Connor Frustration Script

EACH EMOTION ON THE EMOTION RACKET WILL GET SIMILAR TREATMENT

THIS IS FOR FRUSTRATION   5 TAKEAWAYS 

1) What emotion looks/feels like

2) Why might I be feeling this emotion 

3) What is this emotion trying to tell me

4) Unchecked, How will emotion affect me short and long term

5) How to best manage emotion when it gets triggered

 

Here's a beginning script... Play around with it, cut it down, as you so desire

Frustratio    

 

Berloq   

Somebody's frustrated.. "Check out the score" somebody get him a Snickers

Frustration: We all know what it is.. things aren't going your way.. The new serving grip is just a new way to miss  New coach said I gotta attack more get to the net.. I don't get passed this much on the freeway..

look at the post-match stat sheet.. You're an equal opportunity sprayer. Its Errorfest 2026, tennis' version of Groundhog day, different day, same frustrating play.. Sometimes there ain't no fixing it, 

so we best do our best to understand it... 

Frustration: It can be our emotional plus one... Resting Frustrated Face

So the first question you want to ask yourself when you feel that ick coming on  Why am I feeling this way? Obvious first answer is we're playing poorly or losing badly, but often frustration's source is a bit more nuanced

From an EQ perspective, Frustration is when the expectations of our play and the reality of our play are on different courts.  

Now, we work hard at our games, nothing wrong with having some expectations:  New shirt, new shoes, I got a new racket. I should slay. But you're saying that's not enough? General Manager please!!!

Reality-wise,  Ranking is up, rating is up,  I'm playing number one line. Its all meant to be! Until its not. Misses, bad ones, lots of them. My Inner voice cranks up. I thought we were past playing like this...  It can all be so frustrating.

And that's how tennis goes. You think you got it going on, then Tennis Gods step in.. check this guy out, court 17.. putting it on cruise control early. Ha! We'll show him

All joking aside, What is frustration trying to tell us? As players, we want to control everything, dominate, excel, like Bama football, some of that Roll Tide, How about a little Roll Connor

Frustration acts a messenger . It’s notifying you something is off.  You're a quart low energy wise, maybe try not to get on Sportscenter with every shot, You try to lock in, but you have the focus of a toddler (or puppy)...  what worked yesterday is awol today. I know Past performance doesn't assure future outcomes,( you should see my portfolio), but must that axiom to my tennis too? 

So what do we do?  How do we keep frustration from hijacking  our success and enjoyment? Don't panic, Your engine light just came on. What's important is we don't let frustration spiral into Doubt/Fear/Anger.. Frustration is a warning sign. Danger Will Robinson, 

 

Sometimes the solution is simple..  breathe/exhale, slow your walk, look at your strings, center yourself.. A mantra, an affirmation..Tennis' talking points.. “Bounce/Hit” “Low and loose” “Be the ball Billy.. You da man!!!

And long term? You'll need Perspective work.  Tennis is designed with Frustration in mind. The best in the world struggle all the time. FEd only won 54% of his points. You're going to miss, you're going to struggle.  The difference is successful players don’t treat every miss like a personality defect. They are grounded in tennis reality. Tennis is not easy, Its not suppose to be easy, players with high EQ don't expect it to be easy, they expect it to be  a struggle, a battle, full of every emotion imaginable,.especially frustration

On the bright side, we get frustrated because we care...So we're not getting rid of frustration. Ain’t happening. But it need not run the show. Recognize it, Listen to it. Understand it. And use the FBTL Emotion Racket to help you manage it