Counter drop and lob is an invaluable weapon to have at 5.0 level for using against an opponent. At its heart lies its goal: bury an opponent deep within their back corner.
Young players tend to overlook the lob as an offensive weapon, however when executed properly it can be an invaluable offensive asset.
Front Court
Some of the top players at clubs nationwide are drop lobbers; they can be difficult to play against and often use tight drops with short spins to achieve good returns before lobbing anything back that volleys low and wide. One way of counteracting their drops effectively is with the lob, which can be extremely effective and confuse their most potent weapons by neutralizing one of their most formidable assets.
The lob can be an extremely effective weapon when your opponent is waiting on the T with a low ball and trying to slow the rally by hitting long drops. Furthermore, hitting one high and tight to a side wall can create havoc for your opponent, forcing them to quickly retrieve their shot before making their return to T.
When playing lobs, accuracy is of the utmost importance. An inaccurate shot can easily drift off-court or allow your opponent to make an easy return from deep in the corner. Therefore, positioning is key: stand with feet shoulder width apart facing away from side walls with dominant hand on top of racquet handle and create power with legs for efficient shot making from an secure platform.
At all times, it is vital that you remain aware of what the opponent is doing – particularly if they attempt to take the ball back straight down the middle – as this will allow you to determine which lob is necessary; too soft or high can easily end up dying into corners, allowing your opponent to easily volley it back over your head; but when timed perfectly it can become an effective weapon in the center court.
Back Court
At 5.0 level, play is usually located near to each opponent’s back wall and lobs can be used to create attacking opportunities. A counter drop shot is a very good way of breaking up their drop shots as it forces them deep into their back corner before setting up cross court lobs that force defending and will often yield weak defensive strategies from your opponent.
Learning the lob is a vital skill, often being the last resort for players under pressure on the back court. Therefore, having a solid back court game and using various drills to improve this shot effectively are both key components to having an effective back court game and developing your confidence to use this shot when needed.
One way of doing this is working on the “boast, drop, lob” drill – an excellent starting point for 3.0 players looking to start using their lob more regularly. Furthermore, watching some of the best players at this level and their techniques is an invaluable source of knowledge and guidance.
Final point, remembering to hit your lobs high and soft to prevent your opponent from easily volleying back the ball back into play. A low or poor quality lob can easily get out of court, potentially costing both teams in the game dearly.
Study of elite squash players found that shot selection varied depending on court location and time available to play a shot. For instance, when playing in the back corners, lob shots were less frequent; when shots were being played closer to the front court however, more frequent use was made of this strategy option indicating its strategic value.
Mid-Court
At the 4.0 level, one of the best ways to control the game is through mid-court attacking shots. Employing different attacking shots will keep your opponent guessing where their next shot should come from and make them consider alternatives when making decisions on shots they want to take next.
It can also help prevent your opponent from becoming too comfortable and making mistakes when they expect the same thing every time they play, which can make for predictable gameplay that leads to errors and injuries. So if your opponent seems content hitting only forehand lengths crosscourt or backhand drops straight every time they come onto court, switching up their strategy by switching your attack with a lob in the middle can create havoc in their strategy and ensure safer play overall.
A lob shot is a high and soft ball that bounces up against the front wall before arcing over your opponent and landing deep into the back court. You should aim to hit as close as possible to the front wall when hitting your shot.
The lob is an iconic squash shot and should be practiced by all players, both young and experienced alike. Some young players might view the lob as more of a defensive shot; but having seen legendary champions like Gogi Alladin use this shot effectively, you quickly realize its offensive potential.
A lob can be combined with many other shots for added effectiveness in practice. 3.0 players can practice “boast and lob” drill, where players use boast shots against corners to force opponents closer to the front wall for retrieval before following it up with a lob and volley drive to bury them for retrieval – this tactic helps wear down opponents in back corners, leading to breaks. A lob is also an effective way of attacking from back corners; executed properly it can be an extremely lethal shot if used properly but requires considerable practice in order to succeed.
Back Corner
One of the most frustrating types of players to play against in squash are those who can execute accurate back corner shots, forcing you into defensive shots and forcing the court away from you. This blog post will discuss tactics for dealing with these opponents and how you can avoid their impact on your game.
First and foremost, it is crucial that you learn to hit consistent shots from the back corner. You can accomplish this by practicing various strokes using correct technique in all situations; doing this will enable you to build confidence when rallying from this corner while becoming more angular in your attacks.
When playing from the back corner, it is also vitally important to develop an efficient volleying and attacking game. You can do this by working on fronthand drives as well as developing cross-court lobs.
A good lob shot can be an extremely effective weapon against an aggressive player, particularly when combined with other shots. Many misinterpret this form of shot as defensive rather than offensive; when performed properly it can be extremely effective.
When trying to lob an opponent from the back corner, it is critical that you are in an ideal position and deliver an accurate high and tight lob. A loose lob may easily be returned by an aggressive opponent or out of court entirely while tight lobs will make it more difficult for their reach.
Another useful tactic when playing from the back corner is serving a high, fast boast followed by a short lob; this will force your opponent into running full diagonal and will give you more time to maneuver into position for your next shot.
3.0 and 4.0 players looking to prevent their opponents from hitting long, wide or high shots can employ this strategy, though beware not overdoing it as this type of attack may become dangerous and cause your opponent to tire more quickly than intended.