The Inner Game of Tennis

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View books by W.Timothy Gallwey.

So good. Never forget what the author tells you in this exquisite book. - Rated
This is beautiful. Every chapter just makes perfect sense. Gallwey has taught me many things through this masterpiece - how far in you can get away standing to receive even fast serves, that I was a "good-o" type player and why this mentality won't get you anywhere or at least any happiness, how you shouldn't *try* to win but instead make the *effort* to win, how breathing can transform your game, how awareness is the key to playing to your potential and thoughts are your obstacles, and so much more.

The only thing I lament is that I don't remember what he says in this book everytime I step on court and instead sometimes end up reverting to my erroneous thinking! But I think I'm getting better. I'm determined to win the inner game! What one really needs is to find a way of drilling his advice into their subconscious! I can only recommend continually rereading it!

You should also bear in mind that this book is a lesson on life as well as tennis, and can make you life more peaceful. I think Gallwey says somewhere in here something along the lines of "you can practise concentration to improve your tennis, or you can practise tennis to improve your concentration..." If you buy one book to improve your tennis get this one, no matter what level you're at. It will increase your enjoyment of the game.

A book for ALL coaches not just tennis - Rated
I was recommended this book not to improve tennis (I don't play at all) but to improve my understanding of coaching and improve my own coaching skills.

The book is written by a tennis coach and is of course about tennis, however it is more than that. The skills and principles of the inner self and the competing elements of `I' and `myself' can be applied to all types of coaching whether that be sports, lifestyle or executive.

If you are a coach or want to become a coach this is a great book to read.

The Missing link. - Rated
My Tennis nowhere what it should have been, Ive been good at other sports, but not ball sports what this book addreses is we all know what to do and we are all capable of doing it, but we dont/wont for some reason . Not just tennis but with anything else we do. I was trying too hard and not allowoing my subconscieous to do its work it is so capable of.

This gives practical advice on how to concentrate, and blot out your interfearing nerves, easy to follow and straight forward. My favourite at the moment is the book tells of how if you concentrate you can slow the fast balls down in your minds eye, (which is how I would imagine top players do such incredible things) by, literally creating more moments as the ball travels towards you ie instead of saying a serve goes by in 1 moments you can say the saem time is 10 moments, as I understand it this is why everything seems in slow motion in a crash, excellent book. Fills the missing link in learning Tennis.

The Best Book On How To Handle The Major Aspects Of The Game - Rated
If there are many of you out there that are like me, then you can be forgiven for being very sceptical about learning from a book rather than the more conventional typical coaching methods, however this book differs from all the others I have read, and also gives you the advantage on the most important aspect of the mental side of the game.

Before I read the book I was having a lot of trouble with keeping my mind focussed when things didn't go my way, I would get frustrated and more often than not my tempor would get the better of me time and time again. However after reading the book my tennis pals noticed a huge difference in my temprement, and I was channelling my frustration into determination. But the book also demonstrates ways of improving your all round game in the simplist terms and I found that I learned more from the book than I was learning from my qualified coach from serving to backhand its all here and for the price it is a true bargain, the book isn't as expensive as some that are out there but it is clearly more effective as it really focusses on the mental game and explains it in a way that would put most of the best coaches to shame. If you keep smashing your tennis racket like me then look no more and buy this book immediately because it is a true bargain.

Better at tennis, better at life - Rated
I found this book useful not for tennis, but for chess. Reading it has improved my attitude to games, and possibly my game as well. Anyone who wants to do any skill well will find this book useful.