I play against a guy exactly like him. Leftie with zero topspin to his game. Pure junk and lobs. Lures you in when you approach the net and then lobs one over your head and passes you. This is like watching myself lose
I am 53 years old and play my 16 year old son 3 times a week. I showed him this video. He said" Hey Dad, you play like the guy in green." Should I be mad?
Just watching green shirt for three minutes makes my brain hurt and makes me want to cry. That’s not an insult; he’s very good at what he does. Playing someone like him is my tennis nightmare.
@@TennisTrollChannel being able to use different strokes and styles does not make you a pusher. Brad could play tennis this guy seems to mainly have junk shots. Its total sh#t to watch everyone including him knows it.
Ritterkiste he’s awesome. White shirt did well in the second set and may have had a small opportunity to take a strong lead in the second set but green continued to play his game and pulled through.
Dirty? Troller? Wtf? I dont like his style too... But for me.. Dirty and troll is a player that cheat, call balls in and out to win, and fucks the game.... In this case, its just a style of play, clearly much more based on a lack of experience, properly technique and skill, than any kind of dirtness and trolling...
I belive that the way to beat the green shirt would be: 1- returning his serve deeper, not letting him get an easy ball to dictate the point 2- keeping the crosscourt rally as much as possible and waiting for the right ball to attack, not giving him any angle Of course it is easier said than done. This video helps making a strategy since It would be more difficult while playing. I also struggle against that style of oponnent. Another great video! Thanks again.
The Pusher's main strengths are placement, touch, and of course, consistency. The professor's weapons are not developed enough to outright punish any one of those slices, lacks consistency, and seemed unwillingly to run down drop shots. This pusher seems to be the classic test of whether your game is real to the point where your mechanics are rock-solid consistent, and your weapons are truly reliable weapons.
Good point. To beat green, you'll have to consistently attack again and again if your strategy is to attack. Tough to do in 100 degree weather against green.
@@TennisTrollChannel also, is it just me, or was green taking balls very very early? That, combined with consistent depth, it seems hard to grab one of those low deep balls and do something damaging with it.
The professor was very good at making green shirt constantly have to play defense and keeping him on the run. His shots are also probably much faster than they appear on film, as is the case with everybody. He deserves credit.
Completely true. But the most important thing in my opinion is that you need to be mentally ready for it. We have a lot players like this in our competition here in Holland on clay. Most lose of them because they have the wrong mentality: they think they play way better and are not prepared for a long match and willing to wait for the opportunities. One technical thing I notice with almost every opponent MEP plays is that they stop moving after a few points and stand almost still.
There's not enough amateur videos featuring pushers which make videos like this an absolute gem for analysis. Again, green shirt guy may appear harmless but he is an absolute beast on shot control. His toolbox is unconventional but he's a master at using them. He simply is incapable of hitting a ball out which deserves mad respect. For Business Professor, you have the tools to hurt him but you're giving him 'get outta jail' cards left and right. As soon as you see him scramble off a good shot you have to close in and volley off his response and end the point. Anyway, I'd love to see someone who's a righty use a massive double's slice serve forcing this guy off the court on the deuce side since he's a lefty and then hit into the open court.
Good assessment of the match. I think Professor had opportunities in the second set to take a controlling lead but it didn't work out for the him. Both players raised their game in second set and green found a way to counter and pull through.
Green is a highly specialized player. His strategy is as much about maximizing his abilities (dropshots, lobs, passing shots, shot anticipation), as it is about mentally and physically grinding down his opponent (giving them the feeling that they are the technically superior whilst forcing them to go for low percentage winners by excellent court positioning and feeding smart deep junk balls). I agree with TT that he surpasses the traditional pusher playing style, but he does use many elements of it expanded with a select few finely honed weapons. Only when green is pulled out wide with a shorter cross court shot will you get an opportunity for a winner in the other corner. White applied that tactic successfully in the second set. Or when green is forced to be at the net his volleys are vulnerable, sadly for white his passing shots were quite underwhelming so could not be deployed for a winning tactic. White had good patience and showed stable and positive mentality during the match, which at least gave him a good chance and allowed a nicely contended second set. If white improves his (counter) dropshots and passing shots he will increase his available match strategies and have much better odds to beat green in a future match.
This is a pretty good summary of the match in my opinion. I did not play the match, but from my perspective, white had a small opportunity to take a significant lead in the second set but green fought back and won. There may have been one or two missed opportunities for white in the second set. When playing green, opportunities are rare. When they come, it may be your only chance.
I know that patience is required when playing against this type of player, but in my opinion the professor was TOO patient. He let himself get lured into playing the pusher's game for most of the first set. In the second he forced the issue more but still only closed in on the net about half the time that he should have based on his approach shot. I think the professor needs more confidence on his swinging volleys and overheads: the pattern here should be drive hard to the corner, come into the net, and put away the lob to the opposite corner.
I don't think white's movement was up to the task of implementing that strategy. With good movement he could have finished many points and not let MEP back in.
White is just a pusher himself. Green is simply better and white’s rare sparks pf aggression wouldn’t last full match. Green never felt in danger and knew he’d get 99% of the balls anyway. Easy W
I love the way MEP plays. I have a very similar game. I love lobbing and hitting lob type shots even when my oppenent is at the baseline, it causes tons of errors and generates untold psychological advantage. I throw in the very occasional topspin when my opponent is vulnerable. My ideal opponent is an over confident baseliner. Truly consistent players beat me though, they dont have to be great players, just consistent and psychologically strong. Keep videos of MEP coming, he's my guy.
lob into the sun is underrated or into the wind my opponents get blinded a lot always chose side with sun behind me or wind blowing towards me played a promising young junior once in 120km winds he couldnt handle it match was over in 25 mins 6/0 6/1
My eyes are still bleeding, this guy remind me a former partner I used to face once per week for several years...I broke several racquets on those times...lol. My poor friend got very sick and three months later he died. I miss you my friend, you were very special in and out the court.
One big advantage green shirt has is he hits virtually every ball with a degree of underspin. That makes his shots more penetrating than you might expect and his dropshots very disguised. Very hard to see when the ball will drop short. He also has a ton of control and knows how to put the opponent in trouble and also how to keep him back with deep shots and his movement is deceptively good. White shirt did pretty well, I think. The main thing he was having trouble with was seeing dropshots early enough to get to them or do anything useful when he did get to them. Green shirt used them liberally to good effect. Otherwise, white shirt did a pretty good job of moving green shirt side to side with enough power to illicit a short ball and had enough skill to put a lot of them away or at least keep the pressure on until he could put them away. I thought that perhaps he could have done a bit better job getting to the net on deep shots which put Green in trouble by anticipating a weaker shot. I think on too many he allowed Green time to get back into the point with a high shot that wasn't all that deep. Probably should have taken more of those with an overhead. I think the worst thing you can do is hit the ball continually right back to Green, playing HIS game. White did a pretty good job of avoiding that for the most part and made it a match in the second set... If you can't put pressure on Green you are toast...
Long comment incoming! I love analyzing these tennis matches because it helps me improve my own game so please pardon my rambling lol. Great match!!! High-quality play from start to finish. Most exhausting is RELENTLESS. Those drop shots and passing shots at net look like a nightmare to counter. He's excellent at forcing his opponents to attempt harder shots to try and break his rhythm and always making them play 2 or 3 extra balls in every rally. Most Exhausting won so many points off of Professor errors! This was very effective for him in the first set. I think in the second set Prof did a great job of focusing on moving Most Exhausting around and that's where the weakness in the junk baller/ pusher is I think. It's not "just come to net." Pushers like camping out and hitting slices and tricky spin, poaching you to net then lobbing or passing you. "Just come to net" is not the answer lol (unless you're playing a very low skill pusher). Plus if you're not super confident at the net which is true for many of us recreational baseliners, you just throw yourself out of rhythm. For example at 3:08 where Professor returns balls to the center of the court and seems to play Most Exh's game of junk balling, Most Exh takes the point easily. At 1:14 same thing happens. Prof gives junk back and also comes to net, Most Exh casually lobs him and wins point. Pretty sure Exh hit at least 10-15 successful Lobs/Drop shots in this match! The guy is slippery! Letting pushers stand in the center of the court is what they want! They can lob slice and pass all day from there. Getting them moving around and out of position and applying consistent pressure is your best bet at sinking back into points as a more aggressive baseliner (which i think Professor resembles). for example at 4:45 and 11:26 Professor plays high percentage shots (with a couple tough shots in there) that simply keep Most Exhausting moving and he comfortably dictates the point. Prof also does this at 13:26 constantly moving Exh around and dictating the point. Not going for kill shots, just never letting Exh settle his feet down. Professor almost seemed to be in a winning rhythm in the second set sticking with this strategy but Most Exh did a good job of sticking around and countering with court coverage and consistency. Say what you want about pushers but you can't say they don't win matches lol. I'm a quite impatient aggressive baseliner so all the pushing and junk balling will typically make me overhit in frustration. Gonna try and apply more tactical placement for moving my opponent around rather than hammering inside out forehands our fo frustration haha. Great Match both players put on a show!
@@Bubbles99718 lol this is false. USTA 4.5s are competitive "recreational" tennis players. They have much more dynamic play and varied strategy than 3.0-4.0s but they are not pro. What do you mean by a "true 4.5?"
@@Pastarastaman100 Who said "pro"? No one. 4.5 is very solid play. Ex competitive guys, HS or college level or guys who picked it up and really dedicated themselves to the game. The rest of their games get thrown off by this guy but watch the serves of his 2 competitors. That is 100% in their control. Their serves are 3.5 level, maybe soft 4.0 level. A better way. Simply watch other 4.5 tennis vids. TennisTim for example. Those guys would crush him. That's the bigger point, this isn't 4.5 tennis. Not by a long shot.
@@Bubbles99718 I watch TennisTim. Because TennisTim could beat him does not mean he's not a 4.5. Additionally, ATL and VA (where i live) have very vibrant tennis communities from what I have seen. According to the bio for this vid, green shirt "played USTA 4.5 league in both Atlanta and Virginia. He also reached the final of a 300 points NTRP 4.5 Championship tournament in Virginia by defeating the #1 and #3 seeds in the second and third rounds." This guy is winning matches in 4.5. What metric are you using to determine what a "true 4.5" is? His form is definitely unorthodox but I don't think he's an easy opponent. Consistent pusher/ junk baller opponents who also have lobs passing shots and good fitness are def a challenge at the recreational level. I don't agree that a "true 4.5" would crush this guy (whatever that means)
Relentless- that’s a good word. Your assessment is spot on. Professor had opportunities to take a strong lead in second set but green shirt found a way to take back the lead and close out the match. I found the match exciting to watch- especially the second set as they have contrasting styles and it was a tight set. Both raised their games in the second set in my opinion.
People keep calling the gentleman in the green shirt a “pusher”....I would agree that he is not out there trying to hit a lot of winners, but his movement and tactics are aggressive. He is always recovering to take advantage (either inside the baseline or behind to defend) after his shots. And when he is inside the court he tends to choose the front court of his opponent instead of the backcourt for his target. Although it’s played softly, it is still an aggressive play to keep his opponent off balance and make them run. His tool is a sharp little knife instead of a machete.
I agree completely. I think he's more of a counter-puncher. Pusher hits moonballs all day. Green attacks and counters. He attacks by bringing player to the net and then passing/lobbing him.
I would agree aggressive junk baller. but man his deop shots or however you want to call it are crazy effective. white shirt doesnt look slow and cant get nost of this magic balls
Yeah, he would just eat up balls landing around the service line, mostly with drop shots, I counted more than 10 of those. Attacking him at the net wasn’t a successful strategy because most of the approach shots were too weak and green short is an excellent lobber - most lobs landed a foot inside service line. Playing deep shots side to side seemed like the best pattern, confirming Ian’s analysis posted today
MEP is a great example of how tennis can be played in many different ways up to a certain level. One thing is clear he doesn’t do well with the harder flatter shots with pace that make him run to the ball.
Take this. The green shirt guy, for me, always hit the ball with slice (fh/bh) when the ball comes easy/he is in ready position. Then, hit the ball with drive (fh/bh) when he is running (ball is far from him).
Azmi Belajar agree- I would think it would be the other way around. It’s one of many reason he’s unorthodox. Think he’ll hit a weak shot in the run and instead he drives it and surprise you.
The brilliance of this style (yeah I said it) is the how little energy he expends on most points. It would be hard to drag him out in deep water, and by then he’s already got you on a string. That BH is hard to read too. Respect.
Definitely. If you watch all his videos, you will see that the other 4.5 players he plays against are working harder than him on most points. This is the real reason his opponents start missing...they start going for shots because they know they can't outlast him
MEP is a beast...to be that patient and and annoying (not meant as a slight) is fun to watch...its not always about perfect strokes, sometimes its about a game plan and endurance.
There are a lot of things we can learn and copy from the green player, even if we don’t play that style. For example his anticipation, positioning, feel for drop shots and lobs. I already slice my backhand but recently started to use the forehand slice more often with good success
@@TennisTrollChannel I won a mixed doubles tournament with a gal who was the best player in her HS when she was young, and had one of the best records anyone from that school ever had. She has a damaged foot from birth, so she is not fast, but she had great ground strokes. At about 40, she switched to a mostly-slice forehand approach, and found it was even more effective than her already top notch topspin forehand. She plays rec doubles with 4.5 men all the time.
Congrats on the channel dude. Great content! Regardless of the technical analysis that we all do when watching, the videos bring a bigger message of how fun this sport can be anyways, and how you can have a thriller of a match playing with your friend at an empty park. Keep up the good work!
Matheus Torres excellent point. Thank you for sharing your comment. Tennis is a fun sport and that should be our first goal. Sometimes we forget when we have a bad day, but in the end, it’s always fun. Thank you for the compliment : ]
My late father was a self-taught comedian junk master - yet nothing sinister/antagonistic about him - he loved everybody. Got me into tennis which led to a college scholarship. I remember a doctor at the racquet club (who yearly spent big $$ on lessons, the kind who buys gold edition matched racquets in a violin case) storming off the court, furious, red faced, cursing, "...never! NEVER again!...". - after losing to my old man. Priceless.
j alspach had same experience playing a young junior who didn't like all the dropshots lobs I gave him he was warned for swearing took ages to win as I was suffering from dry eyes from laser surgery and a stomach ulcer at the time was in nz Eastbourne club
@@kiwi123467 My teenage daughter has been dancing Hula since 3 - with a consistently award winning Halau. Loves & is expert in Maori & Tahitian as well. Cheers & Aloha from Hawaii to those in the Land Of The Long White Cloud!
@@TennisTrollChannel Professor has 4.5 groundies and serve, but blah on movement, flat-footed a lot, waits for ball to drop on those sitters, allowing green shirt to get back into position. How does prof do against other 4.5 players who feed him some depth and pace? Professor's most sophisticated overhead saving match point after the underhand serve (greenshirt trying to showcase his whole repertoire of junk in one match?). You never know though, green shirt may have more up his sleeve, like a big serve (after all he's big and kinda looks like Kevin Anderson with the little white hat!). Greatest achievement for professor: keeping his cool and being a good sport.
David Lewes In my opinion, I think Professor was saving his energy. It was hot and just rained. The 3 of us spent an hour squeeging the court to make the video as that was the only day available for the 3 of us (the court next to us is soaked). Before covid, Professor won a men’s open tourney which had numerous 4.5 players. I also think Professor has recently started playing tennis again due to Covid. He may not be acclimated to the heat yet.
Is anyone here old enough to remember Brad Gilbert? He was the professional equivalent of Green Shirt... I saw him beat Boris Beck in the Legg Mason tournament back in the 80s, He was a nightmare for Becker. Then Ivan Lendl cleaned up Gilbert because his consistent power was too much for Gilbert's limited game. But poor Becker was talking to himself and cursing in German the whole match that we was losing to Green Shirt Gilbert. Gilbert was also a master of strategy... Green shirt shows a lot of that.. realizes that the Business Professor is vulnerable to drop shots and he isn't that comfortable at the net.
I loved his book, "Winning Ugly" after I tried to play good tennis with little success. I'm not a pusher or retriever but try to do things that are tactically smart and can appreciate MEP taking the pace off the ball, limiting opponents' options with low slices, being in the right position and not being afraid to run, etc. If he added some weapons (say a good serve and crisp volleys) he'd be very hard to overcome at the 4.5 level.
Green shirt is a pusher, but I don't use that as a denigrating term. He is very very good. Measured in all his shots. Incredible shot control. He always gives himself time back to get into position. Great drop shots. Excellent tennis IQ. You lost... but you lost to a really good player. No shame in that.
Professor put up a valiant effort. I think he had some opportunities to take a significant lead in the second set. Green shirt countered everything. I think green is more of a counter puncher as he doesn't hit moonballs all day and he has an answer for every strategy. It is what makes green so difficult to beat.
I came from hating that style of playing, to loving it lol. Much respect to the green lantern tennis legend! I need to change my style to his - so relax, without putting so much effort. Such a smart way to play. :)
Thank you for the compliment to the players as the players do read this comments. I agree - I would love to copy his drop shot skills, his control/placement, and consistency to my game. He does it so well.
One would think this is a 4.5 playing against a 3.0, as this is a perfect example of how you can't judge a player on his stroke technique. He does every wrong technically, but the bottom line, HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN!! Congrats to both players for giving us an entertaining match!! 👍👍👍👏👏👏🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾
Thank you for complimenting our players as they do read the comments. I agree with you - bottom line is knowing how to win and green does an excellent job of winning at his level.
People can’t believe the green shirt guy is 4.5 and in my opinion he is solid 4.5 and probably can hang with 5.0s. A lot people ideas about tennis technique is what they see on the tv, the professionals, aesthetically pleasing however there are many ways to play this game. Yes, the green shirt technique is unorthodox or ugly or whatever you might call it but the way he constructed the points, the dropshots, the lobs, and the underspin are all very technical and he does a damn good job at it.
Not sure how he'll do with an average 5.0 player. A 5.0 player is a better player - they are rated higher than 4.5 for a reason. However, I do not think an average 5.0 player will win 6-0 6-0 against green. I think it'll be still be a long match and green will get several games due to his consistency and unique style.
@@albertcamus5970 if I know what a 5.0 is then he would get killed. Maybe I dont know what 5.0 is ? If you hit a swinging volley he couldnt hit all those floating revovery shots. Also I have never seen a good volleyer against him. It seems like if you moved well at the net green shirt would never win a point
I know there are plenty of videos about "how" to beat pushers but I would like to see a video where someone actually does that! The green shirt guy has a lot of skills and uses them to the max.
Green is a tough opponent as you say. What makes him even more challenging is he is more of a counter puncher. He can hit winners and passing shots. He hits drops shots also. Pushers then to hit moon balls all day. In my opinion, green may appear defensive, but his defense prepares his offense attack. If green is willing to be video more, we’ll make it happen.
I like how (TBP) The Business Professor adapted his game in the second set, going mostly to the backhand where MEP is not nearly as effective. I think TBP can beat him if he makes him hit mostly backhands and waits for a short ball to then attack the open court, like he did several times. To me the key is to feed 80% to backhand, attack the forehand when there is a short ball and close in but not too much waiting for a floater or a lob that can be taken off the air. I would say overall, good match!
Abelardo Mieres I thought TBP had an opportunity to take a significant lead in the second set but MEP raised his game too and pulled through. Attacking bh with most opponents is usually a good idea. TBP did find success in the second set.
Jesus, I'm having flashbacks. Green shirt reminds me of this guy I faced in an NTRP 4.5 tournament when I was about 25. The guy was probably pushing 70. I swear he didn't move at all and his ground strokes looked identical to this guy. He drove me absolutely nuts and just about ran me to death.
It's a tough style to compete against. It's a challenge. It's interesting how we all know of at least 1 player similar to green's style. I thought it was rare, but apparently it's more common.
@@TennisTrollChannel He bageled me in the first set. I eventually figured out he couldn't move (as opposed to just didn't want to move) and I started playing a lot of drop shots and side to side shots. I won the second set 7-6 and the third 6-1. I swear that first set remains a nightmare that still haunts me.
Negative Solutions at least you pulled through. It’s interesting how we remember the details of specific matches. I’ll always remember my match with green shirt. It’s awesome.
Here's my take. Green shirt is a master in recovering back into position....in part because he always gives himself plenty of time by floating back every ball as a slice with ample net clearance. I barely recall his ever having hit a ball into the net. So, take that time away from him by driving the ball flatter and lower with pace...preferably deep into the corners. That's the only situation where he gets off balance and he misses when he does. Come in on his mediocre serve and hit it on the rise. Rush his floater slices at every opportunity and take them as a swinging volley. Drop volley him cross court if he gets it back. Lob him if he's able to get to the drop (he has no overhead), but stay deep in the box to cover in case he can get back a lob. Or hit a counter-drop cross court. I know this is a high risk strategy, but what would you rather do....lose every point on a twenty ball rally, or shorten the points to save fuel and go down swinging ?
Great observation. I’ve lost to (green shirt) type guys a lot , but usually not more than once. Especially after analyzing their game. These green shirt guys stay the same and never change their style. I do appreciate playing these type though because you have to figure out a certain strategy to beat them.
Great point. Swinging volleys to eliminate his recovery time and then expect a lob from him. Also, no one seems to incorporate serve and volley against him.
It is high risk strategy. It can work if a person is good enough to execute it for 2+ hours in July heat. I think those that can do that consistently are a level or two better. A player at green's level is unlikely to be able to consistently use a high risk strategy for 2+ hours.
@@TennisTrollChannel Agree. You'll lose points on unforced errors pushing the pedal to the metal for 2-3 sets, but you may give yourself a fighting chance on balance.
Can you give us the stats of the match? WInners, unforced errors, forced errors, aces, double faults, 1st serve in %, 1st serve win % second serve win % etc etc? I think green shirt hit a surprising number of winners and forced errors that get overlooked due to his style of play!
We have talked about this extraordinary player before and Essential Tennis even devoted a 4 piece video to the man, in "how to beat pushers". Not sure green shirt is too happy about all that exposure :) Still, I find this both amusing and instructive to watch and let me be clear: I would lose myself against the man, for lack of consistency. Essential Tennis is a 1000x more reliable source of information, a better player and tactician than I am but I disagree with him on one thing: that you should move the guy forward and backward with drop shots and lobs (as opposed to making him run laterally, which he likes, says Ian W). My reason for this (possibly mistaken) belief is that moving a player about on the field, whether laterally or longitudinally, is exactly green shirt's game and you should not play his game, because he's better at it. You can see this in this match, where the short game mostly goes into his favor. Where the game goes into white shirt's favor, is when he consistently applies pressure by sending good topspin balls into the corners. Speed & (top)spin is NOT the man's game and he can't beat you at that. He's constantly trying to take the speed out of it and make it a placement contest. Look at set 1 game 4, there's your strategy. But it's not easy, because he's used to the slow pace and you're not. So you have to bring the speed into the ball yourself, ball after ball, which requires a different mechanic and timing than a topspin rally, where you can reuse the opponent's speed. Another treacherous thing is the footwork. Just like tennistroll did against green shirt, white shirt becomes slow on his feet because the pace of the ball is slow. He's not jumping, he's walking or even standing still. See 6:38 (he wins the point despite moving slowly) The contrary is required because for drop shots or other slow paced but well placed balls, you need to be quick on your feet! So quick feet, consistent attacks, with good topspin side to side, an occasional drop shot, sure, but above all dictate your own game. That's what I'd do, if I could :)
Green is a challenge to play against. He's so good at what he does which is making his opponents uncomfortable. I think drop shots are a good idea IF the player can hit drop shots well. If player isn't good at it, it's a bad idea as they will hit most in the net or too deep which plays into green's game as you mentioned. Most players are not good at hitting drop shots consistently. I too struggle with it. I do agree with hitting topspins into the corners and looking for opportunities to attack. It's a good strategy against green and any opponent. Good point about footwork - we all begin to "walk" to the ball as we get tired and the ball speed is slower. Then we are surprised when green hits a drop shot winner or drive a ball by us because we were caught flat-footed. That's an excellent observation which I've noticed in the posted videos and the videos to come.
I play a right-handed version of Green's game, but my BH is not as good...my FH is at least as good, and I drop and lob well. The players that gave me the most trouble were those that could hit high, heavy topspin shots deep to my backhand consistently....like Nadal does. But righties, of course, have to hit this shot inside-out. I could float those ball back, but inevitably, I'd give a short reply that they could come in and attack. Green's FH is better than his BH. I would try to hit almost everything to his BH, I would try to dropshot him before he dropshot me, and try to test his net game I would mix in some serve and volley.....and I'd probably get beaten, but it would be fun trying....
I'm a lefty starting tennis seriously at about the age that green shirt began; self taught as well (at least so far). Watching this match was very inspiring as I have a lot of tennis IQ to build.
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Haha. Seriously, though. This video is a perfect representation of how someone with unconventional strokes but high tennis IQ can completely dismantle someone whose game “looks” better. Lots going on here. Really interesting match.
Green shirt has a huge advantage of first-time surprise. I believe Business Professor would start to win this after a few match ups to get used to the player, if he could recover his mental well being to endure it again.
Ivan Werning playing green for the first time and not being familiar with his style may be an advantage for MEP. I think opponents would underestimate him. In this match up, both players have competed against each other in past.
When you play a pusher, you need to be able to finish the net points otherwise you are looking at very long exhausting day. You also need to get a pusher out of their comfort zone. Bring the pusher into the net with some short angle shots. You must have a good net game and a overhead against a pusher to be successful.
Ken Harris agree- against a pusher it’s important to come in. Against a counter puncher (which is what I think green truly is), he wants you to come to net so he can pass you as that is playing to green’s strength. In my opinion, I think green wants you play him with a pusher strategy. If you do, you play to green’s strengths.
@@TennisTrollChannel I think the strategy of hitting hard up the middle against a pusher or a counter puncher anticipating the short ball that can be attacked. Pushers and counter punchers generally react well when they have to move but when you hit hard up the middle it gets a little more difficult for them to use the angles. Once you get a short ball it must be hit with authority and then cover the tracking of your shot. If you approach up line then cover the line at the net as it its harder for the passing shot to be redirected cross court and vice versa.
@@kenharris7194 agree it is a matter of controlled aggression, whenever white attacked on his own terms he was mostly successful. he needed to be patient and used more angles and not hit so many soft balls back, he needed to continue using his good groundstrokes and attack at the right moment. I know it is easier said than done, you need to be confident in your strokes and thats not easy to do when you get soft balls, but based on how white was hitting, I think he have good enough stroke to dictate rallies.
Ken Harris I believe you is correct. I agree. Reduce their angles. Force them to create it. I like the idea. Approach down the line is a good suggestion too. Make them force an angle.
This is the 2nd video I've watched of the junkballer and both times I get very jealous thinking about how he's probably played on the same set of strings for the last 5 years and never spent a penny. I've been doing it wrong this whole time. 🤣
@@TennisTrollChannel loose strings give you more control plus dont break much could play more than 6 months before they wore out different if you play power players then last only 2 months
Have to be patient to beat a pusher. It’s not easy. Your shots need to be deep and you need to move him around until he gives you a short ball. Then you either put away the winner or you hit one extra shot move in and hit the put away. So much easier said than done because guys like this love running down balls. Great video tennistroll! Thank you to both players!!!!!!
Green is difficult to beat asI think green is more of counter-puncher. No matter what you do (come to net, grind, drive, stay back), green has an answer for everything.
@@TennisTrollChannel I agree. You need to have a big serve and a good kick serve where you get a lot of free points or off balance replies to make the likelihood of holding serve higher. A heavy high bouncing heavy topspin forehand would help too. Green shirt wants you to come into the net so he can lob you. You need to have a good overhead to counter that. Also you should not stand real close the net to make lobbing you more difficult. Green shirt does not hit a lot of topspin so it is not like the ball will be diving at your feet causing you to volley up frequently. White shirt did not have a strong enough forehand in the mid court when approaching the net to hurt green shirt enough. It made it easy for green shirt to execute a lob or passing shot. Most of the time it was a lob. I would say that in every match green shirt has the same strategy. He wants to hit drop shots to bring you in and then lob you. You have to make that strategy not effective for him. Then he has to do something else. White shirt is playing green shirt's game.
@@Mr10usdad high deep to his backhand when he hits short drop shot him and lob make him run up and backwards never let him dictate pace or hit down middle to him test out his vollies
This just goes to show that at the end of the day, your average 4.5 level player (myself included) really isn't that good. Like many people have already mentioned, in order to beat green shirt you have to have consistently powerful ground strokes to move him around and also be able to consistently finish off points at the net while being in great shape to run down all those drop shots. Basically, you have to be a very high level 4.5 or 5.0 to beat him. The average 4.5 or lower player won't be able to do it consistently enough over the course of a whole match to win. Also, if you've never recorded yourself playing and watched it later, you'll grossly exaggerate how good you actually are!
I think 4.5 is really good for recreational players. When compared to college players and pros, I agree - there is a significance difference in level. You is correct - I think the average 4.5 player will struggle playing against green. A player may need to be a strong 4.5/borderline 5.0 to have a good chance of beating green. Even then, it won't be 6-0, 6-0. In my opinion, it will be tough, long match. Excellent point about the videoing. It's an eye opener when we see ourselves on camera.
@@TennisTrollChannel I agree. You're not beating green unless you're a super strong 4.5-5.0, but you're not waxing him unless you're an upper echelon 5.0 or higher.
This is the strange part it has nothing to do with level, it is about adapting to a certain style. Many players at 3.5 play this way. I think a younger 3.5-4.0 who likes to run, hits heavy and can smash overheads would beat him but would lose to the professor due to consistancy . As we get older we don't want to chase down 80 drop shots.
@@info781 I disagree. 3.5-4.0 level guys won't have the consistency AND pace to beat green. They might have one or the other, but not both, which is why they're at the 3.5-4.0 level to begin with. You're right that you see a similar style of play at the 3.5 level, but green plays that game at a MUCH higher level than they do.
You can say you are pretty good at tennis when you can beat player like green shirt...thanks to both players to share this with us, well done to green shirt for his win and to show us you don’t need to hit the ball crazy to win a game but also congrats to white shirt to keep his cool all the game...not that easy to do....he was close in the second set because he was able to stay focus, better chance next time !
TennisTroll Channel ever in Brisbane be happy to play you similar style but am 64 so you would need to take it easy on me can't run as well these days lol
IKNOK the real Dustin Brown? I wish. We can get someone similar to Dustin Brown at the 4.5/5.0 level. We are discussing it. May try to video before end of month.
For what I can see. If you give a junk ball for green shirt he’ll just drop shot you and the lobby, he’s great at drop shots; meanwhile white shirt lost numerous opportunities of going to the net when stressing green shirt, if you make your opponent run just go to the net! Also to beat green shirt you’ll need to have drops and some slice “low bounce” shots in your sleeve
good point- green may want you to hit chips shots at him so he can control the point by hitting a drop shot or even punish the shot and go for a winner. Essential Tennis has a video that explains this in excellent detail. As you said, making green run left and right and to the net (use the entire court) is a good suggestion.
I've played a couple of guys like green shirt in the 4.5's when I was playing tournaments in SoCal around 8 years ago. Takes a lot of patience. Thank God I am also a marathon runner and I love to mix up the balls against these guys. They are fun to play and really help you work on your footwork and consistency.
You have an edge as your endurance must be awesome. You is correct - patience is a must and playing players like green do help you improve. If you in Atlanta area and want to play green shirt or any of our players, let us know : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel I live overseas in the Asia region but I am originally from Southern California. I would love to visit Atlanta for some tennis. The last time I was in the south for tennis was when I had a player from the college I was coaching at qualify for the ITA national fall tournament in Mobile Alabama back in 2012. I love the food and hospitality in the southern states and the tennis is very strong! If I am visiting that part of the States again I will definitely hit you up. Until then I will continue watching your awesome videos!
Jesus Escatiola I’m familiar with the National tourney in Mobile. Congratulations on that accomplishments as it’s a big deal. Send us an email when you have plans to visit the SE USA. Also, if you live near a large city in Asia, let us know. I had several trip planned to visit Asia this year but covid occurred. May try again next year. Would be cool to play tennis too. TennisTrollChannel@gmail.com
An easy way to tell if somebody is bad and overconfident at tennis is if they say Most Exh is an "easy opponent" or that you just have to "be more aggressive" to beat him 😂 . I'd play these people over most exh any day 😂 . If you play tennis at the rec level (which is most of us) you most likely don't have any extraordinary weapons to dominate every single point. Junk Ballers/ pushers force errors because they take you out of rhythm and prolong points with drop shots lobs and passing shots mixed in. A tactical nightmare. At the rec level, the overwhelming majority of points are won on errors. Pushers/ Junk Ballers literally center their entire strategy around inducing errors in opponents. It's an UGLY but very effective strategy when executed well and paired with good fitness and tennis IQ. That's what makes playing these guys so "annoying." You end up getting impatient/ losing focus and beating yourself. If you compete under 5.0 you are def not breezing through an opponent like Most Exh, calm down 😂 . There's a reason he wins so many matches at 4.5.
You is so correct. If an opponent of similar level underestimates green shirt, the match is already over. Players like green shirt knows how to win. White shirt did a great job coming back in the second set. He knew he had a tough match ahead of him and he was patient and cool throughout.
I agree except that the threshold is 4.5. You simply say "rec guys". There is a huge range even for rec guys. That's where the ratings come in 4.5's have weapons. This is T Ball for 4.5's. They can play and win with this junk at 4.0 and lower. Even strong 4.0's can smoke this guy. Which is really the bigger pt. and it's what makes this controversial. Is the 4.5 league this guy is competing in truly 4.5? Obviously different regions vary. The 2 opponents I've seen so far are no where near 4.5. Slide over to other 4.5 vids online, TennisTim etc, and it's worlds apart.
@@Bubbles99718 this guys beats 75% of 4.5 players. Should probably be up at 5.0. I never woulda thought anyone could get that high with such a dink serve. Just goes to show how much more important stamina, consistency, and mental toughness are than technique.
@@JohnnyChowder So I've been told. Not accepting it though. These guys seem like 3.5 to maybe 4.0. Maybe that league is on the weak side. I could be wrong of course but I've watched the vid twice now, indepthly. I can't rate either of them at 4.5
Correct...I don't think green noticed but white shirt must have. They were having an excellent point. Big applause to white shirt for not letting it bother him. That had to have been difficult.
I like Green shirts tenacity and his passing shots are sick. He changes and absorbs pace well. He won so many points on drawing white shirt in and hitting lobs.
Playing all types of players is an excellent way to improve our games. Plus you never what type of opponent you encounter at your next league match/tournament.
He's just playing the shots he's confident in. And plays smartly. When you play, use your certainties. When you train, develop new certainties. The reason he wins is, his certainties (shots he feels confident in) have a lower % of error as compared to his more flashy opponents. And he uses the full length of the court with his drop shots, lobs and surprising low slices, something most of his opponents don't do either and insist on hitting "rally balls" which rarely ever harm him. He may not be as "aesthetic", but he's efficient, smart and honest to himself. I just wish he continues to train and develop new shots, but he has every right to never change his game if he so wishes...
This is a good comment in my opinion. We have to remember to play within our own game no matter the opponent. Green does an excellent job of staying within himself. I could be wrong but I don't think green will try to hit a 120 mph serve at 6-6 in third set. He'll play the style that will give him the best chance of winning. Something we can all do better. I
When playing a green shirt guy you need to give him no rhythm and take him out of his safe space which is the Baseline. You can also pull him out wide and come to the net since he has no pace on passing strokes. First strike tennis and cut off angles when playing this guy.
@@lkfrostad the so-called superior player did not make aggressive approach shots, thug giving the green-shirted player plenty of time and opportunity for a successful pass.
@@fueradeljuego Yes I see a major flaw in the approach shot, which was non-existent. He basically handed him the ball and got lobbed. Also, at the 4.5 level he should have been able to slice the ball and create angles, most of the time he hit the ball to the guy, or hit side to side with someone who was fit. Never went behind him.
Green shirt tends to drop shot off of backhand; his forehand is mostly defensive; his serves are always into the left hip of the receiver on the ad side. You have to move green shirt otherwise he dictates play. Green shirt (if drawn in) will more times than not drop shot; but his volleys are fairly defensive. Use his tactics on him (drop shot then lob)
I agree with needing to use the entire court. Not easy to do as green is doing the same to the opponent and maybe doing it better, but I understand your point.
Underhand serve At 17:48 match point, almost does it again at 18:06 match point number 2. (As if green shirt needs any more reasons for opponents to be frustrated. FWIW I’m all for underhand serves. )
Ok, so are we saying that the green shirt guy is the business professor? The other guy is not playing 4.5 USTA... Maybe 3.5 or 4.0 I've seen 4.5 in Houston & Dallas... And even in Beaumont... Those guys hustle... Maybe it looks different in person. I'm a 3.5 or 4.0 and I would be happy to play either player
@@TennisTrollChannel if you think the only way to win is to play like that you are mistaken. My point is that I'd rather take time to learn proper technique, even if it means a longer learning curve. The guy in the green will never progress to become a great player, he is permanently stuck at his level. It's like being stuck at rank 500 and never making top 100 in the ATP, because you refuse to recognize your weaknesses and to improve them. Sure you can beat guys at your level and below, but that's it. You've reached the end of your progression because of you're refusal to admit junk technique
Mustafa M I understand your point. We al reach a ceiling eventually. I will say if I could be stuck at 500 in world, that would be awesome. I don’t think I’m 500 in my city. I’m sure a lot of people told green shirt he would be stuck at 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0. Eventually he will hit his ceiling. To improve we all need to update our game consistently. I’m sure green is doing the same.
@@Ryezn5057 I agree completely (although perhaps not as harshly), Green's way of playing is skilled and very effective but also an end in itself, a cut-de-sac, from which it would be very difficult to progress to a higher level. Players on the next level that have more consistency deeper, firmer groundies, better overheads and court coverage would take him to the cleaners. Green's game play and shot style can't really ascend from where it is so he's plateaued.
Unorthodox. Persistent. Good drop shot. Fantastic lob. I keep thinking "why don't the other players run him side to side?". They fall into playing his game. He is deceptively good.
Troll played him side to side, and Green was fantastically good at it. Every commentor in that video recommended Troll to play him front back, but we can see him that he is good at drop shots and lobs. Q
White had no gameplan, not an effective one anyway. That's why he lost. All you have to do is continually run the pusher. Adopt a cross court directional pattern 9/10 times so that the ball is always travelling away from him, instead of hitting down the line (or down the middle) where the ball is travelling into him. Then when he pops up a short ball, go down the line for the winner etc. It needs discipline but it is so simple. You adopt that type of hitting pattern and the better strokes > weaker strokes.
@@svlagonda7417 100% agree with you on that. White shirt just doesn't adopt an effective directional pattern enough of the time. @TennisTroll give him the book on Wardlaw's directionals!
I have difficulty executing my strategies during play, I either think and screw up my play or instinct play and not be able to properly think. Any advice?
In my opinion, during warm up, a game plan needs to be developed based on what you see and tinkered with as the match progresses and you obtain more information about the opponent during the match.
Thought I'd like to keep my ground stroke styles, I must admit, TennisTroll game is sooooooo gooood and effective. I will learn to incorporate your games into my tactics. I will update you in a month.
If you lack the power and/or consistency to finish from full court against these kind of players often the best alternative is to hit deep and high (almost moon balls), with a lot of spin and ideally in the direction of the opponent's weaker side). It then becomes much easier to finish with a volley
@@TennisTrollChannel depends how good you are at hitting high/deep ball but if you play against a pusher that relies heavily on slices/drop shots you take away part of his game. It is hard to hit a drop shot or slice a ball with control if you have to hit above your shoulders from full court. Anyways players like green shirt are always a challenge, there is a version of that playing style at every level and it's always annoying haha.
Green shirt would get obliterated by any half decent player, just embarrassing really, no forehand, no backhand, just pushing everything back with no actual intended accuracy, wtf is that serve aswell, the guys a complete newb why are people giving him credit 😂
TennisTroll Channel yeh that’s because the other 90% are just average joes having a hit at the local courts, top 10% doesn’t say much really, I mean look at him, that is not how you play tennis, it’s shocking 😂
Get exhausted just by watching lol great game!!! Watching this matches is a gear way to analyze differente playing styles and be able to improve our own :)
I used to have a coach that played his matches like this. He was in his 50's and while he had better mechanics than MEP does, he modified his game to be like MEB in order to win with consistency, court position, shot variation and energy conservation. Though I find it boring to watch, it worked - I saw him take apart a couple of good 5.0 players.
Alex loisel both players are excellent. I like this matchup- control and precision (green) vs a more aggressive style (white). Second set was tight but green pulled through.
The green shirt looks like he hates cardio and making him sweat would be an insult. But he sure does enjoy making opponents run like crazy. I would love to play him. 😎
Please consider giving the video a 👍 to compliment the players for being willing to show their tennis skills for all of us to see.
Location ?
I play against a guy exactly like him. Leftie with zero topspin to his game. Pure junk and lobs. Lures you in when you approach the net and then lobs one over your head and passes you. This is like watching myself lose
the white shirt guy decided to play the match Without sweating... tons of dropshot where he just let it go...
white shirt guy net game is also very poor..no chance against good defense
@@INTICE200 Atlanta, Georgia.
if I ever show up to a match and it's this guy, I'm getting right back in my car and going straight home.
Funny : ] But you may miss an opportunity to have an excellent match. I found it exciting. But I get it -not for everyone.
Haha that's the reaction I used to get spin lob drop shots are my specialty don't need lots of power to win
I can’t even watch the video without being incredibly aggravated...
This
funny : ]
I am 53 years old and play my 16 year old son 3 times a week. I showed him this video. He said" Hey Dad, you play like the guy in green." Should I be mad?
Joseph Curran that’s awesome in my book.
Joseph Curran not at all, I’m positive your son loves every moment spent playing tennis with his old man. Keep it up, Tennis Dad.
Just watching green shirt for three minutes makes my brain hurt and makes me want to cry. That’s not an insult; he’s very good at what he does. Playing someone like him is my tennis nightmare.
Matchups are important in tennis. If we are playing against an opponent who has a style we struggle, it is a difficult match.
@@TennisTrollChannel theres a reason you see no pushers at the top level. And thank god for that.
daen brown Brad Gilbert and Santoro come to mind.
TennisTroll Channel I don’t think brad Gilbert was a pusher. He was a mindset killer
@@TennisTrollChannel being able to use different strokes and styles does not make you a pusher. Brad could play tennis this guy seems to mainly have junk shots. Its total sh#t to watch everyone including him knows it.
Green shirt is now a tennis celebrity. Videos are made about him.
He’s an Atlanta legend.
Videos are made about the videos about him.
If evaluated by form only I'd say he's the best 3.5 in the world.
What video ? Got a link ?
@@michaelp9061 Here ya go. 3 part video on his technique AND how to beat him. ruclips.net/video/dr1NLwfzd28/видео.html
Classic most exhausting player performance! His style is so dirty, he is real troller. Love it, great content!
Ritterkiste he’s awesome. White shirt did well in the second set and may have had a small opportunity to take a strong lead in the second set but green continued to play his game and pulled through.
The fact that he's left-handed makes It even more frustrating
Dirty? Troller? Wtf? I dont like his style too... But for me.. Dirty and troll is a player that cheat, call balls in and out to win, and fucks the game.... In this case, its just a style of play, clearly much more based on a lack of experience, properly technique and skill, than any kind of dirtness and trolling...
I want to play him!! OMG!! Where is this guy!! Legendary!
I belive that the way to beat the green shirt would be:
1- returning his serve deeper, not letting him get an easy ball to dictate the point
2- keeping the crosscourt rally as much as possible and waiting for the right ball to attack, not giving him any angle
Of course it is easier said than done.
This video helps making a strategy since It would be more difficult while playing. I also struggle against that style of oponnent.
Another great video! Thanks again.
I can just imagine Green Shirt's inner monologue when his opponents finally go for a low percentage shot and miss... ''yessss. Let it consume you!"
I'm guessing green senses a victory when what you described happens more and more frequently late in a match.
@@TennisTrollChannel green shirt's nightmare is a conventional player who hits with lots of pace and never misses.
@@anacap007 You mean a very good player? :)
@@anacap007 someone super fit can smash and volley strongly is able to place ball away from him can beat him a strong 5
M E P videos are freaking life. Man, I love what your channel is doing. Some of the most fun and interesting tennis I’ve watched in years.
Thank you for the feedback. MEP is my new favorite tennis player. Sorry Federer : ]
The Pusher's main strengths are placement, touch, and of course, consistency. The professor's weapons are not developed enough to outright punish any one of those slices, lacks consistency, and seemed unwillingly to run down drop shots. This pusher seems to be the classic test of whether your game is real to the point where your mechanics are rock-solid consistent, and your weapons are truly reliable weapons.
Good point. To beat green, you'll have to consistently attack again and again if your strategy is to attack. Tough to do in 100 degree weather against green.
@@TennisTrollChannel also, is it just me, or was green taking balls very very early? That, combined with consistent depth, it seems hard to grab one of those low deep balls and do something damaging with it.
Oh, wow, 100 degrees! That’s probably why white player’s footwork looked a bit slow and passive.
The professor was very good at making green shirt constantly have to play defense and keeping him on the run. His shots are also probably much faster than they appear on film, as is the case with everybody. He deserves credit.
Completely true. But the most important thing in my opinion is that you need to be mentally ready for it. We have a lot players like this in our competition here in Holland on clay. Most lose of them because they have the wrong mentality: they think they play way better and are not prepared for a long match and willing to wait for the opportunities. One technical thing I notice with almost every opponent MEP plays is that they stop moving after a few points and stand almost still.
There's not enough amateur videos featuring pushers which make videos like this an absolute gem for analysis. Again, green shirt guy may appear harmless but he is an absolute beast on shot control. His toolbox is unconventional but he's a master at using them. He simply is incapable of hitting a ball out which deserves mad respect. For Business Professor, you have the tools to hurt him but you're giving him 'get outta jail' cards left and right. As soon as you see him scramble off a good shot you have to close in and volley off his response and end the point. Anyway, I'd love to see someone who's a righty use a massive double's slice serve forcing this guy off the court on the deuce side since he's a lefty and then hit into the open court.
Good assessment of the match. I think Professor had opportunities in the second set to take a controlling lead but it didn't work out for the him. Both players raised their game in second set and green found a way to counter and pull through.
Let's officially call him The Neutralizer. He freaking neautralize all shots coming to him and those drop shots are lit
That's a good way to describe green shirt. He neutralizes and counters everything.
Green is a highly specialized player. His strategy is as much about maximizing his abilities (dropshots, lobs, passing shots, shot anticipation), as it is about mentally and physically grinding down his opponent (giving them the feeling that they are the technically superior whilst forcing them to go for low percentage winners by excellent court positioning and feeding smart deep junk balls). I agree with TT that he surpasses the traditional pusher playing style, but he does use many elements of it expanded with a select few finely honed weapons.
Only when green is pulled out wide with a shorter cross court shot will you get an opportunity for a winner in the other corner. White applied that tactic successfully in the second set. Or when green is forced to be at the net his volleys are vulnerable, sadly for white his passing shots were quite underwhelming so could not be deployed for a winning tactic.
White had good patience and showed stable and positive mentality during the match, which at least gave him a good chance and allowed a nicely contended second set. If white improves his (counter) dropshots and passing shots he will increase his available match strategies and have much better odds to beat green in a future match.
This is a pretty good summary of the match in my opinion. I did not play the match, but from my perspective, white had a small opportunity to take a significant lead in the second set but green fought back and won. There may have been one or two missed opportunities for white in the second set. When playing green, opportunities are rare. When they come, it may be your only chance.
I know that patience is required when playing against this type of player, but in my opinion the professor was TOO patient. He let himself get lured into playing the pusher's game for most of the first set. In the second he forced the issue more but still only closed in on the net about half the time that he should have based on his approach shot. I think the professor needs more confidence on his swinging volleys and overheads: the pattern here should be drive hard to the corner, come into the net, and put away the lob to the opposite corner.
I don't think white's movement was up to the task of implementing that strategy. With good movement he could have finished many points and not let MEP back in.
White is just a pusher himself. Green is simply better and white’s rare sparks pf aggression wouldn’t last full match. Green never felt in danger and knew he’d get 99% of the balls anyway. Easy W
Can we get a Most Exhausting Player vs Wannabe Pro matchup
Samuel Gadkar so excited you brought it up. We are discussing it. Downside is they live far away, but hopefully we’ll make it happen.
I second that lol
Love to get Su-Wei Hsieh to show up incognito and challenge him to a match. He probably wouldn't know who she is. Then later realize she's the OG.
@@anacap007 like how they used to disguise basketball players and have them play pickup
Green guy is actually winning points, I think he will beat Wannabe pro
I love the way MEP plays. I have a very similar game. I love lobbing and hitting lob type shots even when my oppenent is at the baseline, it causes tons of errors and generates untold psychological advantage. I throw in the very occasional topspin when my opponent is vulnerable. My ideal opponent is an over confident baseliner. Truly consistent players beat me though, they dont have to be great players, just consistent and psychologically strong. Keep videos of MEP coming, he's my guy.
Thank you for the feedback and sharing your thoughts. I can see how an overconfident player will have trouble.
lob into the sun is underrated or into the wind my opponents get blinded a lot always chose side with sun behind me or wind blowing towards me played a promising young junior once in 120km winds he couldnt handle it match was over in 25 mins 6/0 6/1
My eyes are still bleeding, this guy remind me a former partner I used to face once per week for several years...I broke several racquets on those times...lol. My poor friend got very sick and three months later he died. I miss you my friend, you were very special in and out the court.
Much respect to the Green Shirt Guy. He's using asymmetrical warfare tactics in tennis. Aggravating to play against but great to watch!
Agree - it's a different style of tactics but so effective. It's interesting how every opponent, including me, struggles with it.
One big advantage green shirt has is he hits virtually every ball with a degree of underspin. That makes his shots more penetrating than you might expect and his dropshots very disguised. Very hard to see when the ball will drop short. He also has a ton of control and knows how to put the opponent in trouble and also how to keep him back with deep shots and his movement is deceptively good.
White shirt did pretty well, I think. The main thing he was having trouble with was seeing dropshots early enough to get to them or do anything useful when he did get to them. Green shirt used them liberally to good effect. Otherwise, white shirt did a pretty good job of moving green shirt side to side with enough power to illicit a short ball and had enough skill to put a lot of them away or at least keep the pressure on until he could put them away. I thought that perhaps he could have done a bit better job getting to the net on deep shots which put Green in trouble by anticipating a weaker shot. I think on too many he allowed Green time to get back into the point with a high shot that wasn't all that deep. Probably should have taken more of those with an overhead.
I think the worst thing you can do is hit the ball continually right back to Green, playing HIS game. White did a pretty good job of avoiding that for the most part and made it a match in the second set... If you can't put pressure on Green you are toast...
Good analysis. White is quick, and plays a nice game, but MEP was just a better player that day.
Long comment incoming! I love analyzing these tennis matches because it helps me improve my own game so please pardon my rambling lol. Great match!!! High-quality play from start to finish. Most exhausting is RELENTLESS. Those drop shots and passing shots at net look like a nightmare to counter. He's excellent at forcing his opponents to attempt harder shots to try and break his rhythm and always making them play 2 or 3 extra balls in every rally. Most Exhausting won so many points off of Professor errors! This was very effective for him in the first set. I think in the second set Prof did a great job of focusing on moving Most Exhausting around and that's where the weakness in the junk baller/ pusher is I think. It's not "just come to net." Pushers like camping out and hitting slices and tricky spin, poaching you to net then lobbing or passing you. "Just come to net" is not the answer lol (unless you're playing a very low skill pusher). Plus if you're not super confident at the net which is true for many of us recreational baseliners, you just throw yourself out of rhythm. For example at 3:08 where Professor returns balls to the center of the court and seems to play Most Exh's game of junk balling, Most Exh takes the point easily. At 1:14 same thing happens. Prof gives junk back and also comes to net, Most Exh casually lobs him and wins point. Pretty sure Exh hit at least 10-15 successful Lobs/Drop shots in this match! The guy is slippery! Letting pushers stand in the center of the court is what they want! They can lob slice and pass all day from there. Getting them moving around and out of position and applying consistent pressure is your best bet at sinking back into points as a more aggressive baseliner (which i think Professor resembles). for example at 4:45 and 11:26 Professor plays high percentage shots (with a couple tough shots in there) that simply keep Most Exhausting moving and he comfortably dictates the point. Prof also does this at 13:26 constantly moving Exh around and dictating the point. Not going for kill shots, just never letting Exh settle his feet down. Professor almost seemed to be in a winning rhythm in the second set sticking with this strategy but Most Exh did a good job of sticking around and countering with court coverage and consistency. Say what you want about pushers but you can't say they don't win matches lol. I'm a quite impatient aggressive baseliner so all the pushing and junk balling will typically make me overhit in frustration. Gonna try and apply more tactical placement for moving my opponent around rather than hammering inside out forehands our fo frustration haha. Great Match both players put on a show!
4.5's are not "recreational baseliners".
That's the thing, get a true 4.5 against this guy and he would never touch the ball.
@@Bubbles99718 lol this is false. USTA 4.5s are competitive "recreational" tennis players. They have much more dynamic play and varied strategy than 3.0-4.0s but they are not pro. What do you mean by a "true 4.5?"
@@Pastarastaman100 Who said "pro"? No one.
4.5 is very solid play. Ex competitive guys, HS or college level or guys who picked it up and really dedicated themselves to the game.
The rest of their games get thrown off by this guy but watch the serves of his 2 competitors. That is 100% in their control. Their serves are 3.5 level, maybe soft 4.0 level.
A better way. Simply watch other 4.5 tennis vids. TennisTim for example. Those guys would crush him.
That's the bigger point, this isn't 4.5 tennis. Not by a long shot.
@@Bubbles99718 I watch TennisTim. Because TennisTim could beat him does not mean he's not a 4.5. Additionally, ATL and VA (where i live) have very vibrant tennis communities from what I have seen. According to the bio for this vid, green shirt "played USTA 4.5 league in both Atlanta and Virginia. He also reached the final of a 300 points NTRP 4.5 Championship tournament in Virginia by defeating the #1 and #3 seeds in the second and third rounds." This guy is winning matches in 4.5. What metric are you using to determine what a "true 4.5" is? His form is definitely unorthodox but I don't think he's an easy opponent. Consistent pusher/ junk baller opponents who also have lobs passing shots and good fitness are def a challenge at the recreational level. I don't agree that a "true 4.5" would crush this guy (whatever that means)
Relentless- that’s a good word. Your assessment is spot on. Professor had opportunities to take a strong lead in second set but green shirt found a way to take back the lead and close out the match. I found the match exciting to watch- especially the second set as they have contrasting styles and it was a tight set. Both raised their games in the second set in my opinion.
People keep calling the gentleman in the green shirt a “pusher”....I would agree that he is not out there trying to hit a lot of winners, but his movement and tactics are aggressive. He is always recovering to take advantage (either inside the baseline or behind to defend) after his shots. And when he is inside the court he tends to choose the front court of his opponent instead of the backcourt for his target. Although it’s played softly, it is still an aggressive play to keep his opponent off balance and make them run. His tool is a sharp little knife instead of a machete.
I agree completely. I think he's more of a counter-puncher. Pusher hits moonballs all day. Green attacks and counters. He attacks by bringing player to the net and then passing/lobbing him.
I would agree aggressive junk baller. but man his deop shots or however you want to call it are crazy effective. white shirt doesnt look slow and cant get nost of this magic balls
bruh.. he has nothing to do with the word "aggressive"
Dude he sucks
Yeah, he would just eat up balls landing around the service line, mostly with drop shots, I counted more than 10 of those. Attacking him at the net wasn’t a successful strategy because most of the approach shots were too weak and green short is an excellent lobber - most lobs landed a foot inside service line. Playing deep shots side to side seemed like the best pattern, confirming Ian’s analysis posted today
MEP is a great example of how tennis can be played in many different ways up to a certain level. One thing is clear he doesn’t do well with the harder flatter shots with pace that make him run to the ball.
I was excited when i saw it was MEP (Most Exhausting Player) again 😅 I find his game fascinating! Thank you for the video 😊
He's a legend. His style is a favorite.
He has unbelievable control of his chops -- you never really see them so they are hard to predict and read. Amazing! What a study in unorthodox play!
Excellent points. I don't know how he has so much control. It's impressive.
HE RETURNS
Nick : ] he has a lot of tools depending on the opponent. It what makes him so difficult too play against.
@@TennisTrollChannel I think he was mentioning that the guy returns not that he returns balls. :)
Sean O Oops. I’m always thinking Tennis.
People might troll him for being a pusher but I say that his tennis iq is extremely high.
Sunflowers of inferno so agree. He knows how to win and has awesome control.
@@TennisTrollChannel great content btw bro. Subbed.
Take this. The green shirt guy, for me, always hit the ball with slice (fh/bh) when the ball comes easy/he is in ready position. Then, hit the ball with drive (fh/bh) when he is running (ball is far from him).
Azmi Belajar agree- I would think it would be the other way around. It’s one of many reason he’s unorthodox.
Think he’ll hit a weak shot in the run and instead he drives it and surprise you.
@@TennisTrollChannel yeah. He is unorthodox. Watch this video - analyze him - easy win.
The brilliance of this style (yeah I said it) is the how little energy he expends on most points. It would be hard to drag him out in deep water, and by then he’s already got you on a string. That BH is hard to read too. Respect.
Well said. He's anticipation is awesome. He does an excellent disguising a drive from a drop shot. It all looks like the same.
Definitely. If you watch all his videos, you will see that the other 4.5 players he plays against are working harder than him on most points. This is the real reason his opponents start missing...they start going for shots because they know they can't outlast him
MEP is a beast...to be that patient and and annoying (not meant as a slight) is fun to watch...its not always about perfect strokes, sometimes its about a game plan and endurance.
Game plan, endurance, and consistency. I agree.
@@TennisTrollChannel 👍
There are a lot of things we can learn and copy from the green player, even if we don’t play that style. For example his anticipation, positioning, feel for drop shots and lobs. I already slice my backhand but recently started to use the forehand slice more often with good success
I agree - I'm slicing more too to add variety and it works.
@@TennisTrollChannel I won a mixed doubles tournament with a gal who was the best player in her HS when she was young, and had one of the best records anyone from that school ever had. She has a damaged foot from birth, so she is not fast, but she had great ground strokes. At about 40, she switched to a mostly-slice forehand approach, and found it was even more effective than her already top notch topspin forehand. She plays rec doubles with 4.5 men all the time.
Congrats on the channel dude. Great content! Regardless of the technical analysis that we all do when watching, the videos bring a bigger message of how fun this sport can be anyways, and how you can have a thriller of a match playing with your friend at an empty park. Keep up the good work!
Matheus Torres excellent point. Thank you for sharing your comment. Tennis is a fun sport and that should be our first goal. Sometimes we forget when we have a bad day, but in the end, it’s always fun. Thank you for the compliment : ]
I just noticed this took place at Tolleson Park in Smyrna, GA. I've played doubles with the green shirt guy before.
That is correct.
Let me guess...... he won?
My late father was a self-taught comedian junk master - yet nothing sinister/antagonistic about him - he loved everybody. Got me into tennis which led to a college scholarship. I remember a doctor at the racquet club (who yearly spent big $$ on lessons, the kind who buys gold edition matched racquets in a violin case) storming off the court, furious, red faced, cursing, "...never! NEVER again!...". - after losing to my old man. Priceless.
It's interesting how we will always remember specific matches forever.
j alspach had same experience playing a young junior who didn't like all the dropshots lobs I gave him he was warned for swearing took ages to win as I was suffering from dry eyes from laser surgery and a stomach ulcer at the time was in nz Eastbourne club
@@kiwi123467 My teenage daughter has been dancing Hula since 3 - with a consistently award winning Halau. Loves & is expert in Maori & Tahitian as well. Cheers & Aloha from Hawaii to those in the Land Of The Long White Cloud!
Great video quality. But a little bit confused, are they really at 4.0-4.5 level?
Yes. Actually green shirt wins 75% of his 4.5 league matches. He was 7-4 in 2019 and 2-0 this summer for singles.
@@TennisTrollChannel Professor has 4.5 groundies and serve, but blah on movement, flat-footed a lot, waits for ball to drop on those sitters, allowing green shirt to get back into position. How does prof do against other 4.5 players who feed him some depth and pace? Professor's most sophisticated overhead saving match point after the underhand serve (greenshirt trying to showcase his whole repertoire of junk in one match?). You never know though, green shirt may have more up his sleeve, like a big serve (after all he's big and kinda looks like Kevin Anderson with the little white hat!). Greatest achievement for professor: keeping his cool and being a good sport.
David Lewes In my opinion, I think Professor was saving his energy. It was hot and just rained. The 3 of us spent an hour squeeging the court to make the video as that was the only day available for the 3 of us (the court next to us is soaked). Before covid, Professor won a men’s open tourney which had numerous 4.5 players. I also think Professor has recently started playing tennis again due to Covid. He may not be acclimated to the heat yet.
Is anyone here old enough to remember Brad Gilbert? He was the professional equivalent of Green Shirt... I saw him beat Boris Beck in the Legg Mason tournament back in the 80s, He was a nightmare for Becker. Then Ivan Lendl cleaned up Gilbert because his consistent power was too much for Gilbert's limited game. But poor Becker was talking to himself and cursing in German the whole match that we was losing to Green Shirt Gilbert. Gilbert was also a master of strategy... Green shirt shows a lot of that.. realizes that the Business Professor is vulnerable to drop shots and he isn't that comfortable at the net.
Excellent example. I think Gilbert reached #4 in the world. Has wins over many grand slam champions and #1s. Well said.
I loved his book, "Winning Ugly" after I tried to play good tennis with little success. I'm not a pusher or retriever but try to do things that are tactically smart and can appreciate MEP taking the pace off the ball, limiting opponents' options with low slices, being in the right position and not being afraid to run, etc. If he added some weapons (say a good serve and crisp volleys) he'd be very hard to overcome at the 4.5 level.
I need to make a trip to Atlanta to get some matches in.
Come visit. We'll get you connected.
I'll car pool. I wanna get some matches in, too. Where do you live?
Green shirt is a pusher, but I don't use that as a denigrating term. He is very very good. Measured in all his shots. Incredible shot control. He always gives himself time back to get into position. Great drop shots. Excellent tennis IQ. You lost... but you lost to a really good player. No shame in that.
Professor put up a valiant effort. I think he had some opportunities to take a significant lead in the second set. Green shirt countered everything. I think green is more of a counter puncher as he doesn't hit moonballs all day and he has an answer for every strategy. It is what makes green so difficult to beat.
I came from hating that style of playing, to loving it lol. Much respect to the green lantern tennis legend! I need to change my style to his - so relax, without putting so much effort. Such a smart way to play. :)
Thank you for the compliment to the players as the players do read this comments. I agree - I would love to copy his drop shot skills, his control/placement, and consistency to my game. He does it so well.
@@TennisTrollChannel mentally a fighter needs to work on backhand never uses his spare hand to support racquet in backswing
I clicked on this vid knowing I am going to see some pure gold. I did see just that.
contrast in styles always makes for a entertaining match applies in boxing too
One would think this is a 4.5 playing against a 3.0, as this is a perfect example of how you can't judge a player on his stroke technique. He does every wrong technically, but the bottom line, HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN!! Congrats to both players for giving us an entertaining match!! 👍👍👍👏👏👏🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾
Thank you for complimenting our players as they do read the comments. I agree with you - bottom line is knowing how to win and green does an excellent job of winning at his level.
People can’t believe the green shirt guy is 4.5 and in my opinion he is solid 4.5 and probably can hang with 5.0s. A lot people ideas about tennis technique is what they see on the tv, the professionals, aesthetically pleasing however there are many ways to play this game. Yes, the green shirt technique is unorthodox or ugly or whatever you might call it but the way he constructed the points, the dropshots, the lobs, and the underspin are all very technical and he does a damn good job at it.
Not sure how he'll do with an average 5.0 player. A 5.0 player is a better player - they are rated higher than 4.5 for a reason. However, I do not think an average 5.0 player will win 6-0 6-0 against green. I think it'll be still be a long match and green will get several games due to his consistency and unique style.
@@albertcamus5970 if I know what a 5.0 is then he would get killed. Maybe I dont know what 5.0 is ? If you hit a swinging volley he couldnt hit all those floating revovery shots. Also I have never seen a good volleyer against him. It seems like if you moved well at the net green shirt would never win a point
Green shirt: I could do this all day
Well said.
I know there are plenty of videos about "how" to beat pushers but I would like to see a video where someone actually does that! The green shirt guy has a lot of skills and uses them to the max.
Green is a tough opponent as you say. What makes him even more challenging is he is more of a counter puncher. He can hit winners and passing shots. He hits drops shots also. Pushers then to hit moon balls all day. In my opinion, green may appear defensive, but his defense prepares his offense attack. If green is willing to be video more, we’ll make it happen.
troll was beating him in a prior video
I volunteer as tribute.
I am also very interested. Also I would like to see a 5.5 or higher player play him
@@philipphortnagl2486 ?? That's D1 college level. How about just a true 4.5 player. That would be a good start
I like how (TBP) The Business Professor adapted his game in the second set, going mostly to the backhand where MEP is not nearly as effective. I think TBP can beat him if he makes him hit mostly backhands and waits for a short ball to then attack the open court, like he did several times. To me the key is to feed 80% to backhand, attack the forehand when there is a short ball and close in but not too much waiting for a floater or a lob that can be taken off the air. I would say overall, good match!
Abelardo Mieres I thought TBP had an opportunity to take a significant lead in the second set but MEP raised his game too and pulled through. Attacking bh with most opponents is usually a good idea. TBP did find success in the second set.
Jesus, I'm having flashbacks. Green shirt reminds me of this guy I faced in an NTRP 4.5 tournament when I was about 25. The guy was probably pushing 70. I swear he didn't move at all and his ground strokes looked identical to this guy. He drove me absolutely nuts and just about ran me to death.
It's a tough style to compete against. It's a challenge. It's interesting how we all know of at least 1 player similar to green's style. I thought it was rare, but apparently it's more common.
@@TennisTrollChannel He bageled me in the first set. I eventually figured out he couldn't move (as opposed to just didn't want to move) and I started playing a lot of drop shots and side to side shots. I won the second set 7-6 and the third 6-1. I swear that first set remains a nightmare that still haunts me.
Negative Solutions at least you pulled through. It’s interesting how we remember the details of specific matches. I’ll always remember my match with green shirt. It’s awesome.
@@negativesolutions2632 imagine if he was younger then the 3 rd set would be a titanic struggle lol
Here's my take. Green shirt is a master in recovering back into position....in part because he always gives himself plenty of time by floating back every ball as a slice with ample net clearance. I barely recall his ever having hit a ball into the net. So, take that time away from him by driving the ball flatter and lower with pace...preferably deep into the corners. That's the only situation where he gets off balance and he misses when he does. Come in on his mediocre serve and hit it on the rise. Rush his floater slices at every opportunity and take them as a swinging volley. Drop volley him cross court if he gets it back. Lob him if he's able to get to the drop (he has no overhead), but stay deep in the box to cover in case he can get back a lob. Or hit a counter-drop cross court. I know this is a high risk strategy, but what would you rather do....lose every point on a twenty ball rally, or shorten the points to save fuel and go down swinging ?
Great observation. I’ve lost to (green shirt) type guys a lot , but usually not more than once. Especially after analyzing their game. These green shirt guys stay the same and never change their style. I do appreciate playing these type though because you have to figure out a certain strategy to beat them.
Great point. Swinging volleys to eliminate his recovery time and then expect a lob from him. Also, no one seems to incorporate serve and volley against him.
I like your take on the strategy! I guess the bottom line is you can't try to beat them at their own game.
It is high risk strategy. It can work if a person is good enough to execute it for 2+ hours in July heat. I think those that can do that consistently are a level or two better. A player at green's level is unlikely to be able to consistently use a high risk strategy for 2+ hours.
@@TennisTrollChannel Agree. You'll lose points on unforced errors pushing the pedal to the metal for 2-3 sets, but you may give yourself a fighting chance on balance.
Can you give us the stats of the match? WInners, unforced errors, forced errors, aces, double faults, 1st serve in %, 1st serve win % second serve win % etc etc? I think green shirt hit a surprising number of winners and forced errors that get overlooked due to his style of play!
I deleted the original video already. Stats are time consuming to do, but maybe for the next match with green I'll consider some basic stats.
Most Exhausting Player has also followers in Spain
Más conocido por aquí como “el puto pasabolas de siempre”
They'd love him in France, where finesse is appreciated.....
Green shirt may not have pretty strokes but has an excellent eye for the ball, brilliant movement and high tennis IQ.
Agree - his tactics and control are amazing in my opinion.
TennisTroll Channel great defensive counter puncher be very annoying to play be a good doubles partner very few errors
We have talked about this extraordinary player before and Essential Tennis even devoted a 4 piece video to the man, in "how to beat pushers". Not sure green shirt is too happy about all that exposure :) Still, I find this both amusing and instructive to watch and let me be clear: I would lose myself against the man, for lack of consistency.
Essential Tennis is a 1000x more reliable source of information, a better player and tactician than I am but I disagree with him on one thing: that you should move the guy forward and backward with drop shots and lobs (as opposed to making him run laterally, which he likes, says Ian W). My reason for this (possibly mistaken) belief is that moving a player about on the field, whether laterally or longitudinally, is exactly green shirt's game and you should not play his game, because he's better at it. You can see this in this match, where the short game mostly goes into his favor.
Where the game goes into white shirt's favor, is when he consistently applies pressure by sending good topspin balls into the corners. Speed & (top)spin is NOT the man's game and he can't beat you at that. He's constantly trying to take the speed out of it and make it a placement contest. Look at set 1 game 4, there's your strategy.
But it's not easy, because he's used to the slow pace and you're not. So you have to bring the speed into the ball yourself, ball after ball, which requires a different mechanic and timing than a topspin rally, where you can reuse the opponent's speed.
Another treacherous thing is the footwork. Just like tennistroll did against green shirt, white shirt becomes slow on his feet because the pace of the ball is slow. He's not jumping, he's walking or even standing still. See 6:38 (he wins the point despite moving slowly) The contrary is required because for drop shots or other slow paced but well placed balls, you need to be quick on your feet!
So quick feet, consistent attacks, with good topspin side to side, an occasional drop shot, sure, but above all dictate your own game.
That's what I'd do, if I could :)
Green is a challenge to play against. He's so good at what he does which is making his opponents uncomfortable. I think drop shots are a good idea IF the player can hit drop shots well. If player isn't good at it, it's a bad idea as they will hit most in the net or too deep which plays into green's game as you mentioned. Most players are not good at hitting drop shots consistently. I too struggle with it. I do agree with hitting topspins into the corners and looking for opportunities to attack. It's a good strategy against green and any opponent. Good point about footwork - we all begin to "walk" to the ball as we get tired and the ball speed is slower. Then we are surprised when green hits a drop shot winner or drive a ball by us because we were caught flat-footed. That's an excellent observation which I've noticed in the posted videos and the videos to come.
I play a right-handed version of Green's game, but my BH is not as good...my FH is at least as good, and I drop and lob well. The players that gave me the most trouble were those that could hit high, heavy topspin shots deep to my backhand consistently....like Nadal does. But righties, of course, have to hit this shot inside-out. I could float those ball back, but inevitably, I'd give a short reply that they could come in and attack. Green's FH is better than his BH. I would try to hit almost everything to his BH, I would try to dropshot him before he dropshot me, and try to test his net game I would mix in some serve and volley.....and I'd probably get beaten, but it would be fun trying....
I'm a lefty starting tennis seriously at about the age that green shirt began; self taught as well (at least so far). Watching this match was very inspiring as I have a lot of tennis IQ to build.
Tennis is awesome - excited you is considering. It's a fun journey. Good luck : ]
huge advantage in serving and my backhand cross court shot will nearly always land on your forehand...
how old is MEP?
@@igormorari380 I believe 43.
I look forward to the Essential Tennis video where Ian breaks down this “3.5+” match. Lol.
Someone always has to throw in the ratings.
😆 I feel bad about that.
Essential Tennis - Lessons and Instruction for Passionate Players Haha. Seriously, though. This video is a perfect representation of how someone with unconventional strokes but high tennis IQ can completely dismantle someone whose game “looks” better. Lots going on here. Really interesting match.
3.5 is generous.
James Yang LoL. There it is.
MEO is a FANTASTIC example proving that there is a LOT more to it than just good-looking strokes.
Tennis is all about the result as you imply. How you get there doesn't really matter. A point is a point.
Super fan of the Most Exhausting Player
Green shirt has a huge advantage of first-time surprise. I believe Business Professor would start to win this after a few match ups to get used to the player, if he could recover his mental well being to endure it again.
Ivan Werning playing green for the first time and not being familiar with his style may be an advantage for MEP. I think opponents would underestimate him. In this match up, both players have competed against each other in past.
When you play a pusher, you need to be able to finish the net points otherwise you are looking at very long exhausting day. You also need to get a pusher out of their comfort zone. Bring the pusher into the net with some short angle shots. You must have a good net game and a overhead against a pusher to be successful.
Ken Harris agree- against a pusher it’s important to come in. Against a counter puncher (which is what I think green truly is), he wants you to come to net so he can pass you as that is playing to green’s strength. In my opinion, I think green wants you play him with a pusher strategy. If you do, you play to green’s strengths.
@@TennisTrollChannel I think the strategy of hitting hard up the middle against a pusher or a counter puncher anticipating the short ball that can be attacked. Pushers and counter punchers generally react well when they have to move but when you hit hard up the middle it gets a little more difficult for them to use the angles. Once you get a short ball it must be hit with authority and then cover the tracking of your shot. If you approach up line then cover the line at the net as it its harder for the passing shot to be redirected cross court and vice versa.
@@kenharris7194 agree it is a matter of controlled aggression, whenever white attacked on his own terms he was mostly successful. he needed to be patient and used more angles and not hit so many soft balls back, he needed to continue using his good groundstrokes and attack at the right moment. I know it is easier said than done, you need to be confident in your strokes and thats not easy to do when you get soft balls, but based on how white was hitting, I think he have good enough stroke to dictate rallies.
Ken Harris I believe you is correct. I agree. Reduce their angles. Force them to create it. I like the idea. Approach down the line is a good suggestion too. Make them force an angle.
@@MAELOB As soon as you settle down and try to be patient, you're running to the net trying to scoop up a drop shot.....
It takes a lot of mental fortitude, patience, and resolve in order to compete against a consistent chop and chip practitioner.
T MO those three characteristics are important against all tennis players but especially against a person who is as consistent as green.
agree rate him 2/10 for style technical skill 7/10 for place and consistency and 9/10 for mental determination court craft
He green shirt guy should be the real tennis troll. 🤣🤣🤣 legend!!!
I agree - he's awesome. He is an Atlanta legend : ]
That effin pickleball line behind the service line must cause some confusion. F p'ball
This is the 2nd video I've watched of the junkballer and both times I get very jealous thinking about how he's probably played on the same set of strings for the last 5 years and never spent a penny. I've been doing it wrong this whole time. 🤣
As many balls as green hits, I wonder if he breaks a lot of strings. He does play 6 sets a day.
@@TennisTrollChannel 6 sets a day with zero balls of force. Highly doubt he's breaking more than a couple per year, if even that.
@@TennisTrollChannel All he breaks is your soul
@@TennisTrollChannel loose strings give you more control plus dont break much could play more than 6 months before they wore out different if you play power players then last only 2 months
What a fun match to watch. Learnt a lot.
So agree. These players have contrasting styles and it's fun to see how they their strengths to win points.
Have to be patient to beat a pusher. It’s not easy. Your shots need to be deep and you need to move him around until he gives you a short ball. Then you either put away the winner or you hit one extra shot move in and hit the put away. So much easier said than done because guys like this love running down balls. Great video tennistroll! Thank you to both players!!!!!!
Green is difficult to beat asI think green is more of counter-puncher. No matter what you do (come to net, grind, drive, stay back), green has an answer for everything.
@@TennisTrollChannel I agree. You need to have a big serve and a good kick serve where you get a lot of free points or off balance replies to make the likelihood of holding serve higher. A heavy high bouncing heavy topspin forehand would help too. Green shirt wants you to come into the net so he can lob you. You need to have a good overhead to counter that. Also you should not stand real close the net to make lobbing you more difficult. Green shirt does not hit a lot of topspin so it is not like the ball will be diving at your feet causing you to volley up frequently. White shirt did not have a strong enough forehand in the mid court when approaching the net to hurt green shirt enough. It made it easy for green shirt to execute a lob or passing shot. Most of the time it was a lob.
I would say that in every match green shirt has the same strategy. He wants to hit drop shots to bring you in and then lob you. You have to make that strategy not effective for him. Then he has to do something else. White shirt is playing green shirt's game.
@@Mr10usdad high deep to his backhand when he hits short drop shot him and lob make him run up and backwards never let him dictate pace or hit down middle to him test out his vollies
Great videos as usual! Congrats on being featured on the Essential Tennis channel!
Thank you! ET's video is excellent. I can't wait for the final video to come out tomorrow.
@TennisTroll Channel Gonna be epic...
This just goes to show that at the end of the day, your average 4.5 level player (myself included) really isn't that good. Like many people have already mentioned, in order to beat green shirt you have to have consistently powerful ground strokes to move him around and also be able to consistently finish off points at the net while being in great shape to run down all those drop shots. Basically, you have to be a very high level 4.5 or 5.0 to beat him. The average 4.5 or lower player won't be able to do it consistently enough over the course of a whole match to win.
Also, if you've never recorded yourself playing and watched it later, you'll grossly exaggerate how good you actually are!
I think 4.5 is really good for recreational players. When compared to college players and pros, I agree - there is a significance difference in level. You is correct - I think the average 4.5 player will struggle playing against green. A player may need to be a strong 4.5/borderline 5.0 to have a good chance of beating green. Even then, it won't be 6-0, 6-0. In my opinion, it will be tough, long match. Excellent point about the videoing. It's an eye opener when we see ourselves on camera.
@@TennisTrollChannel I agree. You're not beating green unless you're a super strong 4.5-5.0, but you're not waxing him unless you're an upper echelon 5.0 or higher.
This is the strange part it has nothing to do with level, it is about adapting to a certain style. Many players at 3.5 play this way. I think a younger 3.5-4.0 who likes to run, hits heavy and can smash overheads would beat him but would lose to the professor due to consistancy . As we get older we don't want to chase down 80 drop shots.
info781 I don’t want to chase drop shots today : ]
@@info781 I disagree. 3.5-4.0 level guys won't have the consistency AND pace to beat green. They might have one or the other, but not both, which is why they're at the 3.5-4.0 level to begin with. You're right that you see a similar style of play at the 3.5 level, but green plays that game at a MUCH higher level than they do.
What a crazy match!!
The kind of game of green shirt usually disturbs a lot of players, who have the power, but not the patience to play against them
Need patience, consistency, and endurance. Without them, the opponent will struggle in my opinion.
TennisTroll Channel need good net game smash to beat these sort of spoiler counter punchers not a easy task
You can say you are pretty good at tennis when you can beat player like green shirt...thanks to both players to share this with us, well done to green shirt for his win and to show us you don’t need to hit the ball crazy to win a game but also congrats to white shirt to keep his cool all the game...not that easy to do....he was close in the second set because he was able to stay focus, better chance next time !
This is an awesome comment.
May I ask how old is the green shirt legend ?
I think in the other video they mention green shirt is 43 years old.
Clarence Worley I am 63 playing his style is effective as you don't use up a lot of energy make opponents run everywhere with dropshots lobs etc
Green shirt is a tennis legend. I would love to meet and play him whenever I am in Atlanta.
Send us an email when visiting Atlanta - TennisTrollChannel@gmail.com
@@TennisTrollChannel I'll step up and play him, sending you an email.
TennisTroll Channel ever in Brisbane be happy to play you similar style but am 64 so you would need to take it easy on me can't run as well these days lol
Can we get a Most Exhausting Player vs. Dustin Brown match?
IKNOK the real Dustin Brown? I wish. We can get someone similar to Dustin Brown at the 4.5/5.0 level. We are discussing it. May try to video before end of month.
He just does not make errors!
MEP is so fit -- I'm jealous...
For what I can see. If you give a junk ball for green shirt he’ll just drop shot you and the lobby, he’s great at drop shots; meanwhile white shirt lost numerous opportunities of going to the net when stressing green shirt, if you make your opponent run just go to the net!
Also to beat green shirt you’ll need to have drops and some slice “low bounce” shots in your sleeve
good point- green may want you to hit chips shots at him so he can control the point by hitting a drop shot or even punish the shot and go for a winner. Essential Tennis has a video that explains this in excellent detail. As you said, making green run left and right and to the net (use the entire court) is a good suggestion.
Here's a tip for the guy in white: hit the ball away from your opponent. Makes it a lot harder for him to hit it back.
I've played a couple of guys like green shirt in the 4.5's when I was playing tournaments in SoCal around 8 years ago. Takes a lot of patience. Thank God I am also a marathon runner and I love to mix up the balls against these guys. They are fun to play and really help you work on your footwork and consistency.
You have an edge as your endurance must be awesome. You is correct - patience is a must and playing players like green do help you improve. If you in Atlanta area and want to play green shirt or any of our players, let us know : ]
Good point, someone who really enjoys running would enjoy this match.
@@TennisTrollChannel I live overseas in the Asia region but I am originally from Southern California. I would love to visit Atlanta for some tennis. The last time I was in the south for tennis was when I had a player from the college I was coaching at qualify for the ITA national fall tournament in Mobile Alabama back in 2012. I love the food and hospitality in the southern states and the tennis is very strong! If I am visiting that part of the States again I will definitely hit you up. Until then I will continue watching your awesome videos!
Jesus Escatiola I’m familiar with the National tourney in Mobile. Congratulations on that accomplishments as it’s a big deal. Send us an email when you have plans to visit the SE USA. Also, if you live near a large city in Asia, let us know. I had several trip planned to visit Asia this year but covid occurred. May try again next year. Would be cool to play tennis too. TennisTrollChannel@gmail.com
Hate playing soccer players badminton players too so fit and can run all day. Lol
what racket does Mr. Exhausting use? what is his preferred string tension?
An easy way to tell if somebody is bad and overconfident at tennis is if they say Most Exh is an "easy opponent" or that you just have to "be more aggressive" to beat him 😂 . I'd play these people over most exh any day 😂 . If you play tennis at the rec level (which is most of us) you most likely don't have any extraordinary weapons to dominate every single point. Junk Ballers/ pushers force errors because they take you out of rhythm and prolong points with drop shots lobs and passing shots mixed in. A tactical nightmare. At the rec level, the overwhelming majority of points are won on errors. Pushers/ Junk Ballers literally center their entire strategy around inducing errors in opponents. It's an UGLY but very effective strategy when executed well and paired with good fitness and tennis IQ. That's what makes playing these guys so "annoying." You end up getting impatient/ losing focus and beating yourself. If you compete under 5.0 you are def not breezing through an opponent like Most Exh, calm down 😂 . There's a reason he wins so many matches at 4.5.
You is so correct. If an opponent of similar level underestimates green shirt, the match is already over. Players like green shirt knows how to win. White shirt did a great job coming back in the second set. He knew he had a tough match ahead of him and he was patient and cool throughout.
I agree except that the threshold is 4.5. You simply say "rec guys". There is a huge range even for rec guys. That's where the ratings come in 4.5's have weapons. This is T Ball for 4.5's. They can play and win with this junk at 4.0 and lower. Even strong 4.0's can smoke this guy.
Which is really the bigger pt. and it's what makes this controversial. Is the 4.5 league this guy is competing in truly 4.5? Obviously different regions vary. The 2 opponents I've seen so far are no where near 4.5. Slide over to other 4.5 vids online, TennisTim etc, and it's worlds apart.
@@Bubbles99718 this guys beats 75% of 4.5 players. Should probably be up at 5.0. I never woulda thought anyone could get that high with such a dink serve. Just goes to show how much more important stamina, consistency, and mental toughness are than technique.
@@JohnnyChowder So I've been told. Not accepting it though. These guys seem like 3.5 to maybe 4.0. Maybe that league is on the weak side. I could be wrong of course but I've watched the vid twice now, indepthly. I can't rate either of them at 4.5
Did someone walk across the baseline at 6:03 and no one called a let?
Correct...I don't think green noticed but white shirt must have. They were having an excellent point. Big applause to white shirt for not letting it bother him. That had to have been difficult.
I like Green shirts tenacity and his passing shots are sick. He changes and absorbs pace well. He won so many points on drawing white shirt in and hitting lobs.
dariusd2003 excellent observation. I think green wants to bring players to the net. His lobs and passing shots are excellent.
Haha I felt exhausted just watching! I do like playing against these types of players though because it allows me to practise technique. Great vid
Playing all types of players is an excellent way to improve our games. Plus you never what type of opponent you encounter at your next league match/tournament.
When I grow up I wanna be like green shirt
and win? I hear ya.
Please don't
jgwil2 hard to find opponents to play then lol
He's just playing the shots he's confident in. And plays smartly. When you play, use your certainties. When you train, develop new certainties. The reason he wins is, his certainties (shots he feels confident in) have a lower % of error as compared to his more flashy opponents. And he uses the full length of the court with his drop shots, lobs and surprising low slices, something most of his opponents don't do either and insist on hitting "rally balls" which rarely ever harm him. He may not be as "aesthetic", but he's efficient, smart and honest to himself. I just wish he continues to train and develop new shots, but he has every right to never change his game if he so wishes...
This is a good comment in my opinion. We have to remember to play within our own game no matter the opponent. Green does an excellent job of staying within himself. I could be wrong but I don't think green will try to hit a 120 mph serve at 6-6 in third set. He'll play the style that will give him the best chance of winning. Something we can all do better. I
When playing a green shirt guy you need to give him no rhythm and take him out of his safe space which is the Baseline. You can also pull him out wide and come to the net since he has no pace on passing strokes. First strike tennis and cut off angles when playing this guy.
He has a lot of pace on passing shots. That is what makes green shirt so difficult to play against. Cameras don't capture speed well.
TennisTroll Channel gotcha
@@lkfrostad the so-called superior player did not make aggressive approach shots, thug giving the green-shirted player plenty of time and opportunity for a successful pass.
@@fueradeljuego Yes I see a major flaw in the approach shot, which was non-existent. He basically handed him the ball and got lobbed. Also, at the 4.5 level he should have been able to slice the ball and create angles, most of the time he hit the ball to the guy, or hit side to side with someone who was fit. Never went behind him.
fueradeljuego yep completely agree no arguments there
Green shirt tends to drop shot off of backhand; his forehand is mostly defensive; his serves are always into the left hip of the receiver on the ad side. You have to move green shirt otherwise he dictates play. Green shirt (if drawn in) will more times than not drop shot; but his volleys are fairly defensive. Use his tactics on him (drop shot then lob)
I agree with needing to use the entire court. Not easy to do as green is doing the same to the opponent and maybe doing it better, but I understand your point.
Green shirt adding the underhand serve is my favorite Atlanta tennis development of 2020.
Is it in this video? Time stamp please.
Underhand serve At 17:48 match point, almost does it again at 18:06 match point number 2. (As if green shirt needs any more reasons for opponents to be frustrated. FWIW I’m all for underhand serves. )
Ok, so are we saying that the green shirt guy is the business professor?
The other guy is not playing 4.5 USTA... Maybe 3.5 or 4.0
I've seen 4.5 in Houston & Dallas... And even in Beaumont... Those guys hustle... Maybe it looks different in person.
I'm a 3.5 or 4.0 and I would be happy to play either player
Green shirt is MEP. Business Professor is in white. Both are 4.5s. Green wins 75% of his singles matches at 4.5.
I would rather lose than play like the green shirt guy
I rather learn to how to win : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel if you think the only way to win is to play like that you are mistaken. My point is that I'd rather take time to learn proper technique, even if it means a longer learning curve. The guy in the green will never progress to become a great player, he is permanently stuck at his level. It's like being stuck at rank 500 and never making top 100 in the ATP, because you refuse to recognize your weaknesses and to improve them. Sure you can beat guys at your level and below, but that's it. You've reached the end of your progression because of you're refusal to admit junk technique
Mustafa M I understand your point. We al reach a ceiling eventually. I will say if I could be stuck at 500 in world, that would be awesome. I don’t think I’m 500 in my city. I’m sure a lot of people told green shirt he would be stuck at 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0. Eventually he will hit his ceiling. To improve we all need to update our game consistently. I’m sure green is doing the same.
@@Ryezn5057 I agree completely (although perhaps not as harshly), Green's way of playing is skilled and very effective but also an end in itself, a cut-de-sac, from which it would be very difficult to progress to a higher level. Players on the next level that have more consistency deeper, firmer groundies, better overheads and court coverage would take him to the cleaners. Green's game play and shot style can't really ascend from where it is so he's plateaued.
@@rich.e Well put, essentially green has reached his tennis plateau with this style of play
Unorthodox. Persistent. Good drop shot. Fantastic lob. I keep thinking "why don't the other players run him side to side?". They fall into playing his game. He is deceptively good.
Your observation is spot on.
Troll played him side to side, and Green was fantastically good at it. Every commentor in that video recommended Troll to play him front back, but we can see him that he is good at drop shots and lobs. Q
As annoying as his play style is, green shirt is at least honest--90% of the people I play with would have called 3:42 out
BTW, who won that point at 15 minutes? Green shirt or did the other guy stop the ball on purpose?
R DS if referring to when the ball landed on Professor, green shirt won the point as it touched Professor in mid-air.
@@TennisTrollChannel yes that was the point. Thanks for clearing it up.
This is painful to watch.
: ] White shirt put up a good fight - especially in second set. Green just stays with his game plan and pulls through.
White had no gameplan, not an effective one anyway. That's why he lost. All you have to do is continually run the pusher. Adopt a cross court directional pattern 9/10 times so that the ball is always travelling away from him, instead of hitting down the line (or down the middle) where the ball is travelling into him. Then when he pops up a short ball, go down the line for the winner etc. It needs discipline but it is so simple. You adopt that type of hitting pattern and the better strokes > weaker strokes.
@@svlagonda7417 100% agree with you on that. White shirt just doesn't adopt an effective directional pattern enough of the time. @TennisTroll give him the book on Wardlaw's directionals!
I have difficulty executing my strategies during play, I either think and screw up my play or instinct play and not be able to properly think. Any advice?
In my opinion, during warm up, a game plan needs to be developed based on what you see and tinkered with as the match progresses and you obtain more information about the opponent during the match.
I can’t...I would of defaulted the match.
: ] You may miss out on an excellent opportunity to learn more about your game.
Thought I'd like to keep my ground stroke styles, I must admit, TennisTroll game is sooooooo gooood and effective. I will learn to incorporate your games into my tactics. I will update you in a month.
This is an abomination and I love it
Green is awesome. He so tactical - it's amazing.
If you lack the power and/or consistency to finish from full court against these kind of players often the best alternative is to hit deep and high (almost moon balls), with a lot of spin and ideally in the direction of the opponent's weaker side). It then becomes much easier to finish with a volley
That is a good suggestion. I wonder if it'll work.
@@TennisTrollChannel depends how good you are at hitting high/deep ball but if you play against a pusher that relies heavily on slices/drop shots you take away part of his game. It is hard to hit a drop shot or slice a ball with control if you have to hit above your shoulders from full court. Anyways players like green shirt are always a challenge, there is a version of that playing style at every level and it's always annoying haha.
M Power he would be giving you the same 10x in a row lol
Green shirt would get obliterated by any half decent player, just embarrassing really, no forehand, no backhand, just pushing everything back with no actual intended accuracy, wtf is that serve aswell, the guys a complete newb why are people giving him credit 😂
His forehand is funny looking but dangerous. That hacking backhand should be punished
Cause he wins 75% of his matches at the 4.5 level. 4.5 level is the top 10% of tennis players in USA.
TennisTroll Channel yeh that’s because the other 90% are just average joes having a hit at the local courts, top 10% doesn’t say much really, I mean look at him, that is not how you play tennis, it’s shocking 😂
Green has lighter nimble feet, Business professor is moving with flat feet most of the times.
Where is the split stepping?
Get exhausted just by watching lol great game!!! Watching this matches is a gear way to analyze differente playing styles and be able to improve our own :)
I agree. We can learn a lot from watching green and white play this match.
Please make the interview happen! We want to know everything about green shirt!
I think Essential Tennis plans to interview green shirt.
I used to have a coach that played his matches like this. He was in his 50's and while he had better mechanics than MEP does, he modified his game to be like MEB in order to win with consistency, court position, shot variation and energy conservation. Though I find it boring to watch, it worked - I saw him take apart a couple of good 5.0 players.
I enjoyed looking this match... balls are not struck but cleverly placed... good to see different styles...
Alex loisel both players are excellent. I like this matchup- control and precision (green) vs a more aggressive style (white). Second set was tight but green pulled through.
The green shirt looks like he hates cardio and making him sweat would be an insult. But he sure does enjoy making opponents run like crazy. I would love to play him. 😎
I think for every mile green runs in a tennis match, the opponent runs 3 miles.
@@TennisTrollChannel That phenomenon could be referred to as "The Green Mile" :)
@@TennisTrollChannel good cardio training