fitbody


Play the Inner Game P


erformance equals potential, minus interference, is the easy-to-remem- ber winning formula explained in Tim Gallwey’s seminal book, The Inner Game of Tennis. To enhance any player’s performance, he recommends either growing personal potential or decreasing interference, or both. “Whether on a sports field, at work or in some creative effort, we’ve all had mo- ments in which our actions flowed from us with a


kind of effortless excellence,” he notes. “This is referred to as ‘being in the zone,’ when self- interference is at a minimum and the mind is quiet and focused.” Gallwey discovered how to pro- mote this valued state of being while serving as a tennis professional in Seaside, California, during a sabbati- cal from his career in higher educa- tion. In the midst of a tennis lesson, he had an epiphany about his style of teaching—many of his tips were being incorporated into the stu- dents’ minds in what he calls a “command and control


self-dialogue” that significantly interfered with their ability to learn and perform better.


“When I discussed this 28 Collier/Lee Counties swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com


Quiet the Mind to Learn, Excel and Have Fun by Linda Sechrist


with my students, I discerned that most of their thoughts while playing were preventing their true focus of attention. This resulted in my exploring ways to help players quiet the mind, as well as focus on our direct and non-judg- mental observation of ball, body and racquet positions in a way that would heighten learning, performance and en- joyment of the process,” says Gallwey. Since then, he’s built his practical training ideas related to awareness, concentration, breaking bad habits and learning to trust one’s self on the court upon a foundation of Zen think- ing and humanistic psychology. He offers a simple explanation of his inner game concept.


“Every game is composed of two parts. Self-1, the ego-mind, plays the outer game against opponents, is filled with lots of contradictory advice and is linked to external rewards and goals. The inner game is played within a player’s mind by Self-1, whose principle ob- stacles are self-doubt and anxiety,” explains Gallwey. Laden with self-criticism, judgment and the fear of looking foolish or wrong, as well as lapses in concentration, Self-1 is counterproductive and negatively impacts external performance. “Self-2, on the other hand, is the player’s natural ability—the doer of the actual movement of the muscles to hit the ball. Our best effort requires us to quiet Self-1 and let Self- 2, which likes images and pictures, do what it knows how to do.”


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