how do i beat a pusher in tennis?

Answer 1

I'd suggest going for more winners yourself, making it hard for your opponent to keep playing it safe. I've found that pushers can be pulled out of their comfort zone when you make them run into the corners.

You might also try more serve-and-volley, if you have any skill in that area. My guess is that it will again throw off their strategy.

Answer 2

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 3

Do not try to play better than you are. Pushers don't win matches, they make the other player lose. Adding extra power usually won't work, because pushers are usually quick and have really good defense. It also creates more errors on your part.

Instead of trying to power them off the court, use angles and drop shots to throw them off. Remember, it is not a bad thing to have long rallies, especially if you keep winning them. Don't let them stay in any kind of rhythm. Hit a couple cross-courts, then add a slice, moonball, drop shot, or switch direction on them. If you can get them losing these longer rallies, they will end up discouraged instead of you.

Answer 4

Pushers are the most annoying type of tennis players, because all they do is 'push' the ball back into play. First off, you MUST be patient. Make them run, but don't go for too much. Finally, go to net. They usually return the ball weakly, so it can be easy to go to net.

Answer 5

i hate playing pushers. i hate it when i hit a good shot hard to the corner and they just run it down and dink it back into play.

what i've known to work is to feed them off-speed shots (slices and moonballs) to make them get off their tuchas and generate their own pace instead of using mine against me. most pushers i've ever played don't like it when they have to put their own heat on the ball.

another strategy i've had success with is coming into net. listen here- the closer you are the less time to prepare to return your shot.

the most important thing to do against a pusher is mix up your shots. you probably won't tire them out, so it's not much good to run them corner to corner- so hit it right at them and hit it behind them more. you get them moving, but do it to set them up for the shot you're going to hit behind them.

power to the real players! down with the pushers!

Answer 6

I am going to agree with most of the answers. It's not so much altering your game, but to try and find your opponents weakness or more.

If your opponent is a wall, make them come up to the net. if they play the net well, lob them. Is their backhand weak? Do you have to attack more on the second serve? Does a slice make them off balance? Do they not hit good passing shots? The key is to always keep them guessing!

The more your experiment, the more you figure out about your opponent. The bottom line is to hit one more better shot than your opponent.

Answer 7

I suggets to go for your shots with power and precision so u can put the pressure back on that player. throw in some slices or dropshots to mix him up cuasing him to make unforce erros and also don't be afriad to come up to the net once and awhile, also be a good returner to put some extra pressure on his srve that might give you some points from the duoble fualts. Last don't get nervouse and try to have fun out there.

Answer 8

Right, take them out of their comfort zone. If they're mainly a baseline player, give them short ball to bring them to the net and go for winner down the line or cross court....or lob over them. You can also run them side to side but if they're better returning on the run, then keep them pinned at one place.

Answer 9

same as on the street say no