Often underrated in tennis, lobs are one of the least appreciated shots. Many players tend to dismiss it in favor of more impressive shots they see the pros hit on TV.
A well-executed lob can be an effective defensive or offensive weapon. A high, flat lob gives the receiver time to set themselves for return play while topspin lobs can be hard to pursue down.
The Basics
At a game like tennis where points can often hinge on small margins, having an effective lob can be crucial in turning points around. Lobs can put opponents off balance while sending the message that you possess an arsenal of shots capable of dismantling their game. Crafting powerful yet accurate tennis lobs takes work but will pay dividends down the road.
A lob is both an offensive and defensive shot that can be hit from both sides of the net, used both defensively to interrupt your opponent’s rhythm or offensively to set up powerful groundstrokes or volley returns. A successful lob can give an advantage to any tennis match; yet many players overlook or underutilize its full potential.
One reason may be that the lob isn’t considered an eye-catching shot like hard groundstrokes or powerful serves, so it may get overlooked. But when looking at lists of great tennis shots, some truly outstanding lobs do appear.
There are two primary forms of lobs: topspin lob and slice lob. With topspin lobs, balls are hit using an upward and forward motion that causes them to spin forward and bounce higher; on the other hand, slice lobs are hit using downward and backward motion that causes it to spin in reverse and lower in its trajectory.
It is key to hit your lob so it lands directly in front of your opponent and not above their head, forcing them either to back away from the net and attempt an overhead shot or come closer and hit a groundstroke, both which force their rhythm to change and may cause them to drop the point.
A lob is an effective shot to use on both sides of the net, though its greatest effectiveness lies on the forehand side when trying to unbalance your opponent. A well-placed lob can also set up drop shots – an effective strategy to break your opponent’s rhythm and force them into altering their strategy midpoint in a point.
Variations
The lob is a shot that requires finesse and patience to execute successfully, best used when an opponent is in volley position and you want to neutralize their point without opening up an easy put away shot for another teammate.
One effective way to develop the lob is to incorporate it into your volley drills. This will help you become comfortable with this technique while honing overall volleying skills. A basic drill would involve you and a partner standing between net and baseline on one side of the court while someone feeds you volleys and lobs until both of you reach within 5-6 feet of the net.
As well as learning to hit a lob shot, players should also develop the skill of hitting both defensive and offensive lobs. While a defensive lob serves to keep the ball in play, an offensive one will set you up to win points.
Similarly, if an opponent hits an overhead that’s short and you cannot return it quickly, an easy solution may be throwing up a high lob ball so your opponent cannot run to it and miss it – giving you time to move into better position while forcing him or her into hitting another shot to close out the point.
As any tennis shot can be broken down into a sequence of movements called the “kinetic chain”, all tennis shots can be reduced to the basics: leg, hips, chest shoulders arms wrist and finally the racquet as it hits the ball.
The lob is one of the six fundamental shots in tennis and one of its more challenging shots to master, yet essential components of any winning strategy. Through proper practice and drills, your lob can become an arsenal to use against your opponents and increase their dominance over you.
Footwork
Footwork is essential to creating successful tennis lobs. Younger players often focus on this aspect of the game and practice it regularly – often without realizing they need to continue improving it! As it helps facilitate accurate shots with greater ease.
As part of your footwork practice, try switching up your movement patterns when playing matches. Doing this will enhance agility and prepare you for various scenarios, including when your opponent lobs the ball. Practice lateral shuffles, in-and-out drills and ladder drills regularly so you’re prepared to hit tennis lobs from either side of the net with ease.
Another key step in developing an outstanding forehand lob is finding the appropriate stance. Typically, this means adopting an open stance with your non-dominant foot slightly ahead of your dominant one; this will provide both balance and power necessary to hit this shot successfully.
Mastering the split step is also vital in order to hit tennis lobs consistently and effectively. Timing of your split steps is key; take them just before an opponent hits the ball to ensure you can respond swiftly with effective responses.
As with any form of shot in tennis, the forehand lob requires regular practice in order to become comfortable and consistent. By following the tips and drills outlined here and continuing your sessions regularly, you’ll soon be hitting impressive lobs!
Timing
Successful tennis strokes involve intricate body coordination known as “kinetic chain”. This starts at the player’s feet and continues through legs, hips, torso and arms before culminating in the arms that strike the ball.
This kinetic chain allows for the accumulation, storage, and transfer of energy in order to generate power for shots. However, any interruption during this process greatly diminishes stored energy stores – whether caused by lax preparation by players or distraction from opponents/part of court they want to hit at or simply misreading variables of an approaching ball.
To avoid these traps, players should practice their lob shots with a partner or ball machine in order to improve timing and balance. They should also work on using continental grip and pausing briefly between their backswing and forward swing phases of their stroke.
One of the best drills to develop timing in players is hitting shadow lobs. To do this, players should start from their baseline position and hit low shots close to the ground before quickly moving toward the net with their feet to catch it with either a volley or overhead serve volley volleys or overhead serves – this will help develop better footwork, timing, strength and accuracy required for an impressive lob.
Doing a lob and catch with a partner is another effective way to develop both timing and rhythm, helping players improve footwork while learning how to read spin and hit top spin. This drill is particularly beneficial for beginner players as they get used to reading ball speeds and matching their movements accordingly.
By following these simple guidelines, beginners can quickly become adept at hitting powerful and accurate lobs – an essential shot for their tennis game – with ease. Once they’ve perfected this crucial shot, their game can progress rapidly while enjoying all that comes with playing high-quality tennis matches.