Muito mais que ténis.

I first heard about this book on one of my favorite podcasts, Sinisterhood. You don’t need to be a tennis player to see how the concepts can be used in multiple environments. I got several useful tips and would like to re-read this one day.

If you play tennis, this book is a must read.

Even if you don't play tennis but enjoying watching it, this book has a lot of lessons that apply to all aspects of life.

"The cause of most stress can be summed up by the word attachment. Self 1 gets so dependent upon things, situations, people and concepts within its experience that when change occurs or seems about to occur, it feels threatened. Freedom from stress does not necessarily involve giving up anything, but rather being able to let go of anything, when necessary, and know that one will still be all right. It comes from being more independent—not necessarily more solitary, but more reliant on one’s own inner resources for stability."

This book is about relaxed concentration and what it can do for your performance, in anything really. He makes the same distinction between ego & self that a lot of other books do (Power of Now, Second Mountain, How to Change Your Mind), but in contrast spends more time on how the two relate to learning, competing, and winning.

I really like how he talks about how competition fits into this framework. I've equated competition with comparison for a long time and the "Meaning of Competition" chapter changed my mind. Basically, he argues that the "egoless desire to win" exists and that competition creates meaningful wins. It's funny because in that case your opponent is both crucial and irrelevant to the outcome. You could find and replace tennis with research and it all makes sense lolol. This chapter by itself is what made me really like it!!

two quotes:
- "I would say that the natural learning process is so encoded, and that we would do well to acknowledge and respect it."
- “How can the quality of one’s tennis assume such importance that it causes anxiety, anger, depression and self-doubt?”

Perhaps the most important book I've ever read. If you're seeing this, please do yourself a favour and read. this. book. No matter what your life pursuits are, you will find immense value. As an actress, this was the best "acting" book I've ever read. 10/10.

NOT JUST FOR TENNIS PLAYERS.

I was shocked by how excellent this book is. It concisely (only 125 pages) covers abstract topics that others spend hundreds of pages describing in detail without mentioning much. The main theme is the conflict between Self 1 (the concious ego that criticises and applies judgement) & Self 2 (the subconscious inner self that feels and completes tasks effortlessly through muscle memory). Letting go of the noise, we can slip into a state of flow easier and trust our bodies.

If you try really hard to swing a racket your conscious mind will overcompensate and tighten extra muscles that will actually hinder your flexibility and therefore power. Letting your thoughts go, visualising a motion and simply asking your body to execute it is a tremendously beneficial and liberating way of living.

Written in simple English & covering the extensive range of this topic (why it's good, how to do it, how to maintain it etc.) this should be the starting point of anyone seeking to understand the mind. Although I know next to nothing about tennis, flipping between abstract concepts and practical examples through tennis provides an easy way for the reader to see the implementations of these ideas and how they impact lives on and off the court. The manner in which these concepts apply to all areas of life is clearly obvious and seemingly unconnected areas seem to reveal themselves as two sides of the same coin.

Changed my entire perception of life but in a way that makes me really comprehend the ideas I thought I already knew. Explaining concepts I've previously read (Thinking, Fast & Slow/The Happiness Hypothesis) while giving logical arguments that solidify other works (Bounce/ Meditations) makes this worthwhile especially if you've read other books on the same area.

Would recommend to basically anyone - the book's message is simple and will provide a way to improve your mind & body by simply trusting yourself and letting go of harmful thought.

A simple little book with some big implications for how we play sport, use our bodies, and conduct our lives. A valuable book, even if you dont like ‘self-help’ books.. and even if you don’t play tennis.

This has been on my To Read pile since Bill Gates recommended it for upping his tennis game and billionaire game, the only two things I aspire to, but I never really felt moved to read it because I loathe the self-help genre. But after a particularly shameful friendly tennis match, I was desperate.

And I am humbled! I hate self-help because it reduces life to stale, meaningless platitudes to plaster on gym selfies. And I always thought that what they preached were at most, listicle-worthy.

But W. Timothy Gallwey makes the distinctions that the Rise & Grind

definitely will be coming back to this. This was written in 1974??

Žiauriai gera knyga apie sporto psichologiją, tinkanti ne tik tenisui, bet ir daugumai sporto šakų.

Įsiminimai:
1) Pozityvus mąstymas užblokuoja realybę. Taip pat kenkia, kaip ir negatyvus mąstymas.
2) Būdamas pozityvus ar negatyvus tampi neramus. O protas būdamas neramus nemato realybės, kokias iš tikrųjų smulkias klaidas pastoviai kartoji.
3) Kai pernelyg susikoncentruoji į rezultatą nematai savo įprastų klaidų.
4) Neramus protas sukelia įtampą kūnui, o kūno įtampa trukdo geram žaidimo sklandumui.
5) Reikia pajusti savo smūgius, o ne laikytis būtinų nurodymų.
6) Dauguma mūsų įsimena taisykles, o ne jų laikosi.
7) Viena teisinga technika nebūtinai yra taisyklė.
8) Reikai nesuprasti, o pajusti.
9) Rekomenduojama kas diena treniruotis kūno pajautimo pratimus.
10) Kad save labiau pajusti reikia sulėtinti mąstymą.
11) Į viską stebėti nekritiškai. Nevertinti savęs, kad šitaip blogai, o šitaip gerai.
12) Reikia išmokti tampi šaltakraujiškai ramiu (bet ne apatišku).
13) Būtina atgaminti vaikiškumą.
14) Nekeisti savo seno įpročio, o sukurti naują įprotį.
15) Atsipalaidavimas įvyksta tik leidus, o nesistengiant ar prisiverčiant.

No me dijo nada nuevo

I generally dislike self-help books, but the Inner Game of Tennis is different. It is concerned as much with philosophy and meditation as it is with tennis, or as it states:

All these skills are subsidiary to the master skill, without which nothing of value is ever achieved: the art of relaxed concentration. The Inner Game of Tennis will next explore a way to learn these skills, using tennis as a medium.

The book does this quite well, astoundingly so given that it was published about 40 years before corresponding research-based books like Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence and Thinking, Fast and Slow were published. Without any scientific guide, the author regales the reader with stories from his own experience, some choice sayings, and his musings on tennis instruction with a corresponding life philosophy. The goal of the book, stated in the quote above, is to postulate that the secret to living successfully is to get out of one's own head, and to convey how to do that (as best as it can).

The Inner Game of Tennis is a short read, unlike many modern books of its ilk, which often take what could be an essay and balloon it to hundreds of pages by way of excessive examples and testimonials. It communicates exactly what it intends and leaves out the fluff. Highly recommended for tennis players, and recommended anyway for non-tennis players who have any desire to obtain an advanced skill.