Match Day Series — Between Matches

Between Matches — Close and Open5-Minute Reset | Dr. Gordon JonesAlright!You just finished a match and you have another one coming up soon.What you do in the next five minutes will determine the quality of your next match more than any technical adjustment you could make. Because the greatest competitive advantage available to you right now is not a tactical change. It is the ability to close out what just happened completely, and open fresh for what is about to happen.That is exactly what we are doing right now.Find your seat or a place to lay down away from the courts. Your back is straight with your shoulders back. Whether you’re sitting or lying down, level your chin and place your hands in your lap or at your side with palms open.Now, close your eyes.Two rounds of breath for this in-between session. The first one closes out what was, the second one opens up to what will come.Breathe in through your nose.In... 2... 3... 4.Hold... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6.Exhale completely. Let the last match go with this breath.3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8.Hold out... 1... 2.That match is behind you now. Win or lose, it is filed. It is done. It belongs to the past.Now the opening breath.In... 2... 3... 4.Hold... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6.Out... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8.Hold out... 1... 2.The next match has not yet begun. You are in the space between. Everything is clean and neutral. Ready to be written.Bring your awareness to your feet. Feel the ground beneath them. Solid. Present. Right now.Let a steady, grounded readiness move upward through your body. Through your legs. Your core. Across your chest, open. Through your shoulders, down your arms and into your hands.Let your fingers come together in your relaxed paddle grip. Thumb and first two fingers. Loose. Flexible. Alive.You are here. The last match is behind you. The next one is ahead of you. And right now you are exactly where you need to be, in the present moment, neutral and ready.I want you to do one brief, honest thing with the match you just played.Not a full analysis. Not a replay of every mistake. Just one thing you want to carry forward and one thing you want to leave behind. That is all.What worked? Find one moment, one shot, one decision, one mental skill that showed up the way you trained it. File that. It belongs in your game permanently.What do you want to release? One frustration, one error, one moment where the chemistry of competition pulled you somewhere you did not want to go. Acknowledge it once, clearly and without drama.And now let it go with your next exhale.Breathe out. Let it go. It is filed where it belongs, as a lesson, not a burden.The next match gets a fresh player.Not a perfect player. A present one. Someone who has closed out the last match completely and arrived here, in this moment, with their full attention and full intention available for the next opponent, the next court, the next game.Your activation anchor is set. Your rhythm is yours. Your reset is ready. Your nervous system has been returned to neutral.With your shoulders back, your chin level. Your fingers together in your relaxed paddle grip.Take one full breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth.When we’re finished with this session, hydrate, move your body gently. Shake your muscles, and when the time comes, walk onto that next court the same way you walk onto every court.And open your eyes when you are ready.Close and open. That is the skill. And you just practiced it.So, reset fast and play free.This is the rhythm of your game today!Your access to this series is freely given, so would you consider making a contribution to our non-profit mission of spreading the benefits of pickleball to the world? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainfitness.substack.com