The Refocus Technique Summarized
(mentality vs emotion)

The Refocus Technique is designed to help you deal with your negatives, mistakes, and failures. When you are out of sorts in a match your emotion takes over and short circuits your ability to access your mentality. You wind up concentrating more on the past mistake than the next shot! Incorrect emotion will keep you dwelling in the past (on your mistakes). Using your mentality with the correct information will keep you focused in the present (the next shot). If, in between points you are having trouble forgetting your mistakes and moving on here is a phrase you can repeat again and again to help you through.

The next shot is more important than the last mistake. The next shot is more important than the last mistake.

Do not serve or return serve until you have cleared your mind of the last mistake. With practice you will eventually be able to switch from being controlled by your emotions (the last mistake) to being in control with your mentality (the next shot). Your mentality will control your emotion, instead of your emotion controlling your mentality. You control which way it goes by a thing called volition (your decider). It is not easy, but with practice you can override the incorrect emotional response by mentally making correct decisions. The first decision is to use the Refocus Technique until you can deal with your mistakes and failures automatically. The ability to quickly switch from your emotion to your mentality or from a negative to a positive is crucial when in a competitive event. On the other side is a diagram pitting the mentality against the emotion. The key is to note how both sides perceive reality. (Over)

The next shot's more important than the last mistake!