The Inner Game of Tennis has been popping up on “must-read” lists for years — not just for athletes, but for anyone in personal or professional development. I kept seeing it recommended as one of those rare books that’s “about tennis” but really about so much more.
So I finally moved it up on my TBR list… and wow, now I see why it’s considered a classic. It’s less about strokes and serves, and more about the mental game that holds us back — in sports, in work, and in life.
The mental game
The author, W. Timothy Gallwey, breaks down this idea of Self 1 and Self 2.
Self 1 is the loud, critical voice in your head — always judging, correcting, criticizing.
Self 2 is your intuition, the part of you that already knows what to do.
The problem? Self 1 never shuts up. And when you’re in that mode, you overthink, overperform, and usually get worse at the very thing you’re trying to improve.
Gallwey’s solution is deceptively simple: give your brain something sensory to focus on. Notice the seams of the tennis ball, the sound of it hitting the racket, the arc of its flight. When you do that, Self 1 quiets down — and Self 2, your natural ability, takes over.
You don’t have to play tennis to use this. On the golf course, I often catch myself panicking about mechanics — shoulders, grip, tempo — and you can guess how well that goes. But when I give my brain one thing to focus on — like the sound of the club striking the ball — suddenly my swing feels smooth again.
And it’s the same in leadership and communication.
Self 1 says: “Don’t mess up. Sound smart. Impress the room.” That’s performance mode. But when you shift attention to something simple and sensory — “What’s the energy in the room? What’s one person’s body language?” — you give Self 2 space to show up. That’s presence.
What game are we playing?
Another favorite section was about the “games people play” on the tennis court — the ego games, the winning-at-all-costs games, the “look at me” games. Honestly, he could’ve just called it “games people play at work.” Same thing.
It’s a reminder that the goal isn’t to impress or to perform — it’s to enjoy, to grow, to play the long game.
So here’s my takeaway: Whether it’s sports, work, or life, you don’t need to perform harder. You need to get out of your own way, quiet Self 1, and let Self 2 do what it already knows how to do.
Presence over performance — on the court, on the course, and in the conference room.
