Overcoming Frustration

[LC3]

When you’re grinding through a match full of rattled shots—knowing you can shoot better but just flubbing that last bit of execution today—and it feels like you’ve worked so hard for so little progress, it’s easy to get frustrated. Especially when you start getting exhausted because you’re expecting the rest of the match to be the same kind of grind.

How do you deal with that and get past the frustration?

 

[WobblyStroke]

Breathe. Return to the present moment and get out of your head. Focus only on ther current shot. The shots that came before don't matter. Future projections of continued struggle are a waste of time and energy also. So return to the present moment...the only one you can affect. It becomes easier the more u do it.

You can also check out mental game books like "The Inner Game of Tennis" or "Pleasure of Small Motions". Lot of useful tidbits in those.

 

[LC3]

Thanks, WobblyStroke! I do try to remind myself that each shot stands on its own, but it’s tough to keep that mindset when the very next one ends up being another flub. I think I’m slowly getting better at managing the frustration. It's just going to take longer than I’d like.

I'll read the kinds of mental game books you suggested.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Breathe. Return to the present moment and get out of your head. Focus only on ther current shot. The shots that came before don't matter. Future projections of continued struggle are a waste of time and energy also. So return to the present moment...the only one you can affect. It becomes easier the more u do it.

You can also check out mental game books like "The Inner Game of Tennis" or "Pleasure of Small Motions". Lot of useful tidbits in those.

Yes - for instance, Pleasures of Small Motions emphasizes focusing on the shot, not the score.

Another similar one that might be useful is Zen In the Art of Archery.

pj
chgo

 

[RidgeRaider]

Since not many chimed in, I'll throw my 2c in.


I've been in competitive sports most of my life, and have had a few relatives who reached the higher ranks in some sports (Baseball, Archery, Figure Skating). Growing up and talking to those people, or being coached by them, one thing every single one of them told me, verbatim, is this - "Short memory".

This doesn't mean forget your mistakes. It means forget them until the match / game is over. When you're practicing is the time to think about all the mistakes and screw ups you've made, and then how to not do those. During a game the only thing you should be focused on is what comes next. Not how bad you shot the last ball, not how good of a leave you left your opponent, not I am going to look stupid if I lose. Your sole focus should be "What am I going to do if I get back to the table again". This works insanely well for me, and has for pretty much most of my life.

Does this mean I don't get frustrated or upset in the moment? No.. But it means I can most of the time realize it's about to happen before it spirals, and I can reign it in and get back to the task at hand, trying to win.

After the match / game is over, that's when I beat myself up over the dumb things I did. Then I go practice those things so I am not making the same mistakes over and over.

 

[Sheldon]

Great advice so far. I'll add that I try to picture times I have played with confidence and no mistakes, and what that feels like.