Dealing With Lobbers

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Dealing With Lobbers

by Nancy
(Arlington, TX)

My partner and I are fairly strong 3.5 lady players and usually do well against the same. We both tend to serve/volley and try our best to take the net. Our biggest nemesis are ladies who lob consistently and take "our net game" away. Looking for strategy and tactic options.

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Dealing With Lobbers

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Aug 31, 2009
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Dealing w/ the lob in doubles
by: Nick

The lob is a very good tactic to use against net rushers in doubles and can be neutralized with the right tactics.

Three changes that you can make have to do with: "Serve and Volleying", "Formations" and "Overheads"

*Serve and Volleying*

Getting lobbed by the serve return usually means that your opponent had enough time to set up, be balanced and execute the shot. The quality of you or your partner's serve determines whether lobbers can execute their shot properly.

There are two options that I suggest for serve/volleying:

I. Have both you and your partner work on your serve (Consistency, Placement and Power). Also honestly asses whether your serve and partner's serve is offensive enough to put your opponent's off balance. If not then this leads to my second option.

II. Have the server stay back rather then charge the net. Eventually work your way towards the net with an offensive approach shot (this could just be on your serve, your partner's or both)

Like the serve the quality of your approach shot determines how easy the lob will be. If you and your partner can: try slicing the ball low and down the line on the approach. If the ball stays nice and low it's much harder to lob then a higher topspin approach.

*Formations*

One other change that you can make is your doubles' formation to counter lobbers:

When you and your partner are up at net have one of you in your normal position while the fastest player stands on the service line.

The closer netplayer looks to put the ball away while the player at the service line is ready to cover the lob.

If the lob pops up and that player on the service line can't reach it consistently, then I offer an alternative: "One up and One back"

The netplayer looks to "poach" (intercepts the cross-court ball to your baseline player). With this ball you can either punch it:

A. In the large gap between the netplayer and the baseline player

B. At the feet of the netplayer

While the baseline player can continually intercept the lob. They also can hit crosscourt or down the line groundstrokes (DTL works especially well if the netplayer is a weak volleyer)

This forces your opponents to have to hit good groundstrokes and volleys to beat you rather then lobs.

*Overheads*

Whether you hit an overhead depends on how good your opponent's lob is. If you or your partner can't consistently hit one but the lob is not too deep then I have two alternatives:

1. Take the overhead as a high volley. With the volley you can put it away with a sharp angle.

2. Wait for the lob to bounce and then smash a groundstroke. If you can: try slicing the ball low and angled in service box. Your closest net player to the opponent retrieving the slice steps forward to put away the next shot. Also have the other net player at the service line, just in case she manages to flick a lob.

Hope you and your partner have fun with doubles, it's a great game

-Nick

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Aug 31, 2009
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Submitted by: Nick

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The lob is a very good tactic to use against net rushers in doubles and can be neutralized with the right tactics. Three changes that you can make have to do with: "Serve and Volleying", "Formations" and "Overheads" *Serve and Volleying* Getting lobbed by the serve return usually means that your opponent had enough time to set up, be balanced and execute the shot. The quality of you or your partner's serve determines whether lobbers can execute their shot properly. There are two options that I suggest for serve/volleying: I. Have both you and your partner work on your serve (Consistency, Placement and Power). Also honestly asses whether your serve and partner's serve is offensive enough to put your opponent's off balance. If not then this leads to my second option. II. Have the server stay back rather then charge the net. Eventually work your way towards the net with an offensive approach shot (this could just be on your serve, your partner's or both) Like the serve the quality of your approach shot determines how easy the lob will be. If you and your partner can: try slicing the ball low and down the line on the approach. If the ball stays nice and low it's much harder to lob then a higher topspin approach. *Formations* One other change that you can make is your doubles' formation to counter lobbers: When you and your partner are up at net have one of you in your normal position while the fastest player stands on the service line. The closer netplayer looks to put the ball away while the player at the service line is ready to cover the lob. If the lob pops up and that player on the service line can't reach it consistently, then I offer an alternative: "One up and One back" The netplayer looks to "poach" (intercepts the cross-court ball to your baseline player). With this ball you can either punch it: A. In the large gap between the netplayer and the baseline player B. At the feet of the netplayer While the baseline player can continually intercept the lob. They also can hit crosscourt or down the line groundstrokes (DTL works especially well if the netplayer is a weak volleyer) This forces your opponents to have to hit good groundstrokes and volleys to beat you rather then lobs. *Overheads* Whether you hit an overhead depends on how good your opponent's lob is. If you or your partner can't consistently hit one but the lob is not too deep then I have two alternatives: 1. Take the overhead as a high volley. With the volley you can put it away with a sharp angle. 2. Wait for the lob to bounce and then smash a groundstroke. If you can: try slicing the ball low and angled in service box. Your closest net player to the opponent retrieving the slice steps forward to put away the next shot. Also have the other net player at the service line, just in case she manages to flick a lob. Hope you and your partner have fun with doubles, it's a great game -Nick

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Sep 05, 2009
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How To beat The Lobbers
by: John

Well firstly you have to accept that this is a genuine way of playing tennis and that lobbers, like the pushers/dinkers are given the respect they deserve.

Maybe you have to:
a) Go in on better shots rather than going in all the time
b) Look for on which shots your opponents lob better. I feel that at our club folk lob better off the backhand side - easier as most players can slice and this gives them a better feeling for the lob.
c) Maybe when serve and volleying hang back an extra couple of steps - could be their ability to lob you is better than their ability to pass.
d) when you are serving get your partner to stand that extra step back - the same reason as c)
and e) improve that so important smash!

Have fun and this is what tennis on our planet is all about - learning to find the key to unlock our opponents game

John from TennisZoo.com

Sep 15, 2009
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Use their Tactics !
by: Anonymous

They Lob ....... We Lob ...... After a while Everyone gets tired of lobbing and starts playing the correct way ....... Wanna stop the lob play the service line and shoot a higher lob, and spin that tennis ball at 9,000 rpm's harder than your oponnents........ Make them learn respect the hard way ........ It's all for fun and condition anyway right .......... ;)

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Dealing With Lobbers

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Dealing With Lobbers