Losing player gives advice after championship loss

[Gonzalito17]

Some clown tried to get me to hit the ball harder so I would miss more. He didn't like slower topspinballs because 1 - I never miss and 2 - he was a pusher and couldn't do anything with slower paces. So I just hit the ball even slower and higher to torture him. )

[comeback]

i am a very consistent player that "hitters" hate to play..But if i genually like my opponent that i just beat, i usually try to say sometning positive like "you were really tough" or "you never give up" instead of a put down phrase like "you need to develop a net game" etc
i do know another player whose main strategy is to lob even in baseline rallies. He wins a lot but many people and opponents who lose to him tell him he's not playing "the right way"
One thing that must be difficult for a player is to lose to someone you used to beat consistently..It's only happened to me once in my life but even though i liked the guy, i had a very hard time with it.

[North]

Originally Posted by comeback

One thing that must be difficult for a player is to lose to someone you used to beat consistently..It's only happened to me once in my life but even though i liked the guy, i had a very hard time with it.

Yes, people get very upset when the rug is pulled out from under them. I used to play a lot of pushers, so that I could learn to beat them and move on to improve. It was always very cordial, I never criticized the pusher style of play, and I always thanked them for playing because I really appreciated the opportunity to get better. They all were happy to play as often as possible.

I lost a LOT till I got good enough to execute the kinds of things that beat pushers (net play, etc). Without exception, not one single pusher friend wanted to ever play again once it became apparent that I would win every time. I guess there is just too much self-esteem tied up in recreational tennis for some people.

One guy made me laugh, though. The last time we ever played, I won with some good S&V that day - placed my serve well, crisp volleys, nice short points - never let the guy get into any prolonged moonball fests. After he lost, the guy told me how much better I could be if I could only maintain a rally.

[Roforot]

I still don't understand why he was playing from No Man's land as a response to you chipping and charging?
And if he's a 4.5 why wasn't he passing you or hitting lobs?

[Sakkijarvi]

Ah, junkballers, stallers, pushers, moonballers, sometimes with a twist: funky outfits, bad line calls, bad attitudes or just weird in one way or another.

Win or lose, these characters are no fun to play. I guess it is more PC to tell them they suck only when you win, eh? Oh, I didn't mention the ten minute bathroom breakers.

Sounds like some of the posts here, following the glorious OP, are the 'all about winning' crowd. That's why a good group of tennis buddies is better than USTA for some: you can limit most of your time invested into sportsmen, not 'characters'.

In any case, OP, sounds like you and your opponent exchanged some opinions. Is yours really more 'valid' because you snagged this rare win???

[Roforot]

Sakkijarvi, I still don't understand why a 4.5 is playing no man's land.

If I understood the OP's post, he changes to chip/charge which is different from stalling or pushing. That being said, as a 4.0 player, I enjoy playing against moonballers and pushers b/c I will eventually get a ball I can put away (as a 3.5 this wasn't the case). Junkballers are more of a challenge on the footwork aspect but otherwise played in a similar fashion.

[TomT]

Originally Posted by Roforot

I still don't understand why he was playing from No Man's land as a response to you chipping and charging?
And if he's a 4.5 why wasn't he passing you or hitting lobs?

My guess is that the OP's chip shots were landing in no man's land, so that's where the opponent had to play them from. Hitting a winning passing shot or an effective offensive lob off a good skidding approach shot that stays real low and the chipper is quick and fast and is approaching correctly (ie., optimal court position) isn't easy.

Anyway, good for the 4.0 OP for playing smart and doing what was necessary to win, and too bad for the sour grapes 4.5 opponent for not adequately adjusting to the OP's change in tactics.

[Avles]

Originally Posted by Sakkijarvi

Ah, junkballers, stallers, pushers, moonballers, sometimes with a twist: funky outfits, bad line calls, bad attitudes or just weird in one way or another.

Win or lose, these characters are no fun to play. I guess it is more PC to tell them they suck only when you win, eh?

It's not more PC, it's just less lame. It doesn't matter how the match went-- unless you're being paid to be a coach, telling someone they should have played differently after losing to them makes you a tool.

[Roforot]

Originally Posted by TomT

My guess is that the OP's chip shots were landing in no man's land, so that's where the opponent had to play them from. Hitting a winning passing shot or an effective offensive lob off a good skidding approach shot that stays real low and the chipper is quick and fast and is approaching correctly (ie., optimal court position) isn't easy.

Anyway, good for the 4.0 OP for playing smart and doing what was necessary to win, and too bad for the sour grapes 4.5 opponent for not adequately adjusting to the OP's change in tactics.

Again, it doesn't make sense. Have you seen or played a 4.5 player who can't hit a passing shot of a short ball? I'm not saying it's an easy shot, but I'd expect him to win at least two out of three of those exchanges. If he's camped out there and waiting for the ball, he should win a greater share...

I guess what I'm saying is I don't think that the OP was playing against a 4.5 player

[TomT]

Originally Posted by Roforot

Again, it doesn't make sense. Have you seen or played a 4.5 player who can't hit a passing shot of a short ball? I'm not saying it's an easy shot, but I'd expect him to win at least two out of three of those exchanges. If he's camped out there and waiting for the ball, he should win a greater share...

I guess what I'm saying is I don't think that the OP was playing against a 4.5 player

Maybe you're right. No way to tell without video how good the OP's or how bad the opponent's execution was.