Red Light Green Light - Not All Points are Created Equal
“When people have too many choices, they make bad.” Thom Browne
This is where a lot of players get in trouble…..
You’ve started to learn the drop shot, the slice, the serve and volley, and all these fun shots and you can’t wait to implement them. I get it. That’s what makes tennis fun! You’re not playing one position doing the same thing over and over again like in some other sports. You have freedom of choice. Freedom of strategy. And you can surprise your opponent at anytime.
But sometimes you can surprise yourself by randomly going for a drop shot on an important point, when it’s actually one of the worst shots in your arsenal! It might get better in the future, but for now, it’s not the shot you should be using down break point at 5-5 in the first set!
That’s a red light point. An important point. That’s a time to use your strengths and put yourself in the best opportunity to win the point.
When you’re serving, these points are: 0-15/15-15/15-30/30-30/30-40/Deuce/Ad Out
When you’re returning, these points are: 0-15/0-30/15-15/15-30/30-30/30-40/40-30/Deuce/Ad In/Ad Out
Think about what Nadal would do on red light points his first few years on tour. EVERYONE knew he was going to serve wide on the ad side and find his forehand on the next shot. Think of how many times Federer tried to slide over to cover that serve, yet Nadal executed it so well, it didn’t matter. He’d perfectly slide that serve wide and see you later.
Click here to see an example of one of those moments when Nadal was serving 40-30 down 5-3 to Federer.
Another example would be Dominic Thiem with his kick serve out wide on the ad side. Everyone knows it’s coming on a big point. He doesn’t care. He has so much trust in using that serve to setup the next shot that he’s going for it anyway.
Think of Sampras with his serve and volley. Medvedev with his return from the fence. Del Potro finding his forehand.
The best players in the world know what they do best, and they’ll stick to that on red light points.
So when can you go for that fun drop shot you just learned at practice?
On green light points.
Green light points refer to the ones you can afford to lose without hurting your chances of winning the match. These are the points you can try something fun and fancy. You can also choose to invest in future moments of the match by doing something unexpected, so that later on, on a red light point, your opponent won’t know what to expect.
When you’re serving, these points are: 0-0/15-0/30-0/40-0/40-15
When you’re returning, these points are: 30-0/40-0/0-40
If you’re Nick Kyrgios, every light is a green light point, everyone else plays a little more structured. Take a look at the following video example. Djokovic hits a drop shot on the first point of the game while serving. He misses it, but no big deal. The odds are still in his favor that he’s going to hold serve in this game. Click here to watch.
So pay close attention to the score. There’s a time to do everything. If you choose wisely, you’ll have a fun time trying out your cool shots, while crushing your opponent on your way to victory.