The Inner Game of Tennis

Six Books That Changed How We Think About Performance

excellence, actually, 25 June 2026. The book comes up at 16 min 30 sec in.

Brad Stahlberg's third pick, first published in 1974. The book distinguishes Self 1 (the narrating, instructing mind) from Self 2 (the nervous system's innate wisdom), arguing that peak performance comes when both work in concert. Brad reads passages on the inner game as overcoming mental obstacles to excellence, on how over-relying on instruction compromises natural learning, and on the paradox that trying to relax prevents true relaxation. He calls Gallway fifty years ahead of his time on the dangers of over-instrumentation.

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