body knows how to do something, then just let it happen; if it doesn’t, then let it learn. There is power in simply watching – concentrate without thinking and simply absorb the images in front of you.

• Communicating with Self 2: Learn to look up to Self 2, with humility and admiration. If you have an attitude of respect, you will talk in the right language. There are three basic methods of communicating with  Self 2:

o   Asking for Results (visualizing the end result)

o   Asking for  Form (visualizing the action)

o   Asking for Qualities (role playing/adopting the mannerisms)

Chapter 5: Discovering Technique

Quieting the thinking mind by letting go of mental self-instruction, focusing attention and trusting Self 2 capabilities is what lays the foundation for learning technique in a more natural and effective way. Natural learning is the learning process we were born with, and operates best without fear and doubt. Self 1 likes language, but Self 2 learns from experience. If we let ourselves lose touch with our ability to feel our actions by relying too heavily on instructions, we compromise our access to our natural learning processes. The more awareness we have, the more feedback we receive, the greater the learning. Let your teacher teach, but Self 2 must stay in control, as it is your greatest teacher.

Example of a technical instruction: Serve the ball with your arm fully extended.

Example of an awareness instruction: Notice the degree of bend in your elbow at the moment of impact.

Chapter 6: Changing Habits

It’s difficult to break a habit when there is no adequate replacement for it. It is not helpful to condemn a behaviour pattern as ‘bad’. If we stop suppressing it, we can see the function it serves, and then identify an alternative behavior pattern, which allows us to change. Groove theory dictates that when an action is repeated, the groove is made slightly deeper. Simply start a new groove! There is no need to fight old habits – just start new ones, with a childlike disregard for the imagined difficulties. The important thing is to experience the learning, and not to intellectualize it.

The usual way of learning:

1.     Criticize and judge past behaviour.

2.     Instruct yourself to change, using word communication repeatedly.

3.     Try hard to make yourself do it right.

4.     Critical judgement of results, leading to a Self 1 vicious cycle.

The Inner Game way of learning:

1.     Observe existing behaviour non-judgmentally (interested and detached)

2.     Picture desired outcomes (visual imagery, no commands)

3.     Let it happen! Trust Self 2.

4.     Non-judgmental, calm observation of the results; leading to ongoing observation and learning.

Chapter 7: Concentration: Learning to Focus

Fighting the mind does not work, but learning to focus it does. As the mind is kept in the present, it becomes calm. Practice is required! Techniques in tennis that can be applied to other areas of life:

·      Watching the ball (focusing on sight)

·      Bounce-hit (focusing on sight and sound)

·      Listening to the ball (focusing on sound)

·      Feeling (focusing on touch and muscle memory)

Attention is focused consciousness, and consciousness is the power of knowing. Learn to keep the mind in the present by practicing. Concentration seems to slow time down, giving more necessary awareness to act. The best way to deal with anxiety is to focus one’s attention on the breathing process. Concentration and focus are the zone of Self 2 – fully present and in the moment.

Chapter 8: Games People Play on the Court

Self 2 cannot express spontaneity and excellence when Self 1 is playing some heavy game involving its self-image. When one recognizes the games of Self 1, a degree of freedom can be achieved. We live in an achievement-oriented society, where you are good and worthy of respect only if you do things successfully. There is an underlying equation between self-worth and performance.

Who says that we are to be measured by how well we do things, or that we should be measured at all? The value of a human is not measurable – we are what we are, not how well we perform. The score of a tennis match may be an indication of how well we performed, but it does not define us.

Chapter 9: The Meaning of Competition

Some imagine that by beating another they have in some way established their superiority over them, not just in the game, but as a person. When one is unsure about who he is and what he does, he needs to prove himself to himself and to others. Learning to measure our value according to our abilities and achievements means that the true and measureless value of each individual is ignored. Instead of trying to win, aim to achieve excellence for its own sake. In competition, obstacles can draw out your greatest effort, and present an opportunity to discover and extend your true potential. In tennis, the opponent is the obstacle. In surfing, the waves are the obstacle. In work, the task is the obstacle. When one is emotionally attached to the results one can’t control, one tends to be anxious and try too hard. But one can control the effort one puts into winning.

Chapter 10: The Inner Game off the Court

In general, we worry too much, and don’t concentrate enough. Instead of learning focus to improve an action, we must practice the action to improve focus. The outer game is obstacles and competition, but the inner game is self-knowledge, and the expression of our true potential. Outer obstacles are many, but inner obstacles come from only one source – Self 1. Building inner stability is the ability to remain calm despite external obstacles. Support and encourage your Self 2, and the stronger it gets, the more you will maintain balance.

The  main message of this book is about focus. The focus of attention in the present moment, the only one we can really live in, is at the heart of doing anything well.

In summary;

Be kind to your Self 2, which is ‘endowed by birth with an instinct to fulfill its nature. It wants to enjoy, to learn, to understand, appreciate, go for it, be healthy, survive, be free to be what it is, express itself, and make its unique contribution.’

 Photo by Todd Trapani on Unsplash