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Overview

When it comes to winning, most people would say that willpower is the key. A great strategy and sound advice from a coach or consultant are also important.

Most of us would likely fire an adviser who told us to trust our instincts. However, if we look at the key points in this article, it’s clear that trusting your instincts is a good idea.

The key to winning the inner game is listening to your instincts, and not letting any of the negative self-talk that comes from anxiety or doubt get in your way. You can only excel when you win this battle, because then you’re able to challenge yourself with goals.

It turns out that the minds of winners and predators have similar qualities. In fact, we can learn a lot from young children who are also good learners. We should listen to our coaches but not necessarily follow their advice all the time.

Big Idea #1: To excel at their game, tennis players need to win an internal battle, and it’s a coach’s job to show them how.

A lot of people have seen world-class tennis players battling it out on the court. But there’s another struggle that goes on inside them: they’re also battling an inner game between their conscious mind, what can be called Self 1, and their unconscious mind, or Self 2. Just consider how much effort is required to overcome self-doubt before a match and stay positive.

In addition, many tennis players use their conscious mind to instruct their unconscious. They may say things like “you klutz!” out loud on the court.

These situations are prime examples of the interplay between two selves, and how they interact in this inner game determines a person’s success in the outer game. This is essential information for tennis coaches as it’s their job to help players balance both selves. To do so, coaches will often tell players what to avoid or what to do. However, when you focus too much on these things consciously, your performance can suffer because Self 1 is trying to control Self 2.

An example of how the inner voice might not be helpful is when Self 1 says things like, “you should stop being so nervous.” But this isn’t really effective because it doesn’t do much to calm your nerves.

Probably not, so coaches need to teach players how both selves can interact without interfering with one another. By mastering this technique, a player will be able to respond automatically as if having an “out-of-mind” experience. How can you and your team master this? You’ll learn the answers in the next key points.

Big Idea #2: Performance comes from quieting your conscious mind and letting go of judgments.

Imagine you’re in the heat of a pivotal game. You try many strokes, but your opponent continues to have an upper hand. What should you do? Most people will remind themselves how to improve their form by tightening their grip on the racket. However, doing so won’t help them play at their best because they need to quiet down and let go of judgment in order to be free from thinking and become one with action.

So, instead of thinking about it consciously, let your subconscious handle the task. By getting yourself in a zone and focusing on the game, you’ll be much better at doing what’s required to win.

It makes sense that top performers are able to time their actions and do them fluidly, since timing and fluidity are the specialty of Self 2. However, you have to quiet your conscious mind first in order to unleash this power.

It is important to let go of any judgments you have in order to achieve your goals. This will help keep Self 1 from getting in the way of your success. If you are judging yourself negatively, it could cause problems that make it harder for you to succeed. For example, if you think that you’re clumsy and therefore won’t be good at basketball, this might make you self-conscious during a game and mess up your skills.