online tennis instruction is a saturated market: this is a refreshing and positive video. I've seen several video's that attempt to answer this exact question, this may be the best one yet! Thank you.
Another tip I have is to change your mentality when you realize this person is a pusher. I automatically get excited to have someone on the other side that is there to hit the ball back without me picking up balls and loading the ball machine. In other words its the perfect opportunity to hone in on aggression vs safety to see how good you can place your shots without overhitting. Once you start playing like this instead, it doesn't matter if you win or lose.
In "Winning Ugly", Brad Gilbert talks about how he coached Andre Agassi against Michael Chang: rally for 6 - 9 balls, then attack. that always seemed a good rule of thumb to me: don't try to finish points quickly, but also don't get into the defensive player's game. AND... at the 3.0 level, even pushers can't play without errors for too long. Count how long they can keep the ball in play during warmup, and if, for example, it is 5 - 6x back and forth, commit to keeping the ball in play 7x without an error.
This is great content. I still struggle with this, but I've been getting more comfortable coming in and it is paying off finally. If you focus on developing a decent serve (something you can do without a partner), serve +1 can really take control of your service game, taking pressure off their service game. A big problem is the mental pressure. They are having a great time out there, and you need to find a way to do the same and play relaxed.
Yesterday I lost to a Moonballer - your tip with watching him go way back and turn away from the court and then approach the net - is simply brilliant. I guess it would´ve saved me for those important ball to break his serve more often. Next time I will definitely implement this. Thanks so much!
Playing defensive counter punchers requires a variety of tennis skills. It’s not their fault if you don’t have not developed these necessary skills. It’s on you to develop effective placement and approach shots. You definitely need volley and overhead skills. In developing and maintaining my game I frequently played practice sets with good baseline counter punchers so it became normal. You got to do the drills to build the skills.
This is very true. The number of times i've gotten downhill on a point only to mess it up with an unforced error, hit a ridiculous dink dink volley, or over charge the net is laughable. Ugggh! But alas, if you are genuinely honest about addressing your weaknesses, you'll overcome this and be a better player for it.
Best video about how to beat P******, cause you perfectly say what we're thinking when playin them. Very good words about mindset, how trying things will be an improvement for next matches. I knew how comin in and do the lifted volley can be efficient, but it required some guts to go inside. Your advice about waiting the right moment to sneak in is gold. I always tried to play short balls, but often they are to high, and when you met a pusher whith a very good slice on short balls it becomes very tricky.
Great content, congrats! Another issue playing this type of player is that usually we’re more experienced and put pressure in ourselves, like “i cant lose to this guy who just started playing”, its a great mental burden for me at least. We don’t have NRTP here in Brazil but I can relate to this 3-4 range and it’s frustrating not having the tools to beat the average rookie moonballer, but im working on it and your video was very helpful, thanks!
Yes! Thank you for this great lesson on how to beat the defensive player! I will be watching again and again to review all the tactics you presented. So glad I found your channel :-)
A pusher counts on your lack of ability to finish points--your lack of skills--to beat you. But much more than that, the pusher counts on your lack of fitness and your willingness to play stupidly (which may well be driven by that lack of fitness.) Once they see you're looking for a quick and easy way out of the rallies, they're the fisherman and you're the fish. So fitness should be the first thing to be addressed--and you don't need to learn a single new skill to make that happen. And it will make it so much easier to develop those new skills and use them on the court. If you walk onto a court with one of these players thinking you need to finish points quickly, you've already lost half the battle (or maybe the whole battle). You want to be able to look the other player in the eye and say, "If it takes all day, dandy." Being able to beat them without playing great gives you a secure base from which you can make those brave excursions into using more advanced methods.
I am MEP. I hunt like a hyena - pushing your weaknesses. I anticipate and look for "cues" as Mikeala (brilliantly) calls them. I easily beat lower quality players - and yes - conditioning is a big factor. But I also beat players better than me, and better conditioned than me. I can't handle consistent deep topspins - I don't have that skill level - so why should I play that game? I make you move, force you to adjust and react to my game - make you win points many different ways. If you have a well-rounded game, I ain't hard to beat - but if you have any weaknesses - you're going to lose. In tennis, a player who exploits your weaknesses is called - annoying. In football, a coach builds a game plan exactly to exploit his opponent's weaknesses - they send him to the Hall of Fame. The only way to beat me is to practice until your weaknesses disappear - you've got to become a stronger, more well-rounded player, and you have to out-condition me. Most rec players won't work that hard.
@@alangordon99 And the first two weaknesses that need to be addressed are lack of fitness and stupid play. If you're beating players who are fitter AND better than you, you're doing it because they are playing stupidly. Fitness and tennis intelligence are the prerequisites for eliminating all other weaknesses.
Great lesson! Personally I think it’s very important not to stress and also have a clear idea of how to start playing each point. For exemple alternate aiming forehand-backhand. When you lose the control of your game and just start returning you’re lost!
Defensive players generally stay behind the base line. So by trying go stay inside the base line makes you more aggressive as in hitting the ball earlier and putting pressure on the rabbit retriever.
Oh wow! I needed to watch this, I am struggling with pushers & lost to one today, thank u for the tips & I LOVE your positive attitude, it really give me encouragement to get out of my comfort zone, go for swinging vollies, look for the signs to come in & finish those excruciating long rallies🥰 thank u❤️🎾
On the 3.0 level, I am playing a counterpuncher twice a week, since almost a year. And I learnt so so much! First of all, no other pusher can ever shock me in another game. I have seen all the moonballs there are. I know when the lobs are coming (when I attack his backhand and rush to the net too quickly). I know to not attack the forehand with a weak shot when getting to the net (because he will absolutely pass me). I think the #1 advice I can give: learn to play the midcourt balls, and focus on placement, not power. #2 advice: seek out the pushers to play against. Train against them. You absolutely need practice. And: do not be surprised when you empty half a gallon of water and your opponent just nibbles on a small water bottle from time to time. That's because they know where to stand, and they mostly just dink the balls back, while you commit to a complete topspin forehand and backhand. Pushers will grind you down, prepare for lots of work and constructing a good opportunity to attack.
Absolutely agree. In Germany, everybody's worst player to play against where soccer players. Could run for hours, mostly terrible technique but excellent athletes.
@@MeikeBabelTennis they probably also know how to move well to begin with. if you can dribble, you know how to adjust your steps around hitting the ball
Thanks for putting in quite a few useful points all in one video. Vast majority of the videos by others contain only one or no tips at all......Thank you Meike ...!!!
Great video as usually. The one big thing I got out of it was, wait to see their body turn and sneak in. Great video. You covered everything. Keep up the great work!!!
Great stuff! Very helpful. The best video I’ve seen at beating this game style. Especially about sticking with a strategy even if it doesn’t work the first time.
I'm glad you think so. It's hard to keep going when you lose a few points in the beginning with something that is not necessarily what you like to do but it's so essential to make your opponent uncomfortable as well.
Having played a pusher lately, I dealt with it the simple way - not giving in the desire to hit the winners, at least as long as you are not clearly leading the score. Of course, It works only if you are more consistent than the pusher.
Great tips!!! Thanks for sharing. You could also take time away with court position during the rallies...for example, maybe play a few games inside the baseline and see how that works.
Respect the pusher for having a superior technique. While it may sound provocative, consider this: unlike a badminton shuttle, a tennis has significant momentum and so you push at(not hit) it to generate stable power. This method is advantageous at least up to a 4.0 level, as it allows you to return almost any shot deep into the court by merely letting the ball bounce off the racket. While I'm not advocating for this style of play, being aware of its effectiveness and respecting the pusher is crucial for your own development. Learn to ‘push’, add your body and a finish across !
@meike I love the idea of "cues" - I need ideas to keep me thinking during a match. I think that's an underrated part of the game. Mental focus and intention. I'm a new subscriber in ATL.
My pusher was so quick he could get to any ball. He had a fast first serve that didn’t go in much and a slow patty cake second serve. The way I finally beat my pusher was to just barely dink his second serve over the net (which I previously would try to kill). He was quick enough to get to it, but it frustrated him. I would mix this in with some harder returns to keep him on his toes. I remember him complaining that I was dinking the ball back over (a taste of his own medicine). After I finally beat him, he moved on to playing other people. He previously beat more times more times than I can remember. I beat him 1 time and that was it. A pusher loves to win.
Pushers like to go side to side, but the usually hate coming in. My favorite tactic is to bring them in and then lob them, even if I have clear opening for a pass. If you're going to play that way with me, I'm going to punish you for it.
lost against a special beast :: good & strong serve, good at volley, serve & volley on demand, and he decided to turn to pusher play from baseline after I lead 1 set 0 (we talk together after the match, he did that as a tactic change and I lost 6-3 1-6 5-7, h makes me crazy.... 9:12 only way to shorten the point and get winners, I had to work a lot mentally to get in...
another horrible (+bad mindset) pusher yesterday, second set I decided to go forward and remembered your video when I had too choose the right moment 9:09. Not easy mentally, I did mistakes because of hesitation (3 steps forward...ouch...too late...3 steps backward, or sometimes the ball fell at my feet at mid court). I finally lost 7-6, but have no regret, I've never done so many high volleys, topspin volleys at mid court, and (easy !) smashes. Great tactic and technical (I'm not that bad close to the net !) improvement .
@Meike Babel: I am an experienced matchplayer (not as fit as I used to be, but that's mine and father time's fault) with an agressive all court style. Am I best off committing to an all out serve and volley style attack approach, or am I better off being a little more measured? Would appreciate your thoughts.
If you win the majority of your points playing straight up serve and volley, do that. If you feel you're losing more or your opponent adjusts to it, I would mix it in every now and then to keep them guessing.
Playing pushers on clay is a matter of concentration and determination. It is VERY important, that the pusher does not get his nose in front. If he does, everything gets more difficult. Because of that, you must fight from the get-go. Amateurs often forget, that they have not the practice of a professional player in order to hit consistent 2-3 hours the lines or get close to the lines.
I dont dismiss the game style and lose often to them, particularly if they're running machines and good at taking the ball early. I never blame their style, i blame myself and where im at with my tennis. However id never play that way, i play to enjoy the game and my natural way is aggressive and as we all know to hit hard and aggressive you have to top spin. Tbh honest i love running them corner to corner, the more they allow me to do that the more confident i get at hitting my areas. If they allow me to control the middle of the court from the baseline im unlikely to lose to 4.0 or under. I see it that with more consistency, learning how and when to play certain shots they will eventually be over come. Where as they are putting a ceiling on how good they can get for results today over improvement for the future.
Tennis players think if u hit at 90 miles an hrs that they've done something. I don't give them pace, and they can't create their own pace. Thus is the way to defeat a pounder!
I play yearly the Ladder tournament in my club and one of the guys that is always registered is a "pusher" high level. At one of my matches against him at the very first game I was already bored with his game. Of course I lost 6-0,6-0. It happens that besides a pusher he is also a cheater with the balls he says are out. At normal conditions I would not accept challenges from him anymore but my mindset is the opposite. I wanna play with him even is cheating me but my main objective is to find a way to beat him one day. As I made the comment at the beginning of your video I hope I can learn a little more about the theme,
As a counter puncher with slow serves and ground strokes, I only lose to players who come to the net and pressure me into hitting a passing shot and then successfully volleying. If the opponent wants to stand at the baseline, I can hit 50 groundstrokes in a row, so I’ll win that rally.
Most pushers are very fast, get to most balls, and have a good lob. To beat a pusher, you pretty much have to have a pretty good overhead. Unfortunately, most 3.5's and below don't have an overhead.
It's the ezone 98. I'm at altitude and string very low bc I teach mostly so it's hard to. make a recommendation. I'd start mid range of the recommendation on the racket and go down 2-3 lbs from that. I always preferred to start lower and then change to tighter.
Please tell me what my style is, I like to stay in baseline, I prolong rallies and frustrate them and force errors, but I use proper groundstrokes, never moonballs, not much slice dice. I rarely hit winners, my balls have medium pace, I always choose safe shots over gamble. Like defensive lobs. I hate to error myself, and usually I don't
I'm about a 4.0 and I try to drop and also hit flatter with power to take time away and force shorter returns - any good..? Also when I get my first serves in they are flat but often un-returnable (guessing 100 mph+) or just dinked back so I can get up the court. First serve average isn't very good though maybe 45%.
@@MeikeBabelTennis Thanks Meike - subscribed :) When I say my first serve is hard to get back I mean at a club level - my coach says he can't attack it. 100mph is not that fast - I daresay you could whack it back and make my ears spin :)
It’s difficult . A high level pusher like myself loves short balls and often hits them for winners also very comfortable at the net . Having started tennis properly in my early 20s I just don’t have that natural feel in my shots too be a power hitter . However I’m in my mid 30s now . ( U.K. ) reached a singles final at one of my clubs I play at on slow hard courts . Lost 6-4 , 2-6 , 5-7 . I can serve pretty big for a pusher and have a big return game so I’m happy playing short rallies with flattening my strokes out . Maybe I’m not a pusher I don’t know . If I play someone who’s ground strokes don’t match mine il just move them around and hit them off the court and kill short balls . Either at the net or just through ground strokes winners . Sometimes people push because they just lack the technical level and natural ability too play attacking tennis . It just depends what you mean by attacking tennis . Tennis is very layered .
As I said in the video, I think "pushers" are smart players. They know what they can and cannot do. Nothing wrong with being consistent and able (and willing) to wait for opportunities :-)
I just upgraded my Spinshot Plus to a Spinshot Player so I can customize drills. Does anyone have a list of drills/settings to simulate playing against a pusher?
The world is so much fun with pushers. I love them. Also, to beat a pusher, you have to be a pusher yourself and let’s see who’s better at it. If you let him beat you then you know your tennis skills are not that good yet comparing to him.
This guy I play with is very frustrating to play with. His serve, His serve returns bounce twice before crossing the service box. He Shanks half of the time leading to very slow and short balls and has no control on the direction of hitting but some how lobs the ball. It is getting very frustrating losing to this guy and now I am confused - should I continue to play with him or avoid him for a while. Please advise as playing with him is actually deteriorating my technique.
I would continue to play with him. You've got to find a way to win against people like that. If you feel your shots are getting worse after a match with him go and hit some balls with the ball machine to feel like they are round and smooth again. Playing people like this guy is NEVER pretty
@@MeikeBabelTennis ok, my confusion was because you hit the ball higher. When I make the swing/drive volley I allow the ball drop to the point where I hit a normal forehand that way I can put spin on it. Your swing volleys at the video are already near the net. In my case I was thinking to hit at the "nowhere zone" (???) I mean half of my side court.. thanks
Can I just tell you how much I appreciate your starting argument: the word pusher really annoys the hell out of me. It makes the players that play defensively sound like horrible people and players. It is so dismissive of their playing, and like you said it is actually a legitimate play style. Yes I personally don't like or enjoy that game style, but I have played against players like that a lot. And if I lose to a player like that I feel the problem is my inability to handle them and not that they should never have played that way in the first place. How dumb would a "pusher" be if they would just try to play offensive tennis if they are not capable of doing so and will lose the match like that? We are all trying to win (I assume) and if you notice that you are not able to beat a player (because he/she is just a better player or has a better day) using your standard play style, then I think it is just stupid to keep playing the game you always play just because that is the way you want to play. Bad tactics if you ask me. TLDR: great opening and think you are right that being dismissive towards "pushers" already sets you up for failure against them. If you can't win against a pusher then it is your inability to win against them that's the problem and not their play style.
If you can’t beat the guy who doesn’t hit hard, how are you going to beat a person how does? The answer is: you probably win those who hit hard because of their mistakes and not because you play good.
like the video, especially on the strategies when and how to come in. however this is really a soul torture to the coaches：given mep, how to justify the "orthodox" tennis you are teaching in terms of return on investment for most club level players? mep has technique, but obviously not what the coach teaches. mep didn't spend that huge amount time on court training, yet still on the same level of d2 4.5.
One would think that eventually he will max out but in the meantime, he is doing really, really well with his unusual style. I guess it’s really about what the player wants.
@@MeikeBabelTennis and the player's potential as well. for those who wants and can be athletes, the orthodox tennis is the right way. but for those whose limit is under 4.5, and super majority would end within 3.5, i'd love to see customized teaching. maybe that can be a business opportunity.
I'm a pusher with bad knees so I just play doubles. And I volley just fine. I love to play players who love to rally big groundies from the baseline. They're fresh meat. Here's a dirty secret. Groundstrokes play best against similar groundstrokes, no matter the skill level. Groundstrokes breakdown against irregular groundstrokes, aka, junkballs. Look for a video of Fabrice Santoro dismantling a young Djokovic. Junkballers, we ain't pretty, but we rule recreation tennis. Give up the dream of becoming a fancy dancy Federer lookalike. Come over to the Dark side.
Don't know how to approach and cover the net? Watch this:
ua-cam.com/video/bYERbyeZRhw/v-deo.html
online tennis instruction is a saturated market: this is a refreshing and positive video. I've seen several video's that attempt to answer this exact question, this may be the best one yet! Thank you.
Thank yoU!
she is former wta top 30...
Another tip I have is to change your mentality when you realize this person is a pusher. I automatically get excited to have someone on the other side that is there to hit the ball back without me picking up balls and loading the ball machine. In other words its the perfect opportunity to hone in on aggression vs safety to see how good you can place your shots without overhitting. Once you start playing like this instead, it doesn't matter if you win or lose.
Totally
Well said, although i see every game much the same way.
Perfect example for growth mindset! Thanks for sharing!
Once you start playing advanced you realise you don’t have to expel force on the ball, power is the result of relaxed technique. The pushers fall
In "Winning Ugly", Brad Gilbert talks about how he coached Andre Agassi against Michael Chang: rally for 6 - 9 balls, then attack. that always seemed a good rule of thumb to me: don't try to finish points quickly, but also don't get into the defensive player's game. AND... at the 3.0 level, even pushers can't play without errors for too long. Count how long they can keep the ball in play during warmup, and if, for example, it is 5 - 6x back and forth, commit to keeping the ball in play 7x without an error.
That is advanced tennis IQ and I totally agree!
This is great content. I still struggle with this, but I've been getting more comfortable coming in and it is paying off finally. If you focus on developing a decent serve (something you can do without a partner), serve +1 can really take control of your service game, taking pressure off their service game. A big problem is the mental pressure. They are having a great time out there, and you need to find a way to do the same and play relaxed.
Yes, I absolutely agree!
Really well done. Very good live examples. Perfect balance between “show” and “tell”.
Glad it was helpful!
Yesterday I lost to a Moonballer - your tip with watching him go way back and turn away from the court and then approach the net - is simply brilliant. I guess it would´ve saved me for those important ball to break his serve more often. Next time I will definitely implement this. Thanks so much!
Playing defensive counter punchers requires a variety of tennis skills. It’s not their fault if you don’t have not developed these necessary skills. It’s on you to develop effective placement and approach shots. You definitely need volley and overhead skills. In developing and maintaining my game I frequently played practice sets with good baseline counter punchers so it became normal. You got to do the drills to build the skills.
Yes, absolutely!
This yes
This is very true. The number of times i've gotten downhill on a point only to mess it up with an unforced error, hit a ridiculous dink dink volley, or over charge the net is laughable. Ugggh! But alas, if you are genuinely honest about addressing your weaknesses, you'll overcome this and be a better player for it.
Best video about how to beat P******, cause you perfectly say what we're thinking when playin them. Very good words about mindset, how trying things will be an improvement for next matches. I knew how comin in and do the lifted volley can be efficient, but it required some guts to go inside. Your advice about waiting the right moment to sneak in is gold. I always tried to play short balls, but often they are to high, and when you met a pusher whith a very good slice on short balls it becomes very tricky.
Great content, congrats! Another issue playing this type of player is that usually we’re more experienced and put pressure in ourselves, like “i cant lose to this guy who just started playing”, its a great mental burden for me at least. We don’t have NRTP here in Brazil but I can relate to this 3-4 range and it’s frustrating not having the tools to beat the average rookie moonballer, but im working on it and your video was very helpful, thanks!
Just about to play a pusher and this has been really helpful. OK - not going to think of them as a pusher!
Yes! Thank you for this great lesson on how to beat the defensive player! I will be watching again and again to review all the tactics you presented. So glad I found your channel :-)
Awesome! Feel free to recommend my channel to your tennis friends!
A pusher counts on your lack of ability to finish points--your lack of skills--to beat you. But much more than that, the pusher counts on your lack of fitness and your willingness to play stupidly (which may well be driven by that lack of fitness.) Once they see you're looking for a quick and easy way out of the rallies, they're the fisherman and you're the fish. So fitness should be the first thing to be addressed--and you don't need to learn a single new skill to make that happen. And it will make it so much easier to develop those new skills and use them on the court.
If you walk onto a court with one of these players thinking you need to finish points quickly, you've already lost half the battle (or maybe the whole battle). You want to be able to look the other player in the eye and say, "If it takes all day, dandy." Being able to beat them without playing great gives you a secure base from which you can make those brave excursions into using more advanced methods.
I agree!
I am MEP. I hunt like a hyena - pushing your weaknesses. I anticipate and look for "cues" as Mikeala (brilliantly) calls them.
I easily beat lower quality players - and yes - conditioning is a big factor.
But I also beat players better than me, and better conditioned than me. I can't handle consistent deep topspins - I don't have that skill level - so why should I play that game? I make you move, force you to adjust and react to my game - make you win points many different ways. If you have a well-rounded game, I ain't hard to beat - but if you have any weaknesses - you're going to lose.
In tennis, a player who exploits your weaknesses is called - annoying.
In football, a coach builds a game plan exactly to exploit his opponent's weaknesses - they send him to the Hall of Fame.
The only way to beat me is to practice until your weaknesses disappear - you've got to become a stronger, more well-rounded player, and you have to out-condition me. Most rec players won't work that hard.
@@alangordon99 And the first two weaknesses that need to be addressed are lack of fitness and stupid play. If you're beating players who are fitter AND better than you, you're doing it because they are playing stupidly. Fitness and tennis intelligence are the prerequisites for eliminating all other weaknesses.
Great lesson! Personally I think it’s very important not to stress and also have a clear idea of how to start playing each point. For exemple alternate aiming forehand-backhand. When you lose the control of your game and just start returning you’re lost!
Totally agree! And that's exactly what your opponent is waiting for!
John McEnroe has a story about playing a lobber. It took him 7 hours to win best of 3 sets during his junior career. .
Defensive players generally stay behind the base line. So by trying go stay inside the base line makes you more aggressive as in hitting the ball earlier and putting pressure on the rabbit retriever.
Oh wow! I needed to watch this, I am struggling with pushers & lost to one today, thank u for the tips & I LOVE your positive attitude, it really give me encouragement to get out of my comfort zone, go for swinging vollies, look for the signs to come in & finish those excruciating long rallies🥰 thank u❤️🎾
You are so welcome!
Brilliant clear advice and example plays. Thanks for the great coaching.
You're welcome!
On the 3.0 level, I am playing a counterpuncher twice a week, since almost a year. And I learnt so so much! First of all, no other pusher can ever shock me in another game. I have seen all the moonballs there are. I know when the lobs are coming (when I attack his backhand and rush to the net too quickly). I know to not attack the forehand with a weak shot when getting to the net (because he will absolutely pass me). I think the #1 advice I can give: learn to play the midcourt balls, and focus on placement, not power. #2 advice: seek out the pushers to play against. Train against them. You absolutely need practice. And: do not be surprised when you empty half a gallon of water and your opponent just nibbles on a small water bottle from time to time. That's because they know where to stand, and they mostly just dink the balls back, while you commit to a complete topspin forehand and backhand. Pushers will grind you down, prepare for lots of work and constructing a good opportunity to attack.
Absolutely agree. In Germany, everybody's worst player to play against where soccer players. Could run for hours, mostly terrible technique but excellent athletes.
@@MeikeBabelTennis they probably also know how to move well to begin with. if you can dribble, you know how to adjust your steps around hitting the ball
Great video as always! In my opinion the best way to handle a “pusher” is to master the overhead.
Yes, you are right!
Thanks for putting in quite a few useful points all in one video. Vast majority of the videos by others contain only one or no tips at all......Thank you Meike ...!!!
Thanks again I often had at least over one hour per set against the pushers spend lots of energy even happy result.
Great video as usually. The one big thing I got out of it was, wait to see their body turn and sneak in. Great video. You covered everything. Keep up the great work!!!
I'm so glad to hear that and thank you for your support!
Great stuff! Very helpful. The best video I’ve seen at beating this game style. Especially about sticking with a strategy even if it doesn’t work the first time.
I'm glad you think so. It's hard to keep going when you lose a few points in the beginning with something that is not necessarily what you like to do but it's so essential to make your opponent uncomfortable as well.
Thank you so much. This is what I'm going to be doing at my next game.
Thanks Meike! Applied these tactics in my last match win 6/3 6/2 🎉
woohoo! How is the ATL?
Having played a pusher lately, I dealt with it the simple way - not giving in the desire to hit the winners, at least as long as you are not clearly leading the score. Of course, It works only if you are more consistent than the pusher.
It certainly becomes a mental game!
Love the advice I have a match against MEP so I need to be prepared seeing that I only play for fun.
Great tips!!! Thanks for sharing.
You could also take time away with court position during the rallies...for example, maybe play a few games inside the baseline and see how that works.
Yes, if you're at the level to do that.
7:26- never thought of that. Good stuff.
Thank yoU!
What a good video! Thank you for sharing this
I confess: I'm a pusher and slicer/dicer. This video may be what I need to change my wicked ways.
Thank you so much for this guidance. I will show my 14 son to learn from your video.
Please do!
Respect the pusher for having a superior technique. While it may sound provocative, consider this: unlike a badminton shuttle, a tennis has significant momentum and so you push at(not hit) it to generate stable power. This method is advantageous at least up to a 4.0 level, as it allows you to return almost any shot deep into the court by merely letting the ball bounce off the racket. While I'm not advocating for this style of play, being aware of its effectiveness and respecting the pusher is crucial for your own development. Learn to ‘push’, add your body and a finish across !
@meike I love the idea of "cues" - I need ideas to keep me thinking during a match. I think that's an underrated part of the game. Mental focus and intention. I'm a new subscriber in ATL.
Such an awesome tutorial! Thanks!
You're very welcome!
Can you make a video beating Slicers/Choppers?
Oh that is a great idea! I'll put it on the "to film" list!
Excellent video! Thank you.
Fantastic guidance, thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Make sure u tell them to hit a swing volley at its high point. Not to let the ball drop!
My pusher was so quick he could get to any ball. He had a fast first serve that didn’t go in much and a slow patty cake second serve. The way I finally beat my pusher was to just barely dink his second serve over the net (which I previously would try to kill). He was quick enough to get to it, but it frustrated him. I would mix this in with some harder returns to keep him on his toes. I remember him complaining that I was dinking the ball back over (a taste of his own medicine). After I finally beat him, he moved on to playing other people. He previously beat more times more times than I can remember. I beat him 1 time and that was it. A pusher loves to win.
Meike, I alway enjoy your videos. Thank you.
Pushers like to go side to side, but the usually hate coming in. My favorite tactic is to bring them in and then lob them, even if I have clear opening for a pass. If you're going to play that way with me, I'm going to punish you for it.
That’s a really smart way to play them!
lost against a special beast :: good & strong serve, good at volley, serve & volley on demand, and he decided to turn to pusher play from baseline after I lead 1 set 0 (we talk together after the match, he did that as a tactic change and I lost 6-3 1-6 5-7, h makes me crazy.... 9:12 only way to shorten the point and get winners, I had to work a lot mentally to get in...
another horrible (+bad mindset) pusher yesterday, second set I decided to go forward and remembered your video when I had too choose the right moment 9:09. Not easy mentally, I did mistakes because of hesitation (3 steps forward...ouch...too late...3 steps backward, or sometimes the ball fell at my feet at mid court). I finally lost 7-6, but have no regret, I've never done so many high volleys, topspin volleys at mid court, and (easy !) smashes. Great tactic and technical (I'm not that bad close to the net !) improvement .
@Meike Babel: I am an experienced matchplayer (not as fit as I used to be, but that's mine and father time's fault) with an agressive all court style. Am I best off committing to an all out serve and volley style attack approach, or am I better off being a little more measured? Would appreciate your thoughts.
If you win the majority of your points playing straight up serve and volley, do that. If you feel you're losing more or your opponent adjusts to it, I would mix it in every now and then to keep them guessing.
@@MeikeBabelTennis perfect, may God bless and raise your skill, really wonderful to see this level of knowledge available freely.
Great video it helped me a lot
Playing pushers on clay is a matter of concentration and determination.
It is VERY important, that the pusher does not get his nose in front. If he does, everything gets more difficult. Because of that, you must fight from the get-go.
Amateurs often forget, that they have not the practice of a professional player in order to hit consistent 2-3 hours the lines or get close to the lines.
That is very true.
great video, thank you.
I dont dismiss the game style and lose often to them, particularly if they're running machines and good at taking the ball early. I never blame their style, i blame myself and where im at with my tennis. However id never play that way, i play to enjoy the game and my natural way is aggressive and as we all know to hit hard and aggressive you have to top spin. Tbh honest i love running them corner to corner, the more they allow me to do that the more confident i get at hitting my areas. If they allow me to control the middle of the court from the baseline im unlikely to lose to 4.0 or under.
I see it that with more consistency, learning how and when to play certain shots they will eventually be over come. Where as they are putting a ceiling on how good they can get for results today over improvement for the future.
Yes, I agree!
Good content. What about doubles? There are pushers mixed with great players. What is the plan for doubles players?
I'm working on a video about that!
Tennis players think if u hit at 90 miles an hrs that they've done something. I don't give them pace, and they can't create their own pace. Thus is the way to defeat a pounder!
MEP is world famous! Lol
He is :-)
I play yearly the Ladder tournament in my club and one of the guys that is always registered is a "pusher" high level. At one of my matches against him at the very first game I was already bored with his game. Of course I lost 6-0,6-0. It happens that besides a pusher he is also a cheater with the balls he says are out. At normal conditions I would not accept challenges from him anymore but my mindset is the opposite. I wanna play with him even is cheating me but my main objective is to find a way to beat him one day.
As I made the comment at the beginning of your video I hope I can learn a little more about the theme,
That is very frustrating!
Cheated his way to 6-0 6-0 Lol.
As a counter puncher with slow serves and ground strokes, I only lose to players who come to the net and pressure me into hitting a passing shot and then successfully volleying.
If the opponent wants to stand at the baseline, I can hit 50 groundstrokes in a row, so I’ll win that rally.
The problem is Im very bad in swing volley :)). Thank you for your vid
Most pushers are very fast, get to most balls, and have a good lob. To beat a pusher, you pretty much have to have a pretty good overhead. Unfortunately, most 3.5's and below don't have an overhead.
That is very true.
Is that the ezone 98 or 100? What string tension would you recommend? Thanks!
It's the ezone 98. I'm at altitude and string very low bc I teach mostly so it's hard to. make a recommendation. I'd start mid range of the recommendation on the racket and go down 2-3 lbs from that. I always preferred to start lower and then change to tighter.
Please tell me what my style is, I like to stay in baseline, I prolong rallies and frustrate them and force errors, but I use proper groundstrokes, never moonballs, not much slice dice. I rarely hit winners, my balls have medium pace, I always choose safe shots over gamble. Like defensive lobs. I hate to error myself, and usually I don't
Sounds to me like you're a smart baseliner.
I'm about a 4.0 and I try to drop and also hit flatter with power to take time away and force shorter returns - any good..? Also when I get my first serves in they are flat but often un-returnable (guessing 100 mph+) or just dinked back so I can get up the court. First serve average isn't very good though maybe 45%.
Yes, all good ways to get them to give you lower quality balls you can attack.
@@MeikeBabelTennis Thanks Meike - subscribed :) When I say my first serve is hard to get back I mean at a club level - my coach says he can't attack it. 100mph is not that fast - I daresay you could whack it back and make my ears spin :)
It’s difficult . A high level pusher like myself loves short balls and often hits them for winners also very comfortable at the net .
Having started tennis properly in my early 20s I just don’t have that natural feel in my shots too be a power hitter .
However I’m in my mid 30s now . ( U.K. ) reached a singles final at one of my clubs I play at on slow hard courts .
Lost 6-4 , 2-6 , 5-7 . I can serve pretty big for a pusher and have a big return game so I’m happy playing short rallies with flattening my strokes out .
Maybe I’m not a pusher I don’t know . If I play someone who’s ground strokes don’t match mine il just move them around and hit them off the court and kill short balls .
Either at the net or just through ground strokes winners .
Sometimes people push because they just lack the technical level and natural ability too play attacking tennis .
It just depends what you mean by attacking tennis . Tennis is very layered .
As I said in the video, I think "pushers" are smart players. They know what they can and cannot do. Nothing wrong with being consistent and able (and willing) to wait for opportunities :-)
Which Yonex did you pick? The 98 or 100?
I have the ezone 98 and I;m alsonhitting with the VCore Pro 97, I love both :-)
@@MeikeBabelTennis Thanks for the answer - have a nice week - Greatings from Austria
I just upgraded my Spinshot Plus to a Spinshot Player so I can customize drills. Does anyone have a list of drills/settings to simulate playing against a pusher?
7:10 I call it the loop and swoop.
Ooooh that's a good one!
The world is so much fun with pushers.
I love them.
Also, to beat a pusher, you have to be a pusher yourself and let’s see who’s better at it.
If you let him beat you then you know your tennis skills are not that good yet comparing to him.
😊 thanks Meike
This guy I play with is very frustrating to play with. His serve, His serve returns bounce twice before crossing the service box. He Shanks half of the time leading to very slow and short balls and has no control on the direction of hitting but some how lobs the ball. It is getting very frustrating losing to this guy and now I am confused - should I continue to play with him or avoid him for a while. Please advise as playing with him is actually deteriorating my technique.
I would continue to play with him. You've got to find a way to win against people like that. If you feel your shots are getting worse after a match with him go and hit some balls with the ball machine to feel like they are round and smooth again. Playing people like this guy is NEVER pretty
I an not English native but it seems to me that you did not talk or made "drive volleys". This is not an option also?
Maybe you mean the "swing" volley? Check it here: ua-cam.com/video/FSv5sw4AolY/v-deo.html
@@MeikeBabelTennis ok, my confusion was because you hit the ball higher. When I make the swing/drive volley I allow the ball drop to the point where I hit a normal forehand that way I can put spin on it. Your swing volleys at the video are already near the net. In my case I was thinking to hit at the "nowhere zone" (???) I mean half of my side court.. thanks
Can I just tell you how much I appreciate your starting argument: the word pusher really annoys the hell out of me. It makes the players that play defensively sound like horrible people and players. It is so dismissive of their playing, and like you said it is actually a legitimate play style. Yes I personally don't like or enjoy that game style, but I have played against players like that a lot. And if I lose to a player like that I feel the problem is my inability to handle them and not that they should never have played that way in the first place. How dumb would a "pusher" be if they would just try to play offensive tennis if they are not capable of doing so and will lose the match like that? We are all trying to win (I assume) and if you notice that you are not able to beat a player (because he/she is just a better player or has a better day) using your standard play style, then I think it is just stupid to keep playing the game you always play just because that is the way you want to play. Bad tactics if you ask me.
TLDR: great opening and think you are right that being dismissive towards "pushers" already sets you up for failure against them. If you can't win against a pusher then it is your inability to win against them that's the problem and not their play style.
Absolutely agree!
Dont start pushing back. play your game. i love to bring pushers into the Net.
If you can’t beat the guy who doesn’t hit hard, how are you going to beat a person how does? The answer is: you probably win those who hit hard because of their mistakes and not because you play good.
It’s very easy to get into their style and than they have you
Yes, I lost a lot to very consistent players when I was in juniors
Yeas, they will push you off the court. Chrissie won 18 slams doing this!
like the video, especially on the strategies when and how to come in. however this is really a soul torture to the coaches：given mep, how to justify the "orthodox" tennis you are teaching in terms of return on investment for most club level players? mep has technique, but obviously not what the coach teaches. mep didn't spend that huge amount time on court training, yet still on the same level of d2 4.5.
One would think that eventually he will max out but in the meantime, he is doing really, really well with his unusual style. I guess it’s really about what the player wants.
@@MeikeBabelTennis and the player's potential as well. for those who wants and can be athletes, the orthodox tennis is the right way. but for those whose limit is under 4.5, and super majority would end within 3.5, i'd love to see customized teaching. maybe that can be a business opportunity.
Just hit it on the rise, that's the best solution
Not everybody can do that. Takes a lot of timing AND good footwork and especially newer players struggle with that.
Great video! Sometimes it's just fun to hit some junk balls haha isn't that what Bobby Riggs did to Margaret Court?
Anything that throws off the opponent's rhythm!
If you lose consistently to a pusher, it's because the pusher is a better player than you plain and simple
Agree
I don’t dismiss their style I just want to win over them 😂
Exactly what I experienced 😒😒
Where you able to use some of the ideas?
Tongue in cheek...
The best solution is to not let lobbers/pushers/junk ballers play tennis... make them go play pickleball.
If you lost to a pusher you are not the better player.Get over yourself.
I'm a pusher with bad knees so I just play doubles. And I volley just fine. I love to play players who love to rally big groundies from the baseline. They're fresh meat. Here's a dirty secret. Groundstrokes play best against similar groundstrokes, no matter the skill level. Groundstrokes breakdown against irregular groundstrokes, aka, junkballs.
Look for a video of Fabrice Santoro dismantling a young Djokovic.
Junkballers, we ain't pretty, but we rule recreation tennis. Give up the dream of becoming a fancy dancy Federer lookalike. Come over to the Dark side.
Haha, so true. And yes, Santoro was the slicer and dicer on steroids!
here's a better tip: don't play them. they're no fun; no one respects them. why bother? you're not turning pro this year or next. hahaha.