W. Timothy Gallwey - The Inner Game of Tennis

8/12/2019 W. Timothy Gallwey - The Inner Game of Tennis

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The Inner Gameof TennisW Timothy GallweyJonathan CapeThirty-two Bedford Square London

Every ame is !omposed of two parts" an outer ame and an innerame# The outer ame is played aainst an e$ternal opponent toover!ome e$ternal o%sta!les" and to rea!h an e$ternal oal# &as- -tarin this ame is the su%'e!t of many %oo(s offerin instru!tions )on how to swin a ra!(et" !lu% or %at" and how to position arms"les or torso to a!hieve the %est results# But for some reason mostof us find these instru!tions easier to remem%er than to e$e!ute#It is the thesis of this %oo( that neither mastery nor satisfa!tion!an %e found in the playin of any ame without ivin some atten-

tion to the relatively nele!ted s(ills of the inner ame# This is theame that ta(es pla!e in the mind of the player" and it is playedaainst su!h o%sta!les as lapses in !on!entration" nervousness"self-dou%t and self-!ondemnation# In short" it is played to over-!ome all ha%its of mind whi!h inhi%it e$!ellen!e in performan!e#We often wonder why we play so well one day and so poorly thene$t" or why we !lut!h durin !ompetition" or %low easy shots# *ndwhy does it ta(e so lon to %rea( a %ad ha%it and learn a new one+,i!tories in the inner ame may provide no additions to the trophy!ase" %ut they %rin valua%le rewards whi!h are permanent andwhi!h !ontri%ute sinifi!antly to ones su!!ess thereafter" off the!ourt as well as on#The player of the inner ame !omes to value the art of rela$ed!on!entration a%ove all other s(ills. he dis!overs a true %asis forself-!onfiden!e. and he learns that the se!ret to winnin any amelies in not tryin too hard# /e aims at the (ind of spontaneous per-forman!e whi!h o!!urs only when the mind is !alm and seems atone with the %ody" whi!h finds its own surprisin ways to surpassits own limits aain and aain# &oreover" while over!omin the!ommon han-ups of !ompetition" the player of the inner ameun!overs a will to win whi!h unlo!(s all his enery and whi!h is

never dis!ouraed %y losin#There is a far more natural and effe!tive pro!ess for learninand doin almost anythin than most of us reali0e# It is similar tothe pro!ess we all used" %ut soon forot" as we learned to wal( andtal(# It uses the so-!alled un!ons!ious mind more than the deli%er-ate 1self-!ons!ious1 mind" the spinal and mid%rain areas of thenervous system more than the !ere%ral !orte$# This pro!ess doesnthave to %e learned. we already (now it# *ll that is needed is to un-learn those ha%its whi!h interfere with it and then to 'ust let it hap-

pen#To e$plore the limitless potential within the human %ody is the

quest of the Inner Game. in this %oo( it will %e e$plored throuhthe medium of tennis#


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23Introdu!tion

The pro%lems whi!h most perple$ tennisplayers are not those deal-

in with the proper way to swin a ra!(et# Boo(s and professionalsivin this information a%ound# 4or do most players !omplaine$!essively a%out physi!al limitations# The most !ommon !om-

plaint of sportsmen rinin down the !orridors of the aes is"1Its not that I dont (now what to do" its that I dont do what I(now51 6ther !ommon !omplaints that !ome !onstantly to the at-tention of the tennis pro)When Im pra!ti!in" I play very well" %ut when I et into amat!h# I fall apart#I (now e$a!tly what Im doin wron on my forehand" 2 'ust !antseem to %rea( the ha%it#

When Im really tryin hard to do the stro(e the way it says to inthe %oo(# I flu% the shot every time# When I !on!entrate on onethin Im supposed to %e doin" I foret somethin else#Every time I et near mat!h point aainst a ood player" I et sonervous I lose my !on!entration#Im my own worst enemy. I usually %eat myself#&ost players of any sport run into these or similar diffi!ulties allthe time" yet there are few professionals and fewer %oo(s that dealwith the mental side of sports with any depth of insiht# The playeris usually left with su!h warmed-over aphorisms as" 1Well" tennisis a very psy!holoi!al ame" and you have to develop the propermental attitudes# 7ou have to %e !onfident and possess the will towin or else youll always %e a loser#1 But how !anone 1%e !onfident1or develop the 1proper mental attitudes1+ These questions areusually left unanswered#So there seems to %e room for !omment on the improvement ofthe mental pro!esses whi!h translate the (nowlede of how to hita %all into the !orrespondin %odily a!tion# /ow to develop themental s(ills" without whi!h hih performan!e is impossi%le" is thesu%'e!t of The Inner Game of Tennis#28

The Typi!alTennis LessonImaine what oes on inside the head of an eaer student ta(in alesson from an equally eaer new tennis pro# Suppose that the stu-dent is a middle-aed %usinessman %ent on improvin his positionon the !lu% ladder# The pro is standin at the net with a lare

%as(et of %alls" and %ein a %it un!ertain whether his student is!onsiderin him worth the lesson fee" he is !arefully evaluatinevery shot# 1Thats ood" %ut youre rollin your ra!(et fa!e overa little on your follow-throuh" &r# Weil# 4ow shift your weiht

onto your front foot as you step into the %all# # # 4ow youre ta(inyour ra!(et %a!( too late # # # 7our %a!(swin should %e a little


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lower than on that last shot# # # Thats it" mu!h %etter"1 Beforelon" &r# Weils mind is !hurnin with si$ thouhts a%out what heshould %e doin and si$teen thouhts a%out what he shouldnt %edoin# Improvement seems du%ious and very !omple$" %ut %oth heand the pro are impressed %y the !areful analysis of ea!h stro(e

and the fee is ladly paid upon re!eipt of the advi!e to 1pra!ti!eall this" and eventually youll see a %i improvement#1*s a new pro" 2 too was uilty of overtea!hin" %ut one day when Iwas in a rela$ed mood" I %ean sayin less and noti!in more# Errorsthat I saw %ut didnt mention were !orre!tin themselves withoutthe student ever (nowin he had made them# /ow were the !haneshappenin+ Thouh I found this interestin" it was a little hard onmy eo" whi!h didnt quite see how it was oin to et its due !reditfor the improvements %ein made# It was an even reater %lowwhen I reali0ed that sometimes ver%al instru!tion to a !ons!ien-tious student seemed to de!rease the pro%a%ility of the desired

!orre!tion o!!urrin#*ll tea!hin pros (now what Im tal(in a%out# They all have stu-dents li(e one of mine named 9orothy# I would ive 9orothy aentle" low-pressured instru!tion li(e" 1Why dont you try liftinthe follow-throuh up from your waist to the level of your shoulder+The topspin will (eep the %all in the !ourt#1 Sure enouh" 9orothywould try with everythin she had# The mus!les would tensearound her mouth. her eye%rows would set in a determined frown.the mus!les in her forearm would tihten" ma(in fluidity im-

possi%le. and the follow-throuh would end only a few in!heshiher# *t this point" the sto!( response of the patient pro is"1Thats %etter" 9orothy" %ut rela$" dear" dont try so hard51The advi!e is ood as far as it oes" %ut 9orothy does not under-stand how to 1rela$"1

Why should 9orothy-or you or I-e$perien!e an aw(wardtihtenin when performin a desired a!tion whi!h is not physi!allydiffi!ult+ What happens inside the head %etween the time the in-stru!tion is iven and the swin is !omplete+ The first limmer ofan answer to this (ey question !ame to me at a moment of rare in-

siht after a lesson with 9orothy) 1Whateversoin on in her head"its too damn mu!h5 Shes tryin too hard" and its partly my fault#1Then and there" I promised myself I would !ut down on the quan-tity of ver%al instru!tions#&y ne$t lesson that day was with a %einner named :aul who hadnever helda ra!(et# I was determined to show himhow to play usinas few instru!tions as possi%le. Id try to (eep his mind un!lutteredand see if it made a differen!e# So I started %y tellin :aul I wastiyinsomethmnewrlwasointos(ipentirelymyusuale$plana-tions to %einnin players a%out the proper rip" stro(e and foot-wor( for the %asi! forehand# Instead" I was oin to hit ten fore-

hands myself" and I wanted him to wat!h !arefully" not thin(ina%out what I was doin" %ut simply tryin to rasp a visual imae of


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the forehand# /e was to repeat the imae in his mind several timesand then 'ust let his %ody imitate# *fter I had hit ten forehands" :aulimained himself doin the same# Then" as I put the ra!(et into hishand" slidin it into the !orre!t rip" he said to me" 1I noti!ed thatthe first thin you did was to move your feet#1 I replied with a non-

!ommittal runt and as(ed him to let his %ody imitate the forehandas well as it !ould# /e dropped the %all" too( a perfe!t %a!(swin"swun forward" ra!(et level" and with natural fluidity ended theswin at shoulder heiht" perfe!t for his first attempt5 But wait" hisfeet. they hadnt moved an in!h from the perfe!t ready positionhe had assumed %efore ta(in his ra!(et %a!(# They were nailed tothe !ourt# I pointed to them" and :aul said" 16h yeah" I forot a%outthem51 The one element of the stro(e :aul had tried to remem%erwas the one thin he didnt do5 Everythin else had %een a%sor%edand reprodu!ed without a word %ein uttered or an instru!tion

%ein iven5

I was %einnin to learn what all ood pros and students of tennismust learn) that imaes are %etter than words" showin %etter thantellin" too mu!h instru!tion worse than none" and that !ons!ioustryin often produ!es neative results# 6ne question perple$ed me)Whats wron with tryin+ What does it mean to try too hard+

:layin 6utof 7our &ind

;efle!t on the state of mind of a player who is said to %e 1hot1 or1on his ame#1 Is he thin(in a%out how he should hit ea!h shot+Is he thin(in at all+ Listen to the phrases !ommonly used to de-s!ri%e aplayerathis %est) 1/esoutof his mind1. 1/es playin overhis head1. 1/es un!ons!ious1. 1/e doesnt (now what hes doin#12The !ommon fa!tor in ea!h of these des!riptions is what miht %e!alled 1mindlessness#1 There seems to %e an intuitive sense that themind is trans!ended-or at least in part rendered inoperative# *th-letes in most sports use similar phrases" and the %est of them (nowthat their pea( performan!e never !omes when theyre thin(ina%out it#Clearly" to play un!ons!iously does not mean to play without

!ons!iousness# That would %e quite diffi!ult5 In fa!t" someoneplayin 1out of his mind1 is more aware of the %all" the !ourt" and"when ne!essary" his opponent# But he is not aware of ivin him-self a lot of instru!tions" thin(in a%out how to hit the %all" how to!orre!t past mista(es or how to repeat what he 'ust did# /e is!ons!ious" %ut not thin(in" not over-tryin# * player in this state(nows where he wants the %all to o" %ut he doesnt have to 1tryhard1 to send it there# It 'ust seems to happen-and often with morea!!ura!y then he !ould have hoped for# The player seems to %e im-mersed in a flow of a!tion whi!h requires his enery" yet resultsin reater power and a!!ura!y# The 1hot strea(1 usually !on-

tinues until he starts thin(in a%out it and tries to maintain it. assoon as he attempts to e$er!ise !ontrol" he loses it#


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To test this theory is a simple matter" if you dont mind a littleunderhanded amesmanship# The ne$t time your opponent is hav-inahot strea(" simply as( him as you swit!h !ourts" 1Say" Geore"what are you doin so differently thats ma(in your forehand soood today+1If he ta(es the %ait-and


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would %e no !onversation" so one !ould say that within ea!h playerthere are two 1selves#1 6ne" the 1I"1 seems to ive instru!tions. theother" 1myself"1 seems to perform the a!tion# Then 1I1 returns withan evaluation of the a!tion# or !larity lets !all the 1teller1 Self 2and the 1doer1 Self >#

4ow we are ready for the first ma'or postulate of the Inner Game)within ea!h player the (ind of relationship that e$ists %etween Self2 and Self > is the prime fa!tor in determinin ones a%ility to trans-late his (nowlede of te!hnique into effe!tive a!tion# In otherwords" the (ey to %etter tennis-or %etter anythin-lies in improv-in the relationship %etween the !ons!ious teller" Self 2" and theun!ons!ious" automati! doer" Self >#>=

The Typi!al;elationship

%etween Self >and Self 2Imaine that instead of %ein parts of the same person" Self 2tellerD and Self > doerD are two separate persons# /ow would you!hara!teri0e their relationship after witnessin the followin!onversation %etween them+ The player on the !ourt is tryin toma(e a stro(e improvement# 16(ay" dammit" (eep your stupidwrist firm"1 he orders# Then as %all after %all !omes over the net"Self 2 reminds Self >" 1Aeep it firm# Aeep it firm# Aeep it firm51 &o-notonous+ Thin( how Self > must feel5 It seems as thouh Self 2doesnt thin( Self > hears well" or has a short memory" or is stupid#The truth is" of !ourse" that Self >" whi!h in!ludes the un!ons!iousmind and nervous system" hears everythin" never forets anythin"and is anythin %ut stupid# *fter hittin the %all firmly on!e" he(nows forever whi!h mus!les to !ontra!t to do it aain# Thats hisnature#*nd whats oin on durin the hit itself+ If you loo( !losely atthe fa!e of the player" you will see that his !hee( mus!les are tiht-enin and his lips are pursed in effort and attempted !on!entration#But fa!e mus!les arent required to hit the %a!(hand" nor do theyhelp !on!entration# Whos initiatin that effort+ Self 2" of !ourse#

But why+ /es supposed to %e the teller" not the doer" %ut it seems hedoesnt really trust > to do the 'o% or else he wouldnt have to do allthe wor( himself# This is the nu% of the pro%lem) Self 2 does nottrust Self >" even thouh the un!ons!ious" automati! self is e$-tremely !ompetent#Ba!( to our player# /is mus!les tense in over-effort" !onta!t ismade with the %all" there is a sliht fli!( of the wrist" and the %allhits the %a!( fen!e# 17ou %um" youll never learn how to hit a %a!(-hand"1 Self 2 !omplains# By thin(in too mu!h and tryin too hard"Self 2 has produ!ed tension and mus!le !onfli!t in the %ody# /e isresponsi%le for the error" %ut he heaps the %lame on Self > and then"

%y !ondemnin it further" undermines his own !onfiden!e in Self >#*s a result the stro(e rows worse and frustration %uilds#


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>

1Tryin /ard1)* Fuestiona%le,irtue

>8/avent we %een told sin!e !hildhood that were never oin toamountto anythin unless we try hard+ So what does it mean whenwe o%serve someone who is tryin too hard+ Is it %est to try mediumhard+ 6r miht the answer depend on the person doin the tryin+Equipped with the !on!ept of the two selves" see if you !an answerthis seemin parado$ for yourself after readin the followin il-lustration# Wat!h the en parado$ of 1effortless effort1 dissolve#6ne day while I was wonderin a%out these matters" a very!heery and attra!tive housewife !ame to me for a lesson !omplain-in that she was a%out to ive up the ame of tennis# She was really

very dis!ouraed %e!ause" as she said" 1Im really not well !o-ordinated at all# I want to et ood enouh that my hus%and will as(me to play mi$ed dou%les with him without ma(in it sound li(e afamily o%liation#1 When I as(ed her what the pro%lem seemed to

%e" she said" 1or one thin" I !ant hit the %all on the strins. mostof the time I hit it on the wood#11Lets ta(e a loo("1 I said" rea!hin into my %as(et of %alls# I hither ten waist-hih forehands near enouh so that she didnt have tomove for them# I was surprised that she hit eiht out of ten %allseither dire!tly on the wood or partly on the strins" partly on theframe# 7et her stro(e was ood enouh# I was pu00led# She hadnt

%een e$aeratin her pro%lem# I wondered if it was her eyesiht"%ut she assured me that her eyes were perfe!t#So I told Joan wed try a few e$periments# irst I as(ed her to tryvery hard to hit the %all on the !enter of the ra!(et# I was uessinthat this miht produ!e even worse results" whi!h would prove my

point a%out tryin too hard# But new theories dont always pan out.%esides" it ta(es alot of talent to hit eiht out of ten %alls on the nar-row frame of a ra!(et# This time" she manaed to hit only si$ %allson the wood# 4e$t" I told her to try to hit the %alls on the frame#This time she hit only four on the wood and made ood !onta!t

with si$# She was a %it surprised" %ut too( the !han!e to ive herSelf > a (no!(" sayin" 16h" I !an never do anythin I try to51 *!-tually" she was !lose to an important truth# It was %e!omin !learthat her way of tryin wasnt helpful#So %efore hittin the ne$t set of %alls" I as(ed Joan" 1This time Iwant you to fo!us your mind on the seams of the %all# 9ont thin(a%out ma(in !onta!t# In fa!t" dont try to hit the %all at all# Justlet your ra!(et !onta!t the %all where it wants to" and well see whathappens#1 Joan loo(ed more rela$ed" and her ra!(et pro!eededto hit nine out of ten %alls dead !enter5 6nly the last %all !auhtthe frame# I as(ed her if she was aware of what was oin throuh

her mind as she swun at the last %all# 1Sure"1 she replied with alilt in her voi!e" 1I was thin(in I miht ma(e a tennis player after


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all#1 She was riht#

Joan was %einnin to sense the differen!e %etween 1tryinhard#1the enery of Self 2" and 1effort"1 the enery used %y Self >"to do the wor( ne!essary# 9urin the last set of %alls" Self 2 was fully

o!!upied in wat!hin the seams of the %all# *s a result" Self > wasa%le to do its own thin unimpaired" and it proved to %e pretty oodat it# Even Self 2 was startin to re!oni0e the talents of >. she wasettin them toether#Gettin it toether mentally in tennis involves the learnin ofseveral internal s(ills) 2D learnin to proram your !omputer Self >with imaes rather than instru!tin yourself with words. >D learninto 1trust thyself1 Self >D to do what you Self 2D as( of it# This meanslettin Self > hit the %all and 3D learnin to see 1non'udmentally1-that is" to see what is happenin rather than merely noti!in howwell or how %adly it is happenin# This over!omes 1tryin too

hard@ */ these s(ills are su%sidiary to the master s(ill" withoutwhi!h nothin of value isever a!hieved) the art of !on!entration#The Inner Game of Tennis will ne$t e$plore a way to learn theses(ills" usin tennis as a medium#>H

We have arrived at a (ey point) it is the !onstant 1thin(in1 a!tivityof Self 2" the eo-mind" whi!h !auses interferen!e with the naturaldoin pro!esses of Self ># /armony %etween the two selves e$istswhen the mind itself is quiet# 6nly when the mind is still is ones

pea( performan!e rea!hed#When a tennis player is 1on his ame"1 hes not thin(in a%outhow" when" or even where to hit the %all# /es not tryin to hit the

%all" and after the shot he doesnt thin( a%out how %adly or how wellhe made !onta!t# The %all seems to et hit throuh an automati!

pro!ess whi!h doesnt require thouht# There may %e an awarenessof the siht" sound and feel of the %all" and even of the ta!ti!al situa-tion" %ut the player 'ust seems to (now without thin(in what to do#Listen to how 9# T# Su0u(i" the renowned en master" des!ri%esthe effe!ts of the eo-mind on ar!hery in his foreword to en in the*rt of *r!hery)

*s soon as we refle!t" deli%erate" and !on!eptuali0e" the oriinalun!ons!iousness is lost and a thouht interferes# # # The arrowis off the strin %ut does not fly straiht to the taret" nor doesthe taret stand where it is# Cal!ulation"" whi!h is mis!al!ulation"sets in###&an is a thin(in reed %ut his reat wor(s are done when he isnot !al!ulatin and thin(in# 1Childli(eness1 has to %e restoredwith lon years of trainin in self-foretfulness#:erhaps this is why it is said that reat poetry is %orn in silen!e#Great musi! and art are said to arise from the quiet depths of theun!ons!ious" and true e$pressions of love are said to !ome from a

sour!e whi!h lies %eneath words and thouhts# So it is with thereatest efforts in sports. they !ome when the mind is as still as a


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lass la(e#Su!h moments have %een !alled 1pea( e$perien!es1 %y thehumanisti! psy!holoist 9r# *%raham &aslow# ;esear!hin the!ommon !hara!teristi!s of persons havin su!h e$perien!es" hereports the followin des!riptive phrases) 1/e feels more inte-

rated1 the two selves are one " 1feels at one with the e$perien!e"11is relatively eoless1 quiet mind '" 1feels at the pea( of his powers"11fully fun!tionin"1 1is in the roove"1 1effortless"1 1free of %lo!(s"inhi%itions" !autions" fears" dou%ts" !ontrols" reservations" self-!riti!isms" %ra(es"1 1he is spontaneous andmore !reative" 11is mosthere-now"1 1is non-strivin" non-needin" non-wishin ### he 'ustis#132

If you refle!t upon your own hihest moments or pea( e$peri-en!es" it is li(ely that you will re!all feelins that these phrases

des!ri%e# 7ou will pro%a%ly also remem%er them as moments ofreat pleasure" even e!stasy# 9urin su!h e$perien!es" the minddoes not a!t li(e a separate entity tellin you what you should door !riti!i0in how you do it# It is quiet. you are 1toether"1 and thea!tion flows as free as a river#When this happens on the tennis !ourt" we are !on!entratinwithout tryin to !on!entrate# We feel spontaneous and alert# Wehave an inner assuran!e that we !an do what needs to %e done" with-out havin to 1try hard#1 We simply (now the a!tion will !ome"and when it does" we dont feel li(e ta(in !redit. rather" we feelfortunate" 1ra!ed#1 *s Su0u(i says" we %e!ome 1!hildli(e#1The imae !omes to my mind of the %alan!ed movement of a !atstal(ina %ird# Effortlessly alert" he !rou!hes" atherin his rela$edmus!les for the sprin# 4o thin(in a%out when to 'ump" nor how hewill push off with his hind les to attain the proper distan!e" hismind is still and perfe!tly !on!entrated on his prey# 4o thouhtflashes into his !ons!iousness of the possi%ility or !onsequen!esof missin his mar(# /e sees only %ird# Suddenly the %ird ta(es off.at the same instant" the !at leaps# With perfe!t anti!ipation he inter-!epts his dinner two feet off the round# :erfe!tly" thouhtlesslye$e!uted a!tion" and afterward" no self-!onratulations" 'ust the

reward inherent in his a!tion) the %ird in the mouth#In rare moments" tennis players approa!h the unthin(in spon-taneity of the leopard# These moments seem to o!!ur most fre-quently when players are volleyin %a!( and forth at the net# 6ftenthe e$!hane of shots at su!h short quarters is so rapid that a!tionfaster than thouht is required# These moments are e$hilaratin"and the players are often ama0ed to find that they ma(e perfe!t

pla!ements aainst shots they didnt even e$pe!t to rea!h# &ovinmore qui!(ly than they thouht they !ould" they have no time to

plan. the perfe!t shot 'ust !omes# *nd feelin that they didnt e$e-!ute the shot deli%erately" they often !all it lu!(. %ut if it happens

repeatedly" one %eins to trust oneself and feel a deep sense of !on-fiden!e#


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3>

In short" 1ettin it toether1 requires slowin the mind# Fuiet-in the mind means less thin(in" !al!ulatin" 'udin" worryin"fearin" hopin" tryin" rerettin" !ontrollin" 'itterin or distra!t-

in# The mind is still when it is totally here and now in perfe!t one-ness with the a!tion and the a!tor# It is the purpose of the InnerGame to in!rease the frequen!y and the duration of these mo-ments" quietin the mind %y derees and reali0in there%y a !ontin-ual e$pansion of our !apa!ity to learn and perform#*t this point the question naturally arises) 1/ow !an I still mymind+16r 1/ow !an I (eep from thin(in on the tennis !ourt+1 Theanswer is simple) 'ust stop5 *san e$periment the reader miht wantto put down this %oo( for a minute and simply stop thin(in# Seehow lon you !an remain in a perfe!tly thouhtless state# 6neminute+ Ten se!onds+ If you were a%le to quiet your mind" there

is no reason to read further in this %oo( %e!ause you already (nowthe (ey to a !on!entrated mind" and there%y the se!ret that revealsall lifes other se!rets and the sour!e of truth and 'oy# &ore thanli(ely" however" you found it diffi!ult" perhaps impossi%le" to stillthe mind !ompletely# 6ne thouht led to another" then to another"et!#or most of us" quietin the mind is a radual pro!ess involvinthe learnin of several inner s(ills# These inner s(ills are really artsof forettin mental ha%its a!quired sin!e we were !hildren#The first s(ill to learn is the art of lettin o the human in!linationto 'ude ourselves and our performan!e as either ood or %ad#Lettin o of the 'udin pro!ess is a %asi! (ey to the Inner Game.its meanin will emere as you read the remainder of this !hapter#When we &r!learn how to %e 'udmental" it is possi%le to a!hievespontaneous" !on!entrated play#33

Lettin Goof JudmentsTo see the pro!ess of 'udment in a!tion" o%serve almost any tennis

mat!h or lesson# Wat!h !losely the fa!e of the hitter and you willsee e$pressions of 'udmental thouhts o!!urrin in his mind#rowns o!!ur after ea!h 1%ad1 shot" and e$pressions of self-satisfa!tion after every shot 'uded as parti!ularly 1ood#1 6ftenthe 'udments will %e e$pressed ver%ally in a vo!a%ulary whi!hranes widely" dependin on the player and the deree of his li(e ordisli(e of his shot# Sometimes the 'udment is most !learly per-!eived in the tone of voi!e used rather than the words themselves#The de!laration" 17ou rolled your ra!(et over aain"1 !an %e saidas a %itin self-!riti!ism or a simple o%servation of fa!t" dependinon the tone of voi!e# The imperatives" 1Wat!h the %all"1 or 1&ove

your feet"1 !an %e uttered as an en!ouraement to the %ody or as a%elittlin !ondemnation of its past performan!e#


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To understand more !learly what is meant %y 'udment" imainea sinles mat!h %ein played %y &r# * and &r# B" with &r# C a!tinas the umpire# &r# * is servin his se!ond serve to &r# B on the first

point of a tie-%rea(er# The %all lands wide" and &r# C !alls" 16ut#9ou%le fault#1 Seein his serve land out and hearin" 19ou%le

fault#1 &r# * frowns" says somethin demeanin a%out himself"and !alls the serve 1terri%le#1Seein the same stro(e" &r# B# 'udesit as 1ood1 and smiles# The umpire neither frowns nor smiles) hesimply !alls the %all as he sees it#What is important to see here is that neither the 1oodness1 nor1%adness1 as!ri%ed to the event %y the players is an attri%ute of theshot itself# ;ather" they are evaluations added to the event in theminds of the players a!!ordin to their individual rea!tions# &r# *is sayin" in effe!t" 1I dont li(e that event1. &r# B is sayin" 1I li(ethat event#1 The umpire" here ironi!ally !alled the 'ude" doesnt

'ude the event as positive or neative. he simply sees the %all land

and !alls it out# If the event o!!urs several more times" &r# * willet very upset" &r# B will !ontinue to %e pleased" and the umpire"sittin a%ove the s!ene" will still %e notin with deta!hed interestall that is happenin#What I mean %y 'udment is the a!t of assinin a neative or

positive value to an event# In effe!t it is sayin that some eventswithin your e$perien!e are ood and you li(e them" and otherevents in your e$perien!e are %ad and you dont li(e them# 7oudont li(e the siht of yourself hittin a %all into the net" %ut you

'ude as ood the siht of your opponent %ein a!ed %y your serve#Thus" 'udments are our personal" eo rea!tions to the sihts"sounds" feelins and thouhts within our e$perien!e#3K

What does this have to do with tennis+ Well" it is the initial a!tof 'udment whi!h provo(es a thin(in pro!ess# irst the playersmind 'udes one of his shots as %ad or ood# If he 'udes it as %ad"he %eins thin(in a%out what was wron with it# Then he tells him-self how to !orre!t it# Then he tries hard" ivin himself instru!tionsas he does so# inally he evaluates aain# 6%viously the mind isanythin %ut still and the %ody is tiht with tryin# If the shot is

evaluated as ood" Self 2 starts wonderin how he hit su!h a oodshot. then tries to et his %ody to repeat the pro!ess %y ivin self-instru!tions" tryin hard" and so on# Both mental pro!esses end infurther evaluation" whi!h perpetuates the pro!ess of thin(in andself-!ons!ious performan!e# *s a !onsequen!e" the playersmus!les tihten when they need to %e loose" stro(es %e!ome aw(-ward and less fluid" and neative evaluations are li(ely to !ontinuewith rowin intensity#*fter Self 2 has evaluated several shots" he is li(ely to startenerali0in# Instead of 'udin a sinle event as 1another %ad

%a!(hand"1 he starts thin(in" 17ou have a terri%le %a!(hand#1

Instead of sayin" 17ou were nervous on that point"1 he eneral-i0es" 17oure the worst !ho(e artist in the !lu%#1 6ther !ommon


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'udmental enerali0ations are" 1Im havin a %ad day"1 1I alwaysmiss the easy ones" 1Im slow"1 et!#It is interestin to see how the 'udmental mind e$tends itself#It may %ein %y !omplainin" 1What a lousy serve"1 thene$tendto1Im servin %adly today#1 *fter a few more 1%ad1 serves" the

'udment may %e!ome further e$tended to 1I have a terri%le serve#1Then" 1m a lousy tennis player"1 and finally" Tm no ood#1 irstthe mind 'udes the event" then roupsevents" then identifies withthe !om%ined event" and finally 'udes itself#*s a result" what usually happens is that these self-'udments

%e!ome self-fulfillin prophe!ies# That is" they are !ommuni!a-tions from Self 2 a%out Self > whi!h" after %ein repeated oftenenouh" are %elieved %y Self ># Then Self >" a!tin li(e the !omputerhe is" %eins to live up to these e$pe!tations# If you tell yourselfoften enouh that you are a poor server" a (ind of hypnoti! pro!essta(es pla!e# Its as if Self > is %ein iven a role to play-the role of

%ad server-and he plays it to the hilt" suppressin for the time%ein his true !apa%ilities# 6n!e the 'udmental mind esta%lishesa self-identity %ased on its neative 'udments" the role-playin!ontinues to hide the true potential of Self > until the hypnoti!spell is %ro(en# &ost players would do well to heed the wisdomof an!ient yoa philosophy) 17ou %e!ome what you thin(#13=

*fter a num%er of %ad %a!(hands are hit" and the player tellshimself that he has a %ad %a!(hand" or at least that his %a!(handis 1off"1 he often oes to a pro to et it repaired# It is my e$perien!ethat players !ome to tennis pros in the same frame of mind that

patientso todo!tors) as if they are si!( and want to %e !ured# This(ind of 'udment is so pervasive in!ur !ulture that it is ta(en forranted# It would seem strane to ta(e a tennis lesson when youdidnt see anythin wron with your ame# *ny pro (nows" how-ever" that it is easier to help a player who is on his ame improvethan it is to help one who !onsiders he is playin poorly# In China"

people ma(e reular visits to do!tors when they are healthy# Thedo!tors 'o% is more to (eep people healthy than it is to !ure themof si!(ness# If a Chinese follows his do!tors instru!tions and then

ets si!(" he is li(ely to !hane do!tors#D Why not o to a tennis proa!!eptin your ame as it is+When as(ed to ive up ma(in 'udments a%out ones ame"the 'udmental mind usually protests" 1But if I !ant hit a %a!(handinside the !ourt to save my life" do you e$pe!t me to inore my faultsand pretend my ame is fine+1 Be !lear a%out this) lettin o of

'udments does not mean inorin errors# It simply means seeinevents as they are and not addin anythin to them# 4on'udmentalawareness miht o%serve that durin a!ertain mat!h you hit =? per-!ent of your first serves into the net# It doesnt inore the fa!t# Itmay a!!urately des!ri%e your serve on that day as errati! and see(

to dis!over the !auses# Judment %eins when the serve is la%eled1%ad1 and !auses interferen!e with ones playin when a rea!tion


13/87

of aner" frustration or dis!ouraement follows# If the 'udmentpro!ess !ould %e stopped with the namin of the event as %ad" andthere were no further eo rea!tions" then the interferen!e would

%e minimal# But 'udmental la%els usually lead to emotional rea!-tions and then to tihtness" tryin too hard" self-!ondemnation"

et!# This pro!ess !an %e slowed %y usin des!riptive %ut non-'udmental words to des!ri%e the events you see#If a 'udmental player !omes to me" I will do my %est not to %e-lieve his tale of a %ad %a!(hand or of the %ad player who has it# Ifhe hits the %alls out" I will noti!e they o out" and I may noti!e thereason why they are oin out# But is there a need to 'ude him orthe %a!(hand as si!(+ If I do" I am li(ely to et as uptiht in the

pro!ess of !orre!tin him as he is li(ely to %e in !orre!tin himself#Judment results in tihtness" and tihtness interferes with thefluidity required for a!!urate and qui!( movement# ;ela$ation

produ!es smooth stro(es and results from a!!eptin your stro(es

as they are" even if errati!#3

;ead this simple analoy and see if an alternative to the 'udinpro!ess doesnt %ein to emere# When we plant a rose seed in theearth" we noti!e that it is small" %ut we do not !riti!i0e it as 1rootlessandstemless#1 We treat it as a seed" ivin it the water and nourish-ment required of a seed# When it first shoots up out of the earth" wedont !ondemn it as immature and underdeveloped. nor do we!riti!i0e the %uds for not %ein open when they appear# We stand inwonder at the pro!ess ta(in pla!e and ive the plant the !are itneeds at ea!h stae of its development# The rose is a rose from thetime it is a seed to the time it dies# Within it" at all times" it !ontainsits whole potential# It seems to %e !onstantly in the pro!ess of!hane. yet at ea!h state" at ea!h moment" it is perfe!tly all riht asit is#Similarly" theerrors we ma(e !an %e seen as an important part ofthe developin pro!ess# In its pro!ess of developin" our tennisame learns a reat deal from errors# Even slumps are part of the

pro!ess# They are not %ade vents" %ut they seem to endure endlesslyas lon as we !all them %ad and identify with them# Li(e a ood

ardener who (nows when the soil needs al(aline and when a!id"the !ompetent tennis pro should %e a%le to help the developmentof your ame# sually the first thin that needs to %e done is to dealwith the neative !on!epts inhi%itin the innate developmental

pro!ess# Both the pro and the player stimulate this pro!ess as they%ein to see and to a!!ept the stro(es as they are at that moment#Thefirststepis to see your stro(es as they are# They must %e per-!eived !learly# This !an %e done only when personal 'udment isa%sent# *s soon as a stro(e is seen !learly and a!!epted as it is" anatural and speedy pro!ess of !hane %eins#The e$ample %elow" a true story" illustrates the (ey to un%lo!(-

in the natural development in our stro(es#38


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6ne day when I was tea!hin a roup of men at John GardinersTennis ;an!h in Carmel ,alley" California" a %usinessman reali0edhow mu!h more power and !ontrol he ot on his %a!(hand when hisra!(et was ta(en %a!( %elow the level of the %all# /e was so en-

thusiasti! a%out his 1new1 stro(e that he rushed to tell his friendJa!( a%out it as if some (ind of mira!le had o!!urred# Ja!(" who!onsidered his errati! %a!(hand one of the ma'or pro%lems of hislife" !ame rushin up to me durin the lun!h hour" e$!laimin"1Ive always had a terri%le %a!(hand# &ay%e you !an help me#1I as(ed" 1Whats so terri%le a%out your %a!(hand+11I ta(e my ra!(et %a!( too hih on my %a!(swin#11/ow do you (now+11Be!ause at least five different pros have told me so# I 'ust havent

%een a%le to !orre!t it#1or a %rief moment I was aware of the a%surdity of the situation#

/ere was a %usiness e$e!utive who !ontrolled lare !ommer!ialenterprises of reat !omple$ity as(in me for help as if he had no!ontrol over his own riht arm# Why wouldnt it %e possi%le" Iwondered" to ive him the simple reply" 1Sure" I !an help you#L-o-w-e-r y-o-u-r r-a-!-(-e-t51But !omplaints su!h as Ja!(s are !ommon amon people of alllevels of intellien!e and profi!ien!y# Besides" it was !lear thatat least five other pros had told him to lower his ra!(et withoutmu!h effe!t# What was (eepin him from doin it I wondered#I as(ed Ja!( to ta(e a few swins on the patio where we werestandin# /is %a!(swin started %a!( very low" %ut then" sureenouh" 'ust %efore swinin forward it lifted to the level of hisshoulder and swun down into the imained %all# The five proswere riht# I as(ed him to swin several more times without ma(inany !omment# 1Isnt that %etter+1 he as(ed# 1I tried to (eep it low"1But ea!h time 'ust %efore swinin forward" his ra!(et lifted. it waso%vious that had he %een hittin an a!tual %all" the underspin im-

parted %y the downward swin would have !aused it to sail out#17our %a!(hand is all riht"1 I said reassurinly# 1Its 'ust ointhrouh some !hanes# Why dont you ta(e a !loser loo( at it#1 Wewal(ed over to a lare windowpane and there I as(ed him to swin

aain while wat!hin his refle!tion# /e did so" aain ta(in his!hara!teristi! hit!h at the %a!( of his swin" %ut this time he wasastounded# 1/ey" I really do ta(e my ra!(et %a!( hih5 It oes upa%ove my shoulder51 There was no 'udment in his voi!e. he was

'ust reportin with ama0ement what his eyes had seen#What surprised me was Ja!(s surprise# /adnt he said that five

pros had told him his ra!(et was too hih+ I was !ertain that if I hadtold him the same thin after his first swin" he would have replied"3H 17es" I (now#1 But what was now !lear was that he didnt really9is!overinthe :ro!ess

3


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(now" sin!e no one is ever surprised at seein somethin they al-ready (now# 9espite all those lessons" he had never dire!tly e$peri-en!ed his ra!(etoin %a!( hih# /is mind had %een so a%sor%ed inthe pro!essof 'udment and tryin to !hane this 1%ad1 stro(e thathe had never per!eived the stro(e itself#

Loo(in in the lass whi!h mirrored his stro(e as it was" Ja!( wasa%le to (eep his ra!(et low quite effortlessly as he swun aain#1That feels entirely different than any %a!(hand Ive ever swun"1he de!lared# By now he was swinin up throuh the %all over andover aain# Interestinly" he wasnt !onratulatin himself fordoin it riht. he was simply a%sor%ed in how different it felt#*fter lun!h I threw Ja!( a few %alls and he was a%le to remem%erhow the stro(e felt and to repeat the a!tion# This time he 'ust feltwhere his ra!(et was oin" lettin his sense of feel repla!e thevisual imae offered %y the mirror# It was a new e$perien!e for him#Soon he was !onsistently hittin topspin %a!(hands into the !ourt

with an effortlessness that made it appear this was his natural swin#In ten minutes he was feelin 1in the roove@22 and he paused to e$-

press his ratitude# 1I !ant tell you how mu!h I appre!iate whatyouve done forme# Ive learned more in ten minutes from you thanin twenty hours of lessons Ive ta(en on my %a!(hand#1 I !ould feelsomethin inside me %ein to puff up as it a%sor%ed these 1ood1words# *t the same time" I didnt (now quite how to handle thislavish !ompliment" and found myself hemmin and hawin" tryinto !ome up with an appropriately modest reply# Then" for a mo-ment" my mind turned off and I reali0ed that I hadnt iven Ja!( asinle instru!tion on his %a!(hand5 I than(ed him for his praise"and then as(ed" 1But what did I tea!h you+1 /e was quiet for a fullhalf-minute" tryin to remem%er what I had told him# inally hesaid" 1I !ant remem%er your tellin me anythin5 7ou were 'ustwat!hin me" %ut I sure learned a lot#1 /e had learned without

%ein tauht#I !ant des!ri%e how ood I felt at that moment" or why# Tearseven %ean to !ome to my eyes# I had learned and he had learned"

%ut there was no one there to ta(e !redit# There was only the lim-mer of a reali0ation that we were %oth parti!ipatin in a wonderful

pro!ess#

The (ey that unlo!(ed Ja!(s new %a!(hand- whi!h was reallythere all the time 'ust waitin to %e let out-was that in the instanthe stopped tryin to !hane his %a!(hand" he saw it as it was# *tfirst" with the aid of the mirror" he dire!tly e$perien!ed his %a!(-swin# Without thin(in or analy0in" he in!reased his awarenessof that part of his swin# When the mind is free of any thouht or

'udment" it is still and a!ts li(e a perfe!t mirror# Then and onlythen !an we (now thins as they are#

Seein" eelin"and *wareness

of What IsIn the ame of tennis there are two important thins to (now# The


16/87

first is where the %all is# The se!ond is where the ra!(et head is#rom the time anyone %eins to learn tennis" he is told the impor-tan!e of wat!hin the %all# Its very simple) you !ome to (nowwhere the %all is %y loo(in at it# 7ou dont have to thin(" 16h" here!omes the %all. its !learin the net %y a%out one foot and !omin

pretty fast# It should %oun!e near the %ase line" and Id %etter hit iton the rise#1 4o" you simply wat!h the %all and let the proper re-sponse ta(e pla!e#In the same way" you dont have to thin( a%out where your ra!(ethead should %e" %ut you should reali0e the importan!e of %einaware of where the ra!(et head is at all times# 7ou !ant loo( at it to(nowwhere it is %e!ause youre wat!hin the %all# 7ou must feel it#eelin it ives you the (nowlede of where it is# Anowin where itshould %e isnt feelin where it is# Anowin what your ra!(et didn@do isnt feelin where it is# eelin where it is is (nowin where it is#

4o matter what a persons !omplaint when he has a lesson with

me" I have found that the most %enefi!ial first step is to en!ouraehim to see and@ee@what he is doin-that is" to in!rease his aware-ness of what a!tually is# I follow the same pro!ess when my ownstro(es et out of their roove# But to see thins as they are" wemust ta(e off our 'udmental lasses" whether theyre dar( or rose-tinted# This a!tion unlo!(s a pro!ess of natural development whi!his as surprisin as it is %eautiful#or e$ample" suppose that a player !omplains that the timin onhis forehand is off# I wouldnt ive him an analysis of what is wronand then instru!t him" 1Ta(e your ra!(et %a!( sooner"1 or 1/it the

%all farther out in front of you#1 Instead I miht simply as( him toput his attention on where his ra!(et head is at the moment the %all%oun!es on his side of the net# Sin!e this is not a !ommon instru!-tion" it is li(ely that the player will never have %een told anythina%out where his ra!(et should or shouldnt %e at that parti!ularmoment# If his 'udmental mind is enaed" he is li(ely to %e!ome alittle nervous" sin!e Self 2 li(es to try to do thins 1riht1 and isnervous when he doesnt (now the Tihtness or wronness of a par-ti!ular a!tion# So at on!e the player may as( where his ra!(etshould %e when the %all is %oun!in# But I de!line to say" as(inhim only to o%serve where his ra!(et is at that moment#

*fter he hits a few %alls. I as( him to tell me where his ra!(et wasat the moment in question# The typi!al reply is" Tm ta(in myra!(et %a!( too late# I (now what Im doin wron" %ut I !ant stopit#1 This is a !ommon response of players of all sports" and is the!ause of a reat deal of frustration#K?

1oret a%out riht and wron for now"1 I suest# 1Just o%serveyour ra!(et at the moment of %oun!e#1 *fter five or ten more %allsare hit to him" the player is li(ely to reply" Tm doin %etter. Imettin it %a!( earlier#1

17es" and where was your ra!(et+1 I as(#1I dont (now" %ut I thin( I was ettin it %a!( on time# # #wasnt


17/87

I+1n!omforta%le without astandard for riht and wron" the 'ud-mental mind ma(es up standards of its own# &eanwhile" attentionis ta(en off what is and pla!ed on the pro!ess of tryin to do thinsriht# Even thouh he may %e ettin his ra!(et %a!( earlier and is

hittin the %all more solidly" he is still in the dar( a%out where hisra!(et is# If the playerisleft in this state" thin(in that he has foundthe 1se!ret1 to his pro%lem-that is" ettin his ra!(et %a!( earlier-he will %e momentarily pleased# /e will o out eaerly to play andrepeat to himself %efore hittin every forehand" 1Get it %a!( early"et it %a!( early" et it %a!( early# # #1or a while this mai! phrasewill seem to produ!e 1ood1 results# But after a while" he will startmissin aain in spite of his self-reminder" will wonder whats oin1wron1 and will !ome %a!( to the pro for another tip#DSo instead of stoppin the pro!ess at the point where the playeris 'udin positively" laain as( himtoo%serve his ra!(et and to tell

me e$a!tly where it isat the moment of %oun!e# *s the player finallylets himself o%serve his ra!(et with deta!hment and interest" he!an feel what it is a!tually doin and his awareness in!reases# Then"without any effort to !orre!t" he will dis!over that his swin has %e-un to develop a natural rhythm# In fa!t" he will find the perfe!trhythm for himself" whi!h may %e slihtly different from whatmiht %e di!tated %y some universal standard !alled 1!orre!t#1Then when he oes out to play" he has no mai! phrase that must %erepeated" and !an !on!entrate without thin(in#What I have tried to illustrate is that there is a natural learnin

pro!ess whi!h operates within everyone-if it is allowed to# Thispro!ess is waitin to %e dis!overed %y all those who do not (nowof its e$isten!e# There is no need to ta(e my word for it. it !an %edis!overed for yourself if it hasnt %een already# If it has %een e$-

perien!ed" trust it# This is the su%'e!t of Chapter K#D To dis!overthis natural learnin pro!ess" it is ne!essary to let o of the old pro!-ess of !orre!tin faults. that is" it is ne!essary to let o of 'udmentand see what happens# Will your stro(es develop under the effe!tof non!riti!al attention or wont they+ Test this#K2

What a%out:ositiveThin(in+K>Before finishin with the su%'e!t of the 'udmental mind" some-thin needs to %e said a%out 1positive thin(in#1 The 1%ad1 effe!tsof neative thin(in are frequently dis!ussed these days# Boo(s andarti!les advise readers to repla!e neative thin(in with positivethin(in# :eople are advised to stop tellin themselves they areuly" un!oordinated" unhappy" or whatever" and to repeat to them-selves that they are attra!tive" well !oordinated and happy# The

su%stitutin of a (ind of positive hypnotism1 for a previous ha%itof 1neative hypnotism1 may appear at least to have short-rane


18/87

%enefits" %ut I have always found that the honeymoon ends all toosoon#6ne of the first lessons I learned as a tea!hin pro was not to findfault with any pupil or even his stro(es# So I stopped !riti!i0ineither# Instead" I would !ompliment the pupil when I !ould" and

ma(e only positive suestions a%out how to !orre!t his stro(es#Some time later" I found myself no loner !omplimentin mystudents# The reali0ation that pre!eded this !hane o!!urred oneday when I was ivin a roup of women a lesson on footwor(#I had made a few introdu!tory remar(s a%out self-!riti!ism whenClare" one of the women" as(ed" 1I !an understand that neativethin(in is harmful" %ut what a%out !omplimentin yourself whenyou do well+ What a%out positive thin(in+1 &y answer to her wasvaue -1Well" I dont thin( positive thin(in is as harmful as nea-tive thin(in1-%ut durin the lesson that followed" I !ame to seethe issue more !learly#

*t the %einnin of the lesson" I told the women that I was ointo hit ea!h of them si$ runnin forehands" and that I wanted themsimply to %e!ome aware of their feet# 1Get in tou!h with how yourfeet move ettin into position" and whether there is any transferof weiht as you hit the %all#1 I told them that there was no riht andwron to thin( a%out. they were only to o%serve their own footwor(with full attention# While I hit the %alls to them" I made no !om-ments# I wat!hed intently what was happenin %efore my eyes" %ute$pressed no 'udment either positive or neative# Similarly" thewomen were quiet" wat!hin ea!h other without !omment# Theyea!h seemed a%sor%ed in the simple pro!ess of e$perien!in themovement of their feet#*fter the series of thirty %alls" I noti!ed that there were no %allsat the net. they were all %un!hed toether in the !ross!ourt areaon my side# 1Loo("1 I said" 1all the %alls are toether in the !omer"and not one at the net#1 *lthouh semanti!ally this remar( wassimply an o%servation of fa!t" my tone of voi!e revealed that I was

pleased with what I saw# I was !omplimentin them" and indire!tlyI was !omplimentin myself as their instru!tor#L

To my surprise" the irl who was due to hit ne$t said" 16h" youwould have to say that 'ust %efore my turn51 Thouh she was half(iddin" I !ould see that she was a little nervous# I repeated the sameinstru!tions as %efore and hit thirty more %alls without !omment#This time there were frowns appearin on the womens fa!es andtheir footwor( seemed a little more aw(ward than %efore# *fterthe thirtieth %all" there were eiht %alls at the net and the %alls

%ehind me were quite s!attered#Inwardly I !riti!i0ed myself for havin spoiled the mai!# ThenClare" the irl who had oriinally as(ed me a%out positive thin(in"e$!laimed" 16h" I ruined it for everyone# I was the first to hit a %all

into the net" and I hit four of them#1 I was ama0ed" as were theothers" %e!ause it wasnt true# It was another person who had netted


19/87

the first %all" and Clare had hit only two %alls into the net# /er'udmental mind had distorted her per!eption of what had a!tuallyhappened#Then I as(ed the women if they were aware of somethin differ-ent oin throuh their minds durin the se!ond series of %alls#

Ea!h of them reported %ein less aware of their feet and more intenton tryin to (eep from hittin %alls into the net# They were tryin tolive up to an e$pe!tation" a standard of riht and wron" whi!h theyfelt had %een set %efore them# This was e$a!tly what had %een miss-in durin the first set of %alls# I %ean to see that my !omplimenthadenaed their 'udmental minds# Self 2" the eo-mind" had ot-ten into the a!t#Throuh this e$perien!e" I %ean to see how Self 2 operated#*lways loo(in for approval and wantin to avoid disapproval"this su%tle eo-mind sees a !ompliment as a potential !riti!ism#/e reasons" 1If the pro is pleased with one (ind of performan!e"

he will %e displeased %y the opposite# If he li(es me for doin well"he will disli(e me for not doin well#1 The standard of ood and

%ad had %een esta%lished" and the inevita%le result was divided!on!entration and eo-interferen!e#The women also %ean to reali0e the !ause of their tihtness onthe third round of %alls# Then Clare seemed to liht up li(e a 2???-watt %ul%# 16h" I see:shee$!laimed" slappin her hand to her fore-head# 1Compliments are !riti!isms in disuise5 Both are used tomanipulate %ehavior" and !ompliments are 'ust more so!ially a!-!epta%le51 Whereupon she ran off the !ourt sayin she had to findher hus%and# Evidently she had seen the !onne!tion %etween whatshe had learned on the tennis !ourt and some other aspe!t of herlife whi!h was important to her" for an hour later I saw her with herhus%and" still a%sor%ed in intense !onversation#K3

Clearly" positive and neative evaluations are relative to ea!hother# It is impossi%le to 'ude one event as positive without see-in other events as not positive or as neative# There is no way tostop 'ust the neative side of the 'udmental pro!ess# To see yourstro(es as they are" there is no need to attri%ute oodness or %ad-

ness to them# The same oes for the resultsof your stro(es# 7ou !annoti!e e$a!tly how far out a %all lands without la%elin it a 1%ad1event# By endin 'udment" you do not avoid seein what is# Endin

'udment means you neither add nor su%tra!t from the fa!ts %eforeyour eyes# Thins appear as they are-undistorted# In this way"the mind %e!omes more !alm#1But"1 protests Self 2" 1if I see my %all oin out and I dontevaluate it as %ad" I wont have any in!entive to !hane it# If I dontdisli(e what Im doin wron" how am I oin to !hane it+1 Self 2"the eo-mind" wants to ta(e responsi%ility for ma(in thins1%etter#1 /e wants the !redit for playin an important role in

thins# /e also worries and suffers a lot when thins dont o hisway#


20/87

The followin !hapter will deal with an alternative pro!ess) apro!ess %y whi!h a!tions flow spontaneously and sensi%ly withoutan eo-mind on the s!ene !hasin positives and tryin to reformneatives# But %efore !on!ludin this !hapter" read this profound

%ut de!eptively simple story told me %y a mu!h respe!ted friend

of mine named Bill#Three men in a !ar are drivin down a !ity street early one morn-in# or the sa(e of analoy" suppose that ea!h man represents adifferent (ind of tennis player# The man sittin on the riht is a

positive thin(er who %elieves that his ame is reat and is full ofself-esteem %e!ause his tennis is so superior# /es also a self-admitted play%oy who en'oys all the ood thins of life# The mansittin in the middle is a neative thin(er who is !onstantly analy0-in what is wron with himself and his ame# /e is always involvedin some (ind of self-improvement proram# The third man" who isdrivin" is in the pro!essof lettin o of value 'udments altoether#

/e plays the Inner Game" en'oyin thins as they are and doinwhat seems sensi%le at the moment#The !ar pulls up at a stopliht" and !rossin the street in front ofthe !ar is a %eautiful youn lady who !at!hes the attention of allthree men# /er %eauty is parti!ularly apparent %e!ause she iswearin no !lothes#KK

The man on the riht %e!omes enrossed in thouhts of how ni!eit would %e to %e with this lady under other !ir!umstan!es# /is mindra!es throuh past memories and future fantasies of sensual

pleasures# *s he reminds himself what a reat lover he is" he%reathes heavily" !ausinfo to form on the windshield and slihtlydimmin the view for the others#The man sittin in the middle is seein an e$ample of modernde!aden!e# /es not sure that he should %e loo(in !losely at theirl# irst minis(irts" he thin(s" then topless dan!ers" then %ottom-less dan!ers" and now theyre out on the streets in %road dayliht5Somethin must %e done to stop all this5 /e thin(s that he should

%ein %y straihtenin out the play%oy on his riht#The driver is seein the same irl that the others are o%servin"

%ut is simply wat!hin what is %efore his eyes# Sin!e his eo is un-involved" he sees neither ood nor %ad" and as a result" a detail!omes to his attention whi!h was not noti!ed %y either of his !om-

panions) the irls eyes are shut# /e reali0es that the lady is sleep-wal(in" and his response is immediate and un!al!ulatin# /e stopsthe !ar" steps out and puts his !oat over the womans shoulders#/e ently wa(es her and e$plains to her that she must have %eensleepwal(in and offers to ta(e her home#&y friend Bill used to end the story with a twin(le in his eye" say-in" 1There he re!eived the rewards of his a!tion"1 leavin ea!hlistener to hear what he would#

The first inner s(ill to %e developed in the Inner Game is that of non-'udmental awareness# When we 1unlearn1 'udment we dis-


21/87

!over" usually with some surprise" that we dont need the motiva-tion of a reformer to !hane our 1%ad1 ha%its# There is a morenatural pro!ess of learnin and performin waitin to %e dis-!overed# It is waitin to show what it !an do when allowed tooperate without interferen!e from the !ons!ious strivins of the

'udmental eo-mind# The dis!overy of and relian!e upon thispro!ess is the su%'e!t of the ne$t !hapter#K=

The thesis of the last !hapter was that the first step in %rinin areater harmony %etween eo-mind and %ody-that is" %etweenSelf 2 and Self >-was to let o of self-'udment# 6nly when Self 2stops sittin in 'udment over Self > and its a!tions !an he %e!omeaware of who and what Self > is and appre!iate the pro!esses %ywhi!h he wor(s# *s this step o!!urs" trust is developed" andeventually the %asi! %ut elusive inredient for all top performan!e

emeres-self-!onfiden!e#:ut aside for a moment the opinions you have a%out your %ody-whether you thin( of it as !lumsy" un!oordinated" averae" or reallyfantasti!-and thin( a%out what it does# *s you read these verywords your %ody is performin a remar(a%le pie!e of !oordination#Eyes are movin effortlessly" ta(in in imaes of %la!( and whitewhi!h are automati!ally !ompared with memories of similar mar(-ins" translated into sym%ols" then !onne!ted with other sym%olsto form an impression of meanin# Thousands of these operationsare ta(in pla!eevery fewse!onds# *t the same time" aain without!ons!ious effort" your heart is pumpin and your %reath is oin inand out" (eepin a fantasti!ally !ompli!ated system of orans"lands and mus!les nourished and wor(in# Without !ons!iouseffort" %illions of !ells are fun!tionin" reprodu!in and fihtinoff disease#If you wal(ed to a !hair and turned on a liht %efore %einnin toread" your %ody !oordinated areat num%er of mus!le movementsto a!!omplish those tas(s without help from the !ons!ious mind#Self 2 did not have to tell your %ody how far to rea!h %efore !losinyour finers on the liht swit!h. you (new your oal" and your

%ody did what was ne!essary without thouht# The pro!ess %y

whi!h the %ody learned and performed these a!tions is no differentfrom the pro!ess %y whi!h it learns and plays the ame of tennis#;efle!t on the !ompli!ated series of a!tions performed %y Self >in the pro!ess of returnin a serve# In order to anti!ipate how andwhere to move the feet and whether to ta(e the ra!(et %a!( on theforehand or %a!(hand side" the %rain must !al!ulate within a fra!-tion of a se!ond the moment the %all leaves the servers ra!(etappro$imately where it is oin to land and where the ra!(et willinter!ept it# Into this !al!ulation must %e !omputed the initialvelo!ity of the %all" !om%ined with an input for the proressivede!rease in velo!ity and the effe!t of wind and of spin" to say

nothin of the !ompli!ated tra'e!tories involved# Then" ea!h ofthese fa!tors must %e re!al!ulated after the %oun!e of the %all


22/87

to anti!ipate the point where !onta!t will %e made %y the ra!(et#Simultaneously" mus!le orders must %e iven-not 'ust on!e" %utWho and Whatis Self 2+

!onstantly refined on updated information# inally" the mus!leshave to respond in !ooperation with one another) a movement offeet o!!urs" the ra!(et is ta(en %a!( at a !ertain speed and heiht"and the fa!e of the ra!(et is (ept at a !onstant anle as the ra!(etand %ody move forward in %alan!e# Conta!t is made at a pre!ise

point a!!ordinto whether the order was iven to hit down the lineor !ross-!ourt-an order not iven until after a split-se!ondanalysisof the movement and %alan!e of the opponent on the otherside of the net#If :an!ho Gon0ale0 is servin" you have appro$imately #23se!onds to a!!omplish all this" %ut even if you are returnin the

serve of an averae player" you will have only a%out 2 se!ond# Justto hit the %all is !learly a remar(a%le feat. to return it with !on-sisten!y and a!!ura!y is a mind-%olin a!hievement# 7et it is notun!ommon# The truth is that everyone who inha%its a human %ody

possesses a remar(a%le !reation#In the liht of this" it seems inappropriate to !all our %odiesderoatory names# Self >-that is" the physi!al %ody" in!ludinthe %rain" memory %an( !ons!ious and un!ons!iousD" and thenervous system-is a tremendously sophisti!ated and !ompetentservant# Inherent within it is an inner intellien!e whi!h is sta-erin# What it doesnt already (now" this inner intellien!e learnswith !hildli(e ease# It uses %illions of memory !ells and neuroloi-!al !ommuni!ation !ir!uits# If modern man undertoo( to !reatean ele!troni! memory of a !apa!ity equal to the human one %yusin the most sophisti!ated !omputer parts yet devised" the fin-ished produ!t would %e" a!!ordin to a friend of mine who is a!omputer e$pert" larer than three Empire State Buildins#urthermore" no !omputer yet made is !apa%le of doin the!al!ulations and ivin the ne!essary mus!le orders involved inreturnin a fast serve in the time required#The foreoin has only one purpose) to en!ourae the reader to

respe!t his %ody# This ama0in instrument is what we have theeffrontery to !all 1a !lumsy oaf@ ;efle!t on the silent intellien!eof your %ody" and the arroant mistrust we have of Self > will %einto dissolve# With it will dissolve the many self-instru!tions that o!-!upy the un!on!entrated mind#=?

Trust Thyself=2There will %elittle hopeof ettin Self 2 and Self > toether withoutdevelopin trust %etween them# *s lon as Self 2 is inorant of the

true !apa%ilities of Self >" he is li(ely to mistrust it# It is the mis-trust of Self > whi!h !auses %oth the interferen!e !alled 1tryin


23/87

too hard1 and that of too mu!h self-instru!tion# The first resultsin usin too many mus!les" the se!ond in mental distra!tion andla!( of !on!entration# Clearly" the new relationship to %e esta%-lished with ourselves must %e %ased on the ma$im Trust thyself#1What does 1Trust thyself1 mean on the tennis !ourt+ It doesnt

mean positive thin(in-fore$ample" e$pe!tin that you are ointo hit an a!e on every serve# Trustin your %ody in tennis meanslettin your %ody hit the %all# The (ey word is let# 7ou trust in the!ompeten!e of your %ody and its %rain" and you let it swin thera!(et# Self 2 stays out of it# But thouh this is very simple" it doesnot mean that it is easy#In some ways the relationship %etween Self 2 and Self > is analo-ous to the relationship %etween parent and !hild# Some parentshave a hard time lettin their !hildren do somethin when they

%elieve that they themselves (now %etter how it should %e done#But the trustin and lovin parent lets the !hild perform his own

a!tions" even to the e$tent of ma(in mista(es" %e!ause he truststhe !hild to learn from them#Lettin it happen is not ma(in it happen# It is not tryin hard# Itis not !ontrollinyourshots# These are all the a!tions of Self 2" whota(es thins into his own hands %e!ause he mistrusts Self ># This iswhat produ!es tiht mus!les" riid swins" aw(ward movements"ritted teeth and tense !hee( mus!les# The results are mis-hit %allsand a lot of frustration# 6ften when we are rallyin we trust our

%odies and let it happen %e!ause the eo-mind tells itself that itdoesnt really !ount# But on!e the ame %eins" wat!h Self 2 ta(eover. at the !ru!ial point he starts to dou%t whether Self > will

perform well# The more important the point" the more Self 2 willtry to !ontrol the shot" and this is e$a!tly when tihtenin up o!!urs#The results are almost always frustratin#Lets ta(e a !loser loo( at this tihtenin pro!ess" %e!ause it is a

phenomenon whi!h ta(es pla!e in every athlete in every sport#*natomy tells us that mus!les are two-way me!hanisms. that is" aiven mus!le is either rela$ed or !ontra!ted# It !ant %e partially!ontra!ted any more than a liht swit!h !an %e partially off# Thedifferen!e %etween holdin our ra!(et loosely or tihtly is in thenum%er of mus!les whi!h are !ontra!ted# /ow many and whi!h

mus!les are a!tually needed to hit a fast serve+ 4o one (nows"%ut if the !ons!ious mind thin(s it does and tries to !ontrol thosemus!les" it will inevita%ly use mus!les that arent needed# When

more than ne!essary are used" not only is there a waste of enery"%ut !ertain tihtened mus!les interfere with the need of othermus!les to stret!h# Thin(in that it has to use a lot of mus!le tohit as hard as it wants to" Self 2 will initiate the use of mus!les in theshoulder" forearm" wrist and even fa!e whi!h will a!tually Impedethe for!e of the swin#If you have a ra!(et handy" hold it and try this e$periment# If

you dont have a ra!(et" ra% any mova%le o%'e!t" or 'ust ra% theair with your hand#D Tihten up the mus!les in your wrist and see


24/87

how fast you !an snap your ra!(et# Then release the mus!les in yourwrist and see how fast it will snap# Clearly" a loose wrist is morefle$i%le# When servin" power is enerated %y the fle$i%le snap ofthe wrist# If you try to hit hard intentionally" you are li(ely totihten the wrist mus!les" slow down the snap of your wrist" and

there%y lose power# urthermore" the entire stro(e will %e riid"and %alan!e will %e diffi!ult to maintain# This is how Self 2 inter-feres with the wisdom of the %ody# *s you !an imaine" a stiff-wristed serve will not meet the e$pe!tations of the server# Conse-quently he is li(ely to try even harder ne$t time" tihtenin moremus!les" and %e!omin more and more frustrated and e$hausted-and" I miht add" in!reasin the ris( of tennis el%ow#Dortunately" most !hildren learn to wal( %efore they !an %e toldhow to %y their parents# *s a result" !hildren not only learn how towal( very well" %ut they ain !onfiden!e in the natural learnin

pro!ess whi!h operates within them# &others o%serve their !hil-

drens efforts with love and interest" and if they are wise" withoutmu!h interferen!e# If we !ould treat our tennis ames as we do a!hild learnin to wal(" we would ma(e ama0in proress# Whenthe !hild loses his %alan!e and falls" the mother doesnt !ondemnit for %ein !lumsy# She doesnt even feel %ad a%out it. she simplynoti!es the event and perhaps ives a word or esture of en!ourae-ment# Consequently" a !hilds proress in learnin to wal( is neverhindered %y the idea that he is un!oordinated#Why shouldnt a %einnin player treat his %a!(hand as a lovinmother would her !hild+ The tri!( is not to identify with the %a!(-hand# If you view an errati! %a!(hand as a refle!tion of who youare" you will %e upset# But you are not your %a!(hand any more thana parent is his !hild# If a mother identifies with every fall of her!hild and ta(es personal pride in its every su!!ess" her self-imaewill %e as unsta%le as her !hilds %alan!e# She finds sta%ility whenshe reali0es that she is not her !hild" and wat!hes it with love andinterest-%ut as a separate %ein#=>

:roramminSelf 2

This same (ind of deta!hed interest is what is ne!essary to letyour tennis ame develop naturally# ;emem%er that you are notyour tennis ame# 7ou are not your %ody# Trust the %ody to learnand to play" as you would trust another person to do a 'o%" andin a short time it will perform %eyond your e$pe!tations# Let theflower row#The pre!edin theory should %e tested and not ta(en on faith#Toward the end of the !hapter there are several e$periments thatwill ive you a !han!e to e$perien!e the differen!e %etween ma(inyourself do somethin" andfettm it happen# I suest that you alsodevise your own e$periments to dis!over 'ust how mu!h you are

willin to trust yourself" %oth when rallyin and when underpressure#


25/87

*t this point it may have o!!urred to the reader to as(" 1/ow !an I'ust let a forehand happen if Ive never learned how to hit one inthe first pla!e+ 9ont I need someone to tell me how to do it+ If Ivenever played tennis %efore" !an 2 'ust o out on the !ourt and letit happen12+ The answer is) if your %ody (nows how to hit a fore-

hand" then 'ust let it happen) if it doesnt" then lei it learn#The a!tions of Self > are %ased on information it has stored inits memory of past a!tions of itself or of the o%served a!tions ofothers# * player who has never held a ra!(et in his hand needs to letthe %all hit the strins a few times %efore Self > learns how far awaythe !enter of the ra!(et is from the hand holdin it# Every time youhit a %all" whether !orre!tly or in!orre!tly" the !omputer memoryof Self > is pi!(in up valua%le information and storin it away forfuture use# *s one pra!ti!es" Self > refines and e$tends the in-formation in its memory %an(# *ll the time it is learnin su!hthins as how hih a %all %oun!es when hit at varyin speeds and

varyin spins. how fast a %all falls and how fast if !omes up off the!ourt. and where it should %e met to dire!t it to different parts ofthe !ourt# It remem%ers every a!tion it ma(es and the results ofevery a!tion" dependin on the deree of your attention and alert-ness# So the important thin for a %einnin player to remem%er isto allow the natural learnin pro!ess to ta(e pla!e and to foreta%out stro(e-%y-stro(e self-instru!tions# The results will %e sur-

prisin#=3

=K/avin said this" let me add that Self 2 does have some role in this

pro!ess# /e !an fun!tion in a !ooperative way" thouh the role isa more hum%le one than he usually prefers# The main 'o% of Self 2"the !ons!ious eo-mind" is to set oals" that is" to !ommuni!ate toSelf > whathe wants from itand then to let Self > do it# If you wal(edonto the !ourt without a oal and let Self > do what it wanted" youmiht end up hittin all the %alls over the fen!e as hard as you!ould and have areat time# But if your intention is to (eep the %allswithin the lines" that oal must %e !ommuni!ated to Self ># This!ommuni!ation !an %e a!!omplished in a natural and effortless

way" %ut if there is the usual !ommuni!ation ap and mistrust %e-tween the two selves" the learnin pro!ess will %e slow and aw(-ward# Let me illustrate with an e$ample whi!h demonstrates theeasy and hard ways of learnin#When I was twelve years old" I was sent to dan!in s!hool" whereI was tauht the walt0" fo$ trot and other steps (nown only to thedar(er aes of man# We were told" 1:ut your riht foot here andyour left foot there" then %rin them toether# 4ow shift yourweiht to your left foot" turn"1 and so forth# The steps were not!ompli!ated" %ut it was wee(s %efore I was dan!in without theneed to play %a!( the tape in my head) 1:ut your left foot here"

riht foot there" turn" one" two" three. one" two" three#1 2 wouldthin( out ea!h step" !ommand myself to do it" and then e$e!ute it#


26/87

I was %arely aware there was a irl in my arms" and it was wee(s %e-fore I was a%le to handle a !onversation while dan!in#This is the way most of us tea!h ourselves the footwor( andstro(es of tennis# But its su!h a slow and painful way5 Contrast itwith the way the modern twelve-year-old learns to dan!e# /e oes

to a party one niht" sees his friends doin the &on(ey" the Jer(" andthe Swim" and !omes home havin mastered them all# 7et thesedan!es are infinitely more !omple$ than the fo$ trot# Just imainethe si0e of the instru!tion manual required to put into words ea!h ofthe movements involved in doin the &on(ey5 It would require a:h#9# in physi!al edu!ation and a full semester to leam thesedan!es 1%y the %oo(#1 But a (id who may %e failin math andEnlish learns them effortlessly in a sinle niht#/ow does he do this+ irst" %y simply wat!hin# /e doesnt thin(a%out what he is seein-how the left shoulder lifts a %it while thehead 'er(s forward and the riht foot twists# /e simply a%sor%s

visually the imae in front of him# This imae !ompletely %y-passes the eo-mind" and seems to %e fed dire!tly to the %ody" forin a few minutes the (id is on the floor doin movements verysimilar to those he was wat!hin# 4ow he is feelin how it is toimitate those imaes# /e repeats the pro!ess a few times" firstloo(in" then feelin" and soon is dan!in effortlessly-totally

:roramminSelf 2sComputer1with it#1 If the ne$t day he is as(ed %y his sister how to do the&on(ey hell say" 1I dont (now # # # li(e this # # # see+1 Ironi!ally"he thin(s he doesnt (now how to do the dan!e %e!ause he !ante$plain it in words" while most of us who learn tennis throuhver%al instru!tion !an e$plain in reat detail how tht %all should

%e hit %ut have trou%le doin it#To Self >" a pi!ture is worth a thousand words# It learns %ywat!hin the a!tions of others" as well as %y performin a!tionsitself# *lmost all tennis players have e$perien!ed playin overtheir heads after wat!hin !hampionship tennis on television# The

%enefits to your ame !ome not from analy0in the stro(es of top

players" %ut from !on!entratin without thin(in and simplylettin yourself a%sor% the imaes %efore you# Then" the ne$t timeyou play" you may find that !ertain important intani%les su!h astimin" anti!ipation and sense of !onfiden!e are reatly improved"all without !ons!ious effort or !ontrol#p to this point we have dis!ussed the need to quiet Self 2" to slowdown his 'udin and !ontrollin a!tivities# It may have sounded asif we wanted to et rid of Self 2 entirely# But the !ons!ious self doeshave a valid role in learnin and playin tennis# By assumin his

proper role and lettin o of his improper ones he !an reatly speedthe learnin pro!ess and help Self > rea!h the limits of its a%ilities#

Learnin tennis without the help of Self 2 would %e li(e learnintennis on an island where the ame had never %een heard of# If the


27/87

rules of tennis were introdu!ed to su!h an island" and !ourts were%uilt and equipment provided" eventually the stro(es used %y theisland players would !ome to resem%le !losely those whi!h we nowenerally !onsider 1proper#1 The speed with whi!h these stro(eswould %e learned would depend on the e$tent to whi!h Self > was

left to its own resour!es-that is" the e$tent to whi!h Self 2 re-frained from interferin with the natural learnin pro!ess# But thislearnin would ta(e a reat deal loner than it would in a so!ietywhere there were plenty of models of effe!tive tennis for one tolearn from# In a tennis-playin so!iety" Self 2 !an assume an im-

portant role %y frequently e$posin Self > to models of hih-!ali%er tennis# In this way# Self 2 prorams the !omputer memory

%an( of Self > with valua%le information whi!h miht ta(e it alon time to develop on its own#==

:roramminfor ;esultsThe remainder of this !hapter will dis!uss three %asi! methodsof prorammin Self ># By this I simply mean !ommuni!atin toSelf > what you want from it# The primary role of Self 2 is to setoals for Self >" then to let Self > perform# It is %asi! to ood !om-muni!ations that we use the most suita%le lanuae# If &r# *wishes to ma(esure of ettin his messae a!ross to &r# B" he will"if he !an" use &r# Bs native tonue# What is the native lanuae ofSelf >+ Certainly not words5 Words were not learned %y Self > untilseveral years after %irth# 4o" the native tonue of Self > is imaery)sensory imaes# &ovements are learned throuh visual and feelinimaes# So the three methods of prorammin I will dis!uss all in-volve !ommuni!atin oal-oriented messaes to Self > %y imaesand 1feelmaes#1&any students of tennis are too stro(e-!ons!ious and not attentiveenouh to results# Su!h players are aware of how they stro(e the

%all" %ut un!on!erned with where it is a!tually oin# It is oftenhelpful for these players to shift their attention from means to ends#/ere is an e$ample#9urin aroup lesson with five women" I as(ed ea!h player what

one !hane she would most li(e to ma(e in her ame# The firstwoman" Sally" wanted to wor( on her forehand" whi!h she said 1hadreally %een terri%le lately@ When I as(ed her what she didnt li(ea%out her forehand" she replied" 1Well" I ta(e my ra!(et %a!( toolate and too hih" and I roll it over too mu!h on the follow-throuh.also I ta(e my eye off the %all a lot" and I dont thin( I step into itvery well@ It was !lear that if I were to ive her instru!tion on ea!helement she mentioned" I would start and end the lesson with her#So I as(ed Sally what she felt a%out the results of her forehand"and she replied" 1It oes too shallow and doesnt have mu!h

power@4ow we had somethin we !ould wor( with" I told her that

I imained her %ody Self >D already (new how to hit the %all deepand with more power" and that if it didnt" it would leam very


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qui!(ly# I suested that she imaine the ar! the %all would haveto ta(e to land deep in the !ourt" noti!in how hih over the netit would pass" and to hold that imae in her mind for severalse!onds# Then" %efore hittin some %alls" I said" 19ont try to hitthe %all deep# Just as( Self > to do it and let it happen# If the hall

!ontinues to fall shallow" dont ma(e any !ons!ious effort to !or-re!t# Simply let o and see what happens@=

The third %all Sally hit landed a foot inside the %ase line# 6f thene$t twenty" fifteen landed in the %a!( quarter of the !ourt and didso with in!reasin for!e %ehind them# *s she hit" the other fourwomen and I !ould see all the elements she had mentioned !han-in appre!ia%ly and naturally. her %a!(swin lowered" her follow-throuh flattened" and she %ean flowin into the %all with %alan!eand !onfiden!e# When she was finished hittin" I as(ed her what

!hanes she had made" and she replied" 1I didnt ma(e any# I 'ustimained the %all passin two feet over the net and landin nearthe %ase line" and it did51 She was %oth delihted and surprised#The !hanes whi!h Sally made in her forehandlay in the fa!t thatshe ave Self > a !lear visual imae of the results she desired# Thenshe told her %ody in effe!t" 19o whatever you have to do to othere#1 *ll she had to do was let it happen#:rorammin for results is the most useful method of !ommuni-!atin with Self > when playin a mat!h# 6n!e you are !ompetinit is too late to wor( on your stro(es" %ut it is possi%le to hold inyour mind the imae of where you want the %all to o and then allowthe %ody todo what is ne!essary to hit it there# It is essential here totrust Self ># Self 2 must stay rela$ed" refrainin from ivin 1how-to-do-it1 instru!tions and from any effort to !ontrol the stro(e# *sSelf 2 learns to let o" a rowin !onfiden!e in the a%ility of Self >emeres#=8

:roramminfor ormIt is sometimes useful to %e a%le to ma(e a deli%erate !hane in

one or more elements of aiven stro(e when simple non'udmentalattention and prorammin %y results %oth fail to produ!e thedesired results# Then it is appropriate to use another (ind of

prorammin-prorammin for form# This pro!ess will %e dis-!ussed in reater detail in Chapter " 1Chanin /a%its) * 4ewWay of Learnin#1DIn %rief" the pro!ess is very similar to prorammin for results#Suppose" for e$ample" that you are !onsistently rollin yourra!(et over on the follow-throuh" and the ha%it !ontinues despiteall efforts to !hane it# irst you must ive Self > a very !lear imaeof what you are as(in it to do# This !an %est %e done %y holdin

your ra!(et in front of you in a proper follow-throuh position andloo(in at it with undivided attention for several se!onds# 7ou may


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feel foolish" thin(in that you already (now the proper fellow-throuh" %ut it is vital to ive Self > an imae to imitate# /avin donethis" it miht also %e useful to shut your eyes and imaine as !learlyas possi%le your entire forehand with the ra!(et stayin flatthrouhout the swin# Then" %efore hittin any %alls" swin your

ra!(et several times" lettin the ra!(et stay flat and allowin your-self to e$perien!e how it feels to swin in this new way# 6n!e youstart to hit %alls" it is important not to try and (eep your ra!(et flat#7ou have as(ed Self > to (eep it flat" so let it happen5 6n!e havin

prorammed the %ody" Self Is only role is to %e still and o%servethe results in a deta!hed manner# Let me stress aain that it is im-

portant not to ma(e any !ons!ious effort to (eep the ra!(et flat#2 f after a few stro(es the ra!(et does not !onform to the imae youave Self >" then proram and let your %ody swin yourra!(et" ma(-in sure Self 2 isnt ivin it the slihtest assistan!e# 9ont tryto ma(e this e$periment wor(. if you do" Self 2 will et involved

and you wont really (now if Self > is hittin the %all unassisted ornot#

TwoE$periments=

The Inner CameWay of

LearninStep 26%serve" 4on'udmentally" E$istin BehaviorE$amples) The last three of my %a!(hands landed lon" %y a%outtwo feet# &y ra!(et seems to %e hesitatin" instead of followinthrouh all the way# &ay%e I should o%serve the level of my

%a!(swin # # # 7es" I thouht so" its well a%ove my waist # # #There" that shot ot hit with more pa!e" yet it stayed in#The a%ove is delivered in an interested" somewhat deta!hedtone#DStep >

*s( 7ourself to Chane" :rorammin with Imae and eel4o !ommands are used# Self > is as(ed to perform in the de-sired way to a!hieve the desired results# Self > is shown %y useof visual imae and felt a!tion any element of stro(e desired#If you wish the %all to o to the !ross!ourt !orner" you simplyimaine the ne!essary path of the %all to the taret" and feed itinto the !omputer as a pro%lem to %e solved# 9o not try to !or-re!t for errors#Step 3Let it /appen5/avin requested your %ody to perform a !ertain a!tion" iveit the freedom to do it# The %ody is trusted" without the !on-s!ious !ontrol of mind# The serve seems to serve itself# Effortis initiated %y Self >" %ut there is no tryin %y Self 2# Lettinit happen doesnt mean oin limp. it means lettin Self > useonly the mus!les ne!essary for the 'o%# 4othin is for!ed. youflow as surely and powerfully as a river#Step K

4on'udmental" Calm 6%servation of the ;esultsLeadin to Continuin 6%servation of :ro!essuntil Behavior Is in *utomati!

Thouh the player (nows his oal" he is not emotionally involvedin a!hievin it and is therefore a%le to wat!h the results !almlyand e$perien!e the pro!ess# By so doin" !on!entration is %esta!hieved" as is learnin at its hihest rate of speed. reproram-min is only ne!essary when results do not !onform to the imaeiven# 6therwise only !ontinuin o%servation of the %ehaviorunderoin !hane is ne!essary# Wat!h it !hane. dont do the!hanin#H3

Step K) 6%servation*s you are lettin your serve serve itself" your 'o% is simply to


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o%serve# Wat!h the pro!ess without e$er!isin !ontrol over it#If you feel you want to help" dont# But dont wat!h with deta!hedo%'e!tivity. wat!h with faith# *!tively trust your %ody to respondto your prorammin# The more you !an %rin yourself to puttrust in the natural pro!ess that is at wor(" the less you will tend

to fall into the usual interferin patterns of tryin hard" 'udinand thin(in-and the frustration that inevita%ly follows#9urin this pro!ess it is still important to have a !ertain la!( of!on!ern for where the %all is oin# *s you allow one element ofa stro(e to !hane" others will %e affe!ted# *s you in!rease yourwrist snap" you will alter your rhythm and timin# Initially this mayresult in in!onsisten!y" %ut if you !ontinue with the pro!ess"simply allowin the serve to serve itself while you remain attentiveand patient" the other elements of the serve will ma(e the neededad'ustments#Sin!e power is a fun!tion of more than the wrist" after your

snap is automati! you may want to let your attention shift to yourtoss" your %alan!e or some other element# 6%serve these" proramif ne!essary" and let it happen# Serve until you have reason to

%elieve that a roove has %een esta%lished# To test if the rooveis there" serve a few %alls with all your attention solely on the %all#Be enrossed in the seams of the %all as you throw the %all into theair so that you are sure that your mind is not tellin your %odywhat to do# If the serve is servin itself in the new manner" a roovehas automati!ally %een started#The pro!ess is an in!redi%ly simple one# The important thinis to e$perien!e it# 9ont intelle!tuali0e it# See what it feels li(e toas( yourself to do somethin and let it happen without any !on-s!ious tryin# or most people it is a surprisin e$perien!e" andthe results spea( for themselves#This method of learnin !an %e pra!ti!ed in most endeavors onor off the !ourt# The more you let yourself perform free of !ontrolon the tennis !ourt" the more !onfiden!e you tend to ain in the

%eautiful me!hanism that is the human %ody# The more you trustit" the more !apa%le it seems to %e!ome#But there is one pitfall I should mention# I have noti!ed thatafter %ein thrilled %y the improvements they are a%le to ma(e in

their tennis ame %y lettin it happen" students often revert thene$t day to tryin as hard as usual# What is surprisin is that thouhthey are playin mu!h worse tennis" they dont seem to mind# *tfirst this pu00led me# Why would one o %a!( to lettin Self 2!ontrol the show if the results were so !learly less effe!tive+ IHK

had to sear!h myself for the answer# I reali0ed that there was adistin!tly different (ind of satisfa!tion ained in the two methodsof hittin the %all# When you try hard to hit the %all !orre!tly" andit oes well" you et a !ertain (ind of eo satisfa!tion# 7ou feel

that you are in !ontrol" that you are master of the situation# Butwhen you simply allow the serve to serve itself" it doesnt seem


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as if you deserve the !redit# It doesnt feel as if it were you who hitthe %all# 7ou tend to feel ood a%out the a%ility of your %ody" and

possi%ly even ama0ed %y the results" %ut the !redit and sense ofpersonal a!!omplishment are repla!ed %y another (ind of satisfa!-tion# If a person is out on the !ourt mainly to satisfy the desires

and dou%ts of eo" it is li(ely that in spite of the lesser results" hewill !hoose to let Self 2 play the ma'or role#When a player e$perien!es what it means to 1let o12 and allowsSelf > to play the ame" not only do his shots tend to ain a!!ura!yand power" %ut he feels an e$hilaratin sense of rela$ation even dur-in rapid movements# In an attempt to repeat this quality of per-forman!e" the player often allows Self 2 to !reep %a!( on the s!enewith a remar( su!h as" 14ow Ive ot the se!ret to this ame. all Ihave to do is ma(e myself rela$#1 But of !ourse the instant I try toma(e myself rela$" true rela$ation vanishes" and in its pla!e is astrane phenomenon !alled tryin to rela$#1 ;ela$ation happens

only when allowed" never as a result of 1tryin1 or 1ma(in#1Self 2 should not %e e$pe!ted to ive up its !ontrol all at on!e. it

%eins to find its proper role only as one proresses in the art ofrela$ed !on!entration#H=

H

" play the ame spon-taneously# The primary emphasis has %een on ivin pra!ti!ale$amples of the value of lettin o of 'udin" thin(in too mu!h"and tryin too hard# But even if the reader is wholly !onvin!ed ofthe value of thus stillin the mind" he may find it diffi!ult to %lotout entirely these thin(in pro!esses# The quiet mind !annot %ea!hieved %y means of intelle!tual understandin# 6nly %y thee$perien!e of pea!e in a moment when the mind is relatively stillis one suffi!iently en!ouraed to let o more !ompletely thene$t time# ,ery radually one %eins to trust the natural pro!esseswhi!h o!!ur when the mind is less and less a!tive#Even when one has e$perien!ed the pra!ti!al %enefits of a stillmind" he usually finds it a stranely elusive state# In spite of the

fa!t that I deliver my most effe!tive performan!e when I permitSelf > to %e the only player of the ame" there is still a re!urrinimpulse to thin( and to want to !ontrol my a!tions# I %ein totheori0e a%out how I !an a!hieve the same ood results aain# I

%ein to want to reain !ommand# *t su!h moments I re!oni0ethis impulse as the seeminly indomita%le eo wantin !redit"wishin to %e somethin it isnt" and in the pro!ess spawnin anendless flow of distra!tin thouhts#;e!ently I found myself a%le to let o of almost all !ons!iouseffort on my serve and as a result the serve 'ust seemed to serveitself with rare !onsisten!y and power# or a period of a%out two

wee(s


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!hallened me to a mat!h# I a!!epted" sayin half 'o(inly" 1Butyou %etter wat!h out" Ive found the se!ret to the serve#1 The ne$tday we played and I served two dou%le faults the first ame5 Themoment I triedto apply some 1se!ret"1 Self 2 was %a!( in the pi!tureaain" this time under the su%tle uise of 1tryin to let o#1 Self 2

wanted to show off to my roommate. it wanted the !redit# Eventhouh I soon reali0ed what had happened" the mai! of the s

Documents

W. Timothy Gallwey - The Inner Game of Tennis