Regularly described as annoying players that no one wants to play against, a "ball pusher" is actually someone who understands the main principle of tennis: not making mistakes. They typically don’t attack, don’t take the initiative in the game, but they also never give up and aren’t afraid to hit a lob to buy time, recover their positioning on the court, and disrupt their opponent’s rhythm.
But we could also say that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are ball pushers, based on how they always manage to get one more ball for their opponent to play, right? Maybe not, because these two players return the ball with a quality that we don’t normally associate with that term.
In junior and veteran categories, we often see more players with this type of game, typically for similar reasons, though with younger players, it’s sometimes due to a lack of confidence. In general, excessively lifting the ball or slowing down the game happens when we can’t keep up with the opponent’s pace, or we simply don’t have the ability to counter the game being played on the other side of the court.
However, it’s important to note that this "style of play" adheres to the fundamental principle of tennis: getting the ball over the net and into the opponent's side without missing. Sometimes, it can be frustrating or even sacrilegious to watch or play these games, but the truth is that the burden of doing something is entirely on the attacking player, the one trying to take control of the game. The challenge is maintaining the clarity to attack without going overboard, keeping the percentage of unforced errors low.
The biggest similarity between younger and older players is often their lack of ability to accelerate the ball enough to generate pace without hitting it out. This all starts to create frustration for the player trying to take control of the game, who often ends up making more mistakes than usual, against an opponent who makes few, if any, mistakes and is well-prepared to handle all those errors and frustrations.
In summary, no one likes a ball pusher, no matter the level of play, but the truth is that tennis is really about that: getting the ball to the other side, within the court's limits. It’s up to each player to decide what strategies to adopt to do this most effectively, within their abilities. And if you face a ball pusher, remember, don’t despair—they make mistakes too. Just prepare yourself for a slightly longer game than usual.