The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

By W. Timothy Gallwey, Zach Kleinman, Pete Carroll, and Zach Kleiman

Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game, and an inner game. The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome external obstacles, and to reach an external goal.

It is the thesis of this book that neither mastery nor satisfaction can be found in the playing of any game without giving some attention to the relatively neglected skills of the inner game. This is the game that takes place in the mind of the player, and it is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-do...