A lob is a shot in pickleball where you will put some height on the trajectory of the pickleball and send the pickleball relatively high into the air. Learn the different types of lobs in the sport of pickleball, as well as some pickleball tips for you to hit the perfect lob on the pickleball court.
Returning the Lob
The best defense against an offensive lob is anticipation. It is nearly impossible for an opponent to lob over your head if you are anticipating the lob and react quickly to the lob attempt. When your partner is involved in a dink exchange at the no-volley line, you should be guarding against the lob. If your partner is pulled to the net by a short dink, your opponent may be tempted to do a quick lob. That tactic will not work very well if you call your partner off the shot and cover the lob for him.
When playing the lob, the most important thing for power and accuracy is to get into position quickly. Take a few quick steps back to get under or slightly behind the ball, then step into the ball with a full swing. That is where you get the power and control. Avoid the common mistake of drifting backward while reaching backward. It is difficult to get power or control while doing that. If you find yourself doing that often, concentrate on moving your feet quickly before reaching for the ball.
Always try to play the lob in the air if possible. When you let the ball bounce, you have lost the opportunity to hit the overhead smash. And you have given your opponents time to move up to the line because they know that you will not be hitting an overhead. There are times when you have to let a lob bounce, such as when you lose it in the sun, or don’t have time to get under it, or think that it may bounce out of bounds. Other than those times, keep the offensive advantage by hitting the overhead smash. And never backpedal to play a lob; turn and run if necessary.
Using the Lob
The Offensive Lob. A lob is most effective when the other team is not expecting it. The ideal time to use an offensive lob is when both of the opponents are at the no-volley line anticipating a drive shot or a dink. Placement and timing of the lob are critical. Since it is only 15 feet from the no-volley line to the baseline, there is not a lot of margin for error. If it is too short, you have set your opponent up for an overhead smash; if it is too long, you lose the point. Timing is critical because it is the element of surprise that makes it work. Even a well-placed lob becomes less effective if your opponent has anticipated it. He just takes a couple of quick sidesteps back and executes the overhead. If you attempt to lob too often, then you have lost the element of surprise. To maintain the element of surprise, it helps to conceal your intent. Try to use the same backstroke and foot position as normal. It is just that last-second flick of the wrist and follow through that turn a dink into an offensive lob.
The Defensive Lob. The defensive lob is used to buy time to move back into position. If one partner is pulled wide or deep to retrieve a shot, a lob will give that player time to get back into position. Ideally, that lob should be deep in the opponent’s backcourt so that their overhead shot is more difficult and so they cannot hit the smash at an extreme angle. When you and your partner are lobbing from the backcourt, you are playing defense and looking for an opportunity to assume the offense. That opportunity can come from a weak overhead that allows you to use an approach shot such as a drive or drop shot. That opportunity can also come when your opponent lets a lob bounce. As soon as you see that your opponent is going to let the ball bounce, immediately move to the no-volley line. Don’t wait for the ball to bounce; move quickly when the bounce is anticipated. At that point, you have assumed the offense and put your opponent on the defense.
