"Pusher" is the common word for a player who returns nearly everything, usually with height and little pace, and waits for you to miss. The word can sound like an insult, and it should not be one. This is a sound tactic. It asks you to prove that you can finish points on that day. If someone beats you this way, they had the better plan, and it is worth learning from.
Why consistent players are so hard to beat
The numbers we could find suit this tactic. In data SwingVision published from its own app users, unforced errors per match outnumbered winners at every level from NTRP 2.5 to 5.0, with about 11 to 12 errors against about 8 to 9 winners from 3.0 upward. SwingVision does not state how the NTRP labels were assigned or how errors were classified, so this is a rough picture of its own users and not a description of any level. It still helps explain why a player who makes few errors can win often.
Three things make this style uncomfortable to play against:
- Your pace comes back. A player who blocks and loops the ball can use the speed you give them.
- High, soft balls are awkward to attack. They land deep, bounce high and arrive above your usual contact height, so you must create your own pace.
- Rallies give you time to think. Each extra ball is another chance to become impatient or to worry about the score.
Are you impatient or passive? Test yourself on video
There are two ways to lose this match, and they need opposite fixes. Impatient players miss early, trying to end points from positions where they cannot. Passive players rally for a long time, ignore short balls and never use the chances they get. Film a match against a consistent player, or a practice set where your partner only defends, and tally about six games by hand.
| Count | How to count it | What a high count means |
|---|---|---|
| Errors before your fifth ball | For each of your unforced errors, note how many balls you had hit in that rally. | If more than half are here, you are probably rushing. Add two balls before you attack. |
| Attacks from behind the baseline | Count each attempted winner from behind the baseline, and mark it as in or out. | If most miss, you are attacking the wrong ball. |
| Short balls left alone | Balls landing near the service line that you let drift back to you, or played as a normal rally ball. | You have gone passive. Your patience has turned into waiting. |
| Net approaches | Each time you came forward on purpose. Mark W for won and L for lost. | A count near zero means your opponent never has to hit a passing shot. |
The thresholds are our suggestions, and you can change them. To go further, sort the same errors into net, long and wide, which shows what kind of miss the impatience produces.
The game plan: depth first, then the right ball, then forward
- Rally deep. Aim crosscourt, about 1 m (3 ft) over the net and past the service line. Deep balls make it harder to play anything but a defensive reply, and they tend to produce shorter balls.
- Name your attack ball in advance. For example: it lands at or inside the service line, it is at waist height or above, and you are balanced. Anything else is another rally ball.
- Attack with a target, not with all your power. Aim at a large area in a corner, about 1.5 m (5 ft) inside the lines. Use a swing you could repeat ten times.
- Move forward behind it. Your opponent then has to hit a passing shot or a lob, which is a different job from rallying. Our guide to when to come to the net covers which balls to approach on and where to stand.
- Bring them forward. Short slices and short angled balls can pull a baseline player into the court, where some are less comfortable. Test this early. Coaches differ on drop shots at club level, because a poor one gives away the point. If you use them, hit them from inside the baseline when your opponent stands deep.
Do not try to out-hit this player. More pace often means more errors from you and more speed for them to use. Changes of height and spin make them create their own pace, and that is what they may do least well.
| Their ball | Try this | Avoid this |
|---|---|---|
| A high, deep ball to your backhand | Step back and rally high and crosscourt, or step forward and take it earlier. Coaches differ, so choose the one you can repeat. | Swinging flat from shoulder height. |
| A soft ball landing near the service line | Approach deep to their weaker side and keep moving forward. | Going for the line from a ball you only just reached. |
| A low, slow slice | Bend your knees, lift the ball with margin and play it deep. | Driving it flat into the net. |
| A lob when you are at the net | Hit an overhead at about 70%, aimed deep at a large area. Let a very deep lob bounce first. | Trying to end the point with one huge overhead. |
| A soft second serve | Move in a step, play a deep return and come forward on the best ones. | Going for a winner on the return. |
A game plan card to take on court
Write this on a card and read it at changeovers. Change the details to suit your strokes.
Expect long points, and bring more water than usual. Do not count how many balls came back or think about how the match looks to others. Use a short routine between points, like the one in our match preparation guide, so that a long rally does not carry into the next point.
A practice routine for playing consistent opponents
Ask a partner to play this style for you. They only need to return the ball high, deep and slowly, and to miss as little as they can. The session takes about 45 minutes. The times and targets are suggestions.
| Block | How it works | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Deep rally, 10 minutes | Crosscourt only. Your partner plays high and deep. Count your balls landing past the service line. | 14 of 20, three times |
| Choose the ball, 10 minutes | Rally until a ball lands at or inside the service line. Say "attack" before you hit it, and attack only that ball. | 7 of 10 attacks in, and no attacks on any other ball |
| Approach and finish, 10 minutes | Your partner feeds 20 short, soft balls. Approach, split step and volley, then hit an overhead if they lob. | Win 10 of 20, then raise it next session |
| Points against a defender, 15 minutes | Play to 11. Your partner only defends. Your unforced error before your fifth ball gives them 2 points. A point you win at the net gives you 2. | Win two of three games |
TennisAI's AI Coach can help you adapt this routine. Tell it your level and the balls that give you trouble, and ask for drills. Its listing does not advertise tactical analysis of your video, so you keep the counts above yourself, on paper.
If you lose to this style often, it does not mean your strokes are bad. It may mean that your plan suits your opponent. Our guide to losing to players you expected to beat has a short worksheet for finding out.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pusher in tennis?
It is the common name for a player who relies on consistency: returning nearly everything, usually with height and little pace, and waiting for the opponent to miss. It is a valid tactic, and the word should not be used as an insult.
How do you beat someone who gets everything back?
Rally deep with margin, choose in advance which ball you will attack, and come forward behind that attack. This makes your opponent hit passing shots and lobs instead of more rally balls.
Should I hit harder against a pusher?
Usually not. More pace often means more errors from you and more speed for your opponent to use. Changing height and spin, and moving forward on short balls, tends to ask more of them.
How do you deal with high, looping balls in tennis?
Coaches differ. You can step back and rally high and crosscourt, or step forward and take the ball earlier. Practice both and use the one you can repeat under pressure.
Is pushing a good tactic in tennis?
It can be, because it gives the opponent many chances to miss. It tends to become harder against players who attack short balls with control and finish at the net.
See this in your own game
Upload a practice or match video to TennisAI and get feedback on your forehand, backhand and serve.
Sources
This article is general information about tennis training and does not replace a coach or medical advice. Stop and see a professional if something hurts. TennisAI is made by Pace, the publisher of this blog.
