The best way to defeat pushers.

Golden Retriever · Jan 28, 2009

Personally, I find that taking the ball on the rise is the best way to defeat pushers. Taking the ball on the rise gives the pusher less time to recover and get to the next ball which is the most formidable weapon for a pusher. Be patient and take the ball on the rise as much as possible. You will see the result.

halalula1234 · Jan 28, 2009

smash their lobs hahahah! Right into their body so they get injury and wont be able to chase balls down.

fin-tennis(h) · Jan 28, 2009

Here are the strategies that i use
-come to the net
-make them come to the net
-chip and charge
-slice
+other strategies to throw them out of rhytm, i try to avoid basic topspin groundies

predrag · Jan 28, 2009

Golden Retriever said:
Personally, I find that taking the ball on the rise is the best way to defeat pushers. Taking the ball on the rise gives the pusher less time to recover and get to the next ball which is the most formidable weapon for a pusher. Be patient and take the ball on the rise as much as possible. You will see the result.

Takin it on the rise is great if you are confident and consistent about it.
However, this not the easiest way.
Playing against pusher is all about match-up.
You want your strength against opponents weakness.
90% of the players have weaker backhand. So, goal should be to run around bh and hit inside out forehand, giving opponent a look at riskier DTL.
Those inside outs should be solid shots, but loaded with topspin, hopefully bouncing litle higher.
This will move ball above the comfort zone, hopefully.
And now patientce is important. One has to show opponent that he is not in a hurry, that he will stay in a rally until the short ball comes.
However, execution of the short ball has to be perfect.

Regards, Predrag

BullDogTennis · Jan 28, 2009

be patient! dont let them get you down. (well really get yourself down)

Steady Eddy · Jan 28, 2009

Bring the pusher to the net. Pushers usually aren't very comfortable at the net.

Frankauc · Jan 28, 2009

fin-tennis(h) said:
Here are the strategies that i use
-come to the net
-make them come to the net
-chip and charge
-slice
+other strategies to throw them out of rhytm, i try to avoid basic topspin groundies

exactly this.

LeeD · Jan 28, 2009

I like all your strategies, especially Fin-Tennis's.
But there comes a time when you absolutely CANNOT beat a pusher! No matter what strategy, what racket, or how hard and where you hit the ball.
Fact of the matter is, there are some 7.0 level pushers out there, playing the pro tour.
Maybe WE won't have to beat them, but they spawn almost as adept 6.0 pushers who spawn 5.0 pushers, all of which WILL beat us on a bad day (ours).
I hate losing to pushers.
But reality is, I will, I have quite often, and I will continue to lose to pushers.
Pushers can be anyone from 2.0 thru 7.0.

jules2 · Jan 28, 2009

Golden Retriever said:
Personally, I find that taking the ball on the rise is the best way to defeat pushers. Taking the ball on the rise gives the pusher less time to recover and get to the next ball which is the most formidable weapon for a pusher. Be patient and take the ball on the rise as much as possible. You will see the result.

Taking the ball very early on the rise also gives you a bit of momentum to work with from otherwise slow, gutless, pitter pattery returns which are typical of pushers.

LeeD · Jan 28, 2009

Personally, I find most pushers at my level have the variety of slices, sidespins, topspins, moonballs, and cut shots that would give most players problems trying to shorthop the groundie.
I can stand in against consistent hitting topspinners up to really high levels, but when your opponent starts mixing spins and pace, placement and depth, it's really hard to take the ball on the rise consistently.
That's just me.
I gotta play my game, hope it's better than the pushers.

user92626 · Jan 28, 2009

Guys,

What is a pusher?

Guys I play with are either good, bad, risk takers or not. The person who makes the least ue's wins!

LeeD · Jan 28, 2009

My definition of a "pusher" is someone who normally plays each point to stay in the point, not try to win it with forcing shots. They could have good groundies or not, good volleys or not, serve etc., but don't try to WIN any points, rather to make you hit until you miss.
Maybe passive strategy, as opposed to pro active strategy.

user92626 · Jan 28, 2009

Sound like they're contesting your physical strength -- see who'd last longer in running and hitting. Nadal fits in this group!!! LOL.

Bud · Jan 28, 2009

Move them side to side... baseline to net. Also, they hate lobs to their backhand side.

Bud · Jan 28, 2009

LeeD said:
Personally, I find most pushers at my level have the variety of slices, sidespins, topspins, moonballs, and cut shots that would give most players problems trying to shorthop the groundie.
I can stand in against consistent hitting topspinners up to really high levels, but when your opponent starts mixing spins and pace, placement and depth, it's really hard to take the ball on the rise consistently.
That's just me.
I gotta play my game, hope it's better than the pushers.

Classic decent pusher game

Bud · Jan 28, 2009

The biggest 'technique' to employ when dealing with a pusher is patience. If you lose patience and want to end the point, you will lose.

LuckyR · Jan 28, 2009

Golden Retriever said:
Personally, I find that taking the ball on the rise is the best way to defeat pushers. Taking the ball on the rise gives the pusher less time to recover and get to the next ball which is the most formidable weapon for a pusher. Be patient and take the ball on the rise as much as possible. You will see the result.

Well I guess my experience is a bit different. Taking balls on the rise is not a trivial maneuver in the skill level where pushers are common. Most pushers would relish their opponents using an even lower percentage "B" game than their "A" game.

In addition most pushers are in good enough shape where they would gladly trade cranking up their footspeed in exchange for more UEs from their opponents.

Bottle Rocket · Jan 28, 2009

user92626 said:
Guys,

What is a pusher?

Guys I play with are either good, bad, risk takers or not. The person who makes the least ue's wins!

Yeah... I like this post. It really is that simple.

The best way to defeat a pusher?

The best way to beat anyone of any style is to be better than they are at tennis. If you're better than the pusher in terms of consistency, stroke mechancis, fitness, whatever, you're going to win. If the pusher out-pushes you or forces you into making more errors than forcing errors, well, uhhh.... He is better. If he's not better and beats you, then he is smarter, which basically means he is still a better tennis player than you.

I think the majority of people that will come around here complaining about pushers or those you find complaining about them in tournaments or wherever are, in general, inferior players.

There are threads all over this website about changing your game to beat these guys. My experience? The people losing to these pushers don't have the ability to do that. Taking yourself out of your own comfort zone against a player like this is the worst possible scenario I can think of.

The way to beat a pusher is to improve your game, improve your fitness, improve your mental toughness, and then impose your will on them in any way that you'd like.

a-naik.1 · Jan 28, 2009

Bud said:
The biggest 'technique' to employ when dealing with a pusher is patience. If you lose patience and want to end the point, you will lose.

However, playing the patience game is playing to the pusher's strength. They are accustomed to that type, so when playing a pusher, you must get a bit more aggressive than you are accustomed to. Come to the net and create more angular shots to get them on the run, maybe thrown in a drop volley from time to time.

LuckyR · Jan 28, 2009

I have had best luck with extremely high percentage players by punishing them for playing such a high percentage game. Specifically by forcing them to hit balls that tail towards me, while I hit balls that tail away from them. initially they don't mind this as they have good stamina, but this strategy will eventually defeat even players with epic stamina (Michael Chang, for instance).

Bottle Rocket · Jan 30, 2009

LuckyR said:
Specifically by forcing them to hit balls that tail towards me

What's the secret?

Slicendicer · Jan 30, 2009

fin-tennis(h) said:
Here are the strategies that i use
-come to the net
-make them come to the net
-chip and charge
-slice
+other strategies to throw them out of rhytm, i try to avoid basic topspin groundies

+1

Find the weakness in their game, and exploit it. Mostly move the ball side to side and hit short, low balls. The short, low, side spin slice works good.

dennis10is · Jan 30, 2009

Another way to view a tough pusher as a positive not as a dread.

Stage 1: Take your best/preferred style of play and beat the pusher with it. Once you can do this.

Stage 2: Use your least preferred/weakest playing style and beat the pusher with it.

Stage 2: If pushing style is not your style in stages 1 or 2, beat the pusher with the pushing style.

This pretty much exhaust all the manner in which a pusher can help improve your game.

The best way to defeat pushers.

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