The Inner Game of Tennis: It's Not About the Racquet
There are too many messages and lessons in the book to cover them all in this article. However, there are three key strategies that are of particular relevance to the inner game of tennis. In essence, they can be captured by the statement, It's not about the racquet.
The three key strategies are:
1. Do not let others limit your goals or your dreams
When Lance Armstrong was recovering from brain surgery and aggressive chemotherapy, there were many people who said that he would never ride again. Even one of his key sponsors dropped Lance because he believed that he could never recover from the devastation of cancer and the related treatment.
Lance refused to let others define his capacities or limit his goals and dreams. He was determined to not only ride again but to win the gruelling Tour de France for his first time. Lance Armstrong went on to win the Tour de France seven times!
Even when he was emaciated, exhausted and depleted, he still maintained his goals and dream. So the first strategy is to maintain your goals and dreams even in the face of opposition from well-meaning people.
2. Dig deep into your inner resources
Lance maintains that the key learning for him from his illness and survival is that we are better than we know. We totally underestimate our inner reserves and unrealized capacities because we do not test the power of our minds. It is often only in a crisis that these inner capacities emerge.
One key strategy of the inner game of tennis is to learn to dig deep into our inner resources and tap our unrealised potential. This requires will power, determination and a preparedness to win against all odds. Lance survived his cancer even though the doctors estimated that he had a 3% chance of survival, not great odds!
Here is another pertinent example. The press, globally and locally, decided at the start of the 2007 Australian Open Tennis Championship that Serena Williams had no chance of winning because she was overweight and unfit. They did not allow for her basic underlying fitness or her capacity to tap her incredible inner reserves. Her will power was so strong that her opponents often wilted in the face of her sheer determination even when they were leading in the match.
Hence, the second key strategy is to learn to tap your inner reserves by challenging the limits you impose on yourself.
3. Make every obstacle an opportunity
Lance Armstrong attributes this strategy to his mother who continuously reminded him, even as a child, that in every obstacle lay an opportunity to improve himself. In an interview after his first Tour de France win Lance stated that his illness created the opportunity to improve himself on many fronts. He claimed that his battle with cancer enabled him to become tougher and more patient as a competitive cyclist and more thoughtful, compassionate and responsible as a person, a father and life partner.
Hence, a third key strategy of the inner game of tennis is to improve your game and yourself through every obstacle you encounter.
The inner game of tennis is not about the racquet. It IS about YOU. It is about how you define your capacities and maintain your goals, how you access your inner resources and how you use obstacles to improve yourself and your tennis game.
Related Tags: tennis, inner game of tennis, the inner game of tennis, tennis mind game, tennis tips, mind game
Ron Passfield, PhD, developed his tennis mind game over 30 years of competitive tennis. For more resources on the inner game of tennis, review Ron's website: http://www.theinnergameoftennis.net
Ron's other major interest is affiliate marketing. Visit Ron's blog, Affiliate Marketing Coach, for resources and tips on affiliate marketing: http://www.affiliate-marketing-coach.blogspot.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Canadiens Early Season Struggles
Inconsistency has reared its ugly head once again. After a shutout loss to the lowly New Jersey Devi - Mens Magazine in the Toronto Market
Magazines are wonderful things. They are able to explore their particular area of interest in more d - They Won the Lottery But Then Lost it All
We all dream about winning the lottery and every time we watch those balls spin we think about what - Manchester City Imploding
Life changed for Manchester City fans the minute their club was taken over by the ultra wealthy Oil - Different Types of Sports Water Bottle
If you are an athlete and there is a competition the next day, there are a lot of things to prepare. - Poker Supplies a Person Needs to Play
There are a lot of people all over the world that enjoy playing poker on a regular basis. There are - Data on NCAA Football 11 (XBox)
EA Sports has always been the pinnacle for sports video games. The Madden franchise for NFL football - World Golf Amateur Team Championship 2012
Golf is said to be the game of nobles. Over a period of time, the game has developed into a craze fo - Will "The Decision" Yield the Result? Lakers, Heat Seen as Likely Finalists
By far the biggest moment in the NBA offseason was the hour-long ESPN special in which LeBron James - The Evolution of the Game: Table Tennis
Table tennis was probably derived from the game "Royal Tennis," a popular diversion during medieval
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Rainbow, Brown And Brook Trout
Maine fishing has Rainbow, Brown, and Brook trout. Trout are an important part of fishing tradition. - Gymnastics Floor Music
Over the last decade or two, gymnastics as a sport has undergone considerable changes in the way it - Texas Holdem Blinds - Understanding Blinds In Texas Hold'em Poker
Posting blinds is a very important aspect of the betting structure of Texas Hold'em poker. It keeps - Indoor Mobility Scooters
Mobility scooters exclusively provide assistance to physically disabled people, who don't necessaril - Texas Holdem Tournament - Learn How To Run A Texas Hold'em Tournament
Texas Hold'em is a popular game, so next time you consider hosting a social function at your house w - The Nfl Channel And The Controversy Surrounding It
If you watch TV, and especially if you are a loyal spectator of the NFL Channel, you might have hear - Texas Holdem - How To Become Better At Texas Hold'em Poker
If you know the rules, if you know the game, if you know the odds, chances are you'll do well at pok - Essential Boxing Equipment For Every Boxer
When you are training to become a boxer there are a few very important pieces of boxing equipment th - Some Advice On How To Stay Motivated To Run
Staying Motivated to Run Do you have a hard time staying motivated to run? There are a lot of thing - NCAA: Three Good Coaches
There are coaches in each and every type of sport out there, and many of them are good at what they