Players at the 5.0 level often struggle to volley high lobs that glance momentarily off of the front wall before landing safely in the back corner. This is due to many having not learned to use their legs and torso to generate power for these strikes.
Lobs can be effective when used off of drops or boasts, but they’re also useful on their own. There are various drills and games designed to develop this shot.
Position
Many players struggle with the lob because they perceive it as a defensive shot. In reality, though, when executed well it can be one of the most effective offensive shots available – provided you know when and how to combine it with other attacking shots.
The lob is most effective when placed close to a side wall and beyond your opponent’s reach, forcing them into the back corner and giving you an effective means of getting up court faster if pace becomes an issue.
However, it is essential to remember that lobs can also be used for offensive purposes and that you should use various paces of your volleys in order to keep your opponent guessing. If you hit a soft toss lob that drops into the front corners, it may be difficult for your opponent to return it down the line and may force them into playing weak defensive boasts that give you the opportunity to continue the rally.
As a general guideline, when hitting your lob, aim for it to land high over the front wall and into the bottom corner of the court. This will force your opponent to jump higher in order to miss or hit out the ball before giving you an easy attacking shot. In addition, hitting it at this height increases its likelihood of dropping down onto its target spot for you and gives an advantage in attack shots against them.
When performing a lob, your primary goals should be keeping your body upright in an ergonomic position and your arm straight and relaxed. Furthermore, aim to have as close an approach possible between the racquet face and ball at contact for maximum power to hit your shot successfully.
If you are having difficulty with the lob, try working on some drills and conditioned games with either your coach or partner to develop consistency and proper technique. Make sure that each practice session involves the same person so you can concentrate on developing consistent movements while perfecting technique.
Mechanics
The lob is an extremely effective defensive shot, especially when combined with other shots. At the top level of squash, dropping and lobbing an opponent back into their corners is a common tactic used by pros to force an opponent into playing weak defensive boasts to avoid potentially missing an unexpected lob high into their corner. To ensure success with this tactic, be sure to hit your lob high above the service line; hitting it too low risks missing it entirely into their back corner!
When playing a lob, it’s also crucial that the ball touches both walls before colliding into the front one – this will enable you to take longer swings and increase your odds of hitting cleanly.
Telegraphing your lobs by always using the same pre-serve routine can lead to your opponent predicting your intentions and positioning themselves accordingly. This is particularly damaging when someone attempts to break your rhythm as this makes your return easier for them to read.
If your lobs are falling short, focus on getting them higher by targeting the out of court line on the front wall and practicing. As soon as your shots reach this target line, they should start going higher naturally.
Young players unable to produce enough power with their legs may benefit from using lobs as a method for forcing opponents back into their own back corner. It can be especially effective against power players as it forces them to play weak boasts and decreases attacking opportunities. Shorter players may find this effective because opponents must lunge down and stand back up repeatedly to reach for the ball; similarly taller opponents could find this technique effective as it forces them away from aggressive drive games into more defensive boasts.
Variations
One effective variation of the lob shot is to hit it quickly, making the ball difficult for opponents to return and adding variety to your game. Lob shots can also be used as an effective counterattack against drop shots by hitting them high enough that threatening to land it back corner puts pressure on them to attempt an unpredictable shot – forcing them to make riskier shots that allow you some breathing room in regaining the T position.
Another variation would be to serve a powerful lob and hit it hard, making it more difficult for your opponent to reach it, particularly if they struggle with overhead volleys.
Use the lob to gain distance from your opponent by hitting it with speed or spin and making it difficult for them to return it. This shot is great when playing away from an opponent; it helps break their rhythm while creating drama within your point.
If your opponent is an experienced player and you find yourself often out of position in front court, lobping can be very effective in forcing them out of position and back onto a diagonal path that allows them to return it without difficulty. By hitting it high and threatening to drop it in the back corner without returning it immediately after hitting, hitting can force them down all or part of it and can force them backwards towards an easier return zone or all along it altogether.
As another way of using the lob serve effectively, another great strategy would be to have it hit close to the out line and drop near the back wall before hitting its target – this gives your opponent a difficult shot to return as they must hit it from behind the court while remaining accurate with their volley shot. This tactic may prove effective against players that excel at dropping and you might wish to use this method during some of your points.
Scoring
With proper execution and hands, the lob can be an incredibly effective defensive weapon. Used correctly it can regain position up at the non-volley zone line after an opponent has given you a low drive or play an angled drop shot into their backhand corner to break down their defenses and help break through their defences. Furthermore, it can also serve as a very useful offensive tool if utilized appropriately.
An effective player must understand all of the available volley types and utilize each appropriately; each has a specific function. For example, someone struggling to hit high drops may benefit from using more frequent lobs as this gives them an opportunity to regain their positioning without having to chase too far down court.
To improve their lobs, players should aim to hit their shots as high as possible above the service line and allow opponents less time to adjust their volley volley and reach and return it. Also consider hitting it close to an out of court line on a front wall as this will further decrease time needed for adjustments to be made by your opponents volley volleys.
As players become more experienced with lobs, it’s crucial they realize they can be used from all positions on the court and with either forehand or backhand grip depending on angles, speed and target position. For those having difficulty producing clean and powerful lob shots it may be beneficial to work on basic techniques in drills before seeking professional instruction from a squash professional.
One effective drill to practice the lob is setting up a hoop between the service line and net and having two players play out a point together. One should try hitting into the hoop while one tries to intercept and prevent it falling in. This drill can be repeated again and again until both players begin to tire of playing out this point.