The Inner Game of Tennis puts forward some very interesting concepts on the mental side of the game. It seems to be widely renown as a valuable and respected piece of literature, and many seem to hold it in very high regard.
But what Id like to know is has there been any verified application of these concepts, ie: has there been any studies of individuals applying these concepts and quantified results recorded and , or is it all just here-say? Is there any professional tennis player or professional coach out there that can say they deliberately apply these concepts and monitor continual application and performance?
Even Gallwey in his book only refers to only anecdotal evidence of his concepts working. For example, quote "One day when I was practicing this form of concentration while serving, I began hitting the ball unusually well. I could hear a sharp crack instead of the usual sound at the moment of impact. It sounded terrific, and the ball had more speed and accuracy. After I realized how well I was serving, I resisted the temptation to figure out why, and simply asked my body to do whatever was necessary to reproduce that "crack." I held the sound in my memory, and to my amazement my body reproduced it"
There are a lot of anecdotes in his book starting with "one day"...
If there are any studies or examples of deliberate professional application of Gallwey's concepts Id appreciate being directed to them.
I don't mean to criticize Gallwey at all, I'm fascinated by what he puts forward - I just think this could be a really interesting avenue of research that Id possibly like to look into myself.
But what Id like to know is has there been any verified application of these concepts, ie: has there been any studies of individuals applying these concepts and quantified results recorded and , or is it all just here-say? Is there any professional tennis player or professional coach out there that can say they deliberately apply these concepts and monitor continual application and performance?
Even Gallwey in his book only refers to only anecdotal evidence of his concepts working. For example, quote "One day when I was practicing this form of concentration while serving, I began hitting the ball unusually well. I could hear a sharp crack instead of the usual sound at the moment of impact. It sounded terrific, and the ball had more speed and accuracy. After I realized how well I was serving, I resisted the temptation to figure out why, and simply asked my body to do whatever was necessary to reproduce that "crack." I held the sound in my memory, and to my amazement my body reproduced it"
There are a lot of anecdotes in his book starting with "one day"...
If there are any studies or examples of deliberate professional application of Gallwey's concepts Id appreciate being directed to them.
I don't mean to criticize Gallwey at all, I'm fascinated by what he puts forward - I just think this could be a really interesting avenue of research that Id possibly like to look into myself.