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How to Beat Players Who Lob?

Dave Kensler – Peter Burwash International (PBI)

I would probably be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every time the following conversation took place:

Student: I hate it when people lob. There are some people at our club who seem to lob on every shot.

Click photo: Max Mirnyi follows his serve into the net and rather than wait for a weak return to first bounce; he keeps his feet moving and aggressively closes in for the overhead. The shot is completed with nearly a "spiking" motion via relaxed wrist snap.

Dave: How is your overhead smash?

Student: Not very good.

Dave: Okay…Do think it is because there are some mechanical issues or is it due to lack of practice?

Student: I never practice it!

Sound familiar? It is interesting to me how what appears to be a universal issue for so many tennis players (Lack of confidence and ability to hit an overhead smash) can also be so easily correctable!

For the sake of this article let’s set aside some external factors which can impact the ability to hit an overhead like sun, wind, indoor lighting, and roof height, etc. Now, let's set this aside for a moment.

If you want to beat a lobber, it helps to take them out of their comfort zone. So, the first thing to do is to hit the “rewind button” on your points and ask yourself one question: “What type of shots am I hitting to my opponent that gives him an opportunity to hit so many lobs?”

Now I’m not talking about defensive lobs that all of us are forced to hit from time to time just to stay in a point. When under pressure, that may be the only option. I’m talking about an opponent who has the time to make choices i.e. passing shot, lob, or ball right at you and decides to hit a lob over and over again.

Click photo: Following a forehand approach shot Samantha Stosur keeps her feet moving until she is properly positioned to hit an overhead smash. Count the number of small adjustment steps she takes to get into position. Her hitting hand is relaxed
with a nice wrist break.

Let’s say your opponent is on the baseline and you hit a deep ball right to them and charge the net. In other words you hit the ball right where your opponent would prefer you to hit it and he or she consistently opts to lob the return. In other words, you’re playing into your opponent’s comfort zone. What if you had hit a soft, underspin, short ball instead and made him move off the baseline? What would the response be then – a lob, I doubt it.

So that is the first checkpoint in terms of match play: Take a look at the shots you are hitting that provide your opponent with the opportunity to have the choice to hit a lob.

The Overhead

The second issue, and the one which is the primary focus of this article, addresses hitting an overhead smash.

Some teaching pros liken the overhead to the serve but I have never completely believed in that comparison. Yes, both of them require a flexible, relaxed wrist to hit well but the differences between the two are glaring. With the serve you are tossing the ball from a stationary position; on the overhead your opponent is hitting the ball to you and you have to move under it. Also, while technically an overhead can (and should be if possible) hit while standing anywhere on the court; most of them are hit while inside the baseline – obviously not so for the serve.

Because issues can vary with each person, let me give you a five point checklist of what and how to work on and improve your overhead smash. This is not a priority list because for some point #5 might be the most important and for another person it can be something else.

Click photo: In match play, the overhead may be hit from anywhere on the court as Francesca Schiavone demonstrates here. The first one is hit from "No Man's Land" and the second from inside the service line. For both shots the racquet preparation is early and she keeps her feet in motion. Notice the relaxed hitting hand throughout both swings.

1. Practice! – The overhead is the least practiced shot in tennis; so really, this might be priority number one for all of us! Whether with a ball machine, your teaching pro, or a friend, practice, practice, and then practice some more! And practice under conditions that might actually take place during a match – with the sun in your eyes!

Also, don’t be afraid to move around the court. Most people practice the overhead from one position on the court – where they prefer to stand for the volley. Unfortunately, our opponents don’t always hit the ball there. So instead, work on your overhead from different locations on the court including the “moon ball” which might force you to move back to the baseline before hitting the smash.

2. Change your attitude about the overhead! It sounds simple but the difference between, ”Oh, not another lob from my opponent” versus “Yes, another lob from my opponent, so now I get to smash the ball” is significant.

Remember, an overhead smash gives you the opportunity to hit arguably the most aggressive, offensive shot in tennis, so why would you bemoan the opportunity to do so when your opponent lobs?

Click photo: Here, Ivan Ljubicic let's the ball bounce before hitting an overhead from behind the baseline. There's no real advantage gained by hitting the ball out of the air from that position. Notice also how his feet are in constant motion from the time he hits the approach until he hits the smash.

3. Practice hitting the overhead in the air and after the bounce. I always frame it this way: If the lob has an arc like a rainbow you must hit that ball in the air because if you let it go, it might bounce to the fence. On the other hand, if it is a “moon ball lob,” there is no advantage to hitting a ball dropping straight down from 30 feet. Let it bounce first, move under it, and then hit the smash. Yes, it gives your opponents more time to recover and position themselves but you should still win the point (Or at least stay on the offense) with the overhead.

4. Prepare the racquet early. I often see a lot of contact problems with students because they try to “time” the overhead by using their full service motion. Again, the overhead and serve are two different strokes. With the serve you control the ball…not so on the overhead.

Get your racquet into some type of hitting position right away so whether you have to move or fight the conditions like sun, wind, or lighting, you can take an overhead smash swing. Having your racquet hand in the middle of your service motion while the ball is dropping and the sun is in your eyes will often yield negative results.

Click photo: Mardy Fish uses a quick racquet preparation in order to hit an overhead smash. The shot is hit with a great wrist snap action. Notice how he makes a number of different "split steps," but not "split stops"…His feet keep moving.

5. Keep your feet moving! As I noted in another article, the split step is not a split stop. Eliminate “split stop” from your tennis vocabulary. In particular I see more half-volley, low volley, and overhead issues because people stop their feet completely after the split-step, particularly when they are in the vicinity of the net, then they wonder why it is so tough to “get going” again!

Tour players, whether it is “dancing,” “bouncing,” or “hopping,” keep their feet in motion when arriving at the net. This allows them to quickly move in any direction to hit an overhead smash or a volley for that matter.

Many club players get anchored and then are unable to react with their feet quickly enough when the ball goes over their head.

Take a look at the shots you are hitting which allow your opponent to hit the ball over your head and cut down on those opportunities, and practice your overhead smash. Trust me, once you own this shot you will never again let a “lobber” bother you.

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Kensler's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

Dave Kensler has 28-years of teaching experience with Peter Burwash International (PBI), the highly successful international tennis management company. PBI directs tennis programs at exclusive hotels, resorts, and clubs in North America, Europe, Caribbean, Asia, Middle East, Pacific, Central America, Mexico, and the Indian Ocean. Over 3 million people have received instruction from PBI Professionals during the 35-year history of the company. All PBI Tennis Professionals play with PRINCE racquets and wear PRINCE shoes. For information on PBI tennis destinations and employment opportunities please go to www.pbitennis.com.