By Jim McLennan

(September 29, 2010)

THE DREADED PUSHER.

They slow the ball down, they slow the game down, they get to everything, and rarely hit winners. We are EXPECTED to win, but more often than not they become just another BAD LOSS.

Pushers master the following:

Retrieve and Recover. They hit the ball slow, move their feet quickly, and are rarely out of position.

Patience. They enjoy long rallies, and this becomes their ultimate weapon.

Footwork. They move their feet, not powerfully but rather in many small steps all about the court.

Consistency. The accumulation of errors can break our spirit, so their consistency simply enables you and me to miss, and this creates more havoc than an opponent who simply hits winners.

So nearly everyone prefers “playing up.” A better player (as well as our personal coach) hits the ball more firmly, while lesser players often push. We find rhythm against the “hitters” but truly struggle with “lesser opponents.” Everyone has felt this at one time or another. Universal problem.

WAITING ON THE BALL

Pushers, moon ballers and slow ball hitters disrupt our rhythm. Coaches (and parents) introduce “racquet back” in the initial series of lessons. Prepare early, get the racquet back, and get ready. Then the coach sets up a friendly tempo that reinforces early preparation (why we all play better with our coach!). With pushers our errors occur from preparing and stepping too early – said again our loss of rhythm and confidence occurs from preparing and stepping too early – instead you must turn to the side early, keep your feet moving, and delay the backswing until after the bounce.


Years ago I arrived for a lesson with Tom Stow and he asked me to warm up with a young intermediate girl. After a few minutes I complained (read annoyed) that I couldn’t find any rhythm to which Tom demanded, “Jim, you are not playing her, you are playing the ball. Now move quickly, get on balance and play gracefully, no matter what.”
The lesson was get to the ball early. Keep my feet moving, and then WAIT TO STEP AND SWING. Once again, get to the ball early. Keep my feet moving, and then WAIT TO STEP AND SWING.

And once you have spent many an afternoon practicing this waiting thing, then check out the dreaded pusher yet again. You will have to be patient, you will have to move your feet, you will have to manage your errors – but now with better rhythm this may be a far less unpleasant task.
PS. Many use the word ANNOYED when faced with issues they don’t LIKE. And of course pushers annoy anyone who plays error prone impatient tennis. You can turn this situation upside down by changing your LIKES. Find a way to enjoy the opportunity presented by that patient consistent moon baller. To read more about changing your “likes” check out a great book, Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson.




Jim McLennan is the Editor of TennisOne and publisher of Essential Tennis Instruction, and insightful and cutting edge blog on tennis. He is the Tennis Director at the Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills, California, he holds a masters degree in Sports Psychology, is a past president of the USPTA’s NorCal division, and has been a lifelong player teacher and student of the game of tennis.

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