The Inner Game of Tennis
(50th Anniversary Edition)
The Classic Guide
to Peak Performance
HARDCOVER & eBOOK EDITIONS:
With millions of copies sold, Tim Gallwey’s ground breaking Inner Game books have influenced the lives of many.
Welcome to the Inner Game
How the Inner Game has been played for five decades and counting…
The first major learning step of The Inner Game theory is that within every human being, there are two selves rather than one.
Self 1 is the conscious ego mind
Self 2 is the human being itself.
Self 1 is the mind that we as human have invented on top of the real self that we were born with.
The Self 2 embodies all the inherent potential we are born with, including all capacities actualized and not yet actualized. It also embodies our innate ability to learn and to grow any of those inherent capacities. It is the self we all enjoyed as children and the self we most enjoy as adults when we allow ourselves to access it.
Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach a goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached.
~ Timothy Gallwey
Bill Gates on The Inner Game of Tennis
INSIGHT FROM BILL GATES
On the book,
The Inner Game of Tennis
Tennis has evolved over the years. The best players in the world today play a very different style from the champions of 50 years ago. But The Inner Game of Tennis is just as relevant today as it was in 1974. Even as the outer game has changed, the inner game has remained the same.
Gallwey had one particular insight that seems crazy the first time you hear it. “The secret to winning any game,” he wrote, “lies in not trying too hard.”
Learn more on the best guide to getting out of your own way, in Gates’ latest blog.
“The Inner Game of Tennis is surprisingly profound”, said Bill Gates. “Timothy Gallwey’s insights apply to tennis but also many other parts of life.”
“Gallwey acknowledged the importance of the outer game, but what he was really interested in, and what he thought was missing from most people’s approach, was the inner game. “This is the game that takes place in the mind of the player,” he wrote. Unlike the outer game, where your opponent is the person on the other side of the net, the inner game “is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt, and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.”
“That idea resonated with me so well that I read the book several times, which is unusual for me. Before I read it, in just about every match I would say to myself at some point: “I’m so mad that I missed that shot. I’m so bad at this.” That negative reinforcement would linger, so during the next point, I was still thinking about that bad shot. Gallwey presented ways of letting go of those negative feelings and getting out of your own way so you could move on to the next point.”
About The Inner Game
What is The Inner Game?
In every human endeavor there are two arenas of engagement: the outer and the inner.
The outer game is played on an external arena to overcome external obstacles to reach an external goal.
The inner game takes place within the mind of the player and is played against such obstacles as fear, self-doubt, lapses in focus, and limiting concepts or assumptions.
The Inner Game reveals an approach to accelerated learning and achievement. It challenges you to re-examine everything that you do including your own fundamental motivations for doing things and your definitions of what success really is. It helps you define the landscape of what we term as a high performing interdependent organization.
“All human activity can be divided into two major parts: the outer game and the internal. Without some mastery of the often-neglected skills and goals of The Inner Game, success in any outer game is not only difficult, but is also relatively meaningless.”
The Inner Game is a proven method to overcome the self-imposed obstacles that prevent an individual or team from accessing their full potential.
About Timothy Gallwey
Inner Game’s Founder
In every human endeavor there are two arenas of engagement: the outer and the inner.
The outer game is played on an external arena to overcome external obstacles to reach an external goal.
The inner game takes place within the mind of the player and is played against such obstacles as fear, self-doubt, lapses in focus, and limiting concepts or assumptions.
An Introduction by Inner Game Founder, W. Timothy Gallwey
“Grow potential and reduce self-interference. Don’t just be a doer in life; whatever you are doing, learn, evolve, and maximize your enjoyment of the limited time you are given.“
The Inner Game Institute
EXPLORING NEW PATHS
The more I trust, the easier it is to be aware. The more aware I am, the easier it is to see my choices.
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCES
Learning is about the unknown.
The most valuable learning and development will take place from your interaction with your work experience.
PRACTICE OF FOCUS
Focus can not be forced. Trying hard to concentrate doesn’t work. The practice of Focus is to be nonjudgmental.
The Inner Game is a Game for All
Inner Game Applied
Everyone is encouraged to discover how to apply The Inner Game to expand their potential for success and satisfaction:
? Executives ? Employees ? Athletes ? Parents ? Students ? Teachers ? Coaches ? Consultants ? Human Beings wanting fulfillment in life
Individuals and groups alike can benefit from integrating the Inner Game into their personal and professional lives. These universal concepts are applicable to every life situation, helping improve personal excellence in your relationships, business, physical performance, and most importantly, you level of internal satisfaction.
Association for Coaching Interview with Tim Gallwey
It is impossible to achieve mastery or satisfaction in any endeavor without first developing some degree of mastery of the relatively neglected skills of the inner game. Most of us have experienced days when our self-interference was at a minimum. Whether on a sports field, at work, or in some creative effort, we have all had moments in which our actions flowed from us with a kind of effortless excellence. Athletes have called this state, “playing in the zone.” Generally at these times our mind is quiet and focused. But whatever it’s called, when we’re there, we excel, we learn, and we enjoy ourselves. Unfortunately most of us have also experienced times when everything we do seems difficult. With minds filled with self-criticism, hesitation, and over-analysis, our actions were awkward, mis-timed, and ineffective. Obviously we all would prefer to have more of the first and less of the second.
A Conversation with Coach Pete Carroll
This 90 minute video showcases Pete Carroll and his mentor, Tim Gallwey, discussing sports, coaching, and Q&A with a live audience. This uncut version of the candid conversation is sure to engage fans of all sports, and anyone interested in performance psychology and Inner Game principles.
From Sport to Corporate Performance
Once upon a time, the Vice President of the largest company in the world took an Inner Game lesson and said: “You’ve found a better way to change.” He hired me to help transform AT&T from an old school monopoly into a modern competitive enterprise.
Using inner game methods, leaders enjoyed creating a new company and a new buyer centered approach to selling. The technicians became as curious as children, losing their fear of seeming unprofessional, while thousands of telephone operators learned to enjoy and truly benefit from their seemingly routine work. For AT&T, this was a game changer. Learn More about Inner Game Corporate Offerings…
Connect with The Inner Game
We would love to hear from you!
Request a consultation. Send an inquiry.
Share your feedback and questions...
More Info
Tim Gallwey lives in Thousand Oaks CA, and when he isn’t touring the globe on speaking engagements, he’s facilitating workshops and The School in LA, and working on ways to make the applications of the Inner Game more accessible internationally to corporations and various conventions on coaching, learning, and peak performance and most importantly continuing to learn more and more in his own understanding the inner dimension of his own life..
Address:
14011 Ventura Blvd Suite 502, Sherman Oaks CA 91432