Stage 17 — The Bad Call

Stage Title: The Bad Call

Estimated Time: 12 minutes

What You’ll Learn

: • Why the bad call is the perfect tennis example of emotional regulation

• How to respond instead of react

Core Lesson:

When a bad call happens, most players:

• Argue (wastes energy, doesn’t change the call)

• Lose focus (next point is already compromised)

– • Tank (give up the next point out of frustration

Spiral (one bad call becomes three bad games)

A regulated response might look like this:

1. Acknowledge the feeling (“I am angry. That call was wrong.”)

2. Create a pause (Breathe. Walk to the back fence. Look at your strings.)

3. Choose a response (“I am not going to donate the next point to this call.”)

4. Use a reset cue (“Compete harder. Next point.”)

5. Move on (Turn your back, walk to the line, prepare for the next point.)

The goal is not to feel nothing. The goal is to feel angry and still compete well.

Apply It Today:

Think of a recent bad call (or imagine one). Walk through the five steps as if it just happened. Write down: • Acknowledge: _ • Pause: _ • Choose: _ • Cue: _ • Move on: __

Reflection Prompt:

What is your normal reaction to a bad call? What would you like it to be?