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


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 30 South Central PA


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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As many players know, the right mental approach is as important as a good backhand; essential in overcom- ing self-doubt, nervousness, anxiety, detrimental playing habits and lapses in concentration. Gallwey offers the example of a player who isn’t hitting the ball in the center of the racquet. “The ordinary tennis pro will analyze the mechanical reasons for why this is happening,” he says, “such as not stepping into the ball, not look- ing at it or hitting it too late. An inner game instructor ‘observes’ where the ball hits the racquet and makes sugges- tions. The body makes its own adjust- ment to hitting the ball in the middle of the racquet without trying to digest instructions, simply because it feels and works better.”


Gallwey likens it to the natural learning process we use as children before it becomes clouded with shoulds and should-nots as adults. He further points out that it’s wise not to attempt to quiet the mind by telling it to shut up, argue with it or criticize it for be- ing self-critical. “A good first step is focusing on only those aspects that are needed to accomplish the task at hand,” he counsels.


Simon Rogers, a tennis profession- al in Harrisburg and owner of Basildon Financial, has adopted and shared Gall- wey’s inner game principles. “I first read the book back in the mid-1980’s and was blown away. I used the techniques in my own competitive game with great success. As a coach, I’ve shared this method with world- class juniors to produce professional Davis Cup players who won 11 grand slam titles and an Olympic bronze. Simply put, the techniques work! ‘Pa- ralysis by analysis’ means when I am thinking, I am not totally free to be free. The great athletes make it look easy because they have gotten out of their own way and allow things to flow, as Gallwey suggests in his book.” Observing behavior without judg- ing it as positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad is the key. “Habits change when you become aware of them,” concludes Gallwey.


Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings magazines.


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