Description:
Kyle Whatnall
Watch as AOP Pro Instructor, Kyle Whatnall, takes you through ways of adding the lob to your shot arsenal. Lobs are effective when you want to put your opponents on their heels and force them to retreat. You can execute this shot off a dink, sending the ball over your opponent’s head into the back court.
Another approach is to hit a lob out of the air. This can catch your opponent by surprise because it looks like you’re going to hit a dink volley. Since it happens so quickly and the ball doesn’t bounce, your opponent is forced into defensive mode. It’s also smart to place the lob in a location that requires your opponent’s partner to play a back hand shot. This helps prevent them from hitting an overhead smash in case you leave the lob a little short. Check out the examples below to learn how to incorporate lobs into your game. Then watch the video to see clips from the pros!
Example 1
The right-side player on the near-side team receives a dink, then decides to hit a lob over his opponent’s head. This forces the far-side team to retreat and go on the defensive. Though the near-side team doesn’t end up winning the point, the lob shot allows them to remain on the offensive.
Example 2
In this example, the near-side team plays a lob over the head of their opponent. This puts the far-side team on the defensive and gives the near-side team a good position on offense. The near-side team plays a second lob to their opponent’s back court, which allows them to take control of the point and end the rally a few shots later.
Example 3
Coming off a cross-court dink, the near-side team sends a lob to the back court. The far-side team manages to return the ball, but they now must work their way back to the kitchen. This gives the near-side team an advantage, allowing them to end the rally a few shots later with a drive up the middle.
Example 4
During a cross-court dink rally, the right-side player on the near side sends a lob to the far side’s back court. Though the far-side team is able to return the ball and play defense for a few shots, the lob sets up the point-winner for the near-side team a few shots later.
