Feet in the BLUE !
There is a perception that the most common breakdowns in competition are unforced errors. Though this is certainly a problem, an often overlooked source of failure is shot selection. Choosing the wrong shot at the wrong time can lead to technical errors, (unforced or otherwise), and to tactical mistakes that favor your opponent. Developing discipline and appropriate shot selection can lead to dramatic improvement in results.
Do you look at where you are in the point? I don't mean just where you are on the court, although that's a big issue too. I am addressing your status in the point, i.e. "am I on offense, defense, or neutral?" At the moment you are selecting each and every shot, there are indicators of your status in the point that should affect your shot selection. Am I dictating the rally or being dictated? Has my prior ball hurt my opponent or provided him opportunity? Have I been able to take ground and take time away from my opponent or has he pushed me back? All these and more will indicate your staus - offense, defense, or neutral.
We often use a training drill called "call the bounce". The players must say out loud what their opponent's ball is going to do to them, by the time that ball crosses the net on it's way toward them. They are tasked with exclaiming, "forward, hold, or back" indicating the position they will take to play the incoming ball. Ostensibly, the drill is to improve the players' ball reading skill, and get them to recognize earlier what their opponent's ball is doing to them. But it could be just as effective if they called out, "offense, defense, or neutral." Their early awareness of this status allows them more time for better decisions about their situation, and leads to improved shot selection.
Consider these examples. If a player knows the incoming ball will push them backwards into a defensive status, they will (should) choose a defensive shot that is probably higher, heavier spin, and most certainly aimed crosscourt and deep. Conversely, if they read their opponent's ball is inviting them forward to take ground inside the baseline and strike the ball above the net, they can select a flatter, more aggressive drive that they could take down the line. Choosing the wrong shot for the wrong situation lowers their chance of success, and raises the likelihood of their shot helping their opponent.
We refer to a short ball that invites you forward as a chance to "get your feet in the blue", a reference to the popular blue color of the inside of many hard courts. It is a "green light" situation and sends the message to hit flatter or faster, lower over the net, and more aggressive. We encourage our players to step up and do that whenever they get a chance to get in the blue, and to look for every opportunity to move into the blue. However, the shots they select when in the blue are very ill-advised when the ball has them in a neutral status behind the baseline, and even worse when the ball is forcing them to give ground and be pushed back away from the baseline.
So as you develop your shot selection skills and methods, take note AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE what your opponent's current ball is doing to you strategically. Have a simple system of shot selection based on your status, and be disciplined about choosing the right shot. Get in the blue whenever the opportunity presents itself and choose an aggressive, attacking shot. Make better shot selections, and you will last longer in points, and win a lot more of them.
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