How different kinds of tennis players can beat a pusher

[forehandshanker]

I call a pusher someone who, due to limitations in their strokes and footwork,
is content to moonball or dink the ball back in play. The pusher beats others by making their opponents make a lot of unforced errors.

Below are bullet points of my observations of how the four usual types of tennis players can beat a pusher.

1) Aggressive baseliner

Opportunity
* The pusher cannot hit a lot of shots that can put you on the defense. Your shots do not have to be so great to beat them. Hit with a tad bit more safety than you usually do.
* Lots of consistent deep shots that forces the pusher to move a lot may be enough to make them miss. In other words, force them to hit a lot of half volleys at the baseline.


Threat
* They are your biggest challenge to your consistency. They will test your shot tolerance.
* They will thrive off your pace. So be prepared to cover a lot of court to deal with their tendency to bunt your balls back.



2) Counterpuncher

Opportunity
* You may have used to be one of these guys. Since you've worked hard to overcome your limitations in stroke production and footwork, believe that you have the acumen to be more consistent than them.
* Hit lots of heavy topspin where they cannot push the ball back. It's not easy to bunt those balls back especially if you can place it where the pusher is uncomfortable (e.g. wide or high to their backhand).


Threat
* They can be out there all day as long as you. Don't lose your patience especially if playing an aggressive baseline game is outside your comfort zone.
* On defensive shots such as a running forehand or a deep moonball, their ball won't have the momentum you may be used to. You will have to hit with more net clearance and spin than the opponents who give you a heavier ball.

2) Netrusher

Opportunity
* You will get a lot of short balls to get to net. Use those shot balls to angle them out of position.
* Use your serve & return to set up an approach to net as soon as possible. Serve to their weakness so that your first volley can put them in a bad position. On returns, you can rip & charge or chip & charge.
* Because a pusher thrives off a pace, your slice shots can take them out of their comfort zone because it forces them to generate their own pace and can make them move forward.

Threat
* You better have a good overhead. They will lob you.
* Their attempts to pass you won't have a lot of steam. For high volleys, you must step into them to put more on them. Also be prepared to hit a lot of half volleys as their weaker passes will tend to land your feet.

4) All-court player

Opportunity
* Turn the match into a chess match. Use your variety to force them to adjust to you.
* Because of their technical limitations, you will get a random variety of balls from them, so that even in a given point, you could end up playing all of the above styles of play against them.
* Read how they are playing and morph your style of play into what is most
likely to give them trouble especially when the match is tight or you are losing.

Threat
* Since you have a lot of variety in your game, it's too easy to get too cute and start making errors. Don't lose your mental focus. Beware of changing a winning game plan.
* A pusher will make you cover a lot of court (wide, deep and short). Your footwork has to be as impeccable as possible to hit the best ball you can off their ball.

By the way, my natural style is an all-court player. So it's been a mental challenge for me to learn how to beat a pusher.

 

[GuyClinch]

Personally I haven't seen alot (any) legit 4.0 and better pusher men. They are pretty much the blight of the 3.5s who generally kid themselves about their own skills. In most pusher "battles' it's hard to tell which guy is the 'pusher' and which guy is playing real tennis. They both stink.. If you are good enough to play one of the aforementioned styles you are probably a 4.0 and won't have trouble with the pushers. Not only that you can play 'outside' your style and still pound them. For example a counter puncher might still choose to punish the pusher at the net and with overheads - rather then patiently waiting for shots to strike back with.

For women though 4.0 women pushers exist - as the level is about .5 to 1.0 levels below men. I see alot of women frustrated with such players and the problems tend to be compounded because the best way to beat pushers is at the net and with overheads (IMHO) - and these are the weakest shots for women. When I lose to pushers I don't think - gee I hate em. I think wow I need to work on my transition game, my overheads and my volleys. Beating pushers is just about improving your own game rather then using any special strategy.

I think the strategies come more into play in dealing with the 'real' players. How do you beat a power baseliner for example? The 'beat a pusher' strategy pretty much dictates itself.

 

[forehandshanker]

GuyClinch,
It may be fair to say that 4.0+ male pushers don't exist. Still I think a genuine 4.0 has to be on their toes to beat a pusher. And it's totally possible for a genuine 4.0 to have a bad day, and you still need to figure out how to beat a pusher despite not being able to play your best tennis (that was me this morning). Knowing what tools to whip out of your bag of tricks is the challenge of trying to beat a pusher (and when).

At the 3.5 level, while it is important to have no delusions about the quality of your game, you might already be inclined to notice that you tend to favor a certain style. Figuring out what you need to do given an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses is part of getting better.

Even at the pro level, I might argue that you can see much more evolved versions of what I noted. E.g. Sharapova's win over Wozniacki in Rome 2010 is what a ball basher does need to do to beat a player that many call a pusher. Federer's win over Santoro in the Australian Open 2008 is what an all courter needs to do over someone who doesn't really play a power game.

 

[mightyrick]

Federer's win over Santoro in the Australian Open 2008 is what an all courter needs to do over someone who doesn't really play a power game.

Santoro was old and slow at that point.

Against an athletic, non-power player... a better match to refer to would be US Open 2005 where Federer played Santoro. Federer won in straight sets, but it was something like 7-5, 7-5, 7-6. That was prime Federer versus past-prime Santoro.

And even playing at his best, Federer barely beat Santoro that day. To be fair though... Santoro was an all-court player, too.

 

[canuckfan]

I read an interview with santoro in his last year before retirement, and he specifically referenced that match as perhaps the best match he ever played as a pro. Santoro, though, was no pusher. He is a smart junkballer/counterpuncher with great movement and feel. In my subjective opinion pushers still exist at 4.0. At 4.5 they are no longer pushers, they have graduated to spin doctors and counterpunchers. They have some pop, but choose not to use it in conventional ways.

 

[UCSF2012]

Pushing is a strategy, a strategy that works well against people with poor offense and game play. We hate pushers. We criticize them. But ultimately, the problem is with us, because we don't know how to finish off a point.

 

[Comet Buster]

Federer's win over Santoro in the Australian Open 2008 is what an all courter needs to do over someone who doesn't really play a power game.

Just because a player at club level on tour doesn't have a power game doesn't mean to say he's a pusher of defensive. Is Hewitt a pusher becuase he doesn't have a big game? (rhetorical) I've seen loads of guys who grind but play as aggressively as they can to find an opening in the baseline exchanges.

 

[Mikael]

Pushing is a strategy, a strategy that works well against people with poor offense and game play. We hate pushers. We criticize them. But ultimately, the problem is with us, because we don't know how to finish off a point.

This, exactly what he said!

While "pushers" may only exist at the 4.0 and below level, I have seen "pushing" as a strategy way above that, if you define it as "play passively until the opponent makes a mistake or accidentally drops one really short".

 

[Noaler]

so then, how do you defeat someone that can hit the ball deep and never miss?

 

[UCSF2012]

so then, how do you defeat someone that can hit the ball deep and never miss?

If you can find the answer to that question, my friend, then you've broken the 4.5 barrier. Strategy and point construction is even more important at higher levels of tennis. The better your strategy, the more opponents you will defeat.

I can't answer your question, because I don't have that level of game yet.

 

[martini1]

Pushing is a strategy, a strategy that works well against people with poor offense and game play. We hate pushers. We criticize them. But ultimately, the problem is with us, because we don't know how to finish off a point.

Couldn't agree more. If pushing is such a difficult strategy to beat for many (probably including myself), then it is a weapon. Calling it low isn't gonna do much.