I beat the guy 60 60 and he called me "a pusher!"

[Gonzalito17]

This guy at the courts needed someone to play when i got there and there was one court open. SO we go to hit. I knew I could beat him so I was content to just hit on the far side facing the sun which was I mean straight in your eyes. Then he wanted to play sets. Okay, fine, I win 60 60. After it's over, he doens't say well played. He waits a few minutes and goes into a shpiel about that he plays for fun and exercise, only been playing 4 years. So I comment yeah that's good so do I but to get better you have to have a strong will to win, a very strong desire to improve. Yadayada as I'm walking away after saying goodbye he mumbles something about losing 30 pounds and not caring if he wins or loses, and that ... "you're a pusher." Whoa. It's a snide put down of course, then I say, Yeah well I only needed to play my B game to beat you, I just played defense 90% of the time (with the sun in eyes on the one side) and waited for your error. And also that I've won several tournaments and you don't win tournaments by being just a pusher. After a few more heated words, calling me a braggart, he eventually said he didn't mean pusher as an insult that it was an honest mistake he's only been playing for 4 years. and that was about the end of it. The nerve of someone losing 60 60 and calling you a pusher. End of story )

[LeeD]

WERE you pushing?
Sounds like with the sun in your face the entire time, you hit balls left and right back to his court, not going for winners.
Is that pushing to you?

[JW10S]

Don't you know? For the vast majority of players anyone who can on average hit the ball 1 time or more over the net than they can per rally is a pusher. Of course that is wrong, but it is how it is. People just can't deal with the reality that they are no where as good as they dream they are. Only a very insecure, little person would diss a player who just killed them. Claiming you lost to a pusher is the lamest excuse in tennis--a good player can beat a pusher.

[Anton]

You played two sets and at no point wanted to make any aggressive shots?

I'd say you sir are a pusher at heart haha.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by Gonzalito17

This guy at the courts needed someone to play when i got there and there was one court open. SO we go to hit. I knew I could beat him so I was content to just hit on the far side facing the sun which was I mean straight in your eyes. Then he wanted to play sets. Okay, fine, I win 60 60. After it's over, he doens't say well played. He waits a few minutes and goes into a shpiel about that he plays for fun and exercise, only been playing 4 years. So I comment yeah that's good so do I but to get better you have to have a strong will to win, a very strong desire to improve. Yadayada as I'm walking away after saying goodbye he mumbles something about losing 30 pounds and not caring if he wins or loses, and that ... "you're a pusher." Whoa. It's a snide put down of course, then I say, Yeah well I only needed to play my B game to beat you, I just played defense 90% of the time (with the sun in eyes on the one side) and waited for your error. And also that I've won several tournaments and you don't win tournaments by being just a pusher. After a few more heated words, calling me a braggart, he eventually said he didn't mean pusher as an insult that it was an honest mistake he's only been playing for 4 years. and that was about the end of it. The nerve of someone losing 60 60 and calling you a pusher. End of story )

Sore loser. If he can't deal with your consistency, then the guy just sucks. I love playing pushers, it gives me time to setup for all my shots and then finish up at net.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by JW10S

Don't you know? For the vast majority of players anyone who can on average hit the ball 1 time or more over the net than they can per rally is a pusher. Of course that is wrong, but it is how it is. People just can't deal with the reality that they are no where as good as they dream they are. Only a very insecure, little person would diss a player who just killed them. Claiming you lost to a pusher is the lamest excuse in tennis--a good player can beat a pusher.

There are some very good players who are pushers. Not at pro level anymore, but plenty at club level.

[LeeD]

Wait a minute here....
Did OP's opponent ever say he himself was a good player?
Lots of bad player's lose to pushers by bagels.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Sore loser. If he can't deal with your consistency, then the guy just sucks. I love playing pushers, it gives me time to setup for all my shots and then finish up at net.

I do love to play against pushers too. I'm as happy to keep bashing the ball as they are to keep retrieving it.

One thing to never do is underestimate effectiveness of their ugly game and then lose the game mentally.

[corbind]

If a guy can't win ONE game in twelve, does it matter what you are? He sucks bad. I could claw one game from a superior player just from him screwing around and getting lucky.

It's really hard to double-bagel a guy. This is just my thought and style. If I'm up 4-0, I'll start screwing around *and go for riskier shots and tactics because it would be difficult to lose. I have some fun with it.

I'm amazed a guy would get all bent out of shape about losing. He knows he's not in your class so should just take the lesson and be happy to have had the experience.

__________________________________________________
* Screwing around can be troublesome. Today in doubles we were up 4-0 then messed around until it became 6-6 and I was damned if I'd lose to an inferior pair and never live it down. We won 8-6. Had it been the other way around I'd have called them pushers. Just kidding! Had we lost I would have called myself a dumb ___ for not closing it out.

[JW10S]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Wait a minute here....
Did OP's opponent ever say he himself was a good player?
Lots of bad player's lose to pushers by bagels.

That's the point--a good player can beat a pusher, a bad player can't. Claiming one lost because their opponent was a pusher is not an excuse, and it doesn't make one look any better, it just shows how bad one is. In reality instead of trying to diss their opponent they should look in the mirror and admit 'I'm so bad I can't even beat a guy who does nothing other than hit the ball over the net'. Again, anyone who makes the excuse that they lost to someone for no other reason than they were a pusher is nothing more than a loser--period. They should get used to losing because they stink. End of story.

[Tennusdude]

He sucked in tennis but he was an expert in pushing your buttons. If he called me a pusher, I would have told him the following. I guess I am a pusher because I pushed you all over the court like I was sweeping an elephant turd into a shovel. Then I dumped you unceremoniously in the bin, so the dustmen could take you to the dump. It never fails to amaze me how some people can be so conceited about the pitiful strokes they call their tennis game. When I lose the inferior players, everyone tells me that I let them win, even if I swear that my opponent played well, they still think that I let them win. I guess I am lucky in that respect.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

There are many worse things in the world than being called a pusher. And by your own description it sounds like you were pushing. I would not be bothered by it, and I certainly would not be getting into an argument about tennis with someone you beat 0-0.

[Tennusdude]

Pushers can be notoriously difficult to beat. You need to be patient and not get frustrated. You need to draw pushers to the net, they hate the net. Pushers generally love to run, so hitting at them can be successful as well.
But the most important thing to remember is not to overhit. It will often take more than one shot to put the ball away, sometimes even 3 or 4 great shots, that is why you cant over hit. I pusher only wins by the errors you make. A pusher can never hit a winner on you. I think Brad Gilbert was somewhat of a pusher. He made it to number 4 in the world. He was able to beat Boris Becker because Becker would get angry and lose his patience. Gilbert beat McEnroe at the master at Madision Square Garden one year. McBrat was so angry he took a sabbatical from tennis and actually said that Gilbert didnt even belong on the same court as him. Talk about sour grapes. Actually Gilbert was a master at using different games plans in order to defeat different style players. He wrote a book called Winning Ugly which is an excellent book and well worth the read.

[SoBad]

Thanks for bringing this up. Pushers is one of those taboo subjects that no one seems to be willing to bring up on these forums.

[TheCheese]

Nothing wrong with being a pusher. You're just never going to beat good players that way unless you have some serious speed and at least some technique.

[KFwinds]

Honestly, when I double-bagel someone I could really care less what comes out of their mouth after that unless they want to offer up some cash for another tennis lesson. Not sure why anything he says after a match like that should bother you so much... so, ditto to post #12

[Mick]

don't feel bad, some people in this forum call Djokovic, Nadal, Murray pushers too

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

In the pros or advanced competitive tournament level, 6-0 6-0 means a tactic/strategy issue. Because at that level, everyone can play.

But 4.0 and below, that's a talent issue.

How did you not get bored during the match? Haha.

Lastly:

[Wilander Fan]

On club level, bagels are common because the difference is the serve. Despite everything else, if one player serves consistently and the other cant, its going to be alot of holding and alot of breaking.

[dominikk1985]

maybe you are a pusher