Mastering the Inner Game: How to Break Bad Habits & Build Winning Ones

In this episode of our Inner Game of Tennis series, we dive into Chapter 5, where Timothy Gallwey breaks down one of the biggest challenges in performance: changing habits. Most people think breaking a bad habit is about trying harder, forcing change, or fixing every mistake in real-time. But Gallwey challenges this idea—he explains that the harder we try to “correct” ourselves, the more we reinforce the habit we’re trying to break.

So if trying harder isn’t the answer… what is? Awareness.

We discuss:

• Why overcorrecting bad habits often makes them stronger
• How observing your habits without judgment leads to real, lasting change
• The difference between “letting go” and being passive in performance
• The role of focus, intention, and self-trust in rewiring your brain for better execution
• Practical strategies to break bad habits and build new ones in sports, training, and life

This episode will challenge the way you think about habit change—not just in performance, but in any area of life. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of making the same mistakes over and over again, this conversation will give you a new approach—one that actually works.