Stage 12 — The Emotional Shot

Stage Title: The Emotional Shot

Estimated Time: 10 minutes

What You’ll Learn:

• How to recognize a shot chosen by emotion rather than strategy

• The difference between a tennis decision and an emotional decision

Core Lesson:

Examples of emotional shots:

Emotional Shot The angry forehand The scared second serve The panic drop shot The revenge return The

“please don’t miss” rally ball The hero shot What’s Really Happening Hitting as hard as possible because you are frustrated Dinking it in because you are afraid to double fault Trying something desperate because you are overwhelmed Going for a winner because the opponent just hit one on you Playing not to lose instead of playing to win Trying something low-percentage to impress or prove something

The question to ask yourself: Am I making this decision because tennis says it is the right play, or because my emotion is asking me to do something else?

Apply It Today:

In your next practice or match, catch one emotional shot. Just notice it. Write down: “I hit a(n) _ shot because I was feeling _. A better tennis decision would have been __.”

Reflection Prompt:

What is your most common emotional shot? (Example: “When I get frustrated, I go for too much on my forehand.”)