Stage 18 — The Reset Routine

Stage Title: The Reset Routine

Estimated Time: 10 minutes

What You’ll Learn:

• What a reset routine is

• How to build a simple between-points reset

• Why routines work better than willpower

Core Lesson:

A good between-points reset routine has 4–5 steps that take 8–12 seconds. Sample reset routine: Step 1 2 3 4 5 Action Turn your back to the court Take one deep breath (exhale longer) Look at your strings (or a spot on your racket) Say your cue phrase (e.g., “Next point,” “Breathe and play”) Turn and walk to the line The key is consistency. Do the same routine after every point — win or lose, good call or bad call, ace or double fault. A routine works because: • It gives your brain something familiar to do • It interrupts the emotional spiral • It creates a pause between what happened and what comes next • It does not require willpower once it becomes a habit

Apply It Today:

Build your own reset routine. Choose 3–5 steps you will actually do. Write down: “My reset routine is: 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ 4. _ 5. __” Try it in practice this week.

Reflection Prompt:

What gets in the way of you using a reset routine? (Examples: forget, rush, frustrated, think it’s silly)