Outpushed by a non-Pusher

[PushyPushster]

I just had a horrible singles match where I was out-pushed at my own game. The first set started fine and I won easily; the guy was yelling at himself which is music to my ears. Then, halfway through the second set, my opponent completely changes his gameplan and starts pushing the ball right back at me. That's no problem - Boredom is my secret weapon. If I have to win a 3 hour match using the tennis equivalent of Chinese water torture that's cool with me. This guy just won't mentally break, though. Long story short, he eeks out the win in the second set and crushes me in the third because he had the better strokes and wouldn't get impatient. I was so depressed I actually called up the local tennis center and inquired about lessons. Is this what it's come to? I've played tennis for years without knowing the proper way to hit a ball and it doesn't seem right to start now. I'm having a real crisis of confidence. Someone help a brother out.

[grimmbomb21]

duth justice be served....PUSHER!!!

[Swissv2]

Your wily pushing ways have been thwarted! muahahahhaha, (pblhhhh)

[Ripper]

This is a joke, right?

[Doc Hollidae]

I've done it before. I got so frustrated after losing the first set that I decided I was going to start pushing back. I hit lobs off returns for no reason, hit moonballs, lob volleys, etc. ****ed the guy off completely. Nothing is more entertaining than getting a pusher to tell you to stop pushing. All I could think was, "Now you know the hell that I have to go through." Only problem is that pushing just isn't my game so I end up making more unforced errors trying to be a jerk and counter pushing, than just playing my normal game.

[soyizgood]

I have no sympathy for pushers. You people only hit in a way that keeps the points alive, yet refuse to challenge yourself to evolve and take it up another level. Pushers have frustrated many beginners and intermediates with their stagnant form of play.

Seeing that most of the recreational players in my area are pushers or testosterone-driven folks spraying the court and net, I get a smile when players use their mind and skill to overcome such menacing species of players.

My best friend is a pusher and even though I usually win, I'm still learning new skills and improving my play for other challenges. He told me my style is funner, so I know he's envious. He can and does improve from playing and watching me, but I strive for greatness and work my butt off to achieve that.

If you want to just be the king of the 3.0 realm, keep doing your thing. But pushers have a ceiling on what they can do as they only care about staying alive and hoping for opponent UEs. I'd say take a recreational class and learn how to use a full stroke. As well as serving faster than 35MPH. Good luck, pusher...you'll need it

[PushyPushster]

I don't feel a lot of love in the air.

Originally Posted by ripper

This is a joke, right?

Sadly, no.

Originally Posted by Doc

I've done it before. I got so frustrated after losing the first set that I decided I was going to start pushing back. I hit lobs off returns for no reason, hit moonballs, lob volleys, etc.

I've had it tried against me before, but never successfully. I have fun hitting it from the baseline and don't mind doing it all day. It's not like it stresses me out, or anything. Others seem to break after twelve or fifteen balls float over the net. This guy sure didn't, though.

Originally Posted by soyizgood

I have no sympathy for pushers. You people only hit in a way that keeps the points alive, yet refuse to challenge yourself to evolve and take it up another level.

How many levels do you want to "take it up"? Let's face it, none of us is going to be Roger Federer, so if you're having fun does it really matter if it's at 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 (or whatever)? Oddly enough, due to the weakness of the division I'm playing in - non USTA -, I'm probably going to get bumped to 4.0- at the end of this season. I don't belong there, but I guess according to your criteria I'm "moving on up" and therefore doing great.

Originally Posted by soyizgood

I'd say take a recreational class and learn how to use a full stroke. As well as serving faster then 35MPH.

Yeah, that's me. I play a game called "How long is it going to take you to move three feet inside the baseline?" when I start a match. Almost nobody does it on the first service. It's like they think the 30mph serve is a trick and I'm waiting to uncork an ace on them. There's still plenty that are staying back after the second time around. It's not until the third service that most are willing to accept that's really all there is. Oh well. Everyone has talents and serving has cetainly never been mine.

[Cindysphinx]

I have no advice, but you gave me a good laugh! And I love your name.

I will profess my love for you right here and now, PushyPushster!

[kevhen]

Some pushers do evolve. I know that I have and now have some wins over 4.5 rated guys in doubles but I started out as a 3.5 defensive pusher. So don't knock the guy that is better at keeping the ball in play than you are. Work on your own game instead of belittling the local pusher that you struggle with.

[Kevo]

Hi Pushy. Let's face it. Once you get to 4.0 you're pretty much stuck. You won't find any pushers in 4.5. There aren't very many in 4.0 either. There may be some in doubles, but not many in singles. I used to get beat by pushers such as yourself, but at this point, I am a good 4.0 and I have no doubt at all that I will beat any pusher on any given day. So the question is, are you happy playing at the 3.5/4.0 level for the rest of your life. If you are, then there's nothing wrong with playing the game you want to play. If you'd like to move up to the higher levels, you'll need to learn some strokes.

[Clive Walker]

1st time I've logged in here in months and funnily enough the top thread is one on pushing

Good to see nothing changes.

[JRstriker12]

No sympathy for me. I think there's a special place in hell for pushers.

[kevhen]

It's funny how I never see any 4.5-5.0 guys on here complaining about pushers.

[allcourter]

For those of you don't know what ZAT is; it is Zone Advancement Tournament, the lowest level of USTA sanction tournament. Once you got 65 pts than the next level is Championship level(another 65 pts.) and the last level is the Super Championship level which is the top level for 18 yrs and under. My daughter is in ZAT right now and she is in the upper 15% pack. These tournament are held once a month only.

To make the story short, there are a few top girls who have earned 64 pts. (1 point away from moving up to Championship level) and I am witnessing 1 of these girls for several months trying to earn that 1 pt. to move up but couldn't because her style as a pusher impeding her progress to move to upper ladder. Several of opponents who she had beaten before already moved to the next level except this girl. It's painful to watch her trying to earn that 1 point.

It used to be 64 points to move up to next level but because the upper levels so clogged up that recently they added 1 more point to make it much harder for everybody.

When I coach my children, pushing is not allowed because the style doesn't have any varieties and lack of weapons to help player to end matches in a timely manner. And these girls have to play an average of 3 matches a day. No one can last through that stretch by pushing the ball.

[EZRA]

Originally Posted by kevhen

It's funny how I never see any 4.5-5.0 guys on here complaining about pushers.

It's cause they know how to handle pushers... and they actually love it. It's just a battle of consistency and 4.5+ players are consistent but with pace and depth and with deadly accuracy. Imagine a pusher trying to push against someone who can pull him from side to side throughout the whole match. The pusher would be very exhausted halfway through the first set... not to mention the frustration he'll have when the 4.5+ player crushes his 50-mph first serve. You'll see the pusher crying before the firts set is over.

[A.Davidson]

While it is true that at higher levels, most players can adequately dispatch a "pusher" or "backboard", I don't think that they have reservations in hell or anything...It's a style, same as serve-and-volley or aggressive baselining.

[migjam]

The guy won by playing smart. Too many times I see matches played where a player, who is losing, just sticks to their same routine and game, not taking into account what is going on in the match.

[PushyPushster]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

I will profess my love for you right here and now, PushyPushster!

Thanks, Cindy - the lone voice of sympathy in a forest of ridicule!

My confidence was somewhat restored by playing a basher this weekend who was trying to beat the cover off the ball. He was a young kid just out of college and was flying around the court and pasting everything he could get a racket on. He even measured the net before the game and cinched it down a couple of inches. Embarrassingly, when I rifled through my mental rolodex of tennis rules, "Net Height" was notably absent. I had to take his word for it. He was having trouble keeping the bouncy, fuzzy thing inside the court, though, so things worked out okay.

As for those saying I'm never going to have any luck beyond the 4.0 level - you're probably right. What can I say? I've got over six years of self-taught tennis to unlearn and if I tried to hit the ball the way I'm supposed to it would be like blowing my game apart with a piece of dynamite. I have a lot of fun playing on various tennis teams so that's a daunting prospect. Maybe I'll work on one stroke per season, or something.

[haerdalis]

Pusher is the way to go. You cant ever get very far if you miss too much. Only thing is you dont have to be a club pusher. Just push a little harder and with more depth. Tennis is a game about movement.

[Pleepers]

Originally Posted by PushyPushster

I just had a horrible singles match where I was out-pushed at my own game. The first set started fine and I won easily; the guy was yelling at himself which is music to my ears. Then, halfway through the second set, my opponent completely changes his gameplan and starts pushing the ball right back at me. That's no problem - Boredom is my secret weapon. If I have to win a 3 hour match using the tennis equivalent of Chinese water torture that's cool with me. This guy just won't mentally break, though. Long story short, he eeks out the win in the second set and crushes me in the third because he had the better strokes and wouldn't get impatient. I was so depressed I actually called up the local tennis center and inquired about lessons. Is this what it's come to? I've played tennis for years without knowing the proper way to hit a ball and it doesn't seem right to start now. I'm having a real crisis of confidence. Someone help a brother out.

Like you said in your last sentence; it sounds like a confidence issue not your strokes. Most pushers rarely have to encounter a fellow pusher, and when they do I think it is like two strange birds trying to decide who has the prettier feathers. You just had your feathers ruffled. Hopefully now you've had a taste of your own medicne and know why the rest of us hate playing people like you.