What is a Pickleball Lob?
A lob is a shot in pickleball is a high, arching shot intended to travel over the heads of opponents and land deep in their court. It is a strategic shot used in various situations often used in a game to push opponents back to the baseline or to buy time to reposition on the court and/or make them miss hitting the ball entirely thus gaining a point.
When to Use a Lob in a Pickleball Game
To Reset the Rally you can attempt to use a lob to give yourself time to recover and reposition, especially when you’re under pressure. If you need more time this is a good strategy (as long as you don’t hit it too deep so it goes out) buying you more time to get to the kitchen line.
Against Aggressive Net Players if your opponents are positioned close to the net. This high deep hit can force them to retreat, disrupting their offensive advantage and heading towards the back of the court.
To Exploit Weaknesses if your opponent has difficulty moving backward or executing overhead shots, a well-placed lob can do this. Slower movers (especially those who are older) have a tough time moving quickly enough – backwards, and position themselves properly to hit the ball back over the net.
As a Defensive Play in a fast-paced rally, this deep high hit can help reset the tempo and give you breathing room too.
How to Lob in Pickleball
Your Grip should be relaxed to maintain control and precision. The Paddle Angle should be tilted faced upward to create the necessary loft for the shot, into the lights essentially. Swing Motion should be used in a gentle, controlled upward swing to lift the ball high into the air. Far back but not too far to land outside the back line. Placement, you should aim for the deep corners of the court, preferably over your opponent’s non-dominant side.
What is the best Lob?
- Height and Depth should be high enough to clear your opponents and deep enough to prevent an easy smash.
- Avoid Being Predictable meaning you shouldn’t overuse, as opponents can anticipate and prepare to counter with an overhead smash.
- Watch the Wind if you are playing outside. It isn’t as effective there. Be cautious of wind conditions, which can affect the ball’s trajectory and make lobs more challenging.
- Use Sparingly, they should be part of a balanced strategy rather than a go-to shot.
How to Defend Against a Lob
Anticipate and watch your opponent’s paddle angle and body language to anticipate this deep shot. Move Back Quickly using a backpedal or side-step to position yourself under the ball. Even safer, plan with your partner to get lobs landing behind them and visa versa. This allows you to run straight toward the back of the court, then turn to hit. Running backwards is more dangerous (obviously) as you can trip on your shoes. Execute an Overhead Smash if it is poorly placed or too shallow. Especially if you are tall enough to get your paddle on it, take advantage with a powerful overhead shot.
Types of Lobs
An Offensive Lob is a well-placed hit used as an attacking strategy to score points by landing the ball out of reach. However a Defensive Lob is high and slow used to reset the rally and recover from a challenging position.
Mistakes
One that is too low is no good as it will allow your opponents to smash it as they lift their paddle and come into contact. It needs to rise above what they can reach to be effective. Too Short such as a high hit that lands near the midcourt volley zone makes it vulnerable to an aggressive return. Overusing too often can make your strategy predictable and easy to counter as well.
How to Return a Pickleball Lob Shot
First off you need to get there safely and quickly. Your best bet is to NOT run backwards but rather turn and run to the back of the court keeping an eye on it turning your body around just behind where it is anticipated to land. The best way to be able to do this is to plan to return those that go over your partner’s head (not yours, they should plan to get those). Talk about this strategy before starting the game so you are both on the same page.
Once you are there you have a few choices. You can return a lob back with a hard drive but your opponents will almost always be ready at the kitchen to return it so your partner needs to be in a defensive position at the kitchen line ready to block. A drop shot is great, just over the net, if you are skilled enough to do so as those are hardest to return and will buy you time to make your way back to the front of the court.
A third option is to lob it back!! I have done this many times and it often times catches your opponent by surprise. Remember to loft it high, not super deep or you risk hitting it out. Often times the lights will get in their way causing them to miss or hit lightly in return which buys you time to get to the kitchen.
How to Hit a Lob
If you are going to try to hit it back deep you’ll need to catch it high with a pancake paddle face which will buy you a bit of time if you have the force to hit it back that deep. For a drop shot catch it high too but with a lighter touch swiping down with just enough force to make it just over the net. A tough shot even for some professional pickleball players but with practice you can get great at it too.
This high deep shot is a versatile shot in that can be both a defensive lifesaver and an offensive weapon when executed correctly. By mastering and knowing when to use it, you can add depth and unpredictability to your game while keeping opponents on their toes.
FAQ
Well first of all, get their shot and hit it back to them every single time. If they find out you are good at returning them they may not resort to this “trick” so often. People who do this shot a lot many times aren’t great at covering the court. They use this shot to gain some extra time. Use this knowledge to make them move around the court more. Use drop shots more often as hard hitters tend to not be great at softer strokes.
A lob serve is slower but very high and deep almost to the base line. They may take you by surprise as most are fast and low. To return the serve stand firm and catch it waist high. Get ready to hit a firm and hard drive back to them. Catching it high will likely cause you to return it too deep and out. Too low may pop it up short for opponents to smash.
No, it is a shot strategy to use in order to buy the other side more time. Usually done when both opponents are at the kitchen and you want to move them back. That way you can instead move up to a position of power instead. It is an approved shot for PPA.
