Cover of The Inner Game of Tennis

Book · 2010 · Sports & Recreation

The Inner Game of Tennis

The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

by W. Timothy Gallwey · Brought up by 8 people on 6 podcasts

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey has been mentioned in 12 episodes across 6 podcasts (8 episodes recommend it and 4 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Shaan Puri (5 episodes), James Clear (1 episode) and Lane Shackleton (1 episode) on My First Million (6 episodes), Lenny's Podcast (2 episodes) and Invest Like the Best (1 episode).

episodes
12
podcasts
6
people
8
episodes recommend it
8

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It's this amazing book. I don't play tennis, but it's about how to play tennis, but it's one of these books where it teaches you about life.
Shaan Puri · My First Million · Oct 2025 Listen at 46:40

Questions about The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

Who recommends The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey on podcasts?

Shaan Puri (3 episodes), James Clear (1 episode), Lane Shackleton (1 episode), Rohini Pandhi (1 episode) and Ryan Holiday (1 episode) have recommended The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey on podcasts. In all, 8 people brought it up across 6 podcasts (6 people recommended it).

Which podcasts mention The Inner Game of Tennis the most?

My First Million (6 episodes), Lenny's Podcast (2 episodes), Invest Like the Best (1 episode), Monday Morning Podcast (1 episode) and The Daily Stoic (1 episode), among 6 podcasts in all.

Is The Inner Game of Tennis recommended, or only discussed?

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey was recommended in 8 episodes and discussed without a recommendation in 4 episodes, as of 2026-09-18.

What do people say about The Inner Game of Tennis?

Shaan Puri on My First Million (2025-10-06): "It's this amazing book. I don't play tennis, but it's about how to play tennis, but it's one of these books where it teaches you about life."

When was The Inner Game of Tennis last mentioned on a podcast?

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey was last recommended on My First Million by Shaan Puri on 2026-09-18.

What they say about it

Grouped from 12 episodes
  • Do not play tennis“I don't play tennis”
    2

The best things said about it

5 of 12 · every mention
Recommended
It's this amazing book. I don't play tennis, but it's about how to play tennis.
Sam Parr My First Million · Oct 2025
Recommended
There's probably two books that are not meant to be business or at least my type of internet business books. One of them is The Inner Game of Tennis.
Shaan Puri My First Million · Sep 2025
Recommended
It talks about the state of flow that you need when you're playing.
Rohini Pandhi Lenny's Podcast · Jan 2025
Recommended
And then an old one that I really like is the inner game of tennis by Timothy gway um which is a kind of classic amazing.
Lane Shackleton Lenny's Podcast · Oct 2023
Recommended
You have to read it if you like tennis, but I believe it's Tom Brady's favorite book.
Ryan Holiday The Daily Stoic · Aug 2021

Where and when it comes up

Mentions by year

02017020180201902020220210202212023020247202522026so far

Podcast episodes that discussed The Inner Game of Tennis, by year. One episode counts once, however often the book came up.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Episodes, each counted once, by the strongest way it came up.

Most episodes, by podcast

6 shows

8 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Why people recommend it

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey is a classic sports psychology book that teaches how to overcome mental interference, quiet the conscious mind, and achieve a state of relaxed concentration and flow. Shaan Puri recommended the book on My First Million as a non-business guide offering profound life lessons on performance and visualization. James Clear recommended it on The Diary Of A CEO as an enduring read about avoiding mental traps and overthinking. Sam Parr and Shaan Puri both brought up the book on My First Million to compare flow states and emotional intelligence frameworks used by professional poker players and founders. Rohini Pandhi recommended it on Lenny's Podcast because its teachings on relaxed focus deeply resonated with her as a tennis player. Lane Shackleton also named it on Lenny's Podcast during a lightning round as a classic and amazing text. Furthermore, Ryan Holiday recommended the book on The Daily Stoic to guest Brad Keselowski, noting that it was famously cited as Tom Brady's favorite book for mastering subconscious performance and eliminating counterproductive self-criticism during high-stakes competition.

Every mention

12 quotes from 12 episodes
Shaan Puri the inner game of tennis talks a lot about that. Great book. 5
Recommended
“the inner game of tennis talks a lot about that. Great book.”
Discussed
“Have you read the inner game of tennis? No, but everybody tells me a story. So listen to this. So I think it's a I think the guy's name is Tim Galloway. The idea is that he wrote it in the 1960s or maybe '7s.”
Recommended
“Have you ever read The Inner Game of Tennis, Daniel? No. We talked about it on here, and what you're describing exa- is exactly that. So, it's this amazing book. I don't play tennis, but it's about how to play tennis, but it's one of these books where it teaches you about life.”
Recommended
“There's probably two books that are not meant to be business or at least my type of internet business books. One of them is The Inner Game of Tennis. It's a book about how to be great at tennis...”
Discussed
“What are what's like the top sports psychology book there is or something like that and I randomly came across the inner game of tennis.”
James Clear I feel like a lot of this is there's a great book Inner Game of Tennis um that came out many many years ago… 1
Recommended
“I feel like a lot of this is there's a great book Inner Game of Tennis um that came out many many years ago. Might even be 50 at this point.”
Lane Shackleton and then an old one that I really like is the inner game of tennis by Timothy gway um which is a kind of cl… 1
Recommended
“and then an old one that I really like is the inner game of tennis by Timothy gway um which is a kind of classic amazing”
Rohini Pandhi And then, the other I guess the other one that I really just enjoy is uh this book called The Inner Game of… 1
Recommended
“And then, the other I guess the other one that I really just enjoy is uh this book called The Inner Game of Tennis. I've already mentioned that I'm a tennis fan, but like it talks about the state of flow that you need when you're playing”
Ryan Holiday have you read the inner game of tennis no i haven't okay so one you have to read it if you like tennis but… 1
Recommended
“have you read the inner game of tennis no i haven't okay so one you have to read it if you like tennis but i believe it's tom brady's favorite book so really yes um and it's it's exactly what we're talking about he says you basically can't think and play tennis at the same time you have to get”
Sam Parr Have you ever read the inner game of tennis, Daniel? No. We talked about it on here and what you're describ… 1
Recommended
“Have you ever read the inner game of tennis, Daniel? No. We talked about it on here and what you're describing is exactly that. So it's this amazing book. I don't play tennis, but it's about how to play tennis.”
Benny Greb and i'm sure a book that dave also told you about this inner game of tennis which which works about there's… 1
Discussed
“and i'm sure a book that dave also told you about this inner game of tennis which which works about there's this tennis coach that that teaches movement”
Graham Duncan But Tim Galloway, the inner game of tennis guy, he has this line, desire wants what it wants. I think it's… 1
Discussed
“But Tim Galloway, the inner game of tennis guy, he has this line, desire wants what it wants. I think it's so profound.”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Ryan Holiday, Luiz Berengue / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0); James Clear, James Clear / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).