The Inner Game of Tennis

Self One vs Self Two

The Inner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallwey was first published in 1974, and has spawned a series of sequels: The Inner Game of Golf, The Inner Game of Work, of Music, Skiing, Stress. The original book has sold over 1 million copies and has been influential in coaching and improving performance in a wide variety of disciplines.

I’ve played tennis all my life, so I found this book particularly compelling. But I think there are great parallels with bridge and that even if you don’t play tennis, there will be something here for you.

---

Gallwey’s key insight is that “Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an Inner Game…This is the game that takes place in the mind of the player, and it 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.”

He refers to these as Self 1, the ego-mind, and Self 2, the physical self that performs in the world. “The key to better tennis—or better anything—lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the natural capabilities of Self 2.”

---

The basic premise is that the judgmental Self 1 inhibits the natural talents and abilities of Self 2. The goal is to quiet the mind, to let it observe what Self 2 is doing without judging, and not get in the way. “It is the constant ‘thinking’ activity of Self 1, the ego-mind, which causes interference with the natural capabilities of Self 2. Harmony between the two selves exists when this mind is quiet and focused. Only then can peak performance be reached.”

When Self 1 gets too involved, we end up trying too hard. Self 1 is telling Self 2 what to do, instead of letting it perform naturally. Self 2 tightens up. In a physical game like tennis, this is literal. “By thinking too much and trying too hard, Self 1 has produced tension and muscle conflict in the body. It is responsible for the error, but heaps the blame on Self 2 and then, by condemning Self 2 further, undermines its own confidence in Self 2. As a result the stroke grows worse as frustration builds.”

---

Great performance requires quieting the mind and inhibiting Self 1’s natural inclination to judge. “The first skill to learn is the art of letting go the human inclination to judge ourselves and our performance as either good or bad.”

This does not mean we are not able to analyze our performance. “Letting go of judgments does not mean ignoring errors. It simply means seeing events as they are and not adding anything to them.” Self 1 observes our actions, without attaching a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ judgment.

---

The image we have of ourself can determine our performance. “Most players hypnotize themselves into acting the roles of much worse players than they actually are, but interesting results can often be achieved by doing a little role-playing of a different kind.”

Gallwey presents this exercise:

“Imagine that I am the director of a television series. Knowing that you are an actor that plays tennis, I ask if you would like to do a bit part as a top-flight tennis player…What I’m mainly interested in is that you adopt the professional mannerisms, and that you swing your racket with supreme self-assurance. Above all, your face must express no self-doubt…When a player succeeds in forgetting herself and really acts out her assumed role remarkable changes in her game often take place.”

I have experienced this on the tennis court. I adopt the demeanor of a pro. I move my feet like a pro, I assume the posture of a pro. And my game improves. I can’t say that I play like a pro, but I hit the ball better.

Can we do this in bridge? Observe how professionals carry themselves at the table. Their mannerisms, their facial expressions. Can you imitate that? Can you play the part of a professional? How would that affect your game?

---

Gallwey is fascinated by the way children learn. You show them something and they imitate it. Without judgment, without ego. The lack of ego is key. “Self 2 will never be allowed to express spontaneity and excellence when Self 1 is playing some heavy ulterior game involving its self image.”

“The Inner Game way of learning is a return toward this childlike way.”

He tells a story of a teaching experiment he did: he told a young student, “This is called a forehand.” He had the kid watch as he demonstrated hitting ten forehands. Then he put the racket in the kid’s hand and told him to hit a forehand. He nailed it.

“For the teacher or coach, the question has to be how to give instructions in such a way as to help the natural learning process of the student and not interfere with it.”

---

Only so much of our performance is within our control; that is the part we need to focus on. This was Gallwey’s ah-ha moment as a player: “Instead of trying to win, I decided to attempt only to play beautifully and excellently.” In this vein, the ideal opponent is one who challenges you and makes you play your best. “Then is your opponent a friend or an enemy? They are a friend to the extent that they do their best to make things difficult for you. Only by playing the role of your enemy do they become your true friend.”

I love this idea! My goal is to play beautiful bridge. I can only do that if my opponents make me play my best. So the better my opponents play, the more opportunity I have to play my best and demonstrate my skill.

---

How can we apply all of this to bridge? Obviously tennis is a physical game and bridge is a mental one, so the insights about keeping the muscles loose and letting the body do the things it has learned to do aren’t applicable. But both sports require a quiet, focused mind. Both require creating healthy mental habits.

All bridge players can benefit from getting our egos out of the way and eliminating judgment. “I made a bad bid” doesn’t really help anything. “I made a bid that did not work out well. Let’s consider that and see what we can learn from it.” What a difference!

There is a Self 1 that keeps Self 2 from playing its best game. Learning to quiet that part of the mind and stop its judgment will make us better players. Obviously that doesn’t mean we stop thinking, which is sort of what he is advocating for tennis. It’s bridge; we have to think. But we’re thinking about the bridge problem we are facing, not about anything else.

---

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. There’s a lot of great stuff in there you’ll find applicable to your bridge game. We can all use a little more Self 2 and a little less Self 1!