Pushing vs. Grinding
- Thread starter norcal22
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eeytennis
Semi-Pro
A grinder to me is someone who is a great defensive player. A pusher is someone who will push the ball, even if they aren't out of position...they are just afraid of hitting the ball out, so they take off a lot of pace and try to wear down their opponents with consistency. A grinder (IMO at least) is someone who plays a smart defensive game and is aggressive when they get a put away shot or something of the sort...
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
Some might say to count the percentage of moonballs he hits. Does he moonball 3 out of 4 shots or does he simply play high percentage safe shots?
Some kids play safe tennis hitting relatively hard but don't go for the lines, others just moonball pretty much all the time.
Some kids play safe tennis hitting relatively hard but don't go for the lines, others just moonball pretty much all the time.
darthfed101
New User
IMHO a pusher or grinder is the same. It's just how you view it.
Example: Is the cup half empty? Or half full? Either way reality says there's a half cup of water.
eagle
Hall of Fame
charliefedererer
Legend
Hewitt is a grinder. Chang was a grinder.
My wife's cousin Ralphie is a pusher.
My wife's cousin Ralphie is a pusher.
A Pusher, essentially, is only looking to get the ball back in play. They tend to be almost-exclusively defensive in the way play out points and even their most aggressive shots tend to have an inordinate margin for safety in the execution.
Grinders can play aggresively and will force the issue when the opportunity presents itself. The thing about Grinders is that they are content to hit as many balls as it takes to set up the one aggressive shot (patience) that will allow them to take the advantage in the point. They're also not looking to just get the ball back in play. They're looking to hit a neutral to somewhat aggresive ball on almost every ball.
Grinders can play aggresively and will force the issue when the opportunity presents itself. The thing about Grinders is that they are content to hit as many balls as it takes to set up the one aggressive shot (patience) that will allow them to take the advantage in the point. They're also not looking to just get the ball back in play. They're looking to hit a neutral to somewhat aggresive ball on almost every ball.
Danstevens
Semi-Pro
Yeah, I'd say that if you offer a grinder an opportunity for a winner, they'll take it but a pusher may not.
Moonball count is another important factor, a good grinder won't moonball.
NotSoSuper
Rookie
I always thought grinding was like an advanced level of pushing..
A pusher is someone who doesn't go for too much and waits for a UFE. Nothing more, nothing less. Grinders are just advanced pushers. If they get aggressive and go for winners more often than not, then they are no longer pushers or grinders, they are aggressive baseliners.
Hatari!
Rookie
Ginders and pushers are both (obviously) very consistent and can get to any ball. They are both married to the baseline.
Pushers simply put the ball over the net and into the court. There is rarely spin. They wait for you to just make an unforced error.
Grinders can use spin and placement. Grinders will force you to make an error, but they won't hit winners like an offensive baseliner.
Pushers simply put the ball over the net and into the court. There is rarely spin. They wait for you to just make an unforced error.
Grinders can use spin and placement. Grinders will force you to make an error, but they won't hit winners like an offensive baseliner.
A pusher is what a whiner calls a good grinder, after the grinder has beaten the whiner. The whiner mistakenly thinks that people will give him more sympathy this way. Instead, people just tell him he must not be very good if a pusher beat him.
Try to think of any other sport where someone openly whines about how bad the opponent is who just beat them. Do boxers go around whining that some 98 pound weakling just whipped them? Does a basketball team complain that a short, slow team of guys who cannot shoot well just beat them? It would be humiliating. What would be the point?
Try to think of any other sport where someone openly whines about how bad the opponent is who just beat them. Do boxers go around whining that some 98 pound weakling just whipped them? Does a basketball team complain that a short, slow team of guys who cannot shoot well just beat them? It would be humiliating. What would be the point?
Roddickalltheway
New User
35ft6
Legend
Grinding is when you use consistency and patience to beat a bigger, flashier player. Pushing is when somebody uses the same strategy to beat YOU.
edit: I bet a bunch of people beat me to defining it this way...
Santiagomac
New User
Grinding is not pushing. Grinding is a style that is usually built into the frame of a person.
D
Deleted member 23235
Guest
To me a pusher is a kind of grinder.. Typically with inferior strokes (i.e. Marked by an Abbreviated backswing and follow through because they rely on gravity to keep the ball in) , but consistent nonetheless, and makes you work to win.
I high level grinder like ferrer and Gilles simone hit with good technique.
I'd tell your students you gotta learn to grind (consistently play unattackable neutral balls) first with good strokes before you earn the right to going for more aggressive shots.
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I high level grinder like ferrer and Gilles simone hit with good technique.
I'd tell your students you gotta learn to grind (consistently play unattackable neutral balls) first with good strokes before you earn the right to going for more aggressive shots.
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