THE INNER GAME

I've been reading Tim Gallwey's "The Inner Game" and it has some great stuff on self-control in athletic competition. Here are a few excerpts/paraphrases:

Every game is composed of two parts: the outer game and the inner game.

The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome external obstacles, and to reach an external goal. In other words, it's the “how to” stuff. How to properly shoot the ball, how to properly align your shot, how to properly follow through on your shot, etc. But for some reason most of us find these instructions easier to remember than to execute.

The inner game is what takes place in the mind of the player, and it is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.

Ever wonder why you can do it in practice but seem to fall apart in a game?

The player of the inner game comes to value the art of relaxed concentration above all the other skills; she discovers a true basis for self-confidence; she learns that the secret to winning any game lies in not trying too hard. She aims for the kind of spontaneous performance which occurs only when the mind is calm and seems at one with the body.

There is a far more natural and effective process for learning and doing almost anything than most of us realize. It is similar to the process we all used, but soon forgot, as we learned to walk and talk. It's self-discovery... paying attention to what works and what isn't working, and adjust accordingly.

The problems that perplex most high school basketball players are not those dealing with the proper way to shoot a basketball. The most common complaint is “It's not that I don't know what to do, it's that I don't do what I know.”

Any of these sound familiar?

"I play better in practice."

"I know exactly what I did wrong, I just can't break this habit."

"I know what to do, but in a game I feel nervous and rushed can't concentrate on what I'm doing."

Most players have uttered those lines once or twice, but until you learn to develop the proper mental attitude, very little will change.

As an example: as an observer it's sometimes easy to see when a player has very little arc in their shot [shooting flat] which indicates that they may need to go deeper in their stance and use more of their legs in the shot.

Although these are things a player should be able to recognize almost immediately due to the number of times they've shot a basketball, it is not uncommon for a player to overlook these simple signs pointing to correcting the problem and instead, players tend to get frustrated and often begin to try too hard (mentally) to hit the shot and that usually just creates more frustration.

The most difficult battle isn't against an opponent, but in your mind.

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