Ussy
Rookie
So last summer I decided to try out a change in how I mentally play the game. After reading threads on fearless tennis I thought hey why not? what's the worst that can happen? I lose another match but it ain't like I play in tournaments or for a living. I have always been a very strong competitor and love competition so taking this approach was a new thing for me but I thought what the heck to improve lets try a different mental approach.
So I went out there on a hot summers day last year with a friend and we agreed to play a best of 5 sets match as we had plenty of time, normally we play best of 3. Before I headed out for the match I said to myself that I do not care about the OUTCOME of this match at all. I am just going to go out there and attack! My game is an attacking game but the mind so often holds me back. So I ingrained into my mind that I will just attack and keep going, with no FEAR and see what happens. Now all this was before I ever heard of Tim Gallwey and the inner game of tennis.
Using this fearless approach and just playing my game and attacking no matter what was nothing short of INCREDIBLE! I played the best I have EVER played the game of tennis in my entire life. The experience when I was actually on court was nothing short of REMARKABLE, I was not thinking about what I was doing but just doing it, i was in the 'Zone' as they say and my true potential was shown on that day. My friend was amazed at the level I was producing yet I was not thinking about it. As soon as I did think about it with thoughts such as 'Oh my Goodness I am playing ridiculously well here' or 'I am going to beat him down I never knew I could play like this' or 'I need to hit the ball in this way to repeat what I just did' I lost the match in 5 sets. Even though I lost the match i logged it as a massive WIN for myself, for 2 and a half sets I was playing tennis I never knew I was capable of. I UNLOCKED something that day last summer with the match living long in my memory, crystal clear like it happened yesterday.... and then never experienced it again as I fell back into my old ways! which sounds crazy why would i go back to what I used to do?
THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - I have been struggling with my serve mainly due to mentally getting the yips as well as other parts of my game recently. I figured I am taking a month out this summer from Tennis (enjoying the time away from playing btw!) as I am fasting so thought I would read this book which many people praise highly and try finding a solution to this mental problem for when i return.... this book is nothing short of AMAZING I can concur to what Tim is saying and he puts his points forward beautifully. I have read the whole book and realised that what Gallwey is explaining in the book I experienced without even knowing it! What he says truly does work and I was doing it without even being aware! I experienced it first-hand and it was incredible but as soon as what he calls SELF 1 came back into the match I wound up losing.
For some reason I never employed this mental strategy again, probably mainly due to the fact that I have been hitting more recently rather than playing matches, but when I have played matches the old mental demons returned. Tim talks about falling back into old ways in this video so i'm not the only one -
I HIGHLY recommended reading this book to anyone out there, it is great! It also tells you how to enjoy the game which was the overwhelming feeling I had that day last summer even though I lost the match! I have ordered 'Inner tennis - Playing the game' which is the second book by Tim that apparently talks more about employing strategies to help the mind, looking forward to it arriving!
I UNLOCKED something that day last summer and the inner game of tennis has finally told me what that was and how to do it consistently! When i hit the courts again I will be employing the 'Inner game' and see where it takes me!
So I went out there on a hot summers day last year with a friend and we agreed to play a best of 5 sets match as we had plenty of time, normally we play best of 3. Before I headed out for the match I said to myself that I do not care about the OUTCOME of this match at all. I am just going to go out there and attack! My game is an attacking game but the mind so often holds me back. So I ingrained into my mind that I will just attack and keep going, with no FEAR and see what happens. Now all this was before I ever heard of Tim Gallwey and the inner game of tennis.
Using this fearless approach and just playing my game and attacking no matter what was nothing short of INCREDIBLE! I played the best I have EVER played the game of tennis in my entire life. The experience when I was actually on court was nothing short of REMARKABLE, I was not thinking about what I was doing but just doing it, i was in the 'Zone' as they say and my true potential was shown on that day. My friend was amazed at the level I was producing yet I was not thinking about it. As soon as I did think about it with thoughts such as 'Oh my Goodness I am playing ridiculously well here' or 'I am going to beat him down I never knew I could play like this' or 'I need to hit the ball in this way to repeat what I just did' I lost the match in 5 sets. Even though I lost the match i logged it as a massive WIN for myself, for 2 and a half sets I was playing tennis I never knew I was capable of. I UNLOCKED something that day last summer with the match living long in my memory, crystal clear like it happened yesterday.... and then never experienced it again as I fell back into my old ways! which sounds crazy why would i go back to what I used to do?
THE INNER GAME OF TENNIS - I have been struggling with my serve mainly due to mentally getting the yips as well as other parts of my game recently. I figured I am taking a month out this summer from Tennis (enjoying the time away from playing btw!) as I am fasting so thought I would read this book which many people praise highly and try finding a solution to this mental problem for when i return.... this book is nothing short of AMAZING I can concur to what Tim is saying and he puts his points forward beautifully. I have read the whole book and realised that what Gallwey is explaining in the book I experienced without even knowing it! What he says truly does work and I was doing it without even being aware! I experienced it first-hand and it was incredible but as soon as what he calls SELF 1 came back into the match I wound up losing.
For some reason I never employed this mental strategy again, probably mainly due to the fact that I have been hitting more recently rather than playing matches, but when I have played matches the old mental demons returned. Tim talks about falling back into old ways in this video so i'm not the only one -
I HIGHLY recommended reading this book to anyone out there, it is great! It also tells you how to enjoy the game which was the overwhelming feeling I had that day last summer even though I lost the match! I have ordered 'Inner tennis - Playing the game' which is the second book by Tim that apparently talks more about employing strategies to help the mind, looking forward to it arriving!
I UNLOCKED something that day last summer and the inner game of tennis has finally told me what that was and how to do it consistently! When i hit the courts again I will be employing the 'Inner game' and see where it takes me!
