🎾 The 5 Most Powerful Mental Reset Strategies

Let’s face it—learning to let go in pickleball isn’t about just “going with the flow.” It’s a deliberate skill that separates the mentally tough from the easily rattled. If you want to play free, fearless, and frustration-free, you need a system to reset and refocus, even when the game gets intense.

The cool thing, none of these are hard, they are easy to do. You just need to practice using them. Everyone can stop and take a breath, say a mantra, tap paddles, throw a 3-second hissy fit, or return to gratitude. It’s not rocket science.

Here’s my go-to playbook for letting go of rally tension like a pro:

🔥 Deep Breathing – Use your breathe to return your mind and body back to the present moment. When we stop to breath, we stop our mind from wondering into the past or future and reconnects us to the present.

🔥 Mantra Magic – Repeat something short and sweet, like “Next point” or “Let it go.” It’s amazing how a simple phrase can help reset your focus. Just like the breath it returns you to the present moment.

🔥 Paddle Taps – There’s nothing like a quick paddle tap with your partner to say, “We’ve got this.” It’s a small gesture, but it keeps the team energy alive. It’s is also a reminder that you are part of a team.

🔥 Gratitude Reset – Let’s be real: you could be stuck in traffic instead of dinking at the kitchen. Remembering how lucky you are to play shifts your perspective fast.

🔥 Release the Tension: Shawnee Harle taught me the 3-second hissy fit, it’s 3 seconds to release the tension and return to neutral. I use this sparingly and I always make sure I am releasing my tension towards my own play not directed at my partner. For me, it usually looks like a slap of the paddle against my leg.

Since I started using these techniques, I’ve stopped wasting energy on frustration, ditched the fear of messing up, and learned to let go of the past (along with a few bad shots).

Want to play with more freedom and less stress? Master the art of letting go. Trust me—it’s a total game-changer.

Watch the Video Here, recorded on Pickleball Forum for Women, as we discussed how we use the 5 strategies.