Mind Gym

SIMPLY OBSERVE

You can observe a lot just by watching.

—YOGI BERRA

It’s not between me and the pitcher. It’s between me and the ball.

—MATT WILLIAMS

Years ago while working as a photojournalist in New York, I read a book called Inner Tennis. In one chapter author Tim Gallwey shares a simple teaching technique that is rooted in one of the most important principles in sports psychology.

Gallwey describes giving a lesson to a woman who had never played tennis. As expected, she felt nervous and self-conscious. Instead of filling her head with a mental list of commands to remember each time she swung—“Racquet back! Bend your knees! Step in and hit!”—her teacher kept the instruction simple. Gallwey told the student to say “bounce” each time the ball ...