I Can't believe I lost to a........?

Question

I lost to the biggest pusher I have ever come across with!!! (a pusher is someome who is consistant but does not hit to win), this was the biggest game of the year and she just beat me!, how can you deal with pushers and keeping your mind staight when points go on forever!!! have you ever lost against one?

Answer 1

Some of these answers were good, but not that great. People usually start pushing when they realize that you are better than them and they cannot beat you trading ground stokes. Here is something a lot of people don't know. A pushers worst nightmare is a serve and volleyer. If you aren't great at net, who cares. They don't put enough pace on the ball to scare you. Pushers can run down a lot of balls. They cannot run down a ball that is angled into a service box corner though (I don't care how fast they are, a solid short volley is impossible to return). You don't have to serve and volley, but you do have to come into net.

Why people lose to pushers. They get frustrated and try to kill every ball no matter what. If you do that, the pusher wins. Wait for a short ball (one that bounces near the service line and move in). It is much easier to put pressure on a person the father you are in the court. The problem is you don't want to stand in no mans land. So once you get your short (hopefully high) ball, step into the court, hit a decent but well placed approach shot and put away the volley. Mix up your groundstrokes like crazy. Pushers are usually low level players. Low level players absolutely HATE heavily sliced (backspin) ball hit at them. If you are good enough to do that, to it on about 50% of your ground stokes until it stops working as well. It is mean but hey, pusher deserves a ball that bounces two feet to the right when it hits the ground. (If you can't do heavy slice, don't worry about it.

Just remember not to lose the match mentally. If you do that you have lost already. It you don't come up to the net it is still possible to win, but very hard. I would suggest coming up to the net on at least 70% of the points. Keep your opponent on defenses (because it is too hard to play a match on defense all the time). Wait for you opportunity to put the ball away.

Answer 2

Agassi8 definitely has the best answer here, no doubt. I would to like to suggest another option (one that is advanced) but I just wanted to say you could practice being agressive without hitting harder. I lost to pushers for a while, but then I learned a few options after talking with my coach A) Lob it back, only if you have no other option. B) Flatten out the ball when you hit it back and C) Hit a groundstroke before the ball even bounces once, cutting off their valuable time.

With some exceptions, pushers don't have great footwork. They depend on the extra time of their high and slow shots to get back in place. Take away that time!! Whether it's merely adding different spin (or taking it away) or serving and volleying you have to take them out of their element.

I normally groundstroke the ball out of the air when I can, or I otherwise flatten out the ball and hit it hard back. (and like Agassi8 mentioned, a nice slice always works well...especially to come up on. Since most pushers don't hit spin...they won't be able to rip a low ball past you)

Answer 3

Well pushers are consistant and there going to make you make mistakes thats how they win. You have to get beyond that and utilize them and make them make the mistakes not the other way around. Dont be to agressive on a pusher then that means you start playing there game...not yours. So just keep cool and make plays because a pusher wont.

Answer 4

I know exactly how you feel. The same thing happened to me before.

I think the best way to deal with them is to do one of 3 things.

You can be aggressive and take the ball early before it gets up and you and come in behind it. Make sure you don't rush the approach or overhit, as some people tend to do this when they are coming in on a shot with no pace.

The other option to to just keep the ball back in play, and wait for a short ball or one you can attack, and if she is standing way back hit a big angle to get her out of the court and force her to scramble out of her comfort zone.

The last option is to bring her up to the net and pass her or lob her. Most of the time pushers have poor volleys and net sense, and you can get by them easily. A short ball on the backhand side works especially well against 2 handed backhand players.

Answer 5

pushers are going to have a very consistent stroke. i would recommend first to just settle into the match, study the opponent's style-strengths and weaknesses- and suprise them with a wacky spin or pressure them , then volley.yea, i've lost to a pusher before. i ended up getting impatient and too aggressive. just stay patient and focus on the ball and how the opponent chooses to play the ball.

Answer 6

agassi8 is has the right answer. Just remember pushers will always try to lob you when you come to the net...
You just have to make sure you hit a good enough approach shot, so even if they try to lob, it won't be a good enough one and you can put the high volley or smash away...

Golden Rule: THE BETTER YOUR APPROACH SHOT, THE EASIER THE VOLLEY!!!

Answer 7

i have lost to girls like this many MANY times!. I hate them! Especialy when all they do is play the lob game with you. I personaly think that it is cheap tennis and any coach isn't doing his girls a favor by teaching them that style. But the only way to beat them is to practice your kills. You either have to have a big serve to end the point right at the begining, or you have to practice your "put away" shot and practice smoking the ball into the corner or hitting it down the line. The onyl way to beat cheap shot girls like that is to practice hitting the ball where she isn't and practice shot placement.

Answer 8

Lleyton Hewitt won 2 grand slams being a pusher, so dont feel bad.

Answer 9

Well, what iv noticed with many girls who play at a...high school level, dont use spin...at all!

If u cant beat them at the baseline, try to go up to the net and be agressive.

Work on your serves, they can be consistant in their ground strokes, but returning a great serve is hard.

Answer 10

Really? Well, people have their down times you know. If you lost badly, see an instructor, or watch how the pros do it. Think of every point as a tiebreaker. Be determined to win. And... PRACTICE ALOT!!