"Pusher" ... Playing This (Dreaded) Opponent

joe28601

joe28601

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I hate playing against pushers, and I bet a lot of people do.. I was wondering whats one way to beat a pusher. So I realized, get the pusher mad, he'll start hitting shots out. I dont know if that happens all the time but in tournaments i've played in I would beat my pushers 6-1 6-1. Is their anything easier to getting a pusher mad? Should you start pushing it back? Should you go with the serve and volley technique or should you just have one helluva serve?


HELP!!!!

tots
 
It takes a certain mentality to emply the pusher style successfuly. You've got to be VERY patient and very methodical, and probably have a pretty strong set of nerves. I don't think there's much you can do to get inside the pusher's head, other than just flat out beating him. And, if you beat your pushers 6-1 6-1 as you say you do, then you really have no need to try to win by trickery anyway.

Most people hate playing against pushers because the pushers beat them. Once they reach the rite-of-passage of beating a good pusher, they don't mind playing them NEARLY as much.
 
well my matches are pretty long even though i win 6-1 6-1 just because we have to go to like 7 deuces...... im just very impatient, thats all... and i love seeing my opponent getting angry....
 
Rickson said:
Pushers hate heavy pace so blast that ball and watch them fall apart.
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Yeah, but you got to make sure you don't try to hit harder than you can. You might just go crazy with the unforced errors and lose.
 
Server and volley. You want to take as much time away from them as possible and capitalize on the slower paced balls they are hitting.
 
Last Wednesday, (The 28th) I was in my last school tournament, I was playing Singles #2. I came across someone I remembered from a previous tournament, but I did not know, that he was infact, a dreaded pusher. During match play, he won the 1st 3 games, of course because of my errors, not because of his winners. I ended up losing 8-3 in a Pro Set. For countless days, I thought it over why i lost! He had no strokes, forehand nor backhand... He simply pushed the ball over, sliced, lobbed, dropped, everything in his book of tricks. But now, I came across this article 2 days ago. And it helped me.. ALOT. Yesterday, I contacted that SAME exact pusher, and i ended up beating him 8-0. I was very happy. It may not help you as much as it helped me! But just give it a read.

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/turbo_98_7.html
 
That was a great article. He pretty much described everything I try to do with pushers, plus a couple of things I never considered.

I actually like playing pushers. It's like no pressure. I know I might be out there for a while but I know for sure I'm going to win.
 
I like playing pushers too.
Pushers allow me not to hit a risky shot when I'm under duress. When I'm out of position to hit a ball, I can just push it back and fight on another day. It's only a matter of time before they give me a ball where I can win the point with a couple of shot combinations, e.g. approach/volley, drop/lob, corner-to-corner, etc.
 
35ft6 said:
That was a great article. He pretty much described everything I try to do with pushers, plus a couple of things I never considered.

I actually like playing pushers. It's like no pressure. I know I might be out there for a while but I know for sure I'm going to win.
Click to expand...

I worked with a good teaching pro when I first started playing and was basically told that learning to beat pushers was part of moving on and improving to actually play well - sort of a rite of passage, I guess. So, now I know I can, and do, beat them. But, I don't like it. Even though there is really no pressure, I find the sheer boredom MUCH worse than any pressure a really quality opponent can bring to bear.

Whatever the reason, I would definitely rather be having fun under heavy pressure from an opponent, having to take some risks for points, than be bored to tears playing a pusher. (Must be some deep-seated psychological reason for this - lol.) Got to give you credit for actually enjoying playing them!
 
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good article.

i like playing with pushers. sometimes i win, sometimes i lose. however, i get a good work out with my groundstrokes :p
 
Pretty good article, provides concrete strategies for his target audience which seems to be sub-5.0.

I played (and lost) to a pusher in D-I college, no fun. He definitely didn't slice the ball, but hit with no pace, didn't go for any winners, kept it in.

At the higher levels, a pusher can only be beaten by
a) having more patience and better legs (pushing back and winning the attrition war)
b) beating his legs with your strokes (control, punish, finish, which entails taking a lot more risks than he)
 
"pusher"

I hear many complaints about a pusher. What exactly defines one?
 
Very good article. I played two pushers this weekend. haha...The moment the match started, I was like..."Yup, pusher alright. Let's have some fun! NOT!" It was very frustrating for sure because I lost more games than I expected due to my serve being off, but I beat them both.

I had a strategy just like in the article. Basically I was trying to be patient and wait until I can hit high percentage winners and good approach shots. When my unforced errors started racking up, I reduced the pace a bit and just getting them back until I get good opportunity.

Pushers do not like high kicking balls. Just hit your topspin ground stroke down the middle to be safe and eventually the pusher will hit a floater weak shot right in the middle of the court. That's when you hit your slice approach shot down the line or kicking topspin into the corner and rush the net. Remember, don't try to be too cute and hit a winner. If you got your rhythm back, then go for it. Otherwise, just hit a decent paced ball into the corner or right at the body. I'm an all courter, so I won most of my points whenever I'm at the net.

Also, what I found really effective was hitting deep kicking topspin which the pusher will have trouble and thus hit a weak reply. Then, you do a drop shot and watch the pusher run. Moving them forward and backward will keep 'em honest. Watch them trying to take their time and get a breather. :)

Like the article mentioned, my ground stroke rhythm were all messed up because of the paceless and slice balls. What I did was to make sure I brushed the ball a lot more in order to put more spin on the ball and that would eventually got my rhythm going again. Remember to focus and watch those slow balls.

Remember this. The pusher can not hurt you. You are in control. Move them side to side, and back and fore.
 
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I think it means different things to different people. I think the following three sums it up.

First definition - 'pusher' is someone whose game aims to have zero unforced errors and zero winners (ie a definition based on their strategy).

Second definition - 'pusher' is someone who bunts the ball back slowly and with poor technique, aiming to get the ball in without regard to placement (ie a definition based on their technique).

Third definition - 'pusher' is someone who the OP lost to because they (the OP) hit too many unforced errors and the opponent, who knew the easiest way to get the win, let them (ie a definition based on how they make someone feel).

Seems to be a lot of people using it in the third sense lately ...
 
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Great article - for pushers as well.

I (a pusher) played a guy in comp on the weekend who tried a few things in the article.

He started serve and volleying off both serves, which forced me to hit better returns.

When he found his S&V wasn't working, he hit firm flat shots from the baseline trying to force short balls that he could attack the net with. This forced me to vary my rallying shots to make it hard for him to groove his shots.

When he found that he made too many unforced errors and didn't get enough pay-off in the form of short balls, he started pushing, but attacked when I was too far inside the baseline or hit a short ball. This forced me to try and position him out wide to open the court for a winner.

Even if I had lost, I had great fun because he asked questions of my game and forced me to play like a counterpuncher. Likewise, he had to try new things when I got reasonable answers. We played smart tennis.

It's much more fun than playing someone who racks up UEs by trying to blast groundstroke winners from behind the baseline or someone who decides to push back (both strategies that I think the article rightly says are bad ideas).
 
For all of you who say "no pressure," I have to dissagree. It actually makes you appreciate each and every point more, which thus makes the pressure while you swing much higher.
________
marijuana test
 
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Many of you are confusing Counter Punchers and/or Junk Ballers with Pushers. (Ron Waite's piece does the same.)

Check the Six Playing Styles thread. There's a pretty good argument for another style (Power Baseliner) in there too.

- KK
 
lol my dad is exactly that kind of pusher...except he has LUDICROUS lobs that he pops out at almost any time you are at net hitting your approach volley or shot.

I usually do that stuff except net rush to beat him.
 
Yes, another pusher thread

There's this tough pusher, who's always harassing me to play him. I've faced him 6 times. I've won 4 times, he's won 2. So, I've studied the situation and I, now, clearly, understand why he's so tough for me. It's the paceless shots. I'm a counterpuncher. I need pace to hit my winners. If I try to hit winners by generating my own pace, I can't get enough on the ball to make it unreachable for him. If I try to put more on it, there's a 50% chance I'll send it long. Well, in practice, I can hit 90% of paceless shots back as winners. However, it's not easy for me to loosen up in a match. Also, when I go to the net he never, ever, attempts a passing shot; he just lobs over me deep (sometimes, they go long). Imo, people who're looking for strategies to beat pushers are missing the picture. I think it's just a matter of becoming a better player, that's all. The day you can, easily, kick a tough pusher's butt is the day you've moved up a level (or a half level... or whatever).
 
Ripper said:
If I try to hit winners by generating my own pace, I can't get enough on the ball to make it unreachable for him. If I try to put more on it, there's a 50% chance I'll send it long. Well, in practice, I can hit 90% of paceless shots back as winners. However, it's not easy for me to loosen up in a match.
Click to expand...

Suggestion: Maybe try to be a little more patient than you currently are, and wait for a shorter ball where you can capitalize. When it comes, don't try to make your shot unreachable, just go for a reasonably aggressive shot, that you can make with confidence. Again, you don't have to hit the line. Your next shot (if it comes back) could be a volley winner or another baseline shot pulling him in the other direction. It's all about patience and going for the aggressive shots at the right moment.

As far as your problem of getting tense, maybe work on keeping a loose grip, loose muscles, and fluid motions, all with good footwork!
 
Lindros13 said:
Suggestion: Maybe try to be a little more patient than you currently are, and wait for a shorter ball where you can capitalize. When it comes, don't try to make your shot unreachable, just go for a reasonably aggressive shot, that you can make with confidence. Again, you don't have to hit the line. Your next shot (if it comes back) could be a volley winner or another baseline shot pulling him in the other direction. It's all about patience and going for the aggressive shots at the right moment.

As far as your problem of getting tense, maybe work on keeping a loose grip, loose muscles, and fluid motions, all with good footwork!
Click to expand...

Thanks for your suggestion. I know what you're saying. I try to do that, but, as soon as I see an opening, my instincts urge me to attack. I know I have to fight this urge and wait for a better opportunity. And I do that. I have to admit, it's no fun, at all, playing this guy. The only reason I do it is because I see it as a challenge. And, as I said, I'll feel I have overcomed that challenge, the day I can beat him with ease.
 
Ripper I have the same problem. The thing I've noticed is when I play against pushers is that I have a hard time getting into a rhythm. For counterpunchers who take the ball off the rise or are used to using their opponent's pace, paceless balls destroy their tempo and rhythm. I have the same problems you mentioned about hitting short or long and having trouble finding the right depth. The adjustment I made was hitting with a lot more topspin, like Spainard-like topspin. My strokes are fairly flat since I take the ball off the rise, so this allowed me to hit out a little more, while still keeping the ball in.

The other thing I changed was being patient and setting up the point a little better. Instead of going for the outright winner on short balls and approaches like I normally would, I'd use that shot as a set up so my next shot would be the put away. Instead of going for the outright winner and getting frustrated over missing, this made me a lot more consistent and gave me a better shot to finish the point.
 
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ripper,
instead of going for a winner on each occasion, try to play some nice angles at mid-tempo. one left, one right, just have him wear out a pair of shoes each set. after sending him three times left-right you might try to wrongfoot him. next nice strategy is playing a really high (3m netclearance) topspin shot on the backhandside and then have a low and short (bounce at t-line) slice on the forehandside.
in the first rounds of the +35, +40 tournaments i play, i meet such guys regularly. i think of it as a nice practice match to go for precision in both strokes and footwork, i really wouldn't want to finish the point too early, besides it being too risky if i'm not really properly set up for hitting the winner. it usually benefitted me in the later rounds against better players since my confidence in my strokes was boosted.
give it a try.
 
Ripper said:
There's this tough pusher, who's always harassing me to play him. I've faced him 6 times. I've won 4 times, he's won 2. So, I've studied the situation and I, now, clearly, understand why he's so tough for me. It's the paceless shots. I'm a counterpuncher. I need pace to hit my winners. If I try to hit winners by generating my own pace, I can't get enough on the ball to make it unreachable for him. If I try to put more on it, there's a 50% chance I'll send it long. Well, in practice, I can hit 90% of paceless shots back as winners. However, it's not easy for me to loosen up in a match. Also, when I go to the net he never, ever, attempts a passing shot; he just lobs over me deep (sometimes, they go long). Imo, people who're looking for strategies to beat pushers are missing the picture. I think it's just a matter of becoming a better player, that's all. The day you can, easily, kick a tough pusher's butt is the day you've moved up a level (or a half level... or whatever).
Click to expand...


Since you like pace, the next paceless ball, step way into the court and dropshot him and rush the net. He'll get to it, of course, but if he is a classic pusher, he won't go for a winner, but since he has to put something on the ball to get it up and over the net and since the distance between you is so short, it will seem like it has pace on it from your standpoint. You probably can put those shots away since his reaction time will be so low given your relative distance from him.
 
Craig A. Clark said:
Have you tried luring him to net with a few short balls/drop shots? Most pushers don't volley too well. CC
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Yeah, this one isn't the exception. I know he does practice volleys, but he's just not very good at it. So, that does work with him, but not all the time.
 
Ripper said:
Imo, people who're looking for strategies to beat pushers are missing the picture. I think it's just a matter of becoming a better player, that's all. The day you can, easily, kick a tough pusher's butt is the day you've moved up a level (or a half level... or whatever).
Click to expand...


I think you're exactly right - there's no sense strategizing about how best to beat a pusher when the simplest answer lies within what is missing in your own game, and how best to reach the next level. It's all about being able to know what your next shot is going to be - to keep hitting them out wide or doing whatever it takes to finally get an opening. Once the opening is there, it's pretty simple to hit a winner. Pushers are tricky ONLY because they require you to be more patient. We're always looking to end the point as soon as we hit one or two crosscourts, but basically we need to realize that against certain opponents, one or two great shots isn't enough to create the opening or the volley we are waiting to put away.

Tennis is about offence and defence and basically knowing when to be on offence and when to be on defence. Like you can't hit a winner off their slow pace shots, so you must be more patient and only turn on your offensive game once you have the oppening or another clear opportunity to do so. People become on offense too often, which allows pusher to beat us as a result of our unforced errors.

About your inconsistency, yes, it is because you are getting too excited. This causes you to rush into the ball (think about when you run up to a short ball and end up sailing it so long)... did you really need to rush to it with so much excitement, or could you have simply run to it with more composure? All the excitement causes you to take your head off the ball - I bet your head is already looking at the other side while you hit the ball... My pro tells me to see the 'blur' of the racquet after i strike it to ensure my head is down long enough.
 
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How to beat a pretty good pusher?

First off, this is high school tennis. Today, we did ranking matches- also challenge matches, where doubles/singles people play other doubles/singles people. I challenged our singles 1 (I am singles 3, on occasions, singles 2). So far, it is 3-3 deuce; we had to stop because it was really windy.

Our singles one is a very damn good pusher. He goes to the net unlike other pushers and he can practically hit any ball back in the court (just hitting it with no pace). He is short, but fast also. So far, I did not find any weakness in him except heavy and hard balls.

Now, most of the time, I am a very agressive baseliner and also an all-court player. I become a pusher if I'm losing badly which is a bad habit. My forte is 'punishing' weak second serves; this is how I get most of my points. Most of the time, I win my opponent's service game. I have a very stable 2 hand backhand and a very good forehand. If I know I can beat my opponent by playing at net, I will play at net; I am exeptional at net. My serves are medium paced, sometimes they are fast. Usually, I ace 3 times a set. My weakness, IMO, is unforced errors. I usually lose because of this. Also, another bad habit of mine is standing in the No Man's Land.

My question is, how do I beat him? I was hitting a lot of errors today because it was really (I mean really) windy. We will continue with our match on Monday (we have a game tomorrow). I need as much help as I can.

Thanks in advance.
 
theRadical said:
theres got to be at least 100 threads on this board about how to beat a pusher
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ehh... thanks for the help (sarcasm). I have read those threads/posts and I have tried them on other people. Some seems to work, but he is can adapt to those situations.
 
I think part of the answer lies with your post. He doesn't like hard heavy
shots. What you have to do against pushers is PUSH them around and not
go for outright winners right too soon (unless you can, but if you could
do this consistently this guy would be a problem). Use your topspin to
move him around until you get a short shot that you can put away or
hit a more agressive shot and go to net. IF he truly is a pusher then if
you move your feet then you should almost always be able to set up and
dictate the point and he should be reacting to YOUR shots and doing most
of the running.

Since it is very windy, you're going to have to really keep your feet moving
to get in position. Also, make use of the wind. When hitting against the
wind it can be very easy hit an aggressive topspin lob over someone at
the net b/c you can basically really hit out and the ball will stay in.
It is also easier to hit dropshots to draw your opponents to the net.
Make him go to the net when YOU want to.
 
onehandbh said:
I think part of the answer lies with your post. He doesn't like hard heavy
shots. What you have to do against pushers is PUSH them around and not
go for outright winners right too soon (unless you can, but if you could
do this consistently this guy would be a problem). Use your topspin to
move him around until you get a short shot that you can put away or
hit a more agressive shot and go to net. IF he truly is a pusher then if
you move your feet then you should almost always be able to set up and
dictate the point and he should be reacting to YOUR shots and doing most
of the running.

Since it is very windy, you're going to have to really keep your feet moving
to get in position. Also, make use of the wind. When hitting against the
wind it can be very easy hit an aggressive topspin lob over someone at
the net b/c you can basically really hit out and the ball will stay in.
It is also easier to hit dropshots to draw your opponents to the net.
Make him go to the net when YOU want to.
Click to expand...

thanks for the help. btw, the wind blows in a sideways direction on the court. Like you said on the pusher comment, he only keeps the rally going. My second serve returns are pretty consistent; at most, I miss two times in a game (not a set). I tried making him run a lot, but it didn't really help because he seemed to get where I am going to hit. For him, regular topspin are easy to make in (I'm guessing that he is used to it). If I put more topspin meaning more swingspeed, I will hit the frame during contact in some occassions. my usual set up during his service game is: opponent serve, misses, second serve is a dink, go for a killer (usually, point ends here, sometimes opponent returns), if opponent returns I drop shot it, end point.
 
I think your problem is ... he's either a Counter Puncher or a Baseline Soft-Baller ... and you *think* he's a Pusher. (Pushers tend to avoid the Net like the plague.)

See the Sticky on the 6 Playing Styles.

- KK
 
Kaptain Karl said:
I think your problem is ... he's either a Counter Puncher or a Baseline Soft-Baller ... and you *think* he's a Pusher. (Pushers tend to avoid the Net like the plague.)

See the Sticky on the 6 Playing Styles.

- KK
Click to expand...

Thanks for showing me that sticky. I haven't even noticed it until now. I'm guessing that he is a 'Soft-Baller'. He just hits the ball back like you mentioned. In very few occassions, he would go for winners.
 
as other people mentioned, if he's being 'pushy' then you should be able to go on offense and dictate the point. and you said you are good at punishing 2nd serves. so dictate from there. if you dont win off the return, go to the net and finish, or otherwise like you said dropshot,etc to finish the point. hes reacting to your offense.
 
Okay! Now we know who you're up against. A Soft-Baller Baseliner is essentially a really advanced Pusher. (Usually a guy who thinks of himself as an EX-Pusher.) His game has adapted to the point that he has some ability to place the ball and he's learned to keep you pinned deep in your own back court. (Which is something the classic Pusher cannot do.)

[From the Sticky....] Soft-Baller Baseliners are tireless players with excellent footwork and anticipation. They always seem to be where they need to be to cut down your angles of attack. You cannot get them to engage you in a power exchange. They seem to absorb all the power of your shots and redirect it with good deep placement, but they won’t give you any pace to work with. You must always supply your own power. This player exhausts you ... physically and mentally.

_____________


1 - Be mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for a long match. It takes patience and devotion to your plan to beat a Soft-baller.

2 - Most players try to “blow Pusher and Soft-ballers off the court.” They LOVE this. You are suplying all the power; they just have to re-direct YOUR power. (Don’t try to blast them off the court.)

Most of us like it when our opponent is supplying *some* of the power in the exchanges. Soft-ballers don’t “help” the exchanges this way and this is what
frustrates a lot of players. (Deal with it...)

3 - Keep alert; keep your feet “dancing” (Stay on your toes.) Lazy footwork will hurt you against any opponent. Against a Soft-baller ... it will speed your demise.

4 - It might help to write your two or three Strategic Plans on a page to consult during change overs. It may help you avoid slipping into “automatic pilot” and reverting to your natural style (which must be causing you concern, or you wouldn't have asked for help). Here we go with a few ideas ... from Easiest to More Difficult.
_____________

a) BIDE YOUR TIME - On every single point ... determine to hit five balls in the opponent’s court before trying for a winner. (If they are not as consistent as they (or you) think, they may miss before you have to do much of anything else.) This would be the easiest plan.

b) SMART ATTACK - (Notice “smart” is first.) Keep your shots deeper in their court ... until you find yourself positioned closer to your own Service Line than your Baseline for a shot. Hit that ball firmly and deeply into their court, and approach the Net, but hesitate at a little deeper volleying position than you normally would (in case they lob you). Volley the very next ball away for a winner. (But be prepared. These opponents tend to be *fast*. They may just get that ball back, too. If so, volley the next one for a winner to the other corner.)

c) PIN ‘EM DOWN - Soft-ballers actually enjoy running ... and tend to be more effective when on the move. (They also tend to “protect” one side by “cheating” toward it to tempt you to hit to the other -- more open -- side.) Say this Soft-baller is protecting his BH by leaving more room on the FH side.... The natural tendency is to figure, “Ah-ha! His BH is weaker, so I’ll hit there. Don’t....

Instead, at about 80% of your normal power, hit several balls deep into his FH corner. After five or six of these, he’ll start “camping” over in that corner. He’ll probably not hit the ball back as deeply as when on the run. When you get a ball which brings you into the area of your own Service Line, go firmly for the other corner. (Don’t “kill” it; just strike it at about 85% of power and place it deep in that BH corner.) Against guys who can run like Soft-ballers can, placement is more important than power.

d) DROP-SHOT / LOB - Give him some of his own medicine, by forcing him to come to net with a short ball. Then lob to the opposite corner of wherever he hits to you. (Most guys who run -- like this opponent tends to -- cannot run nearly as well Up and Back as they can Side-to-Side. And frequently they really don’t like the net.) ... IF ... he's the kind of Baseliner who tries to immediately "retreat" to the back court after every short ball ... bring him right back to the net *again*. Bringing them IN takes them out of their comfort zone.

e) MIX IT UP - Most Soft-ballers like to be “in a groove.” They like to get used to the way you hit the ball ... and play off your pace. Mix it up, by never hitting the same shot twice in a row.
#1 - A soft slice deep in their court
#2 - An 80% firm topspin deep in their court
#3 - A looping topspin shot deep in their court
#4 - A mostly flat shot hit firmly and deeply
#5 - An 80% firm topspin deep in their court
#6 - A soft slice deep in their court
#7 - A mostly flat shot hit firmly and deeply
#8 - A soft slice deep in their court
#9 - (Please tell me you're getting the idea...!)

He won’t be able to get “grooved” and will make more errors ... sooner. (Just be sure and not slip into a predictable pattern with each shot choice....)

f) “DIAGONAL” HIM - Hit a short, sharply-angled slice to (say) his FH side ... followed by a shot deep into his BH corner. Repeat as often as needed. (Baseliners try to avoid the net ... AND ... they don’t run as well this way as they do Side-to-Side.) They’ll get a lot more tired more quickly if you “diagonal” them to pieces.

Okay. That’s six strategic approaches. Pick two or three you know YOU can do and try them out...! Let us know how it goes....

- KK
 
mona999 said:
About your inconsistency, yes, it is because you are getting too excited. This causes you to rush into the ball (think about when you run up to a short ball and end up sailing it so long)... did you really need to rush to it with so much excitement, or could you have simply run to it with more composure? All the excitement causes you to take your head off the ball - I bet your head is already looking at the other side while you hit the ball... My pro tells me to see the 'blur' of the racquet after i strike it to ensure my head is down long enough.
Click to expand...

Part of the inconsistency is that unnecessary excitement you're mentioning, but most of it is knowing that, if I don't put it very far away from him and/or put some good speed on it, he's going to get to it... and push it back to me, lol.
 
Ripper said:
So, I've studied the situation and I, now, clearly, understand why he's so tough for me. It's the paceless shots. I'm a counterpuncher. I need pace to hit my winners. If I try to hit winners by generating my own pace, I can't get enough on the ball to make it unreachable for him. If I try to put more on it, there's a 50% chance I'll send it long.
Click to expand...

Same problem (except I'm 0-2 against my nightmare pusher). I think footwork is the key. It's funny, I have good footspeed playing defense against an agressive player, but something bad happens when I have all day to set up. Maybe it's because I know I have plenty of time, and so I allow my footwork to be lazy and sloppy. :confused:
 
johnny ballgame said:
I think footwork is the key.
Click to expand...

Well, I insist that the key is simply becoming a better player. In other words, improving our level. Pushers, no matter how tough, don't stand a fricking chance against players of a certain level. So, that's really the key.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, especially KK. Think I know what to do when I play him monday. Just hope I remember what to do. Again, thanks for all the help.
 
suppose a high level tennis player like a 5.0+ decides to play a "pusher" game against a lower level tennis player (because he would win too easily playing his normal game), the lower level tennis will have no chance of winning, yet he will come out of the match thinking he has lost to a pusher.
 
Yes, Mick. I see it all the time with my HS boys.

"Coach, I can't believe I lost to that *%$## Pusher!"

"You lost to a better player, who changed his style of play to get more practice."

"Whaaaa!!!"

(Okay, that was an exaggeration ... but only a little.)

- KK
 
How do I beat these players?

I am on JV high school tennis team. I play 3rd singles so I have to play agianst these people who tap the ball back. My problem is I load up and then just blast it, I get way too anxious. What is a good strategy to beat LOLLIPOPPERS and how can a get a more consisting stroke.
 
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Best kind of Tennis Ball to use when playing Pusher
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ubermeyer
ubermeyer
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