senorgato70 I was a baseliner/junk baller, and I had a high school tennis rival that had the same style, except that he was better at it. I had to wait till I got a short ball, hit an approach, and win points at the net. Also, I drew him to the net and made him hit shots he didn't like to hit when the opportunity arose. I beat him twice in 3 sets, one 2 hours and the other was 3 hours. You have to make a mental commitment that you are going to do whatever it takes to chop that tree down.
Long ago in high school playing for the #1 varsity singles position, I beat all the guys on varsity, but my coach had me also play the top five or so on reserve. Let me tell you, one of those guys was like a freaking wall. Although I beat him, he actually gave me one of the hardest runs for the position! Don't ever underestimate your opponent.
For most of us rec players, our footwork mirrors the speed of the ball. When we play opponents who hit the ball slower, our feet slow down and cause us to feel like we aren't able to be aggressive with our strokes. One key is what the Nate mentioned here about having to move your feet with more steps to get in better position and force our strokes to keep up. The other point I liked is the slow hands part which keeps us from over-hitting on our shots and not beating ourselves. Excellent advice guys, Thanks!
Great point. It does. My overhead had to be bettered to cope with the eventual refuge of the junkers. Now ? I look forward to an interesting couple of hours of testing my smash ready for real opponents !!
I should have watch this BEFORE my last tournament match today. I was aiming for the lines all the time, as I usually do. Returning the ball at the center and trying and catch the ball in the air and smashing it calmly seems to be the key, indeed. I lost 6-2, 6-1 and completely lost my mind between the two sets. This will never happen again. Thanks, guys.
Happened to me today. Unbelievably frustrating. When your technique is miles ahead of the guy that beats you. It’s a wake up call that we need more than traditional technique. I for one am torn between being disgusted with the pusher and also admiring of their tenacity. I think it helps to realise that this is really the only way they can play. They aren’t being crap on purpose, at least not all of the time.
Thanks guys. We have an ex state grade squash player in our club and every ball is under spin / lob and lands within 2 inches of the baseline. Yes, he is nothing if not consistent. I beat him for the first time in 3 years yesterday doing exactly what you said - heavy top spin down the middle / patience / and hanging back in no-mans land for the overhead rather than closing for a volley as per normal. I gotta tell you, I was exhausted and my legs ached but I also considered it more like a fitness / conditioning session rather than a match. So, thanks again.
Best feedback we can get GerrySontTV. Love it. There’s no doubt these guys are tough to play. Getting dirty in the trenches during a long fought battle and coming out with the W is so gratifying. How good did that victorious 🍺 taste?!! Keep grinding out there my man!! 💪🏼 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼
Great advice! I think a key element of "fast feet, slow arms" is that the attacking player has to be equal or better in terms of fitness level than the junk baller. If the two players are equal in fitness the junk baller will most likely win because he is conserving more energy.
This is interesting. I am a table tennis player and this popped into my feed, yet the same type of style in table tennis exists, along with the same hatred of that style by most table tennis players. Defensive players do very similar to what you are describing here and can drive "normal" players insane. Nice to see the comparision.
There is much less spin in tennis, however. You can cut the ball, but the spin of the ball doesn't continue to the strings of the opponent's racket in the way it does in table tennis. The biggest problem when opposing a defensive player in tennis is that it is hard to adjust the return to the slow tempo of the ball flight, especially if you're not used to play against slow players. Really good players don't really mind, though. They just shoot through the "junk baller". :)
Ah, depending on the level or approach of the defender in table tennis, I'd say it's not the same thing. A decent defensive table tennis player is not a junk baller but a tactician that sets traps for the attacker to fall into (think Mayweather but on a table tennis table). They know everything they're doing. Watch any top pro defender and analyze what he/she is doing. It's masterful. They vary the spin and do a lot of feints, usually ultimately looking to get a forehand in to finish the point (Joo Sae Hyuk is a great recentish example). To lump actual decent defenders in with junk ballers would show only that the person making the claim doesn't actually understand anything other than hitting a ball. I think long pips get a ton of shit too, but there are different kinds. Most decent defensive players use either short pips or long pops with friction (like Butterfly Feint Long 3) on the backhand (smooth on forehand). Both enable control over spin and don't have any really weird wobbly effects (though a slight wobble with friction long pips, just not enough to really be called an effect). Friction long pips most common because of the cushioning effect when chopping, giving great control when defending against heavy attacks. Note that they're used for control. The knock on effect is that friction long pips aren't hard to play against. Short pops have greater range of spin but less control against heavy attacks. Smooth rubber even greater range of spin, but even less control against heavy attacks, unless countering back, in which case you get the ultimate control. Junk ballers definitely exist in table tennis though, but mostly at low levels. We all played them in our early days. Just pop the ball back to you with no thought of what they're doing. Just hoping you'll make an error. Easy to beat once you're half decent though. Also the frictionless long pip players who stick their bat out and do nothing. Low friction means they don't have much control over anything so rely on wobbly effects and continuing the ball rotation, essentially reversing your spin. Again, easy to beat once you know how to play. There's no excuse once you're good. If you lose to a defensive player and you're not an intermediate, they're probably a good player. Junk ballers in tennis usually have zero understanding of or at least have little capability to apply spin or hit with solid technique. They're common right through to 4.0 or even 4.5 I think. Once you get to 5.0+ they're very rare from my experience. Nadal would be the best pro with a junk baller type approach, but has actual skill obviously. So he's not a junk baller, but he does win a lot of points by continuing to send the ball back. Like a defensive player in table tennis. He'd probably be a chopper with a wicked forehand if he played table tennis.
@@sjjapp I agree, however many offensive players consider defensive shots "junk" or not "real" table tennis. The sport is pro offensive to the point where there is little to no online training for defensive players, yet hundreds of videos for attack style players and even instruction on how to beat a defender! There are also "junk" rubber used in table tennis (anti spin, long pips, etc) , that offensive players dont look forward to.
@@zazenforever4940 that's very true. A majority of players do indeed consider defensive players junk ballers. The only country I've been to where that view isn't as consistently held is Japan. I've played in a ton of countries and defensive players that are actually good are few and far between. I encountered many in Japan. They were also generally very respectful towards them, but that in part is likeky due to it being a culture of respect. The US, the UK, and numerous places aren't. Defensive players are incredibly frustrating to play against. You've got the real junk ballers, which I deem as 'just get the ball back and hope they miss' players, but they only exist at beginner and intermediate levels. Decent defensive players are so rare, even at pro level, that they get mistakingly grouped with junk ballers. This is a matter of education mostly, and frustration second. To be a decent defensive table tennis player you need to be smart. They can only beat a decent player if they out think him/her by varying spin and setting traps so they can themselves put the ball away. Its this variety that makes them hell to play against, as it feels, as the attacker, that you're beating yourself, whereas if yiure both good players, you might not be. They might be beating you, but they're not smashing you off the table, so it doesn't feel like it. Anti spin and long pips, junk rubbers, are simple. There's nothing complicated about them. It's amazing how many players don't understand this. If you do a heavy loop to an anti spin rubber, theres not enough grip to change the rotation direction of ball. But it doesn't fully continue the speed of rotation. This means if you topspin to it, you'll get a slight bit of backspin back, but not enough to really be considered spin. You can think of it as being a dead ball. If a player beats you with anti and you understand this, they were a better player than you, either period or on the day, or you beat yourself. Long pips now. Long pips with low friction continue the ball rotation and a bit of the speed of rotation. So if you topspin to it, you'll get backspin back. A lot of crappy players with no backhand use these at low levels close to the table. Sends wobbly balls back to uneducated opponents. All long pips get demonized because of these 'only wn because of equipment' players. Some advanced defensive players use these for chopping so they can send back heavy backspin to attacker, hopefully forcing a shortball to put away. Now, a good player using them is a challenge as they will change the stroke from punch blocks, long range chops, short range chops, etc. giving you a different ball. The low level player with this rubber is easy to beat once you can play. The advanced player with thus rubber is difficult, but it has a major weakness. They can't vary the spin themselves much, so they are actually very predictable. Now friction long pips, the most popular option for good defensive players. Because of some degree of friction, the user can vary the spin themselves, anf can even apply spin to a dead ball. You can't spin the ball as much as with short pips or smooth though. I'm short, long pips / anti are used by low level players to get an advantage over eneducated opponents. High level players use them for control, as they are great at cushioning pace, so can keep the rally going easier under pressure. At this level though the opponents usually understand how these things work, so aren't bothered by simple tricks like a slight wobble on ball or spin continuation. Meaning the defender has to work hard for each point. Now, table tennis used to be more balanced. I said in a previous post here that Richard Bergmann was the last defender to win the world championships (to my knowledge). That was in the early 50s I think. That was also during the and at the end of the hardbat era. I think the very next world championships a guy from Japan came along with the first sponge, and he won, despite not being very good. Nobody knew how to deal with it. As game evolved, the game got more aggressive and pro offense. Changes in conditions / equipment has a major role in what styles and strategies work. Fitting we're on a tennis video here as tennus went through such a change in recent times. Sampras dominated the 90s in an era where grass courts and hardcourts like at the US Open were really fast. String technology wasn't as advanced either. This made for a perfect environment for his power / serve and volley game. Then came along the new generation, like Hewitt, with Luxilon polys and started to be able to return his serve easier than past generations (Sampras called such strings cheatalon or something like that). Courts began to get slower. And nowadays we can see the impact. Serve volley is practically dead because players have the control now to counter with control, making it easier to pass net player. Slower courts help too. So we get more long rallies and power baseline play. Players are starting to get taller these days so will be interesting to see if the future if giants smashing aces. I hope not. This is what's happened in table tennis. Conditions changed what's effective. Andthe view Sampras held regards the strings is interesting, as that's exactly what hardbat players thought sponge was, cheating. For defensive players to compete now at thr highest levels, they have to play disabled. Rubbers like longpips help cushion spin and pace of attacker but are hard to hit with. So either don't hit backhand or twiddle. Many use fast rubbers like Tenergy on forehand, buin thinner sponge if they want to chop (which reduces offensive ability somewhat) or max thickness but don't chop (so why bother to chop at all). It's about compromise. For attackers, rubber technology is better. It gives the attacker great control, power, and spin. No real weakness outside of ball being too fast and spiny at high levels to keep a rally going. Makes for shitty viewing, but easiest path to win. Important to note as well that views commonly held aren't always correct. Most views are just passed from person to person and people just repeat what they've heard. So sometimes of course non sense gets to become a common view. I think this has been the case with defenders. A lot of disrespect in the table tennis community
All good coaching advice. However in my 20 years of coaching High School tennis I learned that advice on tactics and strategy is only effective if your players have the skill set to implement that advice. I spent more time teaching good strokes than coaching tactics with many players. I always ran drills to build up skills. The 3 ball drill is effective in the situation you demonstrate. You receive 1 ball to hit an approach, one ball to volley and the third is a lob so you finish with an overhead. This drill came after we worked on proper technique on all 3 strokes. Also play games to 11 points with drop and hit to start the rally. Ball has to cross net twice before point starts. Have a goal like hitting deep or closing in to finish point. Last drill: put a tape line 3 feet from baseline on both ends and try to hit ground strokes into that zone. That was my coaches favorite drill that he ran me through every week. We called it “Pound from the Ground “. A guy has a difficult time if they are far behind the baseline and it opens up your opportunity to close out a point.
I'm surprised by that- isn't the off-season the time for players to work on strokes? At least when I played there wasn't really much time to do drills. We had limited courts and needed to use the pre-season time to establish our ranking on the team and after that it was time to take on other schools. Those of us who wanted to get better did extensive practice and lessons throughout the year.
FYI...Junk ballers get off in messing with your mind. Its' not the junk baller that is beating you, its you that is beating yourself. Junk ballers love to get you off your rhythm to force errors from you. Good old fashion serve and volley to me is one playing style I use most effective with junk ballers.
Fabrice Santoro beat Sampras three times. He also beat Edberg, Becker, Henman, Rafter, and Ivanisevic......junk ballers can beat serve and volley players, too.
As a matter of fact, Fabrice won at least one doubles slam. The point is that junk ballers can play at the highest levels, and beat anyone, with pure junk. Mats Wilander won seven slams, and was the pro level of a junk baller. Bobby Riggs won 2 or 3 slams back in his day as a junker....Fabrice and Bobby were short guys with weak serves, yet they still won.....ain't that something'? Aga Radwanska reached number two in the world, and won the year end championship as a junk baller, just a few years ago. The junk baller has to run more than his/her opponents, so they tend to be at a disadvantage in slams, which have the artificial five set format, but that didn't stop Rafa Nadal, who started as an almost total jnukballer, then developed other parts of his game....It's tough to win long matches day after day with junk, but on a given day they can beat anyone, even YOU! Even the best big hitters employ a little junk now and then.... @@flukyreview9128
Fabrice had an unusual stroke style. On both wings but he was NO junk baller !? How dare you pushers with limited movement and worse imaginations compare your hour of junk to an unusual style but skillful player that had 20 years at the top of the game. Your on your own pal.
Willander was'nt anything like a junk baller. Pro or not !? Nadal too. He was a moonballer !! Go learn a stroke, a proper grip you lazy loser. Personally , junk ballers are easy meat. It's the moonballers that get the prize. Pointless tennis.
I really like the advice, however, the one thing I would add is that defeating a junk baller often times requires you to be much better than your actual stated rank. I know that sounds crazy, as junk balling takes little to no skill, no athleticism etc. However it's true, a lot of people with real physical talent, real strokes, get matched against these cheese artists and begin to rethink their skills. They start asking questions like "am I that bad that I can't beat this troll?" The worst situation is a cheese cheater, or basically a junk baller that cheats repeatedly in events without refereeing. Another thing I would add is beating them with an immaculate service game. Obvious this is very difficult, but is effective as junk ballers are typically out of shape and will not be able to respond to well placed serves that are slightly faster than your peer groups average. Overall, great video.
GoldenSpoons totally agree, junkballers, pushers (tactical players) definitely make you best them. They rarely beat themselves so one must have the ability to finish the point by being aggressive and often be on their game. Thanks for the feedback and for watching my man.
It took me a while to beat some of the moon ballers/junk ballers. I always start those matches with hitting the ball long or get angry and slam into the net, as I am not use to playing 1-2ft inside the baseline. After I am able to make the adjustments, I am able to take control and finish the match quick.
Just wanted to thank you guys for this outstanding video! I played a “junkballer” in my club tournament last night was dreading it and he’s actually won the tournament previously I used these tactics and won 6-4 6-3. The only other thing I added in was dropping shoting him sometimes after pushing him back.
How to beat junkballers: Dropshot and pass Dropshot and pass Dropshot and pass When they start to read, switch it up with fake dropshots and play long slices then move forward to the net. Junkballers are usually bad at everything else in the game and they tend to HATE volley because they don't know how to play it.
I play padel tennis (Spanish game, mainly) to a decent level, and so many shots which are ‘regular, correct’ in padel are junk balls when used on the tennis court...backspin, both stroked and punched, forehand slice etc. I can play tennis ‘conventionally’, but do enjoy frustrating my opponents with multi-directional slices, soI guess I’m a junk-baller! What beats me is pace from my opponent, topspin down the line, accuracy tight across court, but always with confident pace! Glad there is a place for all of us in tennis!
66gattaca perfectly said my friend. Regardless of playing style there’s a place for everybody in tennis. Playing with a variety of spin takes skill and should be appreciated just as hitting with power is. Padel is an incredible (and difficult) game. Glad to hear you’re enjoying both wonderful games. 🍻
I started playing tennis as an adult after years of soccer. I wanted tennis lessons when I was a kid but my parents did not want to spend money on that. When I got out of college I started taking tennis lessons. I would get very frustrated playing pushers who had zero technique and were just blocking balls back waiting for my error. I would usually win because I was fast and athletic and could push also. But it was very discouraging to have to work so hard to beat a person with no skill and who was not fast and athletic. As the years went by and I improved I realized the best way to beat a pusher is to become a better player. You do not have to be a 5.0 player to hit a swinging volley. It is just a ground stroke where that ball does not bounce. You do not have to worry about how much spin is on the ball as you prepare for the bounce and have your feet in the right spot. So it is actually easier to hit a swinging volley than a normal ground stroke. Just practice it a bit. If you are a baseliner and now have to come to the net to beat a pusher then you have been put out of your game. Become more consistent, be able to place your shorts, be able to hit winners on short balls, and respect that pushers are not going to make errors and they are not going to hit winners. If you are having trouble with a pushers you are just not that good yet. Keep practicing.
imateapot51 is called ball junker is a good technique of person having better sense of ball placement. A ball junker with speedy serve is better player than normal hit the ball guy.
I started out as a junkballer because I would tighten up in matches and start spraying balls long, wide and in to the net and I knew I could get slice balls in. As I developed my topspin forehand and backhand I became more confident and consistent. Now I employ a hybrid style of play and it has served me pretty well. The junk balls can push an opponent to the baseline or pull them into the net when you can then power a shot past them in a corner or hit behind them as they are trying to adjust to the varying speeds of shots. Also when I do tighten up I have a style of play to fall back on where I know I can keep balls in and not go down a break or two!!
Prime example of the centre strategy was Lendl vs. Mecir at the 1989 Australian Open Finals. Lendl later said he wasn't happy to use it, but he had to take the angles away from Mecir.
@@Playyourcourt Ivan was a smart player. I lived near him for many years, and go to talk to him once.....Friendly and nice guy...tall and strapping. He had a good reputation in the area as a friendly and affable guy.
Also strong sidespin serves work really well. And combining serves with spins makes the junk pushers really nervous. Also they hate topspin as their favorite cherished slice doesn't work either
This video is brilliant! Thank you! Ball pushers (aka patty cakers or lolly poppers) are so frustrating! All the years of perfecting my ground strokes and style seems pointless when I play these guys... I hate the ridiculous drop shots they pull when you’re just hitting- it’s so annoying! Good advice, fast feet & slow hands- I’m going to try this! Thank you
Ashlee McIntosh glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the feedback and for watching! Keep us posted on your next match with the slice and dicer and let us know if the tactics we suggested helped. 😃
Guys, that's a great video with the strategy! A very good way to destroy pushers on your serves is to serve with strong upper spin and a bit limited or good speed. Usually the junk pushers receive the serve with simple hit back, almost with no pace and here's the core point- the ball bounces up high and falls somewhere in the middle of the court, so now you can usually hit a volley or even a smash... The smash hit from near the net or the T means the end, that's the winner....
Thank you ! I needed this, I'm in a league 3.0 - 3.5 and I'm playing a junkballer... last night our game was rained postponed. I started good leading 4-1 and we are now at 5-5 because I lost patience, lost my serve and was trying to be agressive playing corners. I can go in and try to finish the game with a plan now.
You guys are transforming my tennis👍👍 Watched this video yesterday and today I hammered my junk balling buddy! No more frustration 😁 Thanks for the advice.
All makes sense thank you. It drives me mad when pushers hit high balls most of the time, not lobs as such, but they scoop the ball upwards. Good advice to drive volley or drive down the middle.
Slice low ball mid court down the middle, if you have the strokes.. Make the junker come to the net. McEnroe was a pusher before he became stronger All about what strokes you have to defeat a pusher ..do you have a big serve forehand, volley, slice, topspin smash.. What are your strengths.. To improve play the pusher and work on your game, better than a ball machine.. You will learn much more by facing your fear
my play partner is a pure junk player and i can confirm everything in this vid is spot on. play central, add pace, change brutally angle and attack to the net.
Great video. I know some one who is a junk baller. He has taken a set of me the last teo matches. Very difficult and tiiring to play. I often get frustrated. Great tips, cant wait to put into practice 🎾
Never be surprised about a short ball. And if you get a short ball, attack. Another good tactic is to play everything on their forehand. Most of the time, they respond with a forehand crosscourt, what is easier to play than a low ball on the backkhand side. A big mistake is, to go for backhand winners.
@@crispus4162 A tennis coach once told me, that it is better to play forehand crosscourt with a junk baller. Simply, because you get a higher ball back. If you play a junk baller on the backhand, you get often a low slice back. And it is in my opinion much more difficult to do something with a low and slow backhand-slice . If you have a better forehand than the junk baller, you also do not need to run much, if you concentrate on forehand crosscourt duels. This is my experience on clay courts over the years. But, I often forget this strategie and try to play backhand crosscourt myself. If you want to play an effective single handed backhand down the line on a clay court, you need to be in really good conditions. If that ball is too short or to slow, the opponent has the chance to play a forehand in the open crosscourt.
I tried with a collegue which is a huge junk baller. It worked like magic. Without the angles, he started to miss a lot of shots or producing easy short balls to put away. However, pacience is still important.
A friend of mine plays at the 4.5 level. When he plays with the 3.5 players, he would play like a junk baller and his opponents have no chance of beating him as he is 2 levels higher.
I have a friend playing at the 3-4th highest grade here still using junk balls. He also has the flat driving shots and creates crazy angles from the middle. Win ratio is about 65-75% still as most people don't have the patience to play 1hr a set
3.5 players and 4.5 players play similar games, only the 4.5 are better at it. A lot of the best 4.0 players are pushers or junk ballers. I had a friend who could play very well at 3.5, and pretty well at 4.5, but he lost every time he played at 4.0, because that's where the off-pace, consistent players dwelt...and he had trouble with them...
Great advice and easy, just push the guy back with deep shots down the middle. The next thing, more advanced, that helped me was to watch the pros advance to a dinked ball or drop shot and see how they added pace by whipping it with topspin. So this way I changed my perspective from dread to opportunities to put the balls away.
Thank ya sir, much appreciated. No doubt the pros make it look easy! Playing through the hands and keeping the wrist loose is certainly the path to putting more of those dinks away. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
My biggest issue is warming up with these types of players. They are already playing these sorts of balls and I can't get into my rhythm. It feels like they drag my groundstrokes down to their level in warm up, and that makes the match really difficult. Any tips on that issue?
Solid question Skyhunter, we always suggest warming up before the match in order to be properly prepared. (Warm up before the warm up). Once you’re in the warm up with your opponent practice being aggressive as well. That doesn’t mean you try to rip winners on every ball but simply angle off or take the pace up on the occasional ball. Sometimes we become so focused on being cooperative we forget to warm ourselves up as well. Hope this helps!
As a big time junk baller myself, I totally second all of the above. the best thing is to play up, and take as many balls in the air and hit hard. when I spin a ball when it bounces it can go anywhere, so that's why you have to take it in the air as much as possible. because i hit it soft generally I can place the ball very well and so if you play back and let it bounce I will have you running all over the court. my weakness is that I find it hard to return hard shots or shots with lots of top spin. i can always beat passive players, but the ones who get aggressive on me beat me fairly easily.
+Michael Fairney Thanks for the feedback, awesome to hear from a self proclaimed "Junk Baller" and the transparency of what tactics actually work for you and against you. Thanks for watching!
Nate...you're a pretty good junk baller. Put it into your tactical repertoire since opponents will know nothing 'bout no battering ram. For the record, I'm a classic junk baller 'cause my modern forehand sucks but my forehand slice is something to behold.
Thanks Blair, I definitely enjoy mixing it up especially if it exploits a opponents weakness. Some may call it junkballing, I like to call it smart tennis! Thanks for watching!
Hate junkballers as a agressive baseliner.. my footwork is way off and miss to much, thanks for the video. This is exactly my worry in my club tournament in the third round against junkballer who returns everything.
I wish I had seen this back when I played every day. One of the people in my league did nothing but lob and won almost every point lol. I was going nuts.
The one thing you didn't mention is that pushers hate the net. They want you to hit shots that they can short angle you with and then lob you. If you hit short angles to them, they will usually retreat over and over, until they try to come to the net. But they can't volley, so they are easy to pass. Another thing they are great at is lobbing consistently to the baseline. From that far back, they can run down all your overheads. Another thing common with pushers is their speed and unorthodox shots. You cannot outhit them from the baseline because they don't make mistakes. They depend on you playing them the way everybody plays them. You just have to take away their game. After I learned to short angle slice them, and stick to it, I never lost to a pusher again.
Woah... This was the video I was looking for. I'm a 4.0 player and none of my friends my play any tennis so the only person I play with these days is my dear uncle who is possibly the epitome of the junk baller, which I've only just realized is an actual thing! Step #2 is probably the most important thing for me. I like to hit winners every chance I get and he likes to float them and so you're spot on right about my brain and feet getting lazy during the point - I need to make more steps and head to the net! Thanks for the insight guys, this is great content - subscribed!
My overhead is shit and these guys always know how to lob but I find that their poor technique will eventually lead to errors if you keep getting the ball back to them. That’s my way but the great thing about junk ballers is that they always give you control of the rally so all you have to do is find the pattern works for you. Sometimes it’s counterintuitive like hitting up the middle but once you figure them out it’s over because they always have zero offense.
One key thing with junk ballers is that the low demand their style places on execution allows them to focus more on anticipating your shots and strategy. I think any type of predictable game is a handicap against them. I'm personally a net player, and contrary to the strategy suggested here i do not hit hard to come up on a blocker, I move him around a bit and come up on a long, soft and low-bouncing shot. And yes, it's OK to slice a forehand. I think until 5.0+ your usual forehand is rarely good enough to be a better approach than a slice on the line, which is way, way easier to hit.
The junkballer's weakness, same as in table tennis, is deep, high, heavy top spin body shots. Most junkers will not be able to handle this shot. Even if so, they will just be able to hit it back and you will be able to go on the offensive. I hate junkballers, but eventually, we all age and end up as junkers.
Or better, deep high heavy topspin to the back hand, especially if the junker has a one-handed backhand.....the strategy actually works pretty well against everyone, as Nadal has pointed out....
I'm a 5.0, I don't have an issue with playing junk-ballers, and this is some of the best advice I've seen. Like the video says, you need to be prepared mentally before, and during, that the points are going to be long. When you see my scores against these guys, it looks like a blow-out, but it's like dental surgery. Even at the pro level, there are junk-ballers. Get used to it. Great advice guys.
Im quite an advanced player for where i play at, i play league doubles and the competition are mostly moon ballers or guys who literally slice with their forehand and backhand every time. I usually just go for the fast flat shot to their body and come in or let my partner finish it off. Same thing with my serve, i hit around 125mph which helps with these players right off the bat.
Today I had to play against one in the final at a local junior tennis tournament and it was easily the most irritating and least enjoyable match I've had so far. Anytime I hit the ball with even a little bit of pace he would make a horrible slice lob thingy or usually block it back short and low meaning I couldn't get much topspin on it. And the fact that my play style is more focused on power rather then control made it very difficult for me to get that shot back in the court so it would either go into the net, or way long. So the only way I could deal with it was to pop it back over, forcing me to hit a short ball which then he would hit more junk, or a flat shot barely over the net landing just inside the baseline for a winner. Leading up to the final match I felt pretty good because I won my 2 previous matches both 6-3, (we only play 1 set for a match because we're juniors), however against the junk baller I lost 6-1. Because of my weak mental game I had practically given up after the first few games, because I was just so full of frustration and just upset because it didn't even feel like a game. Easily the most painful match I've played yet, but too bad I haven't even been playing for a year yet so I'll probably have to play a lot more of them in the future. Anyway that's my rant over.
WhyOfCourseNot you’re better for it my dude. Playing multiple styles is the only way we get better at competing. In time you’ll learn to handle the junk baller by being mentally prepared and being comfortable being uncomfortable. Keep grinding out there! -Nate
Left out the most important thing: fitness. If you're worried about being out there three hours, you give the advantage to the pusher. They tend to be fit types to begin with, and the slow ball they hit gives them lots of time to recover without working very hard. I love the battering ram approach--wish I'd had a modern forehand in my tournament playing days. And high topspin to the backhand is often a good move as well.
+Charles Foree great additions! Fitness is a huge component of beating the Junkballer / Pusher. We talk about fitness, the strategy of playing high to the backhand and a ton of other effective strategies in our new singles tactics course thats coming out soon. Keep a look out for it!
Rushing the net works well. Just think old school serve and volley, chip and charge. This counters their drop shots, dead balls and weird spins really well.
Good advice if you’re playing a generic junk baller, but not so good if you’re playing a junk baller who can also pound the ball. This guy I used to play regularly would junk ball me, do the dink-lob combo, and slice ‘n dice. But he also could serve 115 mph, and when I hit hard down the middle and came to net, he could smack passing shots as hard as I could. He was really tough, probably beat me 70% of our matches. I wonder what you’d advise against that sort of player.
Lose graciously. 😂 Sounds like a really tough competitor with a complete game. If he had a weaker side I would try to isolate it and break it down. Sounds like depth before direction would be key against such a versatile player. I'm sure it came down to who was serving better most of the time.
Another tip for better , less fearful , tennis might be to try a softer bouncing ball. Like a green spot. This would encourage you to develop a bit more due to the bit more time on the ball perhaps ? This could help with a better shot selection other than a push , slice or junk ball. Just an idea.
Wow, i just started playing 3 months ago and now came across your vid. I think im a junkballer. Only difference is, that its the only thing im capable of, so its not like i have a choice.
If you want to see this played out at a high level, look up matches with Steffi Graf & Martina Navratalova. They were real ball strikers in a women's field full of pushers. (Some of whom were great players in their own right) Deep groundstrokes to the center & fast feet on the way to the net made them both the dominant players of their eras.
I hate playing players that give me a ball with nothing on it. You definitely have to be patient, I’d hit every ball deep cross court if you can, with good percentage plays, and never miss till you can get the right ball! I just keep pushing them back till I can drop shot them or take a volley out of the air firmly, or if you can tee off on a forehand as hard as you can right at them without going for the lines on anything. Making your 1st serves helps too 80% of them out wide or to their backhand mixing the spins and speeds as well to really over well them! I’ve played these guys a lot over the years, they’re quick but not always quick enough!
I had success with giving low pace junk back to bring them into the net. Most junk ballers are horrible at going on the attack so you can usually stick it to them on next shot after, either lob or passing shot.
Thank you for the great video! It was like therapy listening to you! Every single word I could recognize myself in. Now I’ll try it for real this afternoon.
Carl Grubbström Glad to hear you enjoyed the vid, we appreciate the kind words. To check out more of our instruction and to never miss a video, go to our website at bit.ly/youtubePYC There you’ll find a practice / match finder tool, a challenge league and discounts on lessons and gear from out affiliates. Thanks for watching!
Hahaha...what if we promise to tell you how to beat the one guy you struggle with beating? Consider the junk baller video a homage to how difficult your style is to defeat! 😃🍻
I played this exact match on Saturday .. the guy sliced forehand and backhand and the ball was barely over the the net. So I was having to run in scrape the ball off my shoelaces. And just put it back leaving me vulnerable to angles etc just as you said. I managed to keep with him until the 3rd set and I was so mentally fatigued .. that I lost the 6-3 in the third 🤦♂️ I’ll definitely try using these tips next time I play him
Daniel Carroll Glad to hear you enjoyed the vid! To check out more of our instruction and to never miss a video, go to our website at bit.ly/youtubePYC There you’ll find a practice / match finder tool, a challenge league and discounts on lessons and gear from out affiliates. Thanks for watching!
There comes a time in the point when playing a pusher that you must go for your shots. Whether coming into net, hitting a nice stoke, trying something. The longer the point lasts, its like a black hole lol. I've been beaten by so many "pushers" by missing opportunities to put away shots and then trying to overhit on the wrong shot.
Hi Kendrell, as our tennis games advance and we develop a wider variety of shots, the "pusher" becomes easier to beat. Playing more aggressive is important but WHEN we're being aggressive is the key. Controlled Power with good shot selection wins the day against steady players with limited weapons of their own. Appreciate you watching and the feedback!
Great content! Any advice on how to play against mixed doubles (3.5 female), (4.5 male) combination? The general advice is to keep away from 4.5 player but sometimes their court coverage is extensive with tall/fast players
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. When facing a stronger player and trying to avoid them, try hitting low short chips crosscourt while he / she is at net. This makes it tough to poach and if they do they must hit up in order to avoid the net. Once their partner is isolated and at net (she / he) can essily be attacked. Mixing in lobs with this stratgey works great as well! Thanks for watching!
Nice video, thanks guys! Gonna put this to the test against my friend, who is notorious junk baller :)) as soon as he gets under pressure, he just pushes the ball without swinging, so there's no topspin to it and the ball bounces very slow with no energy. It feels like I need to use more power in order to produce decent stroke, which makes me to do more unforced errors - really annoying!
Glad you enjoyed the video degrad9! Playing someone with little pace is definitely difficult. Just remember “fast feet, slow hand”. Keep the feet moving to find optimal contact to create your own pace and those errors will be cut way down. Go get em!
I play junk ball against my son by accident. I'm 64 female and he's 26 male and that's the best return I can muster. Now I know why he hates "hitting a few" with mom.
ClueSign love that you’re out there still playing with your son! Whether it’s junkball or big hitting all that matters is you guys are on the court together. Just remind your son another name for junkballers is winners! 😉
I consider my self a junk baller and recently played another junk baller. It took us 3 hour and 15 minutes to finish and the scores of each set weren’t even that close.
Scott/Nate, would another strategy be to force the "pusher" out of their comfort zone and do a mix-up of strategy? Pull the "pusher" wide with a forceful approach shot then go to net to volley to open court? Or bring the "pusher" to the net and topspin lob them or pass them? Do you think the "pusher" will eventually figure out the battering ram and it's back to the long game of pushing back and forth?
💯% correct Alex! Combinations keep the pusher off balance. The battering ram is just one tactic and most efficient when combined with additional strategies. If you simply used the battering ram most accomplished pushers will adjust by dropping back and lobbing. This comment is a perfect Segway to content we have coming out very soon, covering the “Push, Pull, & Stretch”. Keep an eye out for it, it will be a great addition to the pusher content. Thanks for the feedback Alex!! 🙌🏼🙏🏻🍻
@@Playyourcourt Thanks for the reply. I have a 12 year old son playing USTA. It's grueling to see him play for 2.5 hours and eventually lose to a "pusher". Look forward to your series on how to defeat "pushers"!
The best way to beat a junk baller is not to underestimate them. Play them seriously and you will win if you indeed have better technique, strategy and stamina. Better player wins.
When I play a pusher I hit high bouncing topspin to the backhand to get short balls. I’ll put the short ball away with short angle shots. If I get a short high ball I’ll put the high volley away. I’ll also serve and volley. Or I will beat him playing his game. Another way to play a pusher is to pull him to the net so You can lob him or pass him. A lot of pushers don’t have good volleys so you can crush a shot at his chest or armpit on his forehand side if you’re really frustrated.
You can beat many 4.0 players simply by hitting one moon ball after another deep on the baseline. Without given any pace, many players fall apart--mentally as well as physically.
I find that many of the best 4.0 players play this way...it works at every level. I saw a tiny gal from South America beat the Cornell number one using this strategy...she hit REALLY high topspin shots..and deep! lots of spin...very frustrating. the Cornell gal was a very good defensive player, too.
@@joemarshall4226, I was a 4.0 to 4.5 player--I'm 68 now, and not playing right now--and the players who could cancel out my deep moon-ball hitting were players with a strong net game who would constantly pressure me.
@@l.rongardner2150 I'm 64. The basis of my game is a wide variety of slice shots from both sides. I had very good defensive skills until I began to slow down...mostly a doubles specialist now.... I also have very good lobs and drops off the same strokes, and can hit a good topspin pass off my forehand wing. I can also sneak in some serve and volley, and some chip and charge. The net rushers at the 4.0 level didn't bother me much, because I could lob them well enough that if they anticipated it, I could sneak a passing shot down the line. It was the players who hit the high loopers to my backhand over and over who frustrated me. I could get the ball back, but not with much on it, and eventually they would get a short ball that would allow them to take control of the point.. I have worked on handling that big loop shot, and have become better at it....I use two hands to punch it back with some pace and backspin, or I can run back and hit a topspin backhand loop in return, but it's still a chore......There are players who have thrown tantrums against me, insulted me, or broken their rackets after playing me, but the really smart ones that I was able to beat at first, realized that my game was a godsend to theme and that solving it was going to be a big challenge. A couple did solve me, which forced me to go back to the drawing board and improve my volleys and backhand. That's what makes tennis really fun. Roger talks about it all the time....."Figuring out" how to solve somebody's game, and in so doing, learning more strategies to ad. to one's bag of tricks.
R G thanks for watching, If you enjoy the vid and have found you receive value from our channel check out the link below where you can get unlimited access to all our vids, and other great tools to help your game such as practice partners, challenge matches lesson & gear discounts, and more.. 🤙🏼 bit.ly/youtubePYC
Yon Burke love that idea 💡! We have a doubles mastery class coming out soon that discusses dealing with multiple different opponents. We’ll be sure to incorporate the situation of having a partner who prefers not to volley when facing the Junkballer. Thanks for the feedback!
I've never played Tennis in my life. Thanks UA-cam for this recommendation it was still interesting to learn.
So when are you going to start playing?
Get out there!
DO IT! Arnold voice
yall better stop telling people how to beat me
Same here. Give them advice....it's not going to work...LOL.
omg you're a junk baller? damn, learn how to play dude
*laughs in drop shot* @@rodrigo964
😂
Will Hunter
Hilarity
One of my most frequent rivals was a junk baller. I managed to beat him every time but it was like climbing a mountain in dress shoes.
Lol.....climbing a mountain in dress shoes. Don’t be surprised if you hear that in a upcoming video 😉😎
senorgato70 I was a baseliner/junk baller, and I had a high school tennis rival that had the same style, except that he was better at it. I had to wait till I got a short ball, hit an approach, and win points at the net. Also, I drew him to the net and made him hit shots he didn't like to hit when the opportunity arose. I beat him twice in 3 sets, one 2 hours and the other was 3 hours. You have to make a mental commitment that you are going to do whatever it takes to chop that tree down.
Long ago in high school playing for the #1 varsity singles position, I beat all the guys on varsity, but my coach had me also play the top five or so on reserve. Let me tell you, one of those guys was like a freaking wall. Although I beat him, he actually gave me one of the hardest runs for the position! Don't ever underestimate your opponent.
brogans...?
Climbing a mountain in dress shoes 😂😂😂
For most of us rec players, our footwork mirrors the speed of the ball. When we play opponents who hit the ball slower, our feet slow down and cause us to feel like we aren't able to be aggressive with our strokes. One key is what the Nate mentioned here about having to move your feet with more steps to get in better position and force our strokes to keep up. The other point I liked is the slow hands part which keeps us from over-hitting on our shots and not beating ourselves. Excellent advice guys, Thanks!
@fab0361 you hit it on the nose my man! 🎯 Thanks for the solid input! 🍻 -Nate
So true!
Love playing “pushers”.... makes me aware of my deficiencies.
Great point. It does. My overhead had to be bettered to cope with the eventual refuge of the junkers. Now ? I look forward to an interesting couple of hours of testing my smash ready for real opponents !!
That's the right attitude. Your game will continue to improve. The pusher plays to your weakness.
Joe Marshall you’ve got it!!!
Junkballers are different than pushers. Junkers will spin you to death.
I should have watch this BEFORE my last tournament match today. I was aiming for the lines all the time, as I usually do. Returning the ball at the center and trying and catch the ball in the air and smashing it calmly seems to be the key, indeed. I lost 6-2, 6-1 and completely lost my mind between the two sets. This will never happen again. Thanks, guys.
Eric Genest we’ve all been there my man. You’ll get him next time. Thanks for watching, we hope the instruction helps!
@@Playyourcourt Thanks again! BTW I have watch some of your other videos too and I appreciate them very much. You make UA-cam great! Take care! Eric
Happened to me today. Unbelievably frustrating. When your technique is miles ahead of the guy that beats you. It’s a wake up call that we need more than traditional technique. I for one am torn between being disgusted with the pusher and also admiring of their tenacity. I think it helps to realise that this is really the only way they can play. They aren’t being crap on purpose, at least not all of the time.
Junkballing is the varial kickflip of tennis
It’s is the cannon rush
It’s the Little Mac
It’s the infield fly ball
But I like to varial and I junk ball all the time...is this a personal attack?
It's definitely the cannon rush lol
Love the kick flip reference 🛹
PlayYourCourt.com love both your comments. Subscribing!!!
Vitality .... Its "variability" is what your trying to say ?
Thanks guys. We have an ex state grade squash player in our club and every ball is under spin / lob and lands within 2 inches of the baseline. Yes, he is nothing if not consistent. I beat him for the first time in 3 years yesterday doing exactly what you said - heavy top spin down the middle / patience / and hanging back in no-mans land for the overhead rather than closing for a volley as per normal. I gotta tell you, I was exhausted and my legs ached but I also considered it more like a fitness / conditioning session rather than a match. So, thanks again.
Best feedback we can get GerrySontTV. Love it. There’s no doubt these guys are tough to play. Getting dirty in the trenches during a long fought battle and coming out with the W is so gratifying. How good did that victorious 🍺 taste?!! Keep grinding out there my man!! 💪🏼 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼
Well done! I am determined to beat my pusher nemesis. Next time, next time…
Practical information. Identifying a problem that many face and giving solutions with a demo. Great stuff
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback 😄🙏🏻
Agreed. Essential Tennis guys can't demo any concepts cos they can hardly strike a ball properly lol.
Clicked on this to find out what a junk baller is. Leaving this knowing that 90% of my best shots are junk balls. Dang it
lol. You know what they call junk ballers Eddie? Winners! 💪 🏅
Great advice! I think a key element of "fast feet, slow arms" is that the attacking player has to be equal or better in terms of fitness level than the junk baller. If the two players are equal in fitness the junk baller will most likely win because he is conserving more energy.
This is interesting. I am a table tennis player and this popped into my feed, yet the same type of style in table tennis exists, along with the same hatred of that style by most table tennis players. Defensive players do very similar to what you are describing here and can drive "normal" players insane. Nice to see the comparision.
There is much less spin in tennis, however. You can cut the ball, but the spin of the ball doesn't continue to the strings of the opponent's racket in the way it does in table tennis. The biggest problem when opposing a defensive player in tennis is that it is hard to adjust the return to the slow tempo of the ball flight, especially if you're not used to play against slow players. Really good players don't really mind, though. They just shoot through the "junk baller". :)
Ah, depending on the level or approach of the defender in table tennis, I'd say it's not the same thing. A decent defensive table tennis player is not a junk baller but a tactician that sets traps for the attacker to fall into (think Mayweather but on a table tennis table). They know everything they're doing. Watch any top pro defender and analyze what he/she is doing. It's masterful. They vary the spin and do a lot of feints, usually ultimately looking to get a forehand in to finish the point (Joo Sae Hyuk is a great recentish example). To lump actual decent defenders in with junk ballers would show only that the person making the claim doesn't actually understand anything other than hitting a ball. I think long pips get a ton of shit too, but there are different kinds. Most decent defensive players use either short pips or long pops with friction (like Butterfly Feint Long 3) on the backhand (smooth on forehand). Both enable control over spin and don't have any really weird wobbly effects (though a slight wobble with friction long pips, just not enough to really be called an effect). Friction long pips most common because of the cushioning effect when chopping, giving great control when defending against heavy attacks. Note that they're used for control. The knock on effect is that friction long pips aren't hard to play against. Short pops have greater range of spin but less control against heavy attacks. Smooth rubber even greater range of spin, but even less control against heavy attacks, unless countering back, in which case you get the ultimate control.
Junk ballers definitely exist in table tennis though, but mostly at low levels. We all played them in our early days. Just pop the ball back to you with no thought of what they're doing. Just hoping you'll make an error. Easy to beat once you're half decent though. Also the frictionless long pip players who stick their bat out and do nothing. Low friction means they don't have much control over anything so rely on wobbly effects and continuing the ball rotation, essentially reversing your spin. Again, easy to beat once you know how to play. There's no excuse once you're good. If you lose to a defensive player and you're not an intermediate, they're probably a good player.
Junk ballers in tennis usually have zero understanding of or at least have little capability to apply spin or hit with solid technique. They're common right through to 4.0 or even 4.5 I think. Once you get to 5.0+ they're very rare from my experience. Nadal would be the best pro with a junk baller type approach, but has actual skill obviously. So he's not a junk baller, but he does win a lot of points by continuing to send the ball back. Like a defensive player in table tennis. He'd probably be a chopper with a wicked forehand if he played table tennis.
@@sjjapp I agree, however many offensive players consider defensive shots "junk" or not "real" table tennis. The sport is pro offensive to the point where there is little to no online training for defensive players, yet hundreds of videos for attack style players and even instruction on how to beat a defender! There are also "junk" rubber used in table tennis (anti spin, long pips, etc) , that offensive players dont look forward to.
@@zazenforever4940 that's very true. A majority of players do indeed consider defensive players junk ballers. The only country I've been to where that view isn't as consistently held is Japan. I've played in a ton of countries and defensive players that are actually good are few and far between. I encountered many in Japan. They were also generally very respectful towards them, but that in part is likeky due to it being a culture of respect. The US, the UK, and numerous places aren't. Defensive players are incredibly frustrating to play against. You've got the real junk ballers, which I deem as 'just get the ball back and hope they miss' players, but they only exist at beginner and intermediate levels. Decent defensive players are so rare, even at pro level, that they get mistakingly grouped with junk ballers. This is a matter of education mostly, and frustration second. To be a decent defensive table tennis player you need to be smart. They can only beat a decent player if they out think him/her by varying spin and setting traps so they can themselves put the ball away. Its this variety that makes them hell to play against, as it feels, as the attacker, that you're beating yourself, whereas if yiure both good players, you might not be. They might be beating you, but they're not smashing you off the table, so it doesn't feel like it.
Anti spin and long pips, junk rubbers, are simple. There's nothing complicated about them. It's amazing how many players don't understand this. If you do a heavy loop to an anti spin rubber, theres not enough grip to change the rotation direction of ball. But it doesn't fully continue the speed of rotation. This means if you topspin to it, you'll get a slight bit of backspin back, but not enough to really be considered spin. You can think of it as being a dead ball. If a player beats you with anti and you understand this, they were a better player than you, either period or on the day, or you beat yourself.
Long pips now. Long pips with low friction continue the ball rotation and a bit of the speed of rotation. So if you topspin to it, you'll get backspin back. A lot of crappy players with no backhand use these at low levels close to the table. Sends wobbly balls back to uneducated opponents. All long pips get demonized because of these 'only wn because of equipment' players. Some advanced defensive players use these for chopping so they can send back heavy backspin to attacker, hopefully forcing a shortball to put away. Now, a good player using them is a challenge as they will change the stroke from punch blocks, long range chops, short range chops, etc. giving you a different ball. The low level player with this rubber is easy to beat once you can play. The advanced player with thus rubber is difficult, but it has a major weakness. They can't vary the spin themselves much, so they are actually very predictable.
Now friction long pips, the most popular option for good defensive players. Because of some degree of friction, the user can vary the spin themselves, anf can even apply spin to a dead ball. You can't spin the ball as much as with short pips or smooth though.
I'm short, long pips / anti are used by low level players to get an advantage over eneducated opponents. High level players use them for control, as they are great at cushioning pace, so can keep the rally going easier under pressure. At this level though the opponents usually understand how these things work, so aren't bothered by simple tricks like a slight wobble on ball or spin continuation. Meaning the defender has to work hard for each point.
Now, table tennis used to be more balanced. I said in a previous post here that Richard Bergmann was the last defender to win the world championships (to my knowledge). That was in the early 50s I think. That was also during the and at the end of the hardbat era. I think the very next world championships a guy from Japan came along with the first sponge, and he won, despite not being very good. Nobody knew how to deal with it. As game evolved, the game got more aggressive and pro offense. Changes in conditions / equipment has a major role in what styles and strategies work. Fitting we're on a tennis video here as tennus went through such a change in recent times. Sampras dominated the 90s in an era where grass courts and hardcourts like at the US Open were really fast. String technology wasn't as advanced either. This made for a perfect environment for his power / serve and volley game. Then came along the new generation, like Hewitt, with Luxilon polys and started to be able to return his serve easier than past generations (Sampras called such strings cheatalon or something like that). Courts began to get slower. And nowadays we can see the impact. Serve volley is practically dead because players have the control now to counter with control, making it easier to pass net player. Slower courts help too. So we get more long rallies and power baseline play. Players are starting to get taller these days so will be interesting to see if the future if giants smashing aces. I hope not.
This is what's happened in table tennis. Conditions changed what's effective. Andthe view Sampras held regards the strings is interesting, as that's exactly what hardbat players thought sponge was, cheating. For defensive players to compete now at thr highest levels, they have to play disabled. Rubbers like longpips help cushion spin and pace of attacker but are hard to hit with. So either don't hit backhand or twiddle. Many use fast rubbers like Tenergy on forehand, buin thinner sponge if they want to chop (which reduces offensive ability somewhat) or max thickness but don't chop (so why bother to chop at all). It's about compromise. For attackers, rubber technology is better. It gives the attacker great control, power, and spin. No real weakness outside of ball being too fast and spiny at high levels to keep a rally going. Makes for shitty viewing, but easiest path to win.
Important to note as well that views commonly held aren't always correct. Most views are just passed from person to person and people just repeat what they've heard. So sometimes of course non sense gets to become a common view. I think this has been the case with defenders. A lot of disrespect in the table tennis community
I will add though that playing against defensive players, be it on tennis or table tennis, is something I'd prefer to avoid haha
All good coaching advice. However in my 20 years of coaching High School tennis I learned that advice on tactics and strategy is only effective if your players have the skill set to implement that advice. I spent more time teaching good strokes than coaching tactics with many players. I always ran drills to build up skills. The 3 ball drill is effective in the situation you demonstrate. You receive 1 ball to hit an approach, one ball to volley and the third is a lob so you finish with an overhead. This drill came after we worked on proper technique on all 3 strokes. Also play games to 11 points with drop and hit to start the rally. Ball has to cross net twice before point starts. Have a goal like hitting deep or closing in to finish point. Last drill: put a tape line 3 feet from baseline on both ends and try to hit ground strokes into that zone. That was my coaches favorite drill that he ran me through every week. We called it “Pound from the Ground “. A guy has a difficult time if they are far behind the baseline and it opens up your opportunity to close out a point.
thomas medeiros solid insights coach Thomas, thanks for sharing the feedback and drills!
I'm surprised by that- isn't the off-season the time for players to work on strokes? At least when I played there wasn't really much time to do drills. We had limited courts and needed to use the pre-season time to establish our ranking on the team and after that it was time to take on other schools. Those of us who wanted to get better did extensive practice and lessons throughout the year.
FYI...Junk ballers get off in messing with your mind. Its' not the junk baller that is beating you, its you that is beating yourself. Junk ballers love to get you off your rhythm to force errors from you. Good old fashion serve and volley to me is one playing style I use most effective with junk ballers.
Fabrice Santoro beat Sampras three times. He also beat Edberg, Becker, Henman, Rafter, and Ivanisevic......junk ballers can beat serve and volley players, too.
@@joemarshall4226 Yes, but has Fabrice Santoro won any singles grand slams during his tennis career?
As a matter of fact, Fabrice won at least one doubles slam. The point is that junk ballers can play at the highest levels, and beat anyone, with pure junk. Mats Wilander won seven slams, and was the pro level of a junk baller. Bobby Riggs won 2 or 3 slams back in his day as a junker....Fabrice and Bobby were short guys with weak serves, yet they still won.....ain't that something'? Aga Radwanska reached number two in the world, and won the year end championship as a junk baller, just a few years ago. The junk baller has to run more than his/her opponents, so they tend to be at a disadvantage in slams, which have the artificial five set format, but that didn't stop Rafa Nadal, who started as an almost total jnukballer, then developed other parts of his game....It's tough to win long matches day after day with junk, but on a given day they can beat anyone, even YOU! Even the best big hitters employ a little junk now and then....
@@flukyreview9128
Fabrice had an unusual stroke style. On both wings but he was NO junk baller !? How dare you pushers with limited movement and worse imaginations compare your hour of junk to an unusual style but skillful player that had 20 years at the top of the game. Your on your own pal.
Willander was'nt anything like a junk baller. Pro or not !? Nadal too. He was a moonballer !! Go learn a stroke, a proper grip you lazy loser. Personally , junk ballers are easy meat. It's the moonballers that get the prize. Pointless tennis.
I really like the advice, however, the one thing I would add is that defeating a junk baller often times requires you to be much better than your actual stated rank. I know that sounds crazy, as junk balling takes little to no skill, no athleticism etc. However it's true, a lot of people with real physical talent, real strokes, get matched against these cheese artists and begin to rethink their skills. They start asking questions like "am I that bad that I can't beat this troll?" The worst situation is a cheese cheater, or basically a junk baller that cheats repeatedly in events without refereeing. Another thing I would add is beating them with an immaculate service game. Obvious this is very difficult, but is effective as junk ballers are typically out of shape and will not be able to respond to well placed serves that are slightly faster than your peer groups average. Overall, great video.
GoldenSpoons totally agree, junkballers, pushers (tactical players) definitely make you best them. They rarely beat themselves so one must have the ability to finish the point by being aggressive and often be on their game. Thanks for the feedback and for watching my man.
Good advice. I try to find out what they dont like. Get them to the net or take the net from them. They tend to have low error rates. Patience is key.
Radnally they are better ball placement players rather than being tacky wacky ball beating.😂
It took me a while to beat some of the moon ballers/junk ballers. I always start those matches with hitting the ball long or get angry and slam into the net, as I am not use to playing 1-2ft inside the baseline. After I am able to make the adjustments, I am able to take control and finish the match quick.
Glad to hear you figured out what can be a very tough opponent. Thanks for watching!
Just wanted to thank you guys for this outstanding video! I played a “junkballer” in my club tournament last night was dreading it and he’s actually won the tournament previously I used these tactics and won 6-4 6-3. The only other thing I added in was dropping shoting him sometimes after pushing him back.
+ark28 love the feedback! Thanks for sharing! 🤜🏼💥🤛🏼
How to beat junkballers:
Dropshot and pass
Dropshot and pass
Dropshot and pass
When they start to read, switch it up with fake dropshots and play long slices then move forward to the net.
Junkballers are usually bad at everything else in the game and they tend to HATE volley because they don't know how to play it.
K0ng0 💯 Thanks for watching.
Also, don't push back when playing a pusher; hold your shot as long as possible like pros do if you can so they have no idea where it's going.
I play padel tennis (Spanish game, mainly) to a decent level, and so many shots which are ‘regular, correct’ in padel are junk balls when used on the tennis court...backspin, both stroked and punched, forehand slice etc. I can play tennis ‘conventionally’, but do enjoy frustrating my opponents with multi-directional slices, soI guess I’m a junk-baller! What beats me is pace from my opponent, topspin down the line, accuracy tight across court, but always with confident pace! Glad there is a place for all of us in tennis!
66gattaca perfectly said my friend. Regardless of playing style there’s a place for everybody in tennis. Playing with a variety of spin takes skill and should be appreciated just as hitting with power is. Padel is an incredible (and difficult) game. Glad to hear you’re enjoying both wonderful games. 🍻
Your suggested tactics are exactly what has given me the most trouble over the years when employed by my opponents. Excellent insight.
Thanks for the feedback James, much appreciated! 🙏🏻🍻
I started playing tennis as an adult after years of soccer. I wanted tennis lessons when I was a kid but my parents did not want to spend money on that. When I got out of college I started taking tennis lessons. I would get very frustrated playing pushers who had zero technique and were just blocking balls back waiting for my error. I would usually win because I was fast and athletic and could push also. But it was very discouraging to have to work so hard to beat a person with no skill and who was not fast and athletic. As the years went by and I improved I realized the best way to beat a pusher is to become a better player. You do not have to be a 5.0 player to hit a swinging volley. It is just a ground stroke where that ball does not bounce. You do not have to worry about how much spin is on the ball as you prepare for the bounce and have your feet in the right spot. So it is actually easier to hit a swinging volley than a normal ground stroke. Just practice it a bit. If you are a baseliner and now have to come to the net to beat a pusher then you have been put out of your game. Become more consistent, be able to place your shorts, be able to hit winners on short balls, and respect that pushers are not going to make errors and they are not going to hit winners. If you are having trouble with a pushers you are just not that good yet. Keep practicing.
imateapot51 is called ball junker is a good technique of person having better sense of ball placement. A ball junker with speedy serve is better player than normal hit the ball guy.
This!
I started out as a junkballer because I would tighten up in matches and start spraying balls long, wide and in to the net and I knew I could get slice balls in. As I developed my topspin forehand and backhand I became more confident and consistent. Now I employ a hybrid style of play and it has served me pretty well. The junk balls can push an opponent to the baseline or pull them into the net when you can then power a shot past them in a corner or hit behind them as they are trying to adjust to the varying speeds of shots. Also when I do tighten up I have a style of play to fall back on where I know I can keep balls in and not go down a break or two!!
Sounds like you're a well rounded player my friend, keep up the great work!
Prime example of the centre strategy was Lendl vs. Mecir at the 1989 Australian Open Finals. Lendl later said he wasn't happy to use it, but he had to take the angles away from Mecir.
Perfect example of this strategy. I used to love to watch “The Big Cat” play! Lendl was brilliant in that strategy. Thanks for the feedback nbve3! 🙏🏻
@@Playyourcourt Ivan was a smart player. I lived near him for many years, and go to talk to him once.....Friendly and nice guy...tall and strapping. He had a good reputation in the area as a friendly and affable guy.
The more you move them, the tougher they are to play. Also, these players hate to loose so the "Win at all cost" is their mantra.
1StarProductions not sure why you’re disagreeing with him because you’re both saying the same thing. That trying to move them around doesn’t work.
@@icyolives The center strategy can be effective....
Also strong sidespin serves work really well. And combining serves with spins makes the junk pushers really nervous. Also they hate topspin as their favorite cherished slice doesn't work either
Thanks for watching and the feedback Michael!
This video is brilliant! Thank you!
Ball pushers (aka patty cakers or lolly poppers) are so frustrating! All the years of perfecting my ground strokes and style seems pointless when I play these guys... I hate the ridiculous drop shots they pull when you’re just hitting- it’s so annoying! Good advice, fast feet & slow hands- I’m going to try this! Thank you
Ashlee McIntosh glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the feedback and for watching! Keep us posted on your next match with the slice and dicer and let us know if the tactics we suggested helped. 😃
Guys, that's a great video with the strategy! A very good way to destroy pushers on your serves is to serve with strong upper spin and a bit limited or good speed. Usually the junk pushers receive the serve with simple hit back, almost with no pace and here's the core point- the ball bounces up high and falls somewhere in the middle of the court, so now you can usually hit a volley or even a smash... The smash hit from near the net or the T means the end, that's the winner....
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you ! I needed this, I'm in a league 3.0 - 3.5 and I'm playing a junkballer... last night our game was rained postponed. I started good leading 4-1 and we are now at 5-5 because I lost patience, lost my serve and was trying to be agressive playing corners. I can go in and try to finish the game with a plan now.
Happy to help. Go get em! 💪
I am a 3.5 player with poor topspin. But very athletic and love to play the net. I will try this attack the middle.
Let us know how it goes!
You guys are transforming my tennis👍👍 Watched this video yesterday and today I hammered my junk balling buddy! No more frustration 😁 Thanks for the advice.
Joe Harrington love hearing that! Thrilled to hear the instruction helped and got you a W! Thanks for watching.
All makes sense thank you. It drives me mad when pushers hit high balls most of the time, not lobs as such, but they scoop the ball upwards. Good advice to drive volley or drive down the middle.
Glad it helped Lesley! Thanks for watching 😊
So right! Sticking to the proven basics is the way to go. Thanks for the lesson!
Steve thanks for watching!
Slice low ball mid court down the middle, if you have the strokes.. Make the junker come to the net. McEnroe was a pusher before he became stronger All about what strokes you have to defeat a pusher ..do you have a big serve forehand, volley, slice, topspin smash.. What are your strengths.. To improve play the pusher and work on your game, better than a ball machine.. You will learn much more by facing your fear
ARTHUR BROCKLEBANK well said. Thanks for watching.
my play partner is a pure junk player and i can confirm everything in this vid is spot on. play central, add pace, change brutally angle and attack to the net.
Thanks Victor, much appreciated!
Great video. I know some one who is a junk baller. He has taken a set of me the last teo matches. Very difficult and tiiring to play. I often get frustrated. Great tips, cant wait to put into practice 🎾
Go get em! 💪
Never be surprised about a short ball. And if you get a short ball, attack.
Another good tactic is to play everything on their forehand. Most of the time, they respond with a forehand crosscourt, what is easier to play than a low ball on the backkhand side. A big mistake is, to go for backhand winners.
What if your backhand is as big a weapon as your forehand?
I think the point he’s getting at is their forehand is weaker than their backhand generally so it’s a good place to focus
@@danwalsh3755 Then, you do not have trouble at all.
@@crispus4162 A tennis coach once told me, that it is better to play forehand crosscourt with a junk baller. Simply, because you get a higher ball back. If you play a junk baller on the backhand, you get often a low slice back.
And it is in my opinion much more difficult to do something with a low and slow backhand-slice .
If you have a better forehand than the junk baller, you also do not need to run much, if you concentrate on forehand crosscourt duels. This is my experience on clay courts over the years. But, I often forget this strategie and try to play backhand crosscourt myself. If you want to play an effective single handed backhand down the line on a clay court, you need to be in really good conditions. If that ball is too short or to slow, the opponent has the chance to play a forehand in the open crosscourt.
Yes exactly the stradegy i need ...middle of the court and attack ...great video tnx
Go get em James, thanks for watching and the feedback!
Great advice and I’m putting into action later today. Hope It will work.
Hope it helped! 💪
I tried with a collegue which is a huge junk baller. It worked like magic. Without the angles, he started to miss a lot of shots or producing easy short balls to put away. However, pacience is still important.
Love it! Thanks for sharing 👊
I just had a match and I watched this literally 15 min before it and it helped me win, without it I’d probably lost badly, thanks a lot
Love that feedback! Congrats on the W!
A friend of mine plays at the 4.5 level. When he plays with the 3.5 players, he would play like a junk baller and his opponents have no chance of beating him as he is 2 levels higher.
I have a friend playing at the 3-4th highest grade here still using junk balls. He also has the flat driving shots and creates crazy angles from the middle. Win ratio is about 65-75% still as most people don't have the patience to play 1hr a set
3.5 players and 4.5 players play similar games, only the 4.5 are better at it. A lot of the best 4.0 players are pushers or junk ballers. I had a friend who could play very well at 3.5, and pretty well at 4.5, but he lost every time he played at 4.0, because that's where the off-pace, consistent players dwelt...and he had trouble with them...
Great advice and easy, just push the guy back with deep shots down the middle. The next thing, more advanced, that helped me was to watch the pros advance to a dinked ball or drop shot and see how they added pace by whipping it with topspin. So this way I changed my perspective from dread to opportunities to put the balls away.
Thank ya sir, much appreciated. No doubt the pros make it look easy! Playing through the hands and keeping the wrist loose is certainly the path to putting more of those dinks away. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
My biggest issue is warming up with these types of players. They are already playing these sorts of balls and I can't get into my rhythm. It feels like they drag my groundstrokes down to their level in warm up, and that makes the match really difficult. Any tips on that issue?
Solid question Skyhunter, we always suggest warming up before the match in order to be properly prepared. (Warm up before the warm up). Once you’re in the warm up with your opponent practice being aggressive as well. That doesn’t mean you try to rip winners on every ball but simply angle off or take the pace up on the occasional ball. Sometimes we become so focused on being cooperative we forget to warm ourselves up as well. Hope this helps!
As a big time junk baller myself, I totally second all of the above. the best thing is to play up, and take as many balls in the air and hit hard. when I spin a ball when it bounces it can go anywhere, so that's why you have to take it in the air as much as possible. because i hit it soft generally I can place the ball very well and so if you play back and let it bounce I will have you running all over the court. my weakness is that I find it hard to return hard shots or shots with lots of top spin. i can always beat passive players, but the ones who get aggressive on me beat me fairly easily.
+Michael Fairney Thanks for the feedback, awesome to hear from a self proclaimed "Junk Baller" and the transparency of what tactics actually work for you and against you. Thanks for watching!
Junker 🤡🤣
Confessions of a junk baller 😅 seriously thank you for the advice
Nate...you're a pretty good junk baller. Put it into your tactical repertoire since opponents will know nothing 'bout no battering ram. For the record, I'm a classic junk baller 'cause my modern forehand sucks but my forehand slice is something to behold.
Thanks Blair, I definitely enjoy mixing it up especially if it exploits a opponents weakness. Some may call it junkballing, I like to call it smart tennis! Thanks for watching!
Hate junkballers as a agressive baseliner.. my footwork is way off and miss to much, thanks for the video. This is exactly my worry in my club tournament in the third round against junkballer who returns everything.
Glad it helped!
I wish I had seen this back when I played every day. One of the people in my league did nothing but lob and won almost every point lol. I was going nuts.
+Lori C we’ve all been there! Get back into the game and show Linda lob what time it is.
The one thing you didn't mention is that pushers hate the net. They want you to hit shots that they can short angle you with and then lob you. If you hit short angles to them, they will usually retreat over and over, until they try to come to the net. But they can't volley, so they are easy to pass. Another thing they are great at is lobbing consistently to the baseline. From that far back, they can run down all your overheads.
Another thing common with pushers is their speed and unorthodox shots. You cannot outhit them from the baseline because they don't make mistakes.
They depend on you playing them the way everybody plays them.
You just have to take away their game.
After I learned to short angle slice them, and stick to it, I never lost to a pusher again.
Great Scott and Nate. Wow, I like "battering ram to the middle". Too right! It's true! I write it on my racket. Thanks a lot. Henry from Genoa.
enrico maritano glad your enjoyed the instruction. Thanks for watching Henry from Genoa!
Woah... This was the video I was looking for. I'm a 4.0 player and none of my friends my play any tennis so the only person I play with these days is my dear uncle who is possibly the epitome of the junk baller, which I've only just realized is an actual thing!
Step #2 is probably the most important thing for me. I like to hit winners every chance I get and he likes to float them and so you're spot on right about my brain and feet getting lazy during the point - I need to make more steps and head to the net!
Thanks for the insight guys, this is great content - subscribed!
Kareem Monzer glad to hear you enjoyed the instruction! Hope the strategy leads to some W’s over your uncle. Thanks for subscribing 💯👍🏼.
My overhead is shit and these guys always know how to lob but I find that their poor technique will eventually lead to errors if you keep getting the ball back to them. That’s my way but the great thing about junk ballers is that they always give you control of the rally so all you have to do is find the pattern works for you. Sometimes it’s counterintuitive like hitting up the middle but once you figure them out it’s over because they always have zero offense.
One key thing with junk ballers is that the low demand their style places on execution allows them to focus more on anticipating your shots and strategy. I think any type of predictable game is a handicap against them. I'm personally a net player, and contrary to the strategy suggested here i do not hit hard to come up on a blocker, I move him around a bit and come up on a long, soft and low-bouncing shot. And yes, it's OK to slice a forehand. I think until 5.0+ your usual forehand is rarely good enough to be a better approach than a slice on the line, which is way, way easier to hit.
Love the insight Thomas, thanks for sharing!
4:20
1. be patient
2. fast feet, slow hands
3. hit heavy and strong stroke right in the middle of court
💯 😊
The junkballer's weakness, same as in table tennis, is deep, high, heavy top spin body shots. Most junkers will not be able to handle this shot. Even if so, they will just be able to hit it back and you will be able to go on the offensive.
I hate junkballers, but eventually, we all age and end up as junkers.
You get it my man! Thanks for the table tennis analogy.
I'd rather retire playing tennis because of damn arthritis than become an old geizer junker!
Bahaha...if that’s not conviction than I don’t know what is...fair enough. Now go have a 🥃 my man! 😉
@@Editor_Hound
lolol. I love this comment.
Or better, deep high heavy topspin to the back hand, especially if the junker has a one-handed backhand.....the strategy actually works pretty well against everyone, as Nadal has pointed out....
I'm a 5.0, I don't have an issue with playing junk-ballers, and this is some of the best advice I've seen. Like the video says, you need to be prepared mentally before, and during, that the points are going to be long. When you see my scores against these guys, it looks like a blow-out, but it's like dental surgery. Even at the pro level, there are junk-ballers. Get used to it. Great advice guys.
George Melech thanks for watching, we appreciate the feedback! ...Dental surgery lol 😂
Good stuf- I am 2 in 3 against JB and will use this. Appreciate it greatly.
Glad it was helpful! Let us know how it goes!
Im quite an advanced player for where i play at, i play league doubles and the competition are mostly moon ballers or guys who literally slice with their forehand and backhand every time. I usually just go for the fast flat shot to their body and come in or let my partner finish it off. Same thing with my serve, i hit around 125mph which helps with these players right off the bat.
💯
I'm totally with the "Salty man", also because we share the same racquet: the RF97 Auograph is the best ever, a true joy playing with it!
Today I had to play against one in the final at a local junior tennis tournament and it was easily the most irritating and least enjoyable match I've had so far. Anytime I hit the ball with even a little bit of pace he would make a horrible slice lob thingy or usually block it back short and low meaning I couldn't get much topspin on it. And the fact that my play style is more focused on power rather then control made it very difficult for me to get that shot back in the court so it would either go into the net, or way long. So the only way I could deal with it was to pop it back over, forcing me to hit a short ball which then he would hit more junk, or a flat shot barely over the net landing just inside the baseline for a winner. Leading up to the final match I felt pretty good because I won my 2 previous matches both 6-3, (we only play 1 set for a match because we're juniors), however against the junk baller I lost 6-1. Because of my weak mental game I had practically given up after the first few games, because I was just so full of frustration and just upset because it didn't even feel like a game. Easily the most painful match I've played yet, but too bad I haven't even been playing for a year yet so I'll probably have to play a lot more of them in the future. Anyway that's my rant over.
WhyOfCourseNot you’re better for it my dude. Playing multiple styles is the only way we get better at competing. In time you’ll learn to handle the junk baller by being mentally prepared and being comfortable being uncomfortable. Keep grinding out there! -Nate
Left out the most important thing: fitness. If you're worried about being out there three hours, you give the advantage to the pusher. They tend to be fit types to begin with, and the slow ball they hit gives them lots of time to recover without working very hard. I love the battering ram approach--wish I'd had a modern forehand in my tournament playing days. And high topspin to the backhand is often a good move as well.
+Charles Foree great additions! Fitness is a huge component of beating the Junkballer / Pusher. We talk about fitness, the strategy of playing high to the backhand and a ton of other effective strategies in our new singles tactics course thats coming out soon. Keep a look out for it!
Looking forward to trying it! I lose to one of these guys every time. Moonballing pushers are my nightmare
DanimalLawlz got get em man, let us know how the strategy works for you next time around. Thanks for watching!! 🍻
Rushing the net works well. Just think old school serve and volley, chip and charge. This counters their drop shots, dead balls and weird spins really well.
David solid contributions. Thanks for sharing! 🙌🏼
Good advice if you’re playing a generic junk baller, but not so good if you’re playing a junk baller who can also pound the ball. This guy I used to play regularly would junk ball me, do the dink-lob combo, and slice ‘n dice. But he also could serve 115 mph, and when I hit hard down the middle and came to net, he could smack passing shots as hard as I could. He was really tough, probably beat me 70% of our matches.
I wonder what you’d advise against that sort of player.
Lose graciously. 😂 Sounds like a really tough competitor with a complete game. If he had a weaker side I would try to isolate it and break it down. Sounds like depth before direction would be key against such a versatile player. I'm sure it came down to who was serving better most of the time.
Another tip for better , less fearful , tennis might be to try a softer bouncing ball. Like a green spot. This would encourage you to develop a bit more due to the bit more time on the ball perhaps ? This could help with a better shot selection other than a push , slice or junk ball. Just an idea.
Wow, i just started playing 3 months ago and now came across your vid. I think im a junkballer. Only difference is, that its the only thing im capable of, so its not like i have a choice.
Embrace it for now. Additional technique will come in time. Playing the game how you enjoy it is the most important thing. 🤙🏼
Make more of these videos. I deal with a lot of weak players that like to hit weak lobs and I miss them too much.
We got ya covered!
If you want to see this played out at a high level, look up matches with Steffi Graf & Martina Navratalova. They were real ball strikers in a women's field full of pushers. (Some of whom were great players in their own right)
Deep groundstrokes to the center & fast feet on the way to the net made them both the dominant players of their eras.
Brett Orlob great observation my man! Thanks for watching and the feedback. 🤙🏼
Could you give some tips on how to take slow low balls on back hand.
Happy to help. Check out the following vid. ua-cam.com/video/0UpooYPqAgE/v-deo.html
I hate playing players that give me a ball with nothing on it. You definitely have to be patient, I’d hit every ball deep cross court if you can, with good percentage plays, and never miss till you can get the right ball! I just keep pushing them back till I can drop shot them or take a volley out of the air firmly, or if you can tee off on a forehand as hard as you can right at them without going for the lines on anything. Making your 1st serves helps too 80% of them out wide or to their backhand mixing the spins and speeds as well to really over well them! I’ve played these guys a lot over the years, they’re quick but not always quick enough!
I had success with giving low pace junk back to bring them into the net. Most junk ballers are horrible at going on the attack so you can usually stick it to them on next shot after, either lob or passing shot.
That would certainly be in our playbook as well. Great input vectorthurm!
Thank you for the great video! It was like therapy listening to you! Every single word I could recognize myself in. Now I’ll try it for real this afternoon.
Carl Grubbström Glad to hear you enjoyed the vid, we appreciate the kind words. To check out more of our instruction and to never miss a video, go to our website at
bit.ly/youtubePYC
There you’ll find a practice / match finder tool, a challenge league and discounts on lessons and gear from out affiliates. Thanks for watching!
Good one guys! Love the demo and grunting:) Amazig advice, indeed!
🤣 grunting was the key! Glad you enjoyed it Artem, thanks for watching.
Stop telling people how to beat me
Hahaha...what if we promise to tell you how to beat the one guy you struggle with beating? Consider the junk baller video a homage to how difficult your style is to defeat! 😃🍻
I played this exact match on Saturday .. the guy sliced forehand and backhand and the ball was barely over the the net. So I was having to run in scrape the ball off my shoelaces. And just put it back leaving me vulnerable to angles etc just as you said. I managed to keep with him until the 3rd set and I was so mentally fatigued .. that I lost the 6-3 in the third 🤦♂️ I’ll definitely try using these tips next time I play him
Sounds like a battle! Hopefully the tactics from this video help you get the W next time!
Very good. I like it. Sounds like I need to practice my overheads ad volleys. Reducing the angles is key.
Having a solid overhead will definitely help get the W! Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! 🙏🏻😃
Main tips:
Fast feed, slow hands
Battering ram. Big, heavy, and deep in the middle
Then get to the net
💯 🙌
That’s very good advice and can easily be put to good use.
Glad you enjoyed it Mark! Thanks for the feedback. :)
Very good pointers! I play a junk-baller regularly at my club and I can't stand losing to him. I will give these tips a try.
Daniel Carroll
Glad to hear you enjoyed the vid! To check out more of our instruction and to never miss a video, go to our website at
bit.ly/youtubePYC
There you’ll find a practice / match finder tool, a challenge league and discounts on lessons and gear from out affiliates. Thanks for watching!
There comes a time in the point when playing a pusher that you must go for your shots. Whether coming into net, hitting a nice stoke, trying something. The longer the point lasts, its like a black hole lol. I've been beaten by so many "pushers" by missing opportunities to put away shots and then trying to overhit on the wrong shot.
Hi Kendrell, as our tennis games advance and we develop a wider variety of shots, the "pusher" becomes easier to beat. Playing more aggressive is important but WHEN we're being aggressive is the key. Controlled Power with good shot selection wins the day against steady players with limited weapons of their own. Appreciate you watching and the feedback!
Great lesson, thank you so much guys!
Hector Ayub thank ya sir, glad to hear you enjoyed the instruction. Thanks for watching!
It worked! Thank you again!
Carl Grubbström nice! Thrilled to hear our instruction helped. Thanks for watching. 🙏🏻🍻😀
Good advice. I've come a cropper twice and it is annoying. But ! They beat me, so its my problem now. Looking forward to solving my prob.
Great content! Any advice on how to play against mixed doubles (3.5 female), (4.5 male) combination? The general advice is to keep away from 4.5 player but sometimes their court coverage is extensive with tall/fast players
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. When facing a stronger player and trying to avoid them, try hitting low short chips crosscourt while he / she is at net. This makes it tough to poach and if they do they must hit up in order to avoid the net. Once their partner is isolated and at net (she / he) can essily be attacked. Mixing in lobs with this stratgey works great as well! Thanks for watching!
Nice video, thanks guys! Gonna put this to the test against my friend, who is notorious junk baller :)) as soon as he gets under pressure, he just pushes the ball without swinging, so there's no topspin to it and the ball bounces very slow with no energy. It feels like I need to use more power in order to produce decent stroke, which makes me to do more unforced errors - really annoying!
Glad you enjoyed the video degrad9! Playing someone with little pace is definitely difficult. Just remember “fast feet, slow hand”. Keep the feet moving to find optimal contact to create your own pace and those errors will be cut way down. Go get em!
so so simple - thats what i like - cant wait to try it
I tell you, it works!
lol your junk ball skills are actually on point bro! I just subbed your channel based on that alone
Thanks for watching jjmah7!
I play junk ball against my son by accident. I'm 64 female and he's 26 male and that's the best return I can muster. Now I know why he hates "hitting a few" with mom.
ClueSign love that you’re out there still playing with your son! Whether it’s junkball or big hitting all that matters is you guys are on the court together. Just remind your son another name for junkballers is winners! 😉
I consider my self a junk baller and recently played another junk baller. It took us 3 hour and 15 minutes to finish and the scores of each set weren’t even that close.
That sounds about right 😉 Way to grind it out!
May aswell play with softer balls perhaps ? That will make the game a bit easier for you two junkers to play and enjoy also.
Scott/Nate, would another strategy be to force the "pusher" out of their comfort zone and do a mix-up of strategy? Pull the "pusher" wide with a forceful approach shot then go to net to volley to open court? Or bring the "pusher" to the net and topspin lob them or pass them? Do you think the "pusher" will eventually figure out the battering ram and it's back to the long game of pushing back and forth?
💯% correct Alex! Combinations keep the pusher off balance. The battering ram is just one tactic and most efficient when combined with additional strategies. If you simply used the battering ram most accomplished pushers will adjust by dropping back and lobbing. This comment is a perfect Segway to content we have coming out very soon, covering the “Push, Pull, & Stretch”. Keep an eye out for it, it will be a great addition to the pusher content. Thanks for the feedback Alex!! 🙌🏼🙏🏻🍻
@@Playyourcourt Thanks for the reply. I have a 12 year old son playing USTA. It's grueling to see him play for 2.5 hours and eventually lose to a "pusher". Look forward to your series on how to defeat "pushers"!
The best way to beat a junk baller is not to underestimate them. Play them seriously and you will win if you indeed have better technique, strategy and stamina. Better player wins.
THIS VIDEO IS SO HELPFUL.
Thanks for the feedback Payton! Glad you found the instruction helpful. 😄
When I play a pusher I hit high bouncing topspin to the backhand to get short balls. I’ll put the short ball away with short angle shots. If I get a short high ball I’ll put the high volley away. I’ll also serve and volley. Or I will beat him playing his game. Another way to play a pusher is to pull him to the net so You can lob him or pass him. A lot of pushers don’t have good volleys so you can crush a shot at his chest or armpit on his forehand side if you’re really frustrated.
You can beat many 4.0 players simply by hitting one moon ball after another deep on the baseline. Without given any pace, many players fall apart--mentally as well as physically.
A technique use by elderly.
I find that many of the best 4.0 players play this way...it works at every level. I saw a tiny gal from South America beat the Cornell number one using this strategy...she hit REALLY high topspin shots..and deep! lots of spin...very frustrating. the Cornell gal was a very good defensive player, too.
@@joemarshall4226, I was a 4.0 to 4.5 player--I'm 68 now, and not playing right now--and the players who could cancel out my deep moon-ball hitting were players with a strong net game who would constantly pressure me.
@@l.rongardner2150 I'm 64. The basis of my game is a wide variety of slice shots from both sides. I had very good defensive skills until I began to slow down...mostly a doubles specialist now.... I also have very good lobs and drops off the same strokes, and can hit a good topspin pass off my forehand wing. I can also sneak in some serve and volley, and some chip and charge. The net rushers at the 4.0 level didn't bother me much, because I could lob them well enough that if they anticipated it, I could sneak a passing shot down the line. It was the players who hit the high loopers to my backhand over and over who frustrated me. I could get the ball back, but not with much on it, and eventually they would get a short ball that would allow them to take control of the point.. I have worked on handling that big loop shot, and have become better at it....I use two hands to punch it back with some pace and backspin, or I can run back and hit a topspin backhand loop in return, but it's still a chore......There are players who have thrown tantrums against me, insulted me, or broken their rackets after playing me, but the really smart ones that I was able to beat at first, realized that my game was a godsend to theme and that solving it was going to be a big challenge. A couple did solve me, which forced me to go back to the drawing board and improve my volleys and backhand. That's what makes tennis really fun. Roger talks about it all the time....."Figuring out" how to solve somebody's game, and in so doing, learning more strategies to ad. to one's bag of tricks.
good stuff, I'll be trying all of this!!
R G thanks for watching, If you enjoy the vid and have found you receive value from our channel check out the link below where you can get unlimited access to all our vids, and other great tools to help your game such as practice partners, challenge matches lesson & gear discounts, and more.. 🤙🏼
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So good just what I needed! 💪🤩👍🎾🚀
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
This is your best work since 'Mythbusters'
Thanks Daniel, glad to hear you enjoyed the instruction. We very much appreciate the feedback!
Very usefull advice. I will try to end my nightmare of junk ballers :)
Go get em!
Any possibility in doing a similar video for doubles? Especially if you are playing with a partner who is not comfortable being aggressive at net?
Yon Burke love that idea 💡! We have a doubles mastery class coming out soon that discusses dealing with multiple different opponents. We’ll be sure to incorporate the situation of having a partner who prefers not to volley when facing the Junkballer. Thanks for the feedback!