How do you fare against 'pushers'?

[Galactus]

While playing at my local club against my friends is that most of them are guys who at last try to improve over time and try and play a good game of tennis.

My biggest annoyance is my best friend who I've known 30 years, and he's a real 'pusher/scrambler'-type of guy: he has a decent serve in that he can get a bit of pace in it, but not much variation or spin - just getting the 1st serve IN.
The remainder of his game is either chip or lob - cos he's so unfit he can't chase any balls down or try and hit correct forehands or backhands for fear of over-hitting or netting. :mrgreen:

However, due to this I try and blast him off-court every time: double-fault a lot, over-hitting forehands, weak backhands and end up losing badly. :neutral:
Then, cos we're quite close friends, afterwards, he'll say something like: "perhaps you need a few lessons and then you'll be ready for me" :x

What's the best mental and physical approach to beating such limited-technique-opponents who mainly win on desire and fear-of-losing???

 

[Richie Rich]

I've had the best success against pushers by being very patient, waiting for a short ball (close to service line), and then approach the net, volley away the shot or hit an overhead.

They usually can't pass well so they lob. If you are ready for the lob you can prepare.

They want you to go for winners and big serves. They want tp pi$$ you off and make you angry so you miss. If you accept the fact that you have to set your shots up and take your time and stick to your strategy you will win most of the time.

 

[x Southpaw x]

Well... practice your proper stroke's consistency with them. Since you say he's not that fit... eventually he should be the one making the mistake. Aim one to the left court, then one to the right court, then one back to the left etc. Work on your aiming, not your power.

If you're still losing, bring him out of his comfort zone. Hit a ball real short, that should function somewhat as a drop shot, then hit a moon ball over him. If he actually retrieves it, hit the short ball again. Wash, rinse, repeat. Keep getting him running.

Then maybe once in a while... do a skyscraper moonball. Test his patience and skill with handling the super super high moonball.

 

[Galactus]

I've had the best success against pushers by being very patient, waiting for a short ball (close to service line), and then approach the net, volley away the shot or hit an overhead.
They usually can't pass well so they lob. If you are ready for the lob you can prepare.
They want you to go for winners and big serves. They want tp pi$$ you off and make you angry so you miss. If you accept the fact that you have to set your shots up and take your time and stick to your strategy you will win most of the time.

Well... practice your proper stroke's consistency with them. Since you say he's not that fit... eventually he should be the one making the mistake. Aim one to the left court, then one to the right court, then one back to the left etc. Work on your aiming, not your power.

If you're still losing, bring him out of his comfort zone. Hit a ball real short, that should function somewhat as a drop shot, then hit a moon ball over him. If he actually retrieves it, hit the short ball again. Wash, rinse, repeat. Keep getting him running.

Then maybe once in a while... do a skyscraper moonball. Test his patience and skill with handling the super super high moonball.

Richie Rich: that's exactly the case...he knows I can play a powerful crosscourt forehand, and to a degree, a flattish crosscourt backhand - so he almost goads me into playing that shot all the time - 2 yards either side of him and 99% he won't go for it cos he's lazy.

Southpaw: also correct - my power game tends to get me carried away when I see these easy winners time after time. I guess I also need to practice drop-shots and lobs...and get my mental-game into gear!

Thanks for your replies...

 

[GotGame?]

Like these guys have mentioned, since you say he is not that fit, keep jerking him left, right, left, right, mix it up. Just keep moving him around by mixing it up by throwing in a bh slice, drop shot, serve and volleying/attacking the net, and stay consistent/patient while knowing when to attack sticking to your power game.

 

[Galactus]

Like these guys have mentioned, since you say he is not that fit, keep jerking him left, right, left, right, mix it up. Just keep moving him around by mixing it up by throwing in a bh slice, drop shot, serve and volleying/attacking the net, and stay consistent/patient while knowing when to attack sticking to your power game.

Yeah - I know: this is my mental-game falling apart when trying to blow my best friend off-court with 1st serves!
At the end of our match 3 weeks ago, he referred to me as 'Roscoe Spanner'.

 

[kevhen]

If he is out of shape then learn how to rally and don't try to blast his shots but place them safely back crosscourt. Work on your overhead if he lobs and don't get so close to net to expose yourself to the lob. Stop trying to blast him off the court, but learn how to rally and wear him down.

 

[Galactus]

If he is out of shape then learn how to rally and don't try to blast his shots but place them safely back crosscourt. Work on your overhead if he lobs and don't get so close to net to expose yourself to the lob. Stop trying to blast him off the court, but learn how to rally and wear him down.

That's the thing - if he senses I'm going for a baseline-rally affair (which I do no problem against other friends) he'll even try and lob me from his baseline just to draw me into a smash (again, the whole 'power-aspect' of my game)...

 

[x Southpaw x]

That's the thing - if he senses I'm going for a baseline-rally affair (which I do no problem against other friends) he'll even try and lob me from his baseline just to draw me into a smash (again, the whole 'power-aspect' of my game)...

lol I think at one point of time that happened to all of us... I remember it quite well. Usually when they do that to me when I was a newbie, I would just send it straight into the net, or straight into the opposite fence. It's fun.
If you don't like practicing your overhead and losing points in the process, then don't overhead! If you don't care about points or losing... go ahead and work on those overheads and conquer your weakness!

 

[donnyz89]

While playing at my local club against my friends is that most of them are guys who at last try to improve over time and try and play a good game of tennis.

My biggest annoyance is my best friend who I've known 30 years, and he's a real 'pusher/scrambler'-type of guy: he has a decent serve in that he can get a bit of pace in it, but not much variation or spin - just getting the 1st serve IN.
The remainder of his game is either chip or lob - cos he's so unfit he can't chase any balls down or try and hit correct forehands or backhands for fear of over-hitting or netting. :mrgreen:

However, due to this I try and blast him off-court every time: double-fault a lot, over-hitting forehands, weak backhands and end up losing badly. :neutral:
Then, cos we're quite close friends, afterwards, he'll say something like: "perhaps you need a few lessons and then you'll be ready for me" :x

What's the best mental and physical approach to beating such limited-technique-opponents who mainly win on desire and fear-of-losing???

thats exactly what i went through with one of my friends, he would give me easy mini lobs that gets over everytime and i make the error. there are a few things u could do, try to get him to net, see how he does there. hit some drop shots, i suppose he wont hurt u much with short balls, so chances are he will tap it over like usual and run back. if thats the case, i dont know what to tell ya. i mean, i can always tell u to move him and stuff but im sure u know that. but yea, take some pace off your shots and move him around a bit. and attack short balls.

 

[Galactus]

thats exactly what i went through with one of my friends, he would give me easy mini lobs that gets over everytime and i make the error. there are a few things u could do, try to get him to net, see how he does there. hit some drop shots, i suppose he wont hurt u much with short balls, so chances are he will tap it over like usual and run back. if thats the case, i dont know what to tell ya. i mean, i can always tell u to move him and stuff but im sure u know that. but yea, take some pace off your shots and move him around a bit. and attack short balls.

HaHa - you got his game down to a 'T'!!
Having said that, he does have a good serve - not that powerful, but quite consistent but I like serves that come on to me cos I can return them with intertest quite easily as my crosscourt forehand I rarely miss.
Those 'mini-lobs' he does quite a lot, I should really be hitting winners off them without having to smash so much.
I admit, I havent drop-shotted him at all - this will change in our next match...

 

[TwistServe]

Used to have problems with them.. Haven't lost to a pusher in a long long time.. and haven't played one in some time too.

 

[x Southpaw x]

Haven't lost to a pusher in a long long time..

Same, same... Now that we've gotten somewhat good, we look back at those times and wonder... "Why was a I so n00b?"

 

[kevhen]

Hit a controlled overhead with maybe some sidespin to take off some pace if he is luring you to go for the big smash. You have to learn to control your power so that you can playing winning tennis.

 

[stc9357]

I played a pusher today in a pro set and I punished his *** 8-1. I haven't lost to a pusher in about a year. I like playing them because they don't have anything that can hurt you they focus on you hurting yourself. Pushers are fun to play because even if you do lose you know what your weakness is. If you can S&V them to death lots of pushers have a tough time against people who serve and volley. When you do they usually give you a weak return tat you can punish at the net. You said the guy you was facing was out of shape hit dropshots and bring him to the net. Make him work!

 

[ATXtennisaddict]

Pusher friend I play like my pace, so I don't give him any. I underspin balls. Mix up short,long balls. Even my serve is underhanded one so he has to come up to the net.