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Inner Game
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
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The timeless guide to achieving the state of “relaxed concentration” that’s not only the key to peak performance in tennis but the secret to success in life itself—part of the bestselling Inner Game series, with more than one million copies sold!
“Groundbreaking . . . the best guide to getting out of your own way . . . Its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (“Five of My All-Time Favorite Books”)
This phenomenally successful guide to mastering the game from the inside out has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Billie Jean King has called the book her tennis bible; Al Gore has used it to focus his campaign staff; and Itzhak Perlman has recommended it to young violinists. Based on W. Timothy Gallwey’s profound realization that the key to success doesn’t lie in holding the racket just right, or positioning the feet perfectly, but rather in keeping the mind uncluttered, this transformative book gives you the tools to unlock the potential that you’ve possessed all along.
“The Inner Game” is the one played within the mind of the player, against the hurdles of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. Gallwey shows us how to overcome these obstacles by trusting the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and achieving a state of “relaxed concentration.” With chapters devoted to trusting the self and changing habits, it is no surprise then, that Gallwey’s method has had an impact far beyond the confines of the tennis court.
Whether you want to play music, write a novel, get ahead at work, or simply unwind after a stressful day, Gallwey shows you how to tap into your utmost potential. No matter your goals, The Inner Game of Tennis gives you the definitive framework for long-term success.
“Groundbreaking . . . the best guide to getting out of your own way . . . Its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (“Five of My All-Time Favorite Books”)
This phenomenally successful guide to mastering the game from the inside out has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Billie Jean King has called the book her tennis bible; Al Gore has used it to focus his campaign staff; and Itzhak Perlman has recommended it to young violinists. Based on W. Timothy Gallwey’s profound realization that the key to success doesn’t lie in holding the racket just right, or positioning the feet perfectly, but rather in keeping the mind uncluttered, this transformative book gives you the tools to unlock the potential that you’ve possessed all along.
“The Inner Game” is the one played within the mind of the player, against the hurdles of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. Gallwey shows us how to overcome these obstacles by trusting the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and achieving a state of “relaxed concentration.” With chapters devoted to trusting the self and changing habits, it is no surprise then, that Gallwey’s method has had an impact far beyond the confines of the tennis court.
Whether you want to play music, write a novel, get ahead at work, or simply unwind after a stressful day, Gallwey shows you how to tap into your utmost potential. No matter your goals, The Inner Game of Tennis gives you the definitive framework for long-term success.
134 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1974
This edition
- Format
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134 pages, Paperback
- Published
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May 27, 1997 by Random House Trade Paperbacks
- ISBN
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9780679778318
- ASIN
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0679778314
- Language
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About the author
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W. Timothy Gallwey is an author who has written a series of books in which he has set forth a methodology for coaching and for the development of personal and professional excellence in a variety of fields that he calls "the Inner Game". Since he began writing in the 1970s, his books include The Inner Game of Tennis, The Inner Game of Golf, The Inner Game of Music (with Barry Green), Inner Skiing and The Inner Game of Work. Gallwey's seminal work is The Inner Game of Tennis, with more than one million copies in print.
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I am a musician, and this was recommended to me by another musician friend. As it turns out, many of my colleagues have read this book, so it seems as though I am the last! 'The Inner Game' has, without a doubt, been one of the most beneficial books I have ever read. Before I had even finished, some of the insights of the book had already begun to change the way that I practice, audition, and perform! I wont say that the author has come up with any ideas or concepts so revolutionary that they haven't been written in a dozen other books .... but I will say that the way that he has exposed and explained things here have really worked for me. This is a must-read for, well, basically anybody who wants to improve at whatever they do and take pride in!
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3.5/5 — shelved for the longest time and couldn’t have chosen a better time to pick it back up as I stress and question what “winning” means to me in life and in pickleball
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Read this one in one day for a sports team book club and really enjoyed it! Some stuff doesn’t quite hold up or read in a modern way but the writing doesn’t detract from the content. I am a bit of a sports psych nerd, so I think this comes with a grain of salt but the advice he has to offer on understanding and trusting the part of you that really knows how to do basically everything is really engaging. I overthink a lot, especially on the field, and I look forward to implementing some of his teachings.
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It was okay. It’s good that this book was short. Some good concepts that I will remember, but I mostly do these things already. Being objective when things go wrong in a match is important. Avoid these things:
Judgement - Bad backhand shot
Grouping - My backhands are bad
Generalising - I am a lousy tennis player
Do not judge shots. Be a subjective observer. “I hit that shot out because I wanted to hit it too close to the line. Next time I should aim more inside the court.”
“You don’t criticise a small seed for not being a beautiful rose. You give it water and watch it grow.”
Judgement - Bad backhand shot
Grouping - My backhands are bad
Generalising - I am a lousy tennis player
Do not judge shots. Be a subjective observer. “I hit that shot out because I wanted to hit it too close to the line. Next time I should aim more inside the court.”
“You don’t criticise a small seed for not being a beautiful rose. You give it water and watch it grow.”
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Questo libro ha degli insegnamenti bellissimi soprattutto a fine del libro, argomenti come vivere nel presente e vivere gli ostacoli come occasione per comprendere le proprie potenzialità, sono argomenti interessantissimi e importantissimi, purtroppo però non ho ben compreso la descrizione di tutto questo attraverso le tecniche che l'autore spiega del tennis, mi è parsa una lettura lenta e solo alla fine del capitolo ho capito il succo dell'argomento. Peccato :( poteva valere 5 stelle
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“Matt you f****ing suck” is a statement I have made constantly in almost every single endeavor I have ever undertaken. I have always been self-critical to arguably an unhealthy degree for reasons I never really understood. I used to think it was merely imitation of my role models (my dad who I am shockingly similar too makes the same statement a lot, especially while competing). However, after reading Gallwey’s book I realize that it is a much deeper struggle between my ego and my natural abilities.
While it may use tennis as a conduit, Inner Game truly focuses on the struggle between Self 1 (that voice in your head that puts you down) and Self 2 (the primal natural learner that we are born as). Over time we develop our Self 1 and allow it to attack Self 2 constantly. We hold ourselves to pointless standards for reasons that we can’t truly explain. But why do we do this? At its core we find working for Self 1 satisfying to our ego, while working for Self 2 can sometimes be unrewarding even if we perform at a higher level. Quieting the mind and performing at a higher level can feel empty without preconceived notions of success or external praise. Therefore, we create games within games to try and praise or critique ourselves. Regardless of the outcome, we almost always come away feeing worse because the praise is often fleeting.
What then should we do? Gallwey suggests that we take pride in the fact that Self 2 is born great. Allowing it to learn new skills through natural learning and not allowing over-critiquing from an outside entity or ourselves leads to a fulfillment. It’s not that winning the advertised goal of the game doesn’t matter, the goal matters because it allows us to find our natural abilities and our potential.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to find meaning in a world that feels like we’re separated from those things that provide it to us. The Inner Game provides the framework for us to find the joy in Self 2 and all of its natural beauty without the self-destructive nature of Self 1.
Last note, I took extra joy in finding out from my dad that this was my late grandfathers favorite book. He discovered it when it was first published in 1974 and was a proponent of its way of thinking for the remainder of his life. To have discovered his favorite book on my own gave it even more meaning to me.
While it may use tennis as a conduit, Inner Game truly focuses on the struggle between Self 1 (that voice in your head that puts you down) and Self 2 (the primal natural learner that we are born as). Over time we develop our Self 1 and allow it to attack Self 2 constantly. We hold ourselves to pointless standards for reasons that we can’t truly explain. But why do we do this? At its core we find working for Self 1 satisfying to our ego, while working for Self 2 can sometimes be unrewarding even if we perform at a higher level. Quieting the mind and performing at a higher level can feel empty without preconceived notions of success or external praise. Therefore, we create games within games to try and praise or critique ourselves. Regardless of the outcome, we almost always come away feeing worse because the praise is often fleeting.
What then should we do? Gallwey suggests that we take pride in the fact that Self 2 is born great. Allowing it to learn new skills through natural learning and not allowing over-critiquing from an outside entity or ourselves leads to a fulfillment. It’s not that winning the advertised goal of the game doesn’t matter, the goal matters because it allows us to find our natural abilities and our potential.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is struggling to find meaning in a world that feels like we’re separated from those things that provide it to us. The Inner Game provides the framework for us to find the joy in Self 2 and all of its natural beauty without the self-destructive nature of Self 1.
Last note, I took extra joy in finding out from my dad that this was my late grandfathers favorite book. He discovered it when it was first published in 1974 and was a proponent of its way of thinking for the remainder of his life. To have discovered his favorite book on my own gave it even more meaning to me.
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There’s no way to know if it works without trying it? But intuitively makes sense
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