No regrets.
My "virgin," and probably last, raquet breaking experience was last december. It was a cold day and I was playing a tournament match with a private club. I'd already beaten the guy twice, but he insisted (league administrator) on a rematch and I didn't play "freely." If I won, I would stay in 2nd place. If he won he would move to 2nd place. I was tight the whole time and may balls were landing short b/c of that, and the fact it was below 40 degrees.
Well, during the 3rd set tiebreak (I have too many of these....mental, I know), he hit two winning volleys off the side of his frame. I mean come on, how bad can one's luck get? This guy was truly playing out of his mind for his ability; overhead winners smashed from the baseline??! I was just trying to grind it out. With him at 5-2, I sent a ball down the line that would have been a winner but just landed long. Then, I threw my racquet head first into the court, 100% trying to break it into a million pieces. It broke the frame at 7 and 1 o'clock. As I walked over to get another one I broke it completely in half on the net post. That is the angriest I've been in a while. I lost the next point, and therefore the match, putting me in 3rd place.
I may have looked like an a$$hole that day, but I truly disliked this guy's gamesmanship and arrogant attitude since I knew him, especially on the court; it all came out then. It was a nice feeling, b/c it was such a release. It took that match to make me realize how I truly felt, which was frustrated and emotionally fed up with his demeanor. We had been somewhat close friends up to that point, but have spoken very little since b/c I don't want to. His behavior didn't change over two years, so why would it now?
I still have some respect for the guy and his game, but could no longer tolerate "attitude" from someone who played much longer and got so much pleasure from kicking my butt for over a year. I was a beginner when I met him and when we started playing. I improved a lot, 2.5 to nearly 3.5 in that time, but it seems he didn't want to accept that b/c he always took it so seriously. I take my improvement seriously, but I could see in his behavior when I started beating him that his pride was crushed. I mean, I might feel the same way temporarily, but I wouldn't be a jerk about it. I never fist pump, yell "come on's," or play mind games since I believe a match should be played fairly, unlike him. I was beginning to turn around a losing record, but I didn't rub a win in his face like he did mine.
So, in my opinion, I needed to break that racquet. It cost me $40, but it also made me realize the abuse I was being dealt. I don't want to play with him anymore and I can enjoy playing tennis now on my own terms, rather than anyone else'. So to me, it was worth it.
This kind of behavior is contagious though, because I got angry playing another guy (who I should have beat in 3 sets - tiebreaker again...) who was throwing his racquet and hitting balls into the fence and net. This was actually a USTA match. I was a little under the weather and should have finished him off, but I wanted to make him look bad and went for too much while I was up 5-2 in the 3rd. He came back and won the 3rd set TB, 7-4.
Now I have a different attitude, but still expect to meet a jerk every now and then. That will happen in competition. For any younger players out there, get it out and express yourself before you are caught in a mind trap. If you're being dealt abusive behavior by another player or coach, look for practice somewhere else, or at least confront them. If it's in a match, just remain calm and let them self destruct. Let that be your motivation to improve and don't bottle it up. Tennis shouldn't be played to give you the feeling of superiority/inferiority. If you or someone you play is basing your/their emotional stability/security on the results of a match then you need to figure out why and put an end to it.
(fed style)
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