The Inner Game (Tim Gallwey): Performance = Potential − Interference, Questions & Example
The Inner Game says performance is potential minus interference — and most interference is internal: self-judgement, over-trying, fear. The coach's job is not to add instruction but to reduce interference by building relaxed, non-judgemental awareness.
Origin: From Timothy Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis (1974) and The Inner Game of Work; John Whitmore built GROW on Gallwey's principles.
Inner Game at a glance — Tim Gallwey's Inner Game approach
- 1Self 1 and Self 2: Separate the judging, instructing voice (Self 1) from the capable, learning self (Self 2).
- 2Awareness: Direct attention to what is actually happening, without judgement — awareness itself is curative.
- 3Choice: Reconnect the client with what they want and their freedom to choose.
- 4Trust: Let Self 2 act without Self 1 interference — practice, not instruction.
The Inner Game principles, with questions
Self 1 and Self 2
Separate the judging, instructing voice (Self 1) from the capable, learning self (Self 2).
- “What is the voice in your head saying right now?”
- “What do you already know how to do here, without thinking?”
- “Whose voice is that?”
Awareness
Direct attention to what is actually happening, without judgement — awareness itself is curative.
- “What do you notice, exactly, when it happens?”
- “Where in your body do you feel it?”
- “On a scale, how tense are you right now?”
Choice
Reconnect the client with what they want and their freedom to choose.
- “What do you want here?”
- “What are you choosing when you do that?”
- “What would you choose if there were no judgement?”
Trust
Let Self 2 act without Self 1 interference — practice, not instruction.
- “What would it be like to let it happen rather than make it happen?”
- “What would you do if you trusted yourself?”
- “What is the smallest experiment?”
When to use Inner Game — and when not to
Use it when
- • Performance under pressure: presenting, negotiating, sport, music
- • Clients paralysed by self-criticism or over-preparation
- • Coaches who want to reduce instruction and increase awareness
Set it aside when
- • Situations that genuinely need new knowledge or skills, not less interference
- • Clients who experience 'just be aware' as dismissive without concrete structure
Example: Inner Game in a coaching conversation
Inner Game model FAQ
What is the Inner Game in coaching?+
Tim Gallwey's approach: performance = potential − interference. The coach reduces internal interference (self-judgement, over-trying) by building non-judgemental awareness, rather than adding instruction.
What are Self 1 and Self 2?+
Self 1 is the judging, instructing voice; Self 2 is the capable, learning self that performs best when Self 1 quiets down.
How does the Inner Game relate to GROW?+
John Whitmore worked with Gallwey and built GROW on Inner Game principles: awareness and responsibility as the foundation of coaching.
Related models and guides
- GROW coaching model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will
- Mindfulness-Based coaching model — MBSR principles in coaching
- Strengths-Based coaching model — CliftonStrengths / VIA approach
- All coaching models compared
- The 8 ICF Core Competencies
- Coaching questions library
Principles and questions are a map for the coach, not a script for the client — ICF assesses the competencies, not the model.
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