Great video. 2 notes: 1 - Pusher is relative to the level being played.. Gilles Simon is a "pusher" on ATP but would hit winner after winner against anyone here in the comments with one leg tied up. 2 - if you complain about pushers you are the one who has to change something.. they are beating you afterall.
Well-said. At the club level it's not "great strokes that just aren't as fast as they should be", it's goofy spins and moonballs - think MEP from the TennisTroll channel. As a high 3.5/low 4.0 player, I would love to face a "pusher" who hits regular shots, just 25% slower than mine. It's the guy who'll hit lobs when you're both at the baseline, makes swinging slice volleys from behind the service line, and takes half-swings on all his groundstrokes that terrifies me.
from my own experience with them, Pushers are tennis "hardest" teacher that will toughen us up on court, they will make us a winner if we keep playing them, dont be shy losing to them as theyre good at their own style of play
Yes exactly! Seek them out! I play a horrible pusher once a week to keep me on my toes. It forces you to play shots using solely your own power and technique. Playing hard hitters is often easier as you can just take the energy from their shots and give it back to them with interest. The pusher gives you very little to work with. Respect to the dreaded pusher.
I like playing pushers as they usually give the hardest shots to deal with. Loopy topspin high balls, slices, deep lobs, extreme slice serves, do nothing balls with no pace. The variety makes it challenging but becomes rewarding once you figure out how to hit each. The pushers give those shots because people will often miss hit at some point or cannot attack, give them the opportunity to attack on a short ball. I think anybody can suddenly find themselves becoming a pusher if being pressured often or getting tired.
I agree. Also, frankly, you're getting more hits in. Less time walking around picking up balls. (That said, I am. definitely not a pusher, so maybe shouldn't highlight this. :P)
It's my go to tactic as well: Hitting hard ground strokes (but without too much risk) through the middle of the field. That way pushers cannot make angles, their footwork is awkward because the ball lands in front of them and pushers are often pushers for a reason: their technique often is a little less evolved than other players at their level. They're bound to make a misshit of some sort leaving the ball in the middle of the court and then you can finish it off.
As a former pusher I couldn’t agree more. I hated moving forward and backwards and always laughed at how impatient my opponents were. They would literally go out there and just try to hit a winner off each ball.
@@don9733 Sometimes pushers can´t run the ball down anymore (because of injury, age or whatever) and they need to change in order to remain competitive. Sometimes they just get tired of this playstyle or they develop their strokes and they switch back from the "dark side". They probably hear Karue in their heads: Good player you need to be! Work on your weaknesses, you must!
Karue a pusher on your level is very different than at the rec level. I like your advice though. What works for me-stop trying to hit winners, hit the ball deeper and come to the net. When I come to the net I take a two shot approach. My first move is to come in to about the service line to avoid the lob and then look for a stronger volley on the second shot by moving in a bit more. I like volleying though and I love the half-volley. I know this would not work at your level but it works from me at a 4.0 level. Also, stop trying to serve aces and go for good placement to start the point out strong.
Even low level pushers are great lobbers, because they usually play moonballs all day every day. If you want to come into the net, you really need to put them on defense and have a decent overhead. It's not impossible, but I find you can't be careless here.
@@Bob-rm4bj Then they are just good players. Why do you call them pushers then? Maybe counter punchers? But fine a great player like David Ferrer was also counter puncher.
Amazing video, also it would be nice to see a full warm up video in preparation for a match. I come from other sports so I don't know which stretches to do that may help my body more
Great video, and I remember after a game I won off my pusher friend, he praised my "unpredictability". I had just varied my game a bit more than usual, nothing special, but it makes sense with your point #5. And being physically prepared (#2) helps with the mental aspect (#1), because if you are worried you run out of gas, you will start trying to bail out and end the points prematurely.
Couldn’t agree more with the point about mentality! It’s so important to recognize that points are going to be longer and harder to win, and unforced errors hard to come by. Once you calibrate to that, even if you lose a point in which you hit multiple good shots, you’ll not get frustrated. But it’s really hard to keep the same composure over an entire match. The north to south was a really good tip and something new for me. I had never thought about it like that before. Finally, I’d like to add one more tip which I’ve found to be useful. Try to find your opponent’s discomfort zone. From what I’ve seen, usually pushers are not very comfortable at the net. So if you have a good drop shot game then great. But even if you don’t, if you try to make them come to the net with an imperfect drop shot, chances are they still won’t be able to finish it. If you make them volley, you might just be able to win some points like that.
Good Job Karue!! Its dope to see you out here aways putting in that work and thanks for the tips and tricks.Will def try to implement it in my future games/practices
I was playing 45 nationals (at 60yo) and was winning a close 1st round match when my opponent, who had a weak forehand, started moonballing. I ended up losing and congratulated him on making a smart change in tactics. His next round he played a guy who runs a junior academy a bit to the north of you. He ended up winning a 3 setter against that guy (who is about 5 years younger than me). We talked a bit after that match and he was really bummed because the guy had screamed and yelled at him for moonballing him. The academy guy is a very good counterpuncher and it makes sense that he would struggle against moon balls. Knowing how he reacted gives me a good idea how to play him if I ever run into him while playing down an age group. My usual approach of hitting hard to the open court is not the optimum way to play a counterpuncher.
Really liked how, in the chill the f out point, you held off the forehand volley for a millisecond until the opponent committed to covering the opposite corner.
I often mess up shots by getting there too early. We have more time than we think. Especially if we get down low. Nothing more satisfying than wrong footing an opponent and going down the line or cross when they expect the opposite.
Boa Karuê. Esse tipo de jogador se assusta quando percebe que você não está mais atacando todas as bolas. Tem que passar a responsabilidade pra eles também.
Loved these points: be ready for the battle, win north to south, and remain unpredictable. These are the keys to beating these types of players. They plan on their opponent becoming discourated, retrieving endlessly side to side in order to get back shots that their opponents expect to be winners, and not having to come in and finish points themselves. Drops shots to pull them in, low slices to make them move forward, hit up and have to scramble back to the baseline, and a "I will stay out here as long as it takes" attitude flips the script they count on. However, I did not see you say this, although it may be implied. The aggressive player has to be able to execute, finish points, and stay in rallies with good consistent play, i.e., out grind the grinder until an opportunity presents itself. An "aggresive player' that makes boat loads of errors, relative to his opponent, will never beat someone of similar ability who is more consistent. In the highlights we saw from your match, not only were you able to hit more winners, but you were not giving away points either. If you had to, if looks like you could have simply won by moving your opponent around the court until he made the error. You were both better at aggresive play, and defending. Knowing that, helped you "chill" in my humble opinion.
Something that helped me play "pushers" was when a teammate told me my opponent is a better "outer third of the court" player. In other words, the opponent hit their best shots closer to the ally and did not do much when hitting from the center of the court. I stopped trying to win the crosscourt to crosscourt rally and focused on deep down the center until I got one I liked. Obviously down the center won't work against the highest level of "pushers" who can make angles from the center, but I think it's something to consider well into the low 5.0's (USTA rating)
Great video. I especially like the North-South point. I am discovering that it is a fundamental element for winning matches once you get past the beginner level.
@karuesell please put out a video on how we can go about the mental side of the game and it would be great if you could show us a quick tennis related visualisation. Not too many videos that delve into this topic.
Won a 3.5 USTA tournament today against a classic pusher and was repeating these in my head. Especially win north south and chill the F out :). Thank you!!
Pusher somehow at our recreational level are nice lobbers. When I was 20 and I was a very good player back then, I make a vow to myself - to smask every high ball from every position in the court. Always do a smash. I was good at that so it always paid off. Now that I'm 54 I still amend to that vow and usually is very good to me :)
Great video! (... as always!) I already had 1-3 in mind, but 4 was a revelation! Great idea and the demo video was very useful to really get how to do it. Love it! Have to say: I wonder how much you've improved in the past year or two from how much you think through these things. It seems to me that you've grown into a much better player, but would be cool to have a thorough video on this of you comparing 2020 (or 2015!) Karue to Karue of today. Of course, I also have to wonder how much you ever think (or not) about trying to play competitively full time again. I know 30 is no spring chicken, but it's also not over the hill, especially if you've gotten more relaxed with your game, gotten smarter, and developed more tools. Anyhow ... I know some of the people you've been playing against in recent months, but always think about this (a serious, *full time* push) and finally asking.
Holy smokes, this is some great advice! Been playing for decades as a 4-4.5 and always get beat and frustrated by pushers. I feel like you're describing exactly why I get beat by them.
I'm a pusher, most players can't withstand long rally and they try to end the point with winners, but usually end up with errors. I also notice most don't feel bad about making errors, brush it off as part of game. I feel terrible when I make errors. I'd rather lose games with opponent's winners rather than my errors.
Probably because the feeling of wining the point for me is much more satisfying if I build the point up and end with the winner. There's not much sense of satisfaction if opponent makes an error. I made a point because he's bad, not because I'm good. Even if I lose but made many winners and nice points I feel better than if I win but only because I pushed everything back. I guess everyone has his own reason why he likes to play tennis.
I respect your tactic but I was once told by a coach that the only way to get better is to go for big shots and risk hitting them long or wide. It always stuck with me and has helped me be a bit more brave on the court. When you gamble on a winner and it pays off there is no feeling like it.
One thing I always tell my players, is to use the short slice to the opponents backhand (assuming they're a righty). This will put them in two minds, either hit their shot and retreat, or force them to the net. Either way, it allows a great next shot from my player. This is what Ash Barty did so well, and was a great counter even for big hitters. If your opponent comes to the net, it allows either a passing shot, or a lob. In being a slice, the opponent has to hit up to get over the net. They wont be ripping their shot, and unless they hit an extremely good drop shot of their own, you have a good chance (better than 50%) to win the point.
@@vladimirgetselevich4704 it's just another shot to have in your toolkit that players need to practice. Not only is it good against pushers, but a good control of slice can also help against big hitters.
@@bigrobsydney I agree. This is one shot that I am still missing in my repertoire. Not feeling consistent enough with it to use it in the matches. And I will work to acquire it.
Thankyou karue ! Was wondering do you have specific video for match preparations? Like warm up exercise , things to avoid on eating working , let’s say I only got 5 mins hitting warm up but no court warm up etc ? Thanks!
So good (Just like every video). Karue, you have got to be the most satisfying player to watch. You're so chill yet so dangerous. Keep up the great work!
Well this guy could possibly be top 200-300 player if he was pursuing his tennis career professionally and is probably still close to this level. Therefore he is able to win all these UTR tournamanets!
A thing I'd like to add to the north to south point which i've found great success with is really forcing myself on the toward the net even to the point where i'm throwing in some serve volley, instead of bombing from the baseline and work like a beast you can simply do 1-2 volleys with wat less effort instead
I think your previous video where you are hitting a lot up the middle vs a 4.5 (Winston) with decent pace, but also with consistency, might be a good example to use against a pusher. If you hit a little early or late, you might "accidentally" hit a winner, but you won't hit wide because you are not going for the lines. lol. Also, they might hit a short ball that you can attack.
I’m a pusher and proud of it. I played extremely aggressive and made a lot of mistakes. Lost a lot of games even if I was hitting crazy winners and shots. But I made a lot of mistakes. I just played risky. I changed my game because I was really frustrated. But I am a pusher now with serious counter punching qualities. I bring my opponent in a position where he has to pull off a risky shot or I bring myself into a position where I can attack. And a little bit serve and volley :)
The part about staying in the grind resonates with me. But to be able to do that you need to have practiced consistent deep ball striking in the weeks, maybe months before. If you don’t have the confidence in your consistency, backed up by practice, you ain’t gonna win no matter what strategy you use
That is pretty cool you played Djakouris! His strokes/playstyle looked familiar hahaha. I was able to watch him play in-person since he plays for UC Davis.
Haha the pushers at the 4.0 level are much pushier then at Karue’s level. This opponent appears to have a very decent game, probably batting above his league in this match but not what I would call a pusher
That’s definitely the problem. Pushers at 3.5/4.5 level have much more efficient weapons compared to their counterparts. This makes very difficult to succeed against them, because even a good set of 4.0 level groundstrokes is generally not enough. All these videos have the same problem: they show how to beat pushers at a very high level. But a 4.0 player is not so confident in “putting the ball away when the opponent hits a short ball”. And pusher generally don’t hit short, unless they try to make you come to the net.
I’m not sure what area you’re in but a 4.0+ in mine is going to punish nearly any short ball with a high percentage of winning the point. I play 3.5 but regularly practice against 4.0 because I’m more fit and I can’t make any mistakes without paying for it.
@@RicMorn I couldn’t disagree more. I am a 4.0 player and I think all of these tips are spot on for the rec level. Any 3.0+ can hit winners on a pusher. What they can’t do is hit a winner off any ball the pusher gives them. You need to calm down and be patient and wait for a ball you can hit a winner off of. Yes Karue is better at hitting winners than you are. But you can still hit a winner off a poor ball so wait for that one.
once you reach 4.5 your strategy should be to wait for a short ball, close your stance rip it on a courner by trying to hide your shot as long as possible and approach the net. not all the way in as their first reaction is to lob. if your over heads and volleys are decent the game should be quick
Hey Karue, what do you think about the tactic of playing deep topspin shots that have big arch on them so the pusher would have hard time to produce a good shot or just block the ball back. Then again, wait for the correct oppurtunity when you are in the court to finish the point? Great video as always, thanks!
how about a video that helps pushers to perfect their game 😅?? i mean, seriously "the pushers" are always a anonymous group of players and it seems like officially no one is a pusher, but still it is a good winning strategy, right?
The vast majority of amateurs are impatient. This isn't just against pushers -- they want to get out of having to engage in a rally before it even starts. Another thing we do that is also leading to making more mistakes is what I call arguing with the ball. All your shots besides the serve have to be responses, reactions, to what the other person is doing and you can't hit any shot you want with equal ease off any ball from anywhere on the court. That short, soft ball below your knee... just slice it most of the time. Generating pace, arcing the ball over the net and getting enough spin to keep the ball in with 20 feet of missing court isn't an easy shot. Also, you're not playing Djokovic: he won't murder a slice 99% of the time if you approach the net with it.
Hi Karue, Thank you for your videos, for taking the time to teach and provide free tips that really make a difference, especially in tackling challenging aspects. I've been putting in a lot of effort and time to try and get a serve like yours. I would love to have a private conversation with you. Is there any chance we could make that happen? Greetings from Argentina
@karue this was a great video, i wanted to ask you how do you stay in the moment when you are playing. I saw you match against Chris Eubanks, you were leading in the third set, i felt you did not lose your focus and stayed in the moment , i really liked it. My mind tends to wander when i am in lead, any tips and tricks please share
simplicity. Just trying to play one point at a time. If I am winning that means the plan is working so stay the course, trust it and play one point at a time until is over. Join our newsletter so you can receive our podcast episodes, I cover fan questions in the pod! mytennishq.com/newsletter/
Everyone is a pusher once in a while. I'm no pusher by any means but I "pushed" the balls in matches many times. Recently I played an entire match almost like that because I wasn't feeling great on court; found that my opponent was missing too much so I did it (and ended up winning the match)
Nice video editing. Most rec players are pushers compared to ATP level lol. We just can't hit the ball hard enough. Me using a Prostaff is WAY different than you using one lmao.
Hi Karue, great video and I wanna try the sponsored product but got a question. You mentioned winning the game north to south. But my tennis court is east facing. Playing north to south would directly fall into the pushers game plan wouldn’t it?
A pusher is supposed to rather push the ball than hitting topspin. In your video i see an opponent who plays legit tennis imo. He's not pushing that much. But well, maybe i just don't know enough about the topic. Would be nice to explain. Thx a lot.
In tennis, a pusher is a defensive player who "pushes" back any shot they can chase down, without deliberately hitting a winner. What you are describing is a pusher at super low level where they cant even hit a proper shot and just "dink" eveyrthing back. But at the higher levels that karue is playing at (like 12-13 UTR) it is not possible to win at all with those dink shots. Pushers are relative to the level
Sometimes people incorrectly call their opponents pushers too. There have been times when I beat someone, I both hit more winners and less unforced errors than them. But after the match, they only remembered the errors part, not the winners part and concluded that I won because I was "pushing". Lol.
Try to attack consistently. IMO its better for your growth as a player. If you go for biggers shots that are better in certain situations youll get a lot better than if you just tap the ball back
watched this again after 2 weeks.. shame it hasn't gotten to 3k likes also wanted to ask.. is your last name Sell? So that makes you a Karue Sell ?? 🎠 how have I missed that for so long?! So, like the wheels on the bus, you go round and round?
After watching this I just realized that I think my girlfriend actually is a (not intended) pusher, haha 😆. She tends to get most balls back into play, some moonballs, at times unpredictable depth on her shots and some of the shots she leaves short with no pace. Which I mistakenly think is a easy setup for a winner and then hit it long or out because I aimed too much at the line/corner.
interestingly you're talking about being a pusher, but in the match you're showing, can't really tell which one is the pusher, both players are playing aggressively.... :)
To beat pushers consistently you must have a net game. If your volleys suck, sorry, you're out of luck. Stop complaining about losing to pushers and use the loss as motivation to develop your volleys and overheads. Once I got my volleys halfway decent, I had confidence at moving forward rather than side-to-side and then I was able to put a lot more pressure on the pusher. And let me tell you, destroying a pusher is very satisfying, especially a pusher who has always beaten you!
Pushers I can respect. It's the junkballers I can't stand. The ones who gives you nothing but crap over the net. Moonballs, erratic slices. Hell Brad Gilbert wrote the bible for junkballers called 'Winning Ugly'. It's the opposite of seeing tennis as an art form. It's winning by any means necessary, including shanking the most horrific balls imaginable. BUT..... it's no good whining about them. We have to find a way to beat every play that comes our way. And these are totally legal shots. I mean sure, only a pervert would derive pleasure from playing seven moon balls in a row followed by a dinking shank to the middle of the court, but it's up to us to deny them their ultimate pleasure - winning ugly.
Lmao you’re so right. Sometimes I’d play a pusher and they’re telling me about an annoying match they had with so and so (another pusher). And I’m thinking of course you wouldn’t like that
Watching 2 pushers practice rallying is painful, even they are disgusted at themselves, my club is full of them, however don’t blame them, people need to develop their skills and weapons to best them, remember, the pushers really cant get much better but your ceiling is high, put in that work
What are you talking about? A tennis net is 42 inches at the posts and 36 inches at the center and based on this will never be straight. By the way they are playing a doubles court and therefore they have to uses singles sticks to crest the singles posts at 42 inches.
There's a huge difference between your level pushers vs regular joe pusher... moonballers are often referred to as pushers and they make the game impossible to enjoy. If you are new to tennis and moonball, no problems, but if you moonball only to win, that's just pathetic.
Great video.
2 notes:
1 - Pusher is relative to the level being played.. Gilles Simon is a "pusher" on ATP but would hit winner after winner against anyone here in the comments with one leg tied up.
2 - if you complain about pushers you are the one who has to change something.. they are beating you afterall.
so is dimnaur
I agree to some degree, but being a pusher takes you no where, your ceiling is low
@@don9733that's just not true haha
@@iceman1125counterpuncher, not pusher
Well-said. At the club level it's not "great strokes that just aren't as fast as they should be", it's goofy spins and moonballs - think MEP from the TennisTroll channel. As a high 3.5/low 4.0 player, I would love to face a "pusher" who hits regular shots, just 25% slower than mine. It's the guy who'll hit lobs when you're both at the baseline, makes swinging slice volleys from behind the service line, and takes half-swings on all his groundstrokes that terrifies me.
from my own experience with them, Pushers are tennis "hardest" teacher that will toughen us up on court, they will make us a winner if we keep playing them, dont be shy losing to them as theyre good at their own style of play
Yes exactly! Seek them out! I play a horrible pusher once a week to keep me on my toes. It forces you to play shots using solely your own power and technique. Playing hard hitters is often easier as you can just take the energy from their shots and give it back to them with interest. The pusher gives you very little to work with. Respect to the dreaded pusher.
I like playing pushers as they usually give the hardest shots to deal with. Loopy topspin high balls, slices, deep lobs, extreme slice serves, do nothing balls with no pace. The variety makes it challenging but becomes rewarding once you figure out how to hit each. The pushers give those shots because people will often miss hit at some point or cannot attack, give them the opportunity to attack on a short ball. I think anybody can suddenly find themselves becoming a pusher if being pressured often or getting tired.
I agree. Also, frankly, you're getting more hits in. Less time walking around picking up balls. (That said, I am. definitely not a pusher, so maybe shouldn't highlight this. :P)
It's my go to tactic as well: Hitting hard ground strokes (but without too much risk) through the middle of the field. That way pushers cannot make angles, their footwork is awkward because the ball lands in front of them and pushers are often pushers for a reason: their technique often is a little less evolved than other players at their level. They're bound to make a misshit of some sort leaving the ball in the middle of the court and then you can finish it off.
As a former pusher I couldn’t agree more. I hated moving forward and backwards and always laughed at how impatient my opponents were. They would literally go out there and just try to hit a winner off each ball.
Once a pusher always a pusher, no such thing as a former
😂😂
@@don9733 HAHAHAHA. Don´t be afraid to admit it!
This thread is gold!
@@don9733 Sometimes pushers can´t run the ball down anymore (because of injury, age or whatever) and they need to change in order to remain competitive. Sometimes they just get tired of this playstyle or they develop their strokes and they switch back from the "dark side". They probably hear Karue in their heads: Good player you need to be! Work on your weaknesses, you must!
Karue a pusher on your level is very different than at the rec level. I like your advice though. What works for me-stop trying to hit winners, hit the ball deeper and come to the net. When I come to the net I take a two shot approach. My first move is to come in to about the service line to avoid the lob and then look for a stronger volley on the second shot by moving in a bit more. I like volleying though and I love the half-volley. I know this would not work at your level but it works from me at a 4.0 level. Also, stop trying to serve aces and go for good placement to start the point out strong.
This is what i wasnt doing on my Last match and i lost before i realised it
The pushers at the 4.0 and 4.5 level are also very skilled lobbers which makes north to south court positioning more challenging.
Yeah, there's a big threshold to get over to be able to hit BIG... until then, get shoved off a bridge (pushed off) haha.
Even low level pushers are great lobbers, because they usually play moonballs all day every day. If you want to come into the net, you really need to put them on defense and have a decent overhead. It's not impossible, but I find you can't be careless here.
Then do the opposite hit a short ball and bring them to the net.
@@vladimirgetselevich4704 Then you dead lol. 4.5s will know what to do.
@@Bob-rm4bj Then they are just good players. Why do you call them pushers then? Maybe counter punchers? But fine a great player like David Ferrer was also counter puncher.
Amazing video, also it would be nice to see a full warm up video in preparation for a match. I come from other sports so I don't know which stretches to do that may help my body more
Great video, and I remember after a game I won off my pusher friend, he praised my "unpredictability". I had just varied my game a bit more than usual, nothing special, but it makes sense with your point #5. And being physically prepared (#2) helps with the mental aspect (#1), because if you are worried you run out of gas, you will start trying to bail out and end the points prematurely.
Couldn’t agree more with the point about mentality! It’s so important to recognize that points are going to be longer and harder to win, and unforced errors hard to come by. Once you calibrate to that, even if you lose a point in which you hit multiple good shots, you’ll not get frustrated. But it’s really hard to keep the same composure over an entire match.
The north to south was a really good tip and something new for me. I had never thought about it like that before.
Finally, I’d like to add one more tip which I’ve found to be useful. Try to find your opponent’s discomfort zone. From what I’ve seen, usually pushers are not very comfortable at the net. So if you have a good drop shot game then great. But even if you don’t, if you try to make them come to the net with an imperfect drop shot, chances are they still won’t be able to finish it. If you make them volley, you might just be able to win some points like that.
Good Job Karue!! Its dope to see you out here aways putting in that work and thanks for the tips and tricks.Will def try to implement it in my future games/practices
I was playing 45 nationals (at 60yo) and was winning a close 1st round match when my opponent, who had a weak forehand, started moonballing. I ended up losing and congratulated him on making a smart change in tactics. His next round he played a guy who runs a junior academy a bit to the north of you. He ended up winning a 3 setter against that guy (who is about 5 years younger than me). We talked a bit after that match and he was really bummed because the guy had screamed and yelled at him for moonballing him. The academy guy is a very good counterpuncher and it makes sense that he would struggle against moon balls. Knowing how he reacted gives me a good idea how to play him if I ever run into him while playing down an age group. My usual approach of hitting hard to the open court is not the optimum way to play a counterpuncher.
Really liked how, in the chill the f out point, you held off the forehand volley for a millisecond until the opponent committed to covering the opposite corner.
I often mess up shots by getting there too early. We have more time than we think. Especially if we get down low. Nothing more satisfying than wrong footing an opponent and going down the line or cross when they expect the opposite.
Boa Karuê. Esse tipo de jogador se assusta quando percebe que você não está mais atacando todas as bolas.
Tem que passar a responsabilidade pra eles também.
9:12 man, this shot was insane!
Great video!
Can you make one on how to consistently crush short/high balls?
Awesome video, thanks Karue. Now we need a part 2: How to beat bangers
Loved these points: be ready for the battle, win north to south, and remain unpredictable.
These are the keys to beating these types of players. They plan on their opponent becoming discourated, retrieving endlessly side to side in order to get back shots that their opponents expect to be winners, and not having to come in and finish points themselves.
Drops shots to pull them in, low slices to make them move forward, hit up and have to scramble back to the baseline, and a "I will stay out here as long as it takes" attitude flips the script they count on.
However, I did not see you say this, although it may be implied. The aggressive player has to be able to execute, finish points, and stay in rallies with good consistent play, i.e., out grind the grinder until an opportunity presents itself. An "aggresive player' that makes boat loads of errors, relative to his opponent, will never beat someone of similar ability who is more consistent.
In the highlights we saw from your match, not only were you able to hit more winners, but you were not giving away points either. If you had to, if looks like you could have simply won by moving your opponent around the court until he made the error. You were both better at aggresive play, and defending. Knowing that, helped you "chill" in my humble opinion.
Exactly!
Best video on this topic by far lol. Respecting the other player and placing the responsibility on yourself for winning/losing is the way.
Something that helped me play "pushers" was when a teammate told me my opponent is a better "outer third of the court" player. In other words, the opponent hit their best shots closer to the ally and did not do much when hitting from the center of the court. I stopped trying to win the crosscourt to crosscourt rally and focused on deep down the center until I got one I liked. Obviously down the center won't work against the highest level of "pushers" who can make angles from the center, but I think it's something to consider well into the low 5.0's (USTA rating)
Great video. I especially like the North-South point. I am discovering that it is a fundamental element for winning matches once you get past the beginner level.
North to sourth is the battle you want to win at most levels!
@karuesell please put out a video on how we can go about the mental side of the game and it would be great if you could show us a quick tennis related visualisation. Not too many videos that delve into this topic.
Won a 3.5 USTA tournament today against a classic pusher and was repeating these in my head. Especially win north south and chill the F out :). Thank you!!
Pusher somehow at our recreational level are nice lobbers. When I was 20 and I was a very good player back then, I make a vow to myself - to smask every high ball from every position in the court. Always do a smash. I was good at that so it always paid off. Now that I'm 54 I still amend to that vow and usually is very good to me :)
Had to deal with this squash-tennis pusher (4.5 level). My god what a headache. Great tips, esp N/S and centralizing the court... thanks
this is excellent stuff. Well thought out and well explained, bravo
Great video! (... as always!) I already had 1-3 in mind, but 4 was a revelation! Great idea and the demo video was very useful to really get how to do it. Love it!
Have to say: I wonder how much you've improved in the past year or two from how much you think through these things. It seems to me that you've grown into a much better player, but would be cool to have a thorough video on this of you comparing 2020 (or 2015!) Karue to Karue of today. Of course, I also have to wonder how much you ever think (or not) about trying to play competitively full time again. I know 30 is no spring chicken, but it's also not over the hill, especially if you've gotten more relaxed with your game, gotten smarter, and developed more tools. Anyhow ... I know some of the people you've been playing against in recent months, but always think about this (a serious, *full time* push) and finally asking.
very well said and thought out. thank you!
Thank you! I can relate to step 4. So helpful.
Holy smokes, this is some great advice! Been playing for decades as a 4-4.5 and always get beat and frustrated by pushers. I feel like you're describing exactly why I get beat by them.
Glad it helped!
I'm a pusher, most players can't withstand long rally and they try to end the point with winners, but usually end up with errors. I also notice most don't feel bad about making errors, brush it off as part of game. I feel terrible when I make errors. I'd rather lose games with opponent's winners rather than my errors.
Probably because the feeling of wining the point for me is much more satisfying if I build the point up and end with the winner. There's not much sense of satisfaction if opponent makes an error. I made a point because he's bad, not because I'm good. Even if I lose but made many winners and nice points I feel better than if I win but only because I pushed everything back. I guess everyone has his own reason why he likes to play tennis.
I respect your tactic but I was once told by a coach that the only way to get better is to go for big shots and risk hitting them long or wide. It always stuck with me and has helped me be a bit more brave on the court. When you gamble on a winner and it pays off there is no feeling like it.
@@docstranger9520 you're right, I play pusher when I wanna win, and usually I play mix of pusher and high risk high return style for fun.
One thing I always tell my players, is to use the short slice to the opponents backhand (assuming they're a righty). This will put them in two minds, either hit their shot and retreat, or force them to the net. Either way, it allows a great next shot from my player. This is what Ash Barty did so well, and was a great counter even for big hitters. If your opponent comes to the net, it allows either a passing shot, or a lob. In being a slice, the opponent has to hit up to get over the net. They wont be ripping their shot, and unless they hit an extremely good drop shot of their own, you have a good chance (better than 50%) to win the point.
You need to have good controllable slices for that strategy
@@vladimirgetselevich4704 it's just another shot to have in your toolkit that players need to practice. Not only is it good against pushers, but a good control of slice can also help against big hitters.
@@bigrobsydney I agree. This is one shot that I am still missing in my repertoire. Not feeling consistent enough with it to use it in the matches. And I will work to acquire it.
Thankyou karue ! Was wondering do you have specific video for match preparations? Like warm up exercise , things to avoid on eating working , let’s say I only got 5 mins hitting warm up but no court warm up etc ? Thanks!
Obrigado! Congrats to you too! I might be in LA over the winter and would love to train once with you. Ok. Keep it up! 🏆
So good (Just like every video). Karue, you have got to be the most satisfying player to watch. You're so chill yet so dangerous. Keep up the great work!
Well this guy could possibly be top 200-300 player if he was pursuing his tennis career professionally and is probably still close to this level. Therefore he is able to win all these UTR tournamanets!
A thing I'd like to add to the north to south point which i've found great success with is really forcing myself on the toward the net even to the point where i'm throwing in some serve volley, instead of bombing from the baseline and work like a beast you can simply do 1-2 volleys with wat less effort instead
Amazing tips! Thank you!
Won a league match this week following these principles, really appreciate the advice Karue! So many overheads.
let’s go! Love to hear it
Thank you! It was super satisfying. I kept saying "chill the F out" to myself :). Helped a lot.
I think your previous video where you are hitting a lot up the middle vs a 4.5 (Winston) with decent pace, but also with consistency, might be a good example to use against a pusher. If you hit a little early or late, you might "accidentally" hit a winner, but you won't hit wide because you are not going for the lines. lol. Also, they might hit a short ball that you can attack.
I’m a pusher and proud of it.
I played extremely aggressive and made a lot of mistakes. Lost a lot of games even if I was hitting crazy winners and shots. But I made a lot of mistakes. I just played risky.
I changed my game because I was really frustrated.
But I am a pusher now with serious counter punching qualities. I bring my opponent in a position where he has to pull off a risky shot or I bring myself into a position where I can attack.
And a little bit serve and volley :)
Novak is a pusher compared with Tiafoe. It's a very viable way to play. Consistency is king.
Excelente! Vou testar
The part about staying in the grind resonates with me. But to be able to do that you need to have practiced consistent deep ball striking in the weeks, maybe months before. If you don’t have the confidence in your consistency, backed up by practice, you ain’t gonna win no matter what strategy you use
Great reminders.
Thanks Krue, never want to be a pusher ,that's something i might try when i hit my 50s or when i can't run too much ..
That is pretty cool you played Djakouris! His strokes/playstyle looked familiar hahaha. I was able to watch him play in-person since he plays for UC Davis.
Is it hyper g on the mains and poly tour pro on corosses? Congrats on your 5th title of year! Well deserved!!!!!!!
I love the unflavored version. The flavored ones mess with my stomach. I can notice the difference when not using LMNT.
Haha the pushers at the 4.0 level are much pushier then at Karue’s level. This opponent appears to have a very decent game, probably batting above his league in this match but not what I would call a pusher
I think a pusher is just a defensive player compared to their opponent. Even the most aggressive 5.0 would be a pusher compared to Alcaraz.
That’s definitely the problem. Pushers at 3.5/4.5 level have much more efficient weapons compared to their counterparts.
This makes very difficult to succeed against them, because even a good set of 4.0 level groundstrokes is generally not enough.
All these videos have the same problem: they show how to beat pushers at a very high level.
But a 4.0 player is not so confident in “putting the ball away when the opponent hits a short ball”. And pusher generally don’t hit short, unless they try to make you come to the net.
I’m not sure what area you’re in but a 4.0+ in mine is going to punish nearly any short ball with a high percentage of winning the point. I play 3.5 but regularly practice against 4.0 because I’m more fit and I can’t make any mistakes without paying for it.
@@RicMorn I couldn’t disagree more. I am a 4.0 player and I think all of these tips are spot on for the rec level. Any 3.0+ can hit winners on a pusher. What they can’t do is hit a winner off any ball the pusher gives them. You need to calm down and be patient and wait for a ball you can hit a winner off of. Yes Karue is better at hitting winners than you are. But you can still hit a winner off a poor ball so wait for that one.
@@mandomerlie1997thats so true
once you reach 4.5 your strategy should be to wait for a short ball, close your stance rip it on a courner by trying to hide your shot as long as possible and approach the net. not all the way in as their first reaction is to lob. if your over heads and volleys are decent the game should be quick
Hey Karue, what do you think about the tactic of playing deep topspin shots that have big arch on them so the pusher would have hard time to produce a good shot or just block the ball back. Then again, wait for the correct oppurtunity when you are in the court to finish the point?
Great video as always, thanks!
Hope this video is not misunderstood, because it’s right there 😊
how about a video that helps pushers to perfect their game 😅?? i mean, seriously "the pushers" are always a anonymous group of players and it seems like officially no one is a pusher, but still it is a good winning strategy, right?
Great advice 👌👌👌
Could you do a video about how to win tie breaks. There is clearly a skill to it, and I personally am not great at them, can you help?
I luv beating pusher! 👊🏻
Are you trying to qualify for the Pro Tour? would be a great story.
another outstanding vid, karue! your point about winning the match north to south is dead on!
The vast majority of amateurs are impatient. This isn't just against pushers -- they want to get out of having to engage in a rally before it even starts.
Another thing we do that is also leading to making more mistakes is what I call arguing with the ball. All your shots besides the serve have to be responses, reactions, to what the other person is doing and you can't hit any shot you want with equal ease off any ball from anywhere on the court. That short, soft ball below your knee... just slice it most of the time. Generating pace, arcing the ball over the net and getting enough spin to keep the ball in with 20 feet of missing court isn't an easy shot. Also, you're not playing Djokovic: he won't murder a slice 99% of the time if you approach the net with it.
Hi Karue,
Thank you for your videos, for taking the time to teach and provide free tips that really make a difference, especially in tackling challenging aspects. I've been putting in a lot of effort and time to try and get a serve like yours. I would love to have a private conversation with you. Is there any chance we could make that happen?
Greetings from Argentina
For online lessons you can email me at lessonswithkarue@gmail.com
@karue this was a great video, i wanted to ask you how do you stay in the moment when you are playing. I saw you match against Chris Eubanks, you were leading in the third set, i felt you did not lose your focus and stayed in the moment , i really liked it. My mind tends to wander when i am in lead, any tips and tricks please share
simplicity. Just trying to play one point at a time. If I am winning that means the plan is working so stay the course, trust it and play one point at a time until is over. Join our newsletter so you can receive our podcast episodes, I cover fan questions in the pod! mytennishq.com/newsletter/
Everyone is a pusher once in a while. I'm no pusher by any means but I "pushed" the balls in matches many times. Recently I played an entire match almost like that because I wasn't feeling great on court; found that my opponent was missing too much so I did it (and ended up winning the match)
Guys, any idea where I can watched the match?
Defense wins championships apply in tennis as well.
You are mistaking pushing vs defense….at D1 lv and up pushing gets you killed
I just double bageled a pusher by chilling the f*ck down. Best advice ever. (true story)
2nd Step ist most difficult for me. in general Step1 and Step2 are enough to beat pushers.
Nice video editing. Most rec players are pushers compared to ATP level lol. We just can't hit the ball hard enough. Me using a Prostaff is WAY different than you using one lmao.
Yeah I wish I have seen this video 15 years ago. it would safe me a looooot of nerves and losses
How can I watch video of the full match?
how should we drink electrolyts before matches or during?
Both. I like to go into the match hydrated so I start my day with it. Then drink during the match as well
Hi Karue, great video and I wanna try the sponsored product but got a question. You mentioned winning the game north to south. But my tennis court is east facing. Playing north to south would directly fall into the pushers game plan wouldn’t it?
Dude, I can’t stand pushers. Everything you throw at them they hit back. Need this video!😂
Karue's opponent watching this video: 😮😮😮
Great vid! Hate damn pushers!
My problem is I don't have the cardio to play long points. I could beat a pusher in theory, if I did some good cardio training.
A pusher is supposed to rather push the ball than hitting topspin. In your video i see an opponent who plays legit tennis imo. He's not pushing that much. But well, maybe i just don't know enough about the topic. Would be nice to explain. Thx a lot.
Besides, great video as always 👌
In tennis, a pusher is a defensive player who "pushes" back any shot they can chase down, without deliberately hitting a winner. What you are describing is a pusher at super low level where they cant even hit a proper shot and just "dink" eveyrthing back. But at the higher levels that karue is playing at (like 12-13 UTR) it is not possible to win at all with those dink shots. Pushers are relative to the level
Sometimes people incorrectly call their opponents pushers too. There have been times when I beat someone, I both hit more winners and less unforced errors than them. But after the match, they only remembered the errors part, not the winners part and concluded that I won because I was "pushing". Lol.
100%. People confuse being solid vs being a pusher. Tennis is a game of who makes more balls in the court lol
I'm liking it for point no.3 XD
Pusher is like an exam. Once you consistently beating those pushers at your level, you are into the next level.
SO RIGHT!
How to be a pusher?
My aim is to become a pusher, consistency wins almost always, whenever I try to blast it it goes out 🤦♂
Try to attack consistently. IMO its better for your growth as a player. If you go for biggers shots that are better in certain situations youll get a lot better than if you just tap the ball back
@@nail3692okay, thank you that's helpful
@@nail3692being a pusher is not just “tapping the ball back” it’s just hitting a high topspin ball from side to side. And being in top shape
@@daveobrien2365 if you get a relatively shorter ball, imo you should be looking to attack when you can. That’s what I mean by not tapping it back
watched this again after 2 weeks.. shame it hasn't gotten to 3k likes
also wanted to ask.. is your last name Sell? So that makes you a Karue Sell ?? 🎠 how have I missed that for so long?!
So, like the wheels on the bus, you go round and round?
How on Earth pushers are so good on high balls backhands in the line!! What every i do i still loosing points 😢
After watching this I just realized that I think my girlfriend actually is a (not intended) pusher, haha 😆. She tends to get most balls back into play, some moonballs, at times unpredictable depth on her shots and some of the shots she leaves short with no pace. Which I mistakenly think is a easy setup for a winner and then hit it long or out because I aimed too much at the line/corner.
interestingly you're talking about being a pusher, but in the match you're showing, can't really tell which one is the pusher, both players are playing aggressively.... :)
Awesome! What about playing against moonballers?
Just lemme chug some LMNT and get back to pushing.
To beat pushers consistently you must have a net game. If your volleys suck, sorry, you're out of luck. Stop complaining about losing to pushers and use the loss as motivation to develop your volleys and overheads. Once I got my volleys halfway decent, I had confidence at moving forward rather than side-to-side and then I was able to put a lot more pressure on the pusher. And let me tell you, destroying a pusher is very satisfying, especially a pusher who has always beaten you!
is that vcore 95?
3000!!!
PUSH BACK THE PUSHER
back to the ATP Tour!
How do you beat a pusher like Dani Med?
Be a GOAT
hahaha that advertisement... please make markers that we can skip them :)
Pushers I can respect. It's the junkballers I can't stand. The ones who gives you nothing but crap over the net. Moonballs, erratic slices. Hell Brad Gilbert wrote the bible for junkballers called 'Winning Ugly'. It's the opposite of seeing tennis as an art form. It's winning by any means necessary, including shanking the most horrific balls imaginable. BUT..... it's no good whining about them. We have to find a way to beat every play that comes our way. And these are totally legal shots. I mean sure, only a pervert would derive pleasure from playing seven moon balls in a row followed by a dinking shank to the middle of the court, but it's up to us to deny them their ultimate pleasure - winning ugly.
Perfect sponsor for facing a pusher
4:50
I made money off your loss last night ty bro
I know you're being diplomatic here - but not even pushers like other pushers. I do agree though, it's part of the game
Lmao you’re so right. Sometimes I’d play a pusher and they’re telling me about an annoying match they had with so and so (another pusher). And I’m thinking of course you wouldn’t like that
Watching 2 pushers practice rallying is painful, even they are disgusted at themselves, my club is full of them, however don’t blame them, people need to develop their skills and weapons to best them, remember, the pushers really cant get much better but your ceiling is high, put in that work
Very true. Aside from GOATs, look at who Medvedev has trouble with.
I don’t want to know how to beat a pusher, I want to know how to be one. Please a video on that 😂
The net should be 39 inches straight across in tennis
What are you talking about? A tennis net is 42 inches at the posts and 36 inches at the center and based on this will never be straight. By the way they are playing a doubles court and therefore they have to uses singles sticks to crest the singles posts at 42 inches.
There's a huge difference between your level pushers vs regular joe pusher... moonballers are often referred to as pushers and they make the game impossible to enjoy. If you are new to tennis and moonball, no problems, but if you moonball only to win, that's just pathetic.