Guides / After the first week
The mental gameGuided Audio
Tonight, headphones in, press play on 4-2-6 Breathing. Three minutes: in for 4, hold 2, out for 6. Finishing it wins the day, and it is the breath they will use on changeovers. Everything else here is optional until that feels normal.
The two to start with this week
- 4-2-6 Breathing (about 3 minutes), most days. The foundation. Train it at home so it is there at 4-4.
- Pre-Match Calm (about 2 minutes), the car ride or the fence before the next match. Nerves are fuel; this organizes them.
Pick your guide
Every session comes in two voices: a female guide (warm, steady) and a male guide (deep, calm). The athlete picks once and the app remembers; switching anytime is one tap inside any session. There's no wrong choice; the right guide is the one they'll actually listen to.
Sessions play with the ring switch on silent and keep playing with the screen locked. Finishing a session counts toward winning the day.
The rest of the library, and when to reach for each
Four sessions are free for every family: 4-2-6 Breathing, the 5-Minute Focus Sit, Best Match Recall and the Highlight Reel. The other eight are part of TierBreak Advanced.
| Session | Length | Reach for it when… |
|---|---|---|
| 4-2-6 Breathing | ~3 min | Daily skill-building. This is the foundation: in for 4, hold 2, out for 6. Train at home so it's there on changeovers. |
| Pre-Match Calm | ~2 min | The car ride or the fence, when nerves arrive early. Nerves are fuel; this organizes them. |
| Pre-Match Activation | ~2 min | Sluggish morning, early match, first match after a long break. Turns the engine on. |
| Muscle Release: Quick | ~3 min | Tense day, tight shoulders, between tournament matches. |
| Muscle Release: Full | ~6 min | The night before a big match. Deep tense-and-release, whole body. |
| 5-Minute Focus Sit | 5 min | Daily focus training: the return-to-the-breath rep that becomes return-to-the-point. |
| 10-Minute Focus Sit | 10 min | The long court. For athletes ready to train attention seriously. |
| Best Match Recall | ~2 min | Confidence wobble. Rebuilds their best day in full sensory detail and bottles it as an anchor word. |
| Highlight Reel | ~2 min | The night before matches, or when doubt gets loud. Three real moments. Evidence beats fear. |
| Imagery: The Grinder | ~2 min | Tomorrow's opponent gets everything back. Rehearse patience and the post-long-rally reset. |
| Imagery: The Big Hitter | ~2 min | Tomorrow's opponent hits winners and errors in waves. Rehearse absorbing pace and staying there when the cold streak arrives. |
| Imagery: Big Points | ~2 min | Before any pressure match. The big-point script: towel, strings, exhale, target. |
A simple weekly rhythm
- Most days: 4-2-6 or a focus sit. Five minutes, headphones in, eyes closed.
- Night before a match: Muscle Release (full) or Highlight Reel; add the imagery session that matches tomorrow's opponent.
- Match morning: Calm or Activation, depending on the athlete's state; the Match Day card will be pointing at it anyway.
TierBreak is free on the App Store, on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Want to work directly with the founder? Ask for an Inner Circle place.
Next: The habit it all sits on: win the day → Then the focus games.
Go deeper
From the blog, where these questions get the long answer.
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