“Man is a thinking reed, but his greatest works are done when he is not thinking or calculating. Childlikeness has to be restored…” - Timothy Gallwey ¹

I have observed that the smartest people follow coaches’ instructions accurately, immediately practicing the intended idea or technique which is close to what the coach is aiming to see performed by the student.

When you think about fighting during practice, your mind gets in the way. You are not becoming aware of your body and your movements; you are thinking about how not to lose and how to win. The Inner Game of Tennis ¹ explains how important it is to quiet your Self 1 (your inner thinking voice) that gets in your way.

I have seen that women can execute coaching instructions much faster than men. Men’s egos become more active when they see competition. Women just listen and execute what they understood. Their inner voice is quieter than that of men.

The paradox is that your training should help you in fighting - we should explore this in a different article. However, thinking about fighting during practice slows down your progress.

Further References