The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallowey

The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey expose principles "in which an individual uses non-judgmental observations of critical variables, with the purpose of being accurate about these observations. If the observations are accurate, the person's body will adjust and correct automatically to achieve the best performance" (Wikipedia).

"First fundamental postulate of the inner game: every player has a Self 1 and a Self 2. To ensure they get along over time, it is necessary to develop the following inner skills:

1. Learn to have an image of the desired results that is as clear as possible.
2. Learn to trust Self 2.
3. Learn to observe what is happening without judgment (relaxed concentration).

All these skills are secondary to the primary skill, without which nothing can be achieved: the art of relaxed concentration."

"In short, harmonising the two Selves requires the mind to be slowed down."

"Speaking of judgment, I am referring to the act of assigning a positive or negative value to an event. Judgment is saying that some situations you experience are good and you like them, while others are bad and you do not like them. The initial act of judging induces thinking. At first, a player's mind judges a shot as right or wrong; if it judges it as wrong, it begins to think about what is wrong, then tells itself how to correct it, then strains and gives itself orders while doing so, then returns to judging. Obviously, in this way, the mind is never calm, and the body is tense from the effort. When a shot is considered right, Self 1 starts to wonder how it succeeded, pushing the body to repeat the process by giving instructions, straining, and so on. After evaluating several shots, the tendency is to generalise. Instead of saying 'During that point you were nervous,' it generalises and says 'You are the clumsiest person.'"

"The mind judges an event, then groups of events, then identifies with a series of events, and finally judges itself. Ultimately, such judgments become self-fulfilling prophecies. In short, you begin to become what you think you are."

"Letting go of judgment simply means seeing events for what they are without adding anything."

"With the labels of judgment generally come emotional reactions, and with them rigidity, severity with oneself, and excessive effort. This process can be slowed down by using descriptive but not synonymous words and by defining events."

"From judgment comes rigidity, and rigidity interferes with the fluidity required by fast movements. From relaxation come fluid shots, which are the result of accepting your shots as they are, even if they are inconsistent."

"When a shot is seen clearly, it is accepted as it is; a natural and fast process of change begins."

"Seeking approval and avoiding disapproval (a compliment as a potential criticism). It reasons subtly: 'If this professional thinks highly of a certain type of performance, he certainly won't like the opposite.' A stalemate is established where, because of what is right or wrong, the inevitable result is fragmented concentration with ego interference."

"When we unlearn how to judge, we discover—often to our surprise—that the anxiety of improvement is not necessary to change our wrong habits."

"Recognising and respecting one's abilities increases trust in Self 2. The judgments of Self 1, instead, seek to manipulate and sabotage that trust."

"What does it mean to believe in yourself on the tennis court? It doesn't mean positive thinking, but believing in your body, letting your body hit the ball. The keyword is 'let.' Leave the task of moving the racket to the body; Self 1 remains cut out."

"In summary, many of us must establish a new relationship with Self 2. Building a new relationship implies new ways of communicating. The relationship we desire must be defined by respect and trust. 3 modes: Having an image that is as clear as possible of the desired results is the most useful method for communicating with Self 2. It is essential, however, to trust Self 2 to follow through, rather than giving instructions on how to do it and forcing oneself to control the shots. As Self 1 learns to let go, an ever-increasing confidence in the ability of Self 2 emerges. If, after a few shots, the racket does not conform to the image you transmitted to Self 2, go back to visualising the desired result and let the body act. Do not strain to make such an experiment work."

"From the student's point of view, the issue can be interpreted as follows: follow the technical instructions and use them without falling into the traps of Self 1—namely judgment, doubt, and fear."

"When we stop trying to eliminate or correct a way of doing things, we can finally see what purpose it serves, and later a new pattern of behaviour will emerge effortlessly, capable of better absorbing the same function."

"A change is necessary when we realise that an action can be performed in a better way."

"It is not helpful to condemn our current behavioural patterns, labelling them as wrong; instead, it is truly helpful to understand what functions they are intended for to learn a better way to achieve the same goal."

"Changing a shot step by step:
Phase 1: Observe without judgment. Where to start? Which part of your game needs attention? The shot that seems worst to you is not always the easiest to change. However, it is right to choose the shot you want to change the most. Let the shot itself tell you if it wants to be modified; when you want to change something that is ready to be changed, the process goes smoothly.

Phase 2: Imagine the result you desire. Suppose you want a more powerful serve. The next step is to imagine it, or you could watch someone with a very powerful serve. Do not over-analyse; limit yourself to absorbing what you see and trying to feel what that tennis player feels. Self 2 is asked to behave in a way that reaches the desired results. This request is made by showing visual images and actively feeling every element of the desired shot. If you want the ball to land at the intersection of the lines, imagine the path and where it must go to hit the target. Do not try to correct past mistakes.

Phase 3: Believe in Self 2. Simply let your serve go. You asked for more power? Let it happen. It’s not magic. Give your body a chance to explore its possibilities, point by point. Whatever the result, let Self 1 go. If you don't get more power right away, don't force the serve. Trust the method and let it happen. If after a long time it doesn't improve, go back to the first point. After asking for a certain action from your body, give it the freedom to perform; trust the body without the conscious control of the mind.

Phase 4: Observe the change and the results without judgment. Add a layer of continuous observation and learning. Observe the process without controlling it; if you feel like interfering, don't. The more you trust the natural process, the less you will fall into the usual pattern of effort, harsh judgment, and consequent frustration. Keep in mind that while you allow one aspect of your shot to change, others will be affected. Continue serving until you feel you have created a groove; to verify its existence, perform a few serves focusing only on the ball to ensure it is not your mind telling the body what to do."

"Critical judgments lead to the vicious cycle of Self 1. When you strive to do an action well, it is difficult not to feel frustrated by failure or anxious to succeed. Both emotions distract your attention and prevent you from feeling what is happening. Negative judgment of your results pushes you to strive even harder, while positive judgment pushes you to strive to repeat the same pattern. Both positive and negative thinking inhibit spontaneity."

"I do not believe the mind can be controlled by the simple passive act of letting go. To calm it, one must learn to direct it somewhere. It must focus on something. Focus means keeping the mind in the here and now. A focused and relaxed mind is the greatest of arts: without it, one can achieve very little, but with it, one can achieve a great deal. The most effective way to increase concentration through sight is focusing on something not easily perceivable. It is easy to see the ball; it is less easy to see its seams while it moves. The ball is always here, and now, so the mind avoids wandering into the past and the future. However, the mind can hardly concentrate on a single object for a long period; a ball is not easily able to capture the attention of a mind accustomed to all kinds of distractions. The best way to concentrate for long periods of time is to be interested in the ball. Do not think you already know it entirely. No matter how many balls you have seen in your life, do not assume you know; this is a fundamental principle of Focus. Focus comes naturally when the mind is involved. How to stay focused on the here and now between points? My system, which has proven effective for many of my students, is to focus attention on the breath."

"Every game involves at least one player, a goal, an obstacle of some kind between the player and the goal, a physical and/or mental field on which it is played, and a reason to play."

"But who said I should be evaluated for how I do things? In general, who said I should be evaluated at all? Who? To free oneself from this trap, one must clearly understand that the value of a human being cannot be measured, neither by performance nor in any other way. Do we really think the value of an individual lies in their skills? It makes no sense to compare ourselves with other incommensurable beings. We are what we are; we are not our performances. A grade on a report card can measure how good we are at arithmetic, but not how much we are worth. I do not want others to judge how well I played or how hard I tried; these things do not define me and give me no reason to diminish myself."

"It is rarely recognised that the need for confirmation is based on insecurity and doubt. When competition is used to create one's image in relation to others, the worst of a person emerges: common fears and frustrations grow exaggeratedly. In competitive games, who provides a player with the obstacles they need to find their own limits? The opponent. Every player strives to defeat the other, but in any type of competition, you do not fight against the other person, but only against the obstacles they present to you. The goal might not be worth as much as the experience lived. The process one faces to win is more fulfilling than the victory itself."

"The difference between worrying about winning and worrying about committing to winning: if I only care about winning, I care about something I cannot fully control. When we become too attached to results we cannot control, we become anxious and exert excessive effort. However, one can control the effort put into winning; one can always do their best in every moment. This can help prevent anxiety; consequently, the energy that would have been spent on anxiety can be used to commit more."

"A wise person once told me: when it comes to obstacles, there are three types of people. The first considers most obstacles insurmountable and leaves. The second sees an obstacle and says: 'I can do it,' and starts digging to go under, climbing, or trying to break it down. The third type of person, before deciding whether to overcome an obstacle, looks for a vantage point to see what is beyond it. Then, only if the reward is worth the effort, do they try to overcome the obstacle."

"The cause of much stress is summarised by the word attachment. Freedom from stress does not require giving anything up, but being ready to give up anything if necessary, knowing that you will be fine anyway. It comes from being more independent. Not necessarily more solitary, but more autonomous, knowing you can count on your inner resources to be stable."