Incredible Inner Game Videos: What do they mean for baseball training?
Here is a truly stunning set of videos.
But it will likely seem very subtle.
I’m trying to think of watching these two videos without prior knowledge of the Inner Game of Tennis so I can give you enough to appreciate it. Plus, this is a shortened version of the whole TV program so some context is lost.
But if you pay attention it is still a gold mine.
This film was shot in 1975 and is still way ahead of most teaching/coaching we do today.
This series of two videos shows Timothy Gallwey teaching a 50+ year old obese woman to play tennis for the first time. In it, you see Gallwey calmly guide her learning (as opposed to “teaching” her with the more usual directive style).
Several of the things Gallwey says in an almost off-hand way are remarkable…
“No tennis player ever sees the ball enough.” So how does he solve this problem? How could it be applied to baseball?
“Listen to the ball hit the racket/bat.”
How does he “teach” the back hand?
How does he “teach” the serve?
For more understanding of what’s going on, get the book “The Inner Game of Tennis.”
I’d love your comments on how you might use this information in your baseball coaching or baseball training.
For more mental training programs, see BASEBALL CONFIDENCE.
Tom,
Just as in your seminal work with Ken R. and your early application of Tapping to sports,you are on to something big here.This Galway fellow had some powerful insights into how to get great performance in sports through his unique approach to having an individual understand an activity without thought but rather through visualization and use of sound etc…. What other pearls did you take away from these films that you could share with me?I know I shoiuld buy the book and I will, but I hate the part where I have to interpret what he is saying in tennis or music and convert it into something I can use for baseball. Throw me a bone here Tom. Give me a couple of your thoughts.
Thanks,
Larry
This is great stuff and I am reading the Inner Game of Tennis right now. I’ve began to use these ideas in the training of my hitters with astonishing success. I’ve had young players who could hardly touch the ball to just stop thinking and listen to the ball hit the bat and they almost instantly started hitting the ball all over the field. I’ve had them “hmmm” their swing for good rhythm. Again with great success!