🎾 Story of the Week
"The Space Between" is more than just a classic Dave Matthews Band song—it’s a critical window to reset, refocus, and prepare before launching into the next point.
Have you ever walked up to a match without knowing the score but instantly recognized who was winning?
Usually, the winning player projects confidence—through body language, positive self-talk, and purposeful movement between points.
The losing player, on the other hand, is often found sulking, stuck in place, or emotionally reacting to the previous point—still trapped in the past.
At Colossal Tennis, we emphasize the importance of building between-point routines that anchor emotional control and enhance performance.
🧠 The 16-Second Cure
This routine—developed by Dr. Jim Loehr—is called the 16-Second Cure and is divided into four 4-second stages:
- Positive Physical Response
- Relaxation Response
- Preparation Response
- Automatic Ritual Response
✅ 1. Positive Physical Response
This stage begins the moment the point ends.
- Quickly turn away from your opponent.
- Switch the racquet to your non-dominant hand, holding it upright by the throat.
- Walk with posture and purpose to the back of the court.
- Keep your gaze forward or downward.
- Use positive self-talk: "Let’s go!" or good sportsmanship: "Nice shot."
The goal: Project confidence, regardless of the outcome of the last point.
😮💨 2. Relaxation Response
Now, take a moment to calm and center yourself.
- Shake out your racquet arm.
- Gaze at your strings (don’t stare down or glare at others).
- Breathe deeply: in through your nose for 3 seconds, out through your mouth for 3 seconds.
- Use encouraging self-talk: "You’ve got this."
Pro tip: Place your towel at the back of the court. It helps slow things down and reinforces your routine.
This stage may overlap slightly with the next one, and that’s okay—just breathe deeply and stay composed.
🎯 3. Preparation Response
As you walk to the baseline, shift your focus to the next point.
- Server: Decide your play. Where will you serve? What pattern will you use?
- Returner: Get light on your feet and into an athletic ready position.
Begin to visualize success. See the shot you want to hit. Walk like a competitor who believes.
🔁 4. Automatic Ritual Response
You’ve responded, relaxed, and visualized.
Now it’s time to settle into your pre-point ritual.
- If you’re serving, bounce the ball, focus, and trust your plan.
- If you’re returning, bounce on your toes, prepare your split step, and commit to reading the serve.
There’s a lot of mental skill packed into each phase. Don’t try to master it all at once.
Instead, work through each response step-by-step, and write down your routine to clarify your plan.
🚦 Green Light & Yellow Light Routines
The 16-Second Cure gives you a foundation—but what happens when the match gets messy and the emotions intensify?
This is where we teach our students the concept of green light and yellow light routines.
- Green light = Stay the course. You’re confident, composed, and in control.
- Yellow light = You’re rattled, frustrated, or emotional. Slow down, reset, and proceed with care.
Think of it like a traffic signal:
Green means go. Yellow means caution.
When you sense you're in yellow light mode:
- Take more time with your breathing.
- Emphasize your relaxation stage.
- Focus on one thing you can control (e.g., footwork, breathing, positive self-talk).
To help our players apply this, I suggest a court positioning trick:
- If you're in green light mode, go to the back wall of the deuce corner.
- If you're in yellow light mode, go to the ad side corner.
This purposeful movement helps students manage their mindset through physical anchors—giving them clarity and confidence when the next point begins.
💬 Final Thoughts
When you add structure to the "empty" space between points, you gain composure, control, and clarity.
Try it out and let me know how it works for you!
And, as always, if you enjoyed this issue, please share our free Aces & Faults newsletter with a tennis friend who could benefit:
👉 Aces & Faults Newsletter
Stay cool out there—and see you on the court! 🎾
