@TheNeo1693 a pusher is the type of defensive player that consistently returns all your balls usually with slower paced shots. they wait for you to make a mistake instead of hitting winners. its sooo damn annoying.
I can totally relate to this. I cant believe this gets by high school tennis. There are kids on high school teams where I swear it feels like Im playing against a brick wall. The worst are the ones that are really good pushers. Even when you hit a perfect shot they find a way to hit it back. This should help though at least now I can have a gameplan. For some pushers tho it can be good to just beat em at their own game by just hitting it back until you get a good opportunity to put em away.
How do you play a pusher and generate your own pace? I seem to have trouble doing this because I either hit it out or completely miss hit it. Or I end up hitting like a pusher which really sucks.
I love the feeling when I thrash pushers. Take all the shots out of the air and SEND THE BASTARDS CRYING TO THEIR MUMMY!! Stay off the court for your own health and safety!! not that I care...
As a pusher I must say I love when they start trying to push and fall into my rhythm. You know you have them once they start doing that because they start to become lazy. The biggest problem most people have against pushers is that they lack the pace and spin to produce their own consistent shots without help from their opponent hitting harder. And they don't like to come in usually which works really well against most pushers.
@zanarkke he's a pusher in the sense that he is intentionally not hitting out, even though he easily could; he is intentionally dinking the ball so it lands around the service line, with slice, mostly at an angle to the back hand side, so you can't run around it; you have to hit a two handed backhand back against a ball with no pace that is low, which is not easy, or you have to push it back with a one hand slice and come in; if you have a good slice, you could use that; very smart way to play
i just lost 6-1, 6-0 to the best pusher i have ever seen - this guy was lightening quick on his feet - got to all fast groundstrokes and all drop shots i tried; he hit low, shot balls, at angles, around the midcourt area to bring me to the net - i had to hit up on approach shots and he took the ball early to pass me - great player really; this video would not help against such a player - it really sucked
@sandiegotennis he is not a pusher then.. from your description it sounds as if this player is aggressive. This "pusher" is using inadvertedly attacking combos, and by no means is playing defensive like pushers do. This guy is just quick and consistent - there is a difference.
@sandiegotennis Sounds like me, which isn't really a big pusher. He is tactical, gets people out of their comfort zone and then strikes when they are vulnerable.
I was wondering what kind of footwork would you teach/use for a forehand approach shot and a one handed backhand approach shot? Looking forward to your response. Thank you in advance!
I was wondering what kind of footwork would you teach for a forehand approach shot and a one handed backhand approach shot? Looking forward to your response. Thank you in advance!
I LOVE PUSHERS! WHAT U SAID MAKES SENSE BUT WHY MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT! ALL U DO WITH A PUSHER IS PLAY A FEW BALLS TO A PUSHER TILL U GET A CHANCE TO HIT IT HARD!!!! THAT IS THE WORD! U HIT IT SOMEWHERE WHERE HE CAN NOT REACH THE BALL OR HE GETS IT BACK SHORT AND THEN JUST PUT THE BALL AWAY! OF COURSE U HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ALSO VOLLEY! ROGER LEE TENNIS COACH AND I.T.F CHAMPION!
I fucking hate pushers!!!! I've started playing against a friend who is exactly how the video describes and all he does is moonballs, lobs and dinks the ball back!!!! Arrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!?
I'll be applying these tactics to put him in his place :-)
Hi Will! You look fly in your sunglasses (the coach too). How does one play a chopper? There is one guy in particular whose game I have a lot of trouble with. He slices everything on his forehand and backhand. He never goes for a single shot unless he drags me to the net. I constantly try to move him from side to side, but it gets tiring digging up these low balls that have so much junk on them. When I get a short one, I can't put it away and and I rush the net and he lobs me. Help!
@sportywuv There are two options I can think of: 1. Get him to hit a ball high in his strikezone because it will be harder to keep the ball low for your opponent since he's slicing thus giving you a sitter. 2. Try and sneak in behind a groundstroke when you know that he'll give you a floating and easy volley. There are ofcourse more options but I couldn't think of any more for the moment. When I was younger I beat an experienced chopper by moonballing, it wasn't definitely not pretty but worked.
@sportywuv If you can't volley or hit overheads just remember that volleys' and (at times) overheads' placement is often enough rather than going for that 'fancy & showy' with all the pace you can muster in to the open court, Nadal is a very good example of this because he might not be the most skillful volleyer but is one of the most efficient and smart when it comes to putting away shots at the net. Hope this helps and as they say 'better late than never'.
Sure we pushers have a crappy way of playing. But at the end of the match, it doesnt matter how beautiful you played bc you still managed to lose since you guys can't keep a long going rally. Non pushers always make the first mistake. :P
I lost to a fxxking pusher today, in a 3 setter, the longest match I've ever played(more than 3 hrs), I tried the tips and modern footwork that they taught us here, actually it really works, but the problem is just as Young said, their "ugly style" actually slow u down, so once u lose ur focus, u will again play in their pace. Actually I should have won today's match, because the guy is not only a pusher, but also a cheater, I don't mind losing to a pusher, but lost to a cheater really upset me
fxxking hate the pushers, i don't know why people like to keep that "ugly style" instead of changing to play more correct form and play more smooth, but pushers are good opponents to test your level of tennis and improve, once u comfortably beat pushers, then ur tennis level will definitely into another level!
@kakoiijing hey man same here,i just lost at the first round of a tournament tdy to an irritating pusher, i'm so used to playing with hard hitters,but this idiot was playing so slow, i too became slower
i felt so dissapointed,could have won,but i guess the one that had the least errors win
I have to agree with one of the comment below that say pushers are much easier to beat compared to hard hitters. I would be really grateful if you guys made a video about how to beat a hard hitter :)
imo pushers fucking ruin the sport of tennis, but the one thing that makes me feel good is that pushers WILL NEVER IMPROVE THEIR GAME...they may think that they are good, but in the long term, they are just screwing themselves b/c they will always play the same, repetitive, boring style.
I never had a problem with pushers. I just hit winners or volley. They can never hurt me so no pressure. I can hit winners at any time. I'll eat pushers for lunch compared to hard hitters.
very nice, but the problem is, that you have on any level players that are pushers. You will always have to fight and play your style. Never forget to move. By the way, there are many pushers who like to be attacked.
Don't hurry. And try to avoid risky shots. Don't gamble. The most important tip is, that you should at any costs get in lead. Otherwise, it becomes very ugly.
crap...I'm trying to move from being a pusher to being a confident swinger. pusher will get you B+ (Murray, Wozniacki, Dementieva). I want A (Djokovic, Soderling, Federer).
Pushers- mix pace up, confuse them, and attack them when they give you short balls (generally around the service line). However, pulling them to net works wonders- semi-low drop shots. This is assuming you have the patience/stamina to last.
By the way, at a certain level (top 50 nationally), pushers only have an advantage that fades fast at 14's. At that point, most of them transition into counter-punchers. Defense is always high probability. Don't hate- just learn from their patience.
pushers.... I think their game is so plain, not much thinking done when you have the exact same plan for every ball that comes to you. one thing that I found to be useful when playing pushers was to recognize you are going to have to be a bit more patient than him/her in a few points. and they generally go for the same shot when you attack them (which is nice to know when charging the net after attack), they use the same patterns a lot which can be recognized and used against them
Really nice tutorial, thanks for that.I think power serving more on the outside, flat quick paced cross court fhnds, anything that opens the way to net attack might also be helpful. Anyone interested to see that in practice should really watch AO 2009 QF and SF where Verdasco took Murray out and was unbelievably close to defeating Rafa - despite his loss after the 5 set gruelling battle, he was better player imho, and gave really brilliant display how to deal with naturally defensive opponents.
Great video. What I really like about this lesson is how you show the very beginning stage of coming in to take balls out of the air, in a low risk shot.
I think the best way to win against a pusher is to play aggressive, but not to overhit. You have to stay patient all the time. My experience showed me, that pushers usually don't like it (I think they really HATE it) when you get at the net as often as you can, with a nice slice for example. Another very effective weapon is to open the court using some nice topsin angles.
You often "don't play" against a pusher, you play against yourself :)
This is great!! in 16 & under and there are so many girls that i know i should have beaten but i wasnt alert and winning pretty much comes down to footwork.:)
I play people who push but with slice on both forehand and backhand. Would you apply the same principles of attack? The ball bounces lower so it can be difficult to take early.
There are pushers that make you play faster. I've seen some very athletic pushers with amazing control. Playing against 3.5-4.0 highschool players and still being able to push an opponents burning running forehand down the line into the service line at the opposite side of the court. Not all pushers are as lackadaisical as this video made them seem. Some have very aggressive strokes if you give it to them. There are also counter pushers that use your power to hit deep semifast pushes.
please dont tell me you are wearing a power band.... those things are useless. as for pushing when i was younger it used to frustrate me so much. i tried to hit winners of ever shot. i wasnt patient enough. now a days they dont bother me. i find coming into the net against them is very effective. they usually cant hit a good passing shot.
I was playing a pusher in friendly match today and I lost 3-6. the set took 3hrs and 10min! I seriously rose my patience level today and push the ball back until i receive a short ball and if he returns my attack, i restart the strategy. I was wondering if theres anyway to decrease this set time length?
Pushers are the reason I'll probably never play in another club level doubles tournament. Singles I can handle, but when you got two people doing it, it completely ruins the game. In singles, there's almost always better quality opponents as you move up in a tournament. In doubles, this doesn't seem to be the case, save for pro level tournaments.
i didn't realise this strategy had a name. i told my coach how i lost to one, and he said 'you can't let people like this win, it makes them think they are tennis players'!!! i totally agree, they never win matches, its up to me to win it or lose it. they just return the ball over and over.
FYB, this is amazing, i consider myself an avg Rec player at best but i love to play regardless of the points. this vid showed me that even at my level i have a chance to give trained players something to think about. the explanation of the pusher helped me to identify some tactics my friends are using from there and with the help of some walking steps and timing, what you have done for me is allowed me to see my best opponent almost want to smash his racket. i still lost but i'm climbing now.
I hope there are more of these videos coming up on how to beat other types of opponents (counterpunchers, aggressive baseliners, serve-and-volleyers, etc.). :)
Soo we call pro level pushers counterpunchers huh? hah. Just because they have the whole array of shots we give em a less derogatory term? Its still a pusher. Pushing is basic tennis- win ugly. Get the ball over the net more than the other person. Rely on U.E.s-- This game plan sounds a lot like murrays, nadal, simon, monfils michael russel, ect. Though nadal's attacking more nowadays. I don't knock the style of play. Its defensive tennis..To win at any level, a great defense will get ya far!
@exitingforward a counter puncher is not a pusher ,a pusher is someone who just gets the ball back and deep, a counter puncher is someone who pretty much returns the same reply to the shot you hit most of the time and waits on the right ball to hit a winner such as a short ball, usually they can't just slap a winner from the back like a berdych, del potro, or any of these other guys with a lot of power
@EternalChaos000 I CAN SHOW SOMEONE EVEN BETTER@ BEATING THEM :] ROGER FEDERER!!!!
In tennis circles we call a good pro counterpuncher a "PRO PUSHER". They rely on UNFORCED ERRORS! Even sometimes cream puff their shots (Murray) Your getting into semantics if you wanna say, "a pusher is only at this level, can't really hurt you but feasts on your mistakes." A professional level pusher is labeled as a counterpuncher; highly defensive player with all the variety of shots who can pass an attacker.
@exitingforward Keep in mind this ain't the regular pusher as you might think. A PRO PUSHER is at a different level, if you refuse to grasp the term - just think of it as a counterpuncher. It's winning ugly. Watch your Brad Gilbert vids. His strokes are awesome to my standards but weren't like lendls - wasn't a smacking winners style of play. He won on strategy and getting the ball back. Regardless, defensive tennis life will be shortened eventually by injuries in as time has shown.
@exitingforward Nadal has a winning record at beating Federer, but I see your point. Djokovic is the new guy in town now, and he is possibly my least favorite #1 in existence :).
@tvillebigbox I play a guy who hits EVERY shot this way (weak to moderate slice). It used to drive me crazy and still does on harder shots which are still sliced. But I figured out that by coming forward as soon as possible, I can volley my way to win points. The trick is the same as stated in this video: take away time for them. This means - for the slice pusher - come to the net early and hit either at or away from them. But stay away from their strike zone or you'll get a winning pass or lob.
Hey Will: Professional pusher = Date Krumm. lol just kidding. I love her. I also agree that basically at the pro level, even above 5.0 there are counter punchers, not pushers.
On a side note, lots of low level pushers often use light racquets with high power because of their very short stabby strokes. Players looking for longer strokes should be using heavier pro model racquets and not Hammers. This will often help prevent injury as well to the wrist and elbow.
Great video, Will and Yann. As I have gotten more experienced, I have to say that I have a lot more respect for pushers. Pushers, at a higher level, are often players who have not trained properly, yet often through a lot of practice, experience, and hand eye coordination are able to keep balls in play with a very low rate of error. These people are really important for players who are training because they become a very good test of skills for the 3.5-4.0 player looking to get better.
The comments in this video is better than the video itself. Seriously though, you can't really call Murray a pusher because he does have a killing shot. That is the cross court backhand from the middle of the court. Plus his net game is rather amazing. I think pusher is just a worse version of counterpuncher.
i wouldnt call monfils a pusher. but if he hit easier shots hed have a great reputation as a pusher. mostly because of his fast feet. in my mind if you can run fast enough and get to any ball then most people would consider you to be a "pusher". is there a easy way to beat somewhon with fast feet and a high amount of endurance?
great video / concepts but wish you would have made it a bit higher level. The 3.0 dinkers you demonstrated really has nothing to do with strategy but just being able to hit a groundstroke properly. The 4-5.0 pushers are what kill. They just play firm but safe groundstrokes and everytime they are rushed . . . moonball to backhand. They know how to play but never take a risk. Unless you are on your winners . . . gg for them.
I have the same Babolat racket!
xgametime1 6 days ago
I find that putting in a nice slice off a high bouncing ball then pressing the net kills most pushers that I play against lol.
emrickgj 1 week ago
what kind of sunglasses does will have. those are nice
minhxminh 1 week ago
is this vid filmed at legg mason?
DeJerBear 1 week ago
what is a pusher?
TheNeo1693 1 week ago
@TheNeo1693 a pusher is the type of defensive player that consistently returns all your balls usually with slower paced shots. they wait for you to make a mistake instead of hitting winners. its sooo damn annoying.
aMongedOutNinja 1 week ago
I'm here cause I lost against a pusher..... pretty pissed off.......
AkMachx 2 weeks ago 7
@AkMachx That makes two of us. Pushers suck balls
Skimbles2000 16 hours ago
@Skimbles2000 Absolutely.
AkMachx 1 hour ago
But what if your pusher keeps on hitting you deep balls and keeps you behind the baseline?
TargetedPrince 2 weeks ago
I can totally relate to this. I cant believe this gets by high school tennis. There are kids on high school teams where I swear it feels like Im playing against a brick wall. The worst are the ones that are really good pushers. Even when you hit a perfect shot they find a way to hit it back. This should help though at least now I can have a gameplan. For some pushers tho it can be good to just beat em at their own game by just hitting it back until you get a good opportunity to put em away.
Andrew3996 2 weeks ago
Hmm. I have a question. What is the playing style of a puller? :P
rooksaiz 2 weeks ago
I have to play a rank match against a pusher -__-
8o8ThaiSoul 2 weeks ago
why cant they do this in full speed
Mycommentsgethumbsup 3 weeks ago
r they being serious with those strokes?
TheSnowMan717 3 weeks ago
@TheSnowMan717 Of coruse not....they do it slowly so they can explain carefully...
juliansa74 3 weeks ago
profiling is essential thanks
seocom 1 month ago
How do you play a pusher and generate your own pace? I seem to have trouble doing this because I either hit it out or completely miss hit it. Or I end up hitting like a pusher which really sucks.
Cardshark45 1 month ago
What's up dawg?
emptypietin 1 month ago
That's my game style ^^ hehehe. So my game style is evil. ;)
betweenthesaga 1 month ago
Wozniacki MADE 8 ACCOUNTS TO DISLIKE THIS VIDEO
marcogomes93 1 month ago
The only people who hate pushers are those who can't beat them.
CasperJasper88 1 month ago
I love the feeling when I thrash pushers. Take all the shots out of the air and SEND THE BASTARDS CRYING TO THEIR MUMMY!! Stay off the court for your own health and safety!! not that I care...
rogerigez21 1 month ago
As a pusher I must say I love when they start trying to push and fall into my rhythm. You know you have them once they start doing that because they start to become lazy. The biggest problem most people have against pushers is that they lack the pace and spin to produce their own consistent shots without help from their opponent hitting harder. And they don't like to come in usually which works really well against most pushers.
9tails23 1 month ago
tis happens with me. i have a friend that is a pusher. he never misses! NEVER! and all the points he gets are from my mistakes.
TheMAQOehT 2 months ago
should be retitled, "how to beat Caroline Wozniacki"
ctn04132 2 months ago
Great clip. Thanks.
1969euro 2 months ago
better work on volleys, approach shots, overheads if you're going to beat a good pusher, not a 3.5 or 4.0 pusher ...
sandiegotennis 2 months ago
if your enemy is a pusher youll be a rusher hahahaha LOL :DD
TkY4m4stAx 2 months ago
loosing to a pusher doesnt mean you are a bad player..
theeachuisge 2 months ago 4
@zanarkke he's a pusher in the sense that he is intentionally not hitting out, even though he easily could; he is intentionally dinking the ball so it lands around the service line, with slice, mostly at an angle to the back hand side, so you can't run around it; you have to hit a two handed backhand back against a ball with no pace that is low, which is not easy, or you have to push it back with a one hand slice and come in; if you have a good slice, you could use that; very smart way to play
sandiegotennis 2 months ago
'short' balls not 'shot'
sandiegotennis 2 months ago
i just lost 6-1, 6-0 to the best pusher i have ever seen - this guy was lightening quick on his feet - got to all fast groundstrokes and all drop shots i tried; he hit low, shot balls, at angles, around the midcourt area to bring me to the net - i had to hit up on approach shots and he took the ball early to pass me - great player really; this video would not help against such a player - it really sucked
sandiegotennis 2 months ago
@sandiegotennis he is not a pusher then.. from your description it sounds as if this player is aggressive. This "pusher" is using inadvertedly attacking combos, and by no means is playing defensive like pushers do. This guy is just quick and consistent - there is a difference.
Zanarkke 2 months ago
@sandiegotennis Sounds like me, which isn't really a big pusher. He is tactical, gets people out of their comfort zone and then strikes when they are vulnerable.
kelman221 2 weeks ago
It you lose to a pusher, it simply means you got no game! If you follow this instructions, you are probably lower than 2.0.
tennisPete 2 months ago
I like his definition of pusher...
makes me hate making unforced errors
cooltoast12 2 months ago
i have a friend thet is a pusher. He returns every fucking ball!!!!!
TheMAQOehT 3 months ago
i like you t-shirt!! but what's updog?? hahahaha xP
CuDiBiScUiT 3 months ago
worst techinque I have ever seen!!
TheBezimeni10 4 months ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
I was wondering what kind of footwork would you teach/use for a forehand approach shot and a one handed backhand approach shot? Looking forward to your response. Thank you in advance!
4Life10s 4 months ago
I was wondering what kind of footwork would you teach for a forehand approach shot and a one handed backhand approach shot? Looking forward to your response. Thank you in advance!
4Life10s 4 months ago
lleyton hewitt was a great pusher lol
kallo1234 5 months ago
I LOVE PUSHERS! WHAT U SAID MAKES SENSE BUT WHY MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT! ALL U DO WITH A PUSHER IS PLAY A FEW BALLS TO A PUSHER TILL U GET A CHANCE TO HIT IT HARD!!!! THAT IS THE WORD! U HIT IT SOMEWHERE WHERE HE CAN NOT REACH THE BALL OR HE GETS IT BACK SHORT AND THEN JUST PUT THE BALL AWAY! OF COURSE U HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ALSO VOLLEY! ROGER LEE TENNIS COACH AND I.T.F CHAMPION!
rogerleecyprus 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@rogerleecyprus ROGER LEE YOU ARE A FAGGOT
beahoggie 5 months ago
I fucking hate pushers!!!! I've started playing against a friend who is exactly how the video describes and all he does is moonballs, lobs and dinks the ball back!!!! Arrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!?
I'll be applying these tactics to put him in his place :-)
lavaman233 5 months ago
Hi Will! You look fly in your sunglasses (the coach too). How does one play a chopper? There is one guy in particular whose game I have a lot of trouble with. He slices everything on his forehand and backhand. He never goes for a single shot unless he drags me to the net. I constantly try to move him from side to side, but it gets tiring digging up these low balls that have so much junk on them. When I get a short one, I can't put it away and and I rush the net and he lobs me. Help!
sportywuv 5 months ago
@sportywuv There are two options I can think of: 1. Get him to hit a ball high in his strikezone because it will be harder to keep the ball low for your opponent since he's slicing thus giving you a sitter. 2. Try and sneak in behind a groundstroke when you know that he'll give you a floating and easy volley. There are ofcourse more options but I couldn't think of any more for the moment. When I was younger I beat an experienced chopper by moonballing, it wasn't definitely not pretty but worked.
onehandedbh 1 week ago
@sportywuv If you can't volley or hit overheads just remember that volleys' and (at times) overheads' placement is often enough rather than going for that 'fancy & showy' with all the pace you can muster in to the open court, Nadal is a very good example of this because he might not be the most skillful volleyer but is one of the most efficient and smart when it comes to putting away shots at the net. Hope this helps and as they say 'better late than never'.
onehandedbh 1 week ago
I destroy all pushers!!!! Hahahahahah
Mmcquechuapride4life 6 months ago
Can you stop giving away ways to beat us?
lasredchris 6 months ago
@lasredchris can you stop pushing ?
iRuss876 4 months ago
@iRuss876
yeah, quit tennis already lol
lasredchris 4 months ago
rofl 0:53, click, repeat
Sm3gH3adx 6 months ago
Yea you just have to take their time away by coming in to the net
zKronious 6 months ago
Comment removed
Wackyrcracer 6 months ago
Andy Murray dislikes this video.
sdub86 6 months ago
@sdub86 hes not a pusher.
indyk91 6 months ago
it was really helpful for me i won the pusher easier than other times
magtricks 7 months ago
In the uk we call them hackers haha
FrazerMawson 7 months ago
Pushers unite!!!
avitarz16 7 months ago
i never wanna see a pusher vs pusher matchup
torotnota 7 months ago
@torotnota You're completely right. I was playing a match next to two pushers, and the time it took for us to end a game, they ended a point
Bambads 7 months ago
Caroline's not a pusher by any standard of this video. Anyone who needs to watch this would get MURDERED by her. They'd be lucky to win a point.
TopTenTennisNetwork 7 months ago
Sure we pushers have a crappy way of playing. But at the end of the match, it doesnt matter how beautiful you played bc you still managed to lose since you guys can't keep a long going rally. Non pushers always make the first mistake. :P
avitarz16 7 months ago
hope anyone here can teach how to deal with a "cheater"
kakoiijing 7 months ago
@kakoiijing if u cant beat them, join them
torotnota 7 months ago
I lost to a fxxking pusher today, in a 3 setter, the longest match I've ever played(more than 3 hrs), I tried the tips and modern footwork that they taught us here, actually it really works, but the problem is just as Young said, their "ugly style" actually slow u down, so once u lose ur focus, u will again play in their pace. Actually I should have won today's match, because the guy is not only a pusher, but also a cheater, I don't mind losing to a pusher, but lost to a cheater really upset me
kakoiijing 7 months ago
fxxking hate the pushers, i don't know why people like to keep that "ugly style" instead of changing to play more correct form and play more smooth, but pushers are good opponents to test your level of tennis and improve, once u comfortably beat pushers, then ur tennis level will definitely into another level!
kakoiijing 7 months ago
@kakoiijing hey man same here,i just lost at the first round of a tournament tdy to an irritating pusher, i'm so used to playing with hard hitters,but this idiot was playing so slow, i too became slower
i felt so dissapointed,could have won,but i guess the one that had the least errors win
metal4eva666 7 months ago
I have to agree with one of the comment below that say pushers are much easier to beat compared to hard hitters. I would be really grateful if you guys made a video about how to beat a hard hitter :)
juynsss 7 months ago
Absolutely i too hate the pushers but i think they are necessary to improve my patience!!!
wwwwebsurfer 7 months ago
imo pushers fucking ruin the sport of tennis, but the one thing that makes me feel good is that pushers WILL NEVER IMPROVE THEIR GAME...they may think that they are good, but in the long term, they are just screwing themselves b/c they will always play the same, repetitive, boring style.
aznmatt94 7 months ago
I admit I'm a pusher xD I won my first tournament so now I'm a champ!!!
avitarz16 7 months ago
I hate pushers. Simple.
Sn12345nS 8 months ago
I never had a problem with pushers. I just hit winners or volley. They can never hurt me so no pressure. I can hit winners at any time. I'll eat pushers for lunch compared to hard hitters.
shawnspeed3 8 months ago
I love Pushing, pisses everyone of. LOL.
Go Caro!
mazak 8 months ago
A pusher is someone who gets everything back (often by moonballing) and wins when you start making mistakes...ah ah ah, fantastic definition!!!
maximilian533 8 months ago
very nice, but the problem is, that you have on any level players that are pushers. You will always have to fight and play your style. Never forget to move. By the way, there are many pushers who like to be attacked.
Don't hurry. And try to avoid risky shots. Don't gamble. The most important tip is, that you should at any costs get in lead. Otherwise, it becomes very ugly.
vanlendl1 8 months ago
I drinnk groundie juice with my breakfast now
dansier 8 months ago
Caroline Wozniacki wants this video taken down.
EmilieSagae 9 months ago 39
@EmilieSagae HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHA ROFL
You sir are a joker :P
knkklful 8 months ago
@EmilieSagae Jelena Jankovic too
ctn04132 2 months ago
The best way to beat a pusher is to tell a rival gang that they've been selling on their turf.
janzy1980 9 months ago 10
crap...I'm trying to move from being a pusher to being a confident swinger. pusher will get you B+ (Murray, Wozniacki, Dementieva). I want A (Djokovic, Soderling, Federer).
sdn14 9 months ago
... just go to the net
bamibalboy 9 months ago
I like the shirt will...classic
xr3n3g4d3x 9 months ago
@d0min0danc1ng
It was Wozniacki and Murray
Tigerkev101 9 months ago
Hahaha I'm a Really Good Pusher I can't help it
samerskills 9 months ago
Does this work against Caroline Wozniacki? If it doesn't, I want a refund.
fire1202 9 months ago
@fire1202 Lol. Yeah, if it doesn't work against Wozniacki, then it's useless.
thegreendestiny 9 months ago
Pushers of the world unite!!! stop this evil coalition of bashers!!
justnatural 9 months ago
Pushers- mix pace up, confuse them, and attack them when they give you short balls (generally around the service line). However, pulling them to net works wonders- semi-low drop shots. This is assuming you have the patience/stamina to last.
By the way, at a certain level (top 50 nationally), pushers only have an advantage that fades fast at 14's. At that point, most of them transition into counter-punchers. Defense is always high probability. Don't hate- just learn from their patience.
rwhhwl 10 months ago
pushers.... I think their game is so plain, not much thinking done when you have the exact same plan for every ball that comes to you. one thing that I found to be useful when playing pushers was to recognize you are going to have to be a bit more patient than him/her in a few points. and they generally go for the same shot when you attack them (which is nice to know when charging the net after attack), they use the same patterns a lot which can be recognized and used against them
aulen300 10 months ago
I FUCKIN HATE PUSHERS WITH A FUCKIN PASSION!!
Osca12IHD 10 months ago 86
@Osca12IHD You must have an exceedingly weak mental game.
TopTenTennisNetwork 4 months ago
HOORAY for leftys ;)
klotzinatorinho 10 months ago 3
@klotzinatorinho
Hell yeh! Lefties FTW
GuitarGyros 8 months ago
Fuck Alex Singer... He plays like this...
FreeReery 10 months ago
What's updog?
FreeReery 10 months ago
how would you know your playing style? I've been playing for like 4 years now, still don't know. . . but this video helps though
rebirthovan 10 months ago
Are you related to peyton manning?
seanysean86 11 months ago 2
i dont even play tennis, but it feels like this whole video could be replaced with a screenshot that goes "The best defense is good offense."
iousup 11 months ago
@iousup you are so dumb. i'm glad you don't play tennis because you would be a disgrace lol
07herrow 10 months ago
@07herrow lol whatever. was just a random comment douchebag.
iousup 10 months ago
What's up dog?
Luftwaffells 11 months ago
Really nice tutorial, thanks for that.I think power serving more on the outside, flat quick paced cross court fhnds, anything that opens the way to net attack might also be helpful. Anyone interested to see that in practice should really watch AO 2009 QF and SF where Verdasco took Murray out and was unbelievably close to defeating Rafa - despite his loss after the 5 set gruelling battle, he was better player imho, and gave really brilliant display how to deal with naturally defensive opponents.
phatschtuff 11 months ago
Why are ppl sayin Murray is a pusher? Murray doesnt moon ball ever!
Fenwicky 11 months ago
very good quality on your videos
stoni90 11 months ago
dude i don't get your shirt. What's up dog?
fungamesss 11 months ago
Great video. What I really like about this lesson is how you show the very beginning stage of coming in to take balls out of the air, in a low risk shot.
rwhe5550 1 year ago
ive never had any problems with pushers :S always thought it was an easy match
legoracecardriver 1 year ago
I think the best way to win against a pusher is to play aggressive, but not to overhit. You have to stay patient all the time. My experience showed me, that pushers usually don't like it (I think they really HATE it) when you get at the net as often as you can, with a nice slice for example. Another very effective weapon is to open the court using some nice topsin angles.
You often "don't play" against a pusher, you play against yourself :)
Keep going on your footwork and don't overhit ;)
TheBaDaBoo 1 year ago
@TheBaDaBoo that's what i do, if I can't get an early put-away, i move them around enough to finish them off
TheRussellEmerson 1 year ago
04:31
Will *thoughts*: On the run forehand...oh wait, I'm a pusher.
Will: yeah I can't get to that
imavaughanstar 1 year ago
Apparently 2 "pushers" dislike this video lol...
d0min0danc1ng 1 year ago 38
This is great!! in 16 & under and there are so many girls that i know i should have beaten but i wasnt alert and winning pretty much comes down to footwork.:)
t3nnisluver21 1 year ago
u gotta hit the ball early. On the rise shots get pushers off guard all the time
savge25 1 year ago
I play people who push but with slice on both forehand and backhand. Would you apply the same principles of attack? The ball bounces lower so it can be difficult to take early.
surfjabroni 1 year ago
will i grow taller if i play tennis regularly ?
TheLeilisa 1 year ago
@TheLeilisa most def!
shotyboy29 1 year ago
There are pushers that make you play faster. I've seen some very athletic pushers with amazing control. Playing against 3.5-4.0 highschool players and still being able to push an opponents burning running forehand down the line into the service line at the opposite side of the court. Not all pushers are as lackadaisical as this video made them seem. Some have very aggressive strokes if you give it to them. There are also counter pushers that use your power to hit deep semifast pushes.
sansaephanh1 1 year ago
You attack the pusher with your feet!
laurouq 1 year ago
please dont tell me you are wearing a power band.... those things are useless. as for pushing when i was younger it used to frustrate me so much. i tried to hit winners of ever shot. i wasnt patient enough. now a days they dont bother me. i find coming into the net against them is very effective. they usually cant hit a good passing shot.
AceGuitarR7 1 year ago
I was playing a pusher in friendly match today and I lost 3-6. the set took 3hrs and 10min! I seriously rose my patience level today and push the ball back until i receive a short ball and if he returns my attack, i restart the strategy. I was wondering if theres anyway to decrease this set time length?
1234boom43211 1 year ago
Pushers are the reason I'll probably never play in another club level doubles tournament. Singles I can handle, but when you got two people doing it, it completely ruins the game. In singles, there's almost always better quality opponents as you move up in a tournament. In doubles, this doesn't seem to be the case, save for pro level tournaments.
hattrickster33 1 year ago
i didn't realise this strategy had a name. i told my coach how i lost to one, and he said 'you can't let people like this win, it makes them think they are tennis players'!!! i totally agree, they never win matches, its up to me to win it or lose it. they just return the ball over and over.
warrenvazquez 1 year ago
eh...i lost against a pusher with the worst form last week...thanks for the videos this really helped
AzianguyxD 1 year ago
just lost to a pusher yesterday :( moon balls all over the place
irfanulhaq1 1 year ago
FYB, this is amazing, i consider myself an avg Rec player at best but i love to play regardless of the points. this vid showed me that even at my level i have a chance to give trained players something to think about. the explanation of the pusher helped me to identify some tactics my friends are using from there and with the help of some walking steps and timing, what you have done for me is allowed me to see my best opponent almost want to smash his racket. i still lost but i'm climbing now.
TheJayBz 1 year ago
I hope there are more of these videos coming up on how to beat other types of opponents (counterpunchers, aggressive baseliners, serve-and-volleyers, etc.). :)
yxyana 1 year ago
yes, this was the one that i was asking about xD
ductrung3993 1 year ago
Soo we call pro level pushers counterpunchers huh? hah. Just because they have the whole array of shots we give em a less derogatory term? Its still a pusher. Pushing is basic tennis- win ugly. Get the ball over the net more than the other person. Rely on U.E.s-- This game plan sounds a lot like murrays, nadal, simon, monfils michael russel, ect. Though nadal's attacking more nowadays. I don't knock the style of play. Its defensive tennis..To win at any level, a great defense will get ya far!
exitingforward 1 year ago
@exitingforward a counter puncher is not a pusher ,a pusher is someone who just gets the ball back and deep, a counter puncher is someone who pretty much returns the same reply to the shot you hit most of the time and waits on the right ball to hit a winner such as a short ball, usually they can't just slap a winner from the back like a berdych, del potro, or any of these other guys with a lot of power
9tails23 1 year ago
@exitingforward If you call Nadal, Murray, Simon, Monfils pushers, can you show me a video of your self attacking their shots?
EternalChaos000 1 year ago
@EternalChaos000 I CAN SHOW SOMEONE EVEN BETTER@ BEATING THEM :] ROGER FEDERER!!!!
In tennis circles we call a good pro counterpuncher a "PRO PUSHER". They rely on UNFORCED ERRORS! Even sometimes cream puff their shots (Murray) Your getting into semantics if you wanna say, "a pusher is only at this level, can't really hurt you but feasts on your mistakes." A professional level pusher is labeled as a counterpuncher; highly defensive player with all the variety of shots who can pass an attacker.
exitingforward 1 year ago
@exitingforward Keep in mind this ain't the regular pusher as you might think. A PRO PUSHER is at a different level, if you refuse to grasp the term - just think of it as a counterpuncher. It's winning ugly. Watch your Brad Gilbert vids. His strokes are awesome to my standards but weren't like lendls - wasn't a smacking winners style of play. He won on strategy and getting the ball back. Regardless, defensive tennis life will be shortened eventually by injuries in as time has shown.
exitingforward 1 year ago
@exitingforward Nadal has a winning record at beating Federer, but I see your point. Djokovic is the new guy in town now, and he is possibly my least favorite #1 in existence :).
kelman221 2 weeks ago
lol.. the pusher walks around and watches you die
GussyChonger 1 year ago
wish i would have seen this before my high school regionals... but thanks for this!
20003606 1 year ago
Great Video!
kaibamaddness 1 year ago
what if the pusher hits all weak slice where the ball bounces very low forcing you to either slice back or generate your own pace?
tvillebigbox 1 year ago
@tvillebigbox I play a guy who hits EVERY shot this way (weak to moderate slice). It used to drive me crazy and still does on harder shots which are still sliced. But I figured out that by coming forward as soon as possible, I can volley my way to win points. The trick is the same as stated in this video: take away time for them. This means - for the slice pusher - come to the net early and hit either at or away from them. But stay away from their strike zone or you'll get a winning pass or lob.
axe2grind911 1 year ago
Hey Will: Professional pusher = Date Krumm. lol just kidding. I love her. I also agree that basically at the pro level, even above 5.0 there are counter punchers, not pushers.
On a side note, lots of low level pushers often use light racquets with high power because of their very short stabby strokes. Players looking for longer strokes should be using heavier pro model racquets and not Hammers. This will often help prevent injury as well to the wrist and elbow.
dakels11 1 year ago
Great video, Will and Yann. As I have gotten more experienced, I have to say that I have a lot more respect for pushers. Pushers, at a higher level, are often players who have not trained properly, yet often through a lot of practice, experience, and hand eye coordination are able to keep balls in play with a very low rate of error. These people are really important for players who are training because they become a very good test of skills for the 3.5-4.0 player looking to get better.
dakels11 1 year ago
What rackets do they both use?
ThaMagikMan 1 year ago
@ThaMagikMan Wil is using an nBlade and Yann's using a Pure Storm GT.
SwedeWithAnAccent 1 year ago
Really usefull video
Occhiodiargento 1 year ago
Thanks FYB! the pusher has been my bane since I've started highschool tennis.
Guitarplayer219 1 year ago
u mean how to beat murray!
r0baa 1 year ago
his evil plan... i like that!
dancCONSTANT 1 year ago
thanks for the video! most of my opponents are pusher, so i will try out your tactical advises! thanks from austria
djwonderFOOL 1 year ago
Hey will, I have that racquet.
iscreamlimousine 1 year ago
murray pusher!
frinxblvs 1 year ago
whats updog?
nuttin' much, whassup witchu?
dogg2325 1 year ago
Comment removed
Rot3kmaster88 1 year ago
thanks for the video!
Lol one person here is a pusher
Rot3kmaster88 1 year ago
3:29 is when they start actually playing thumbs up so people can see
simpsonsethi 1 year ago
he is a really bad pusher!!! not the pusher from hell we all hate
Salsainglesa 1 year ago
The comments in this video is better than the video itself. Seriously though, you can't really call Murray a pusher because he does have a killing shot. That is the cross court backhand from the middle of the court. Plus his net game is rather amazing. I think pusher is just a worse version of counterpuncher.
Longlebao 1 year ago
How to beat a pusher:
"Now we're gonna talk about an easy way to beat a pusher. Its called swinging volleys"
/endvideo
;)
lawrencetimmons94 1 year ago
Will's shirt is amazing
awesomeLEE4 1 year ago
quality
Runerival2 1 year ago
bernard tomic = pusher :D
Cfunkkk 1 year ago
play and film a game with this guy a serious game :D
jaimepo8 1 year ago
I wanted to attack pushers with my feet for a long time now... if you know what i mean...
jlwangbu 1 year ago
I think this demonstration would be a lot more convincing and more valuable if Mr. Auzoux is playing an actual pusher, especially a really good one.
boingDC 1 year ago
i wouldnt call monfils a pusher. but if he hit easier shots hed have a great reputation as a pusher. mostly because of his fast feet. in my mind if you can run fast enough and get to any ball then most people would consider you to be a "pusher". is there a easy way to beat somewhon with fast feet and a high amount of endurance?
DaBlockDown 1 year ago
"A pusher is a player that feasts on your Mistakes" hmm I think Rafa fits in to this :D
vincentbadminton 1 year ago
@vincentbadminton A "pusher" is a drug dealer. Trust me, your mom knows.
JaiCourvoisier 1 year ago
can u guys do a video similar but some1 that rush u, faster than what u like to play?
mtlsteven 1 year ago
great video / concepts but wish you would have made it a bit higher level. The 3.0 dinkers you demonstrated really has nothing to do with strategy but just being able to hit a groundstroke properly. The 4-5.0 pushers are what kill. They just play firm but safe groundstrokes and everytime they are rushed . . . moonball to backhand. They know how to play but never take a risk. Unless you are on your winners . . . gg for them.
thegarbageman21 1 year ago