Beating a Dinker/pusher

[Noaler]

Anger is also a key factor. Whenever I'm angry, I over hit shots way to much and lose quite easily.

[wyutani]

Originally Posted by Leelord337

serve and volley

you make it sound easy. haha.

[tennisfreak15347]

Originally Posted by wyutani

you make it sound easy. haha.

it's not that easy. They constantly throw a lob in just so I can't move to the net.

[split-step]

Originally Posted by tennisfreak15347

it's not that easy. They constantly throw a lob in just so I can't move to the net.

umm, that's even better. Serve and overhead.

[Bud]

Try some (or all) of these things:

This is based on the pusher thread, How to Play the Pusher article and personal experience... after losing to many pushers/dinkers.

1. Regardless of what happens or how you're feeling... show no emotion. Most people self-destruct against pushers/dinkers due to frustration.

2. Don't start dinking the ball back to them. Play your game but take some juice off the ball... otherwise you'll overhit long/wide.

3. Serve and volley... but look for the lob. I like to serve and volley... then when they are about to strike the ball... I've reached the service line and have set my body (not still moving forward). Try to identify a lob early so you can start moving backward.

4. Move them corner to corner.

5. Move them forward and backward (this works great).

6. Change up your shots with topspin and slice. If you lob it to them, expect a lob back... unless you lob it to their comfort zone. Then you can expect a flat winnner from them. If you must... lob it high (but safely in the court) over their backhand side. Dinkers are horrible when hitting high backhand overheads.

7. Whatever you do, keep it away from their comfort zone. They become amazingly adept at hitting flat winners when the ball is in their strike zone. Also, if you mishit a lob short to their forehand... be prepared for them to hit an overhead winner (show no emotion when the winner is hit).

8. Again, DON'T SHOW YOUR FRUSTRATION! They thrive on your negative emotions.

I enjoy playing pushers/dinkers, now... as it allows me to practice shots that require thinking and finesse, as opposed to primarily pace.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by split-step

Totally. I don't come across a lot of pushers, but when I do, I tuck my flat serve away and hit high bouncing kickers with focus on tons of spin not pace.
I love watching them fumble the returns.

I just alternate heavy topspin crosscourt with slice dropshots. Against no pace, I can dropshot even from behind the baseline.

[schwuller]

i also say: serve and volley. there is a guy i play that is horrible. but he can run, and he gets everything back. i'm kind of a machine baseliner, so it takes alot of strokes for me to get the point. i'm much better than him, and i always win. but not from winners, normally. so i thought: if i could serve and volley....

so i practiced the S&V. man...it was AMAZING. i served and volleyed this guy into a 6-0, 6-0, 6-1 match in about...an hour! points that took 8 or 12 shots, now just took 2 or 3! a pusher can't hit a reliable passing shot, lob, or accurate service return. if you don't screw up the first volley, the point is more often going to be yours even if your volleys suck! soon he'll be trying too much on the returns and start missing most of them anyway. S&V at the 3.5 - 4.0 level is like bringing a gun to a fist fight. try it.

[harr]

Originally Posted by Rickson

You have to blast that ball into the court. Pushers can not handle pace well.

No one handles pace well if it's more than they are used to, but you don't go and hit all your shots as hard as you can because of this. Powerful and deep shots are actually quite easy for a pusher to return because they can just run back and forth along the baseline. (If they're really powerful than it isn't easy for the pusher, but if you could hit really powerful shots with any consistency, you wouldn't be wondering how to beat a pusher in the first place.) They will produce a short ball eventually, but if you're trying to hit beyond your limit, the chances are that you'll make the error first. When playing an opponent who can't harm you, why harm yourself? By hitting within your limits, you can patiently construct each point and force an error before you make one yourself. I'd try an aggressive but controlled game with the aim of coming to the net rather than an aggressive uncontrolled game where you hit the ball into the net.