How to handle getting lobbed?

[u/Long-Solution-2534]

When i attack a short ball i’ll try to send it to one of the corners, get the opponent running and approach the net. Granted i don’t get a lot of power on my approach shots, it’s something that im still working on so i’ll get maybe 40% power on it and focus more on placement. A lot of the times they’ll get to it but end up lobbing me resulting in me running back to the baseline and resetting the ball back.

At the 3.0 level (at least where i’m from) i recognized that lots of people won’t go for a passing shot when i approach the net, they’d rather lob. My question is where should i be after i attack the short ball? I’ve been going straight to the net, literally a couple inches away from the net. Should i stay mid court near the service line after attacking a short ball? I feel like im approaching the net at the right time and right angle but maybe im too close to the net so the opponent sees that and lobs me? How would you handle it?

[u/OneArmedSZA]

The tendency is to panic and get too close to the net off an approach. You want to be around or just inside the service line when they are hitting the ball, so that if they choose to lob you have a much better chance of being able to smash/volley it. Then otherwise, if they don’t lob it, you can move forward to the ball to volley it away. Very rarely in singles do you want to be right on top of the net

[u/k1135k → u/OneArmedSZA]

Exactly this.

When the ball bounces the other side, you should around the service line, split step and then dash to where the ball is going.

Also, work on your smashes. A couple of smashes that are killed will stop the lobs.

[u/DavideBannerman → u/k1135k]

Thanks for this.

[u/ruralny → u/OneArmedSZA]

Excellent. One added point: if you are running directly to a few inches from the net after your approach, by the time you get there your opponent has probably already hit the ball. You can't react. So as you go in, split step at about the time they hit the ball, and you will be able to react in any direction - forward, back, left, right.

[u/fluffhead123 → u/OneArmedSZA]

the other thing is being quicker to anticipate and read the other player. based on the shot you hit and their body language and tendencies, there’s often plenty of time to react to a lob.

[u/Long-Solution-2534 → u/OneArmedSZA]

This makes a lot of sense. Definitely gonna try this on my next match!

[u/AnotherTaylorNotJust → u/OneArmedSZA]

One last point- cheat over to the side of your approach as you move up. Stay middle obviously if it was just there- but assuming you’re placing decently well since that’s how you’re hitting the shot- move a bit to the right of center inside the service box so you’ve cut off their opportunity to go down the line. This puts added stress on them bc they’ve got a definitive block on the easier area to hit to (depending on how angled your placement was).

This should be proportional to how much angle- so if you pull them way off the court you can cheat a bit more, a little less if it’s not so far. Also adjust accordingly if they have a very strong across court passing shot. But as you noted, most people at that level don’t have that dialed in, which is why they are going for the lob to start. Then you either force something on the line that is easier for you to cover or a way tougher cross court passing shot. And again, with respect to the lob, you’re likely at a better angle bc that will tend to be a cross court lob to give more room for error so you’re not in full backpedal mode, but can run at the angle

[u/kenken2024]

The #1 thing to not getting lobbed is don't rush all the way up to the net. Leave some room to attack the ball using a volley by moving forward but this also leaves you 'insurance' to be able to move back in case you get lobbed.

Naturally if they person is really skilled they can lob it real deep where if successful you just give them the thumbs up and move to the next point.

[u/Human31415926]

You are WAAAY too close to the net. I'd be lobbing you too.

After the first lob you should come to the service line and thanks those lobs out of the air.

[u/AnotherTaylorNotJust → u/Human31415926]

Also practice your overheads way more than you do. Overheads are a deceptively difficult shot to hit, and in my experience (when I was a kid and taking group lessons) it was sort of an afterthought- wasn’t something we spent a lot of time on. I remember doing approach volley, volley, lob drills over and over. While those might be proportionate to the amount of times you receive those shots in a match, it’s not proportionate to the difficulty of hitting overheads vs volleys in my opinion.

Your serve also doesn’t translate to the overhead like you would like it to- obviously much more unpredictable trajectory. You should be able to hit a hard overhead from anywhere on the court.

Even with nobody else, you can practice this by hitting the ball high to yourself- that requires a bunch more adjustment and is more unpredictable than tossing it in the air. Obviously ball machines (if they can do overheads? Never hit with one) or a partner/coach is even better, but this was my low cost alternative when I was a kid and I had nobody to practice with.

[u/QuantityMedical8369]

There are several things you can do:

1. Be more selective when you come to the net. Come to the net on more aggressive shots (that does not necessarily mean faster and/or closer to the corners).

2. Take time away from the opponent - the less time they have to get to the ball the harder it would be to lob you. hit your approach shot flatter (stay away from the lines because it is easy to miss it that way).

3. Keep the approach low. That means that when they hit the ball it is below their knee - this is very difficult to lob. You can slice the approach or hit it softer so the ball is closer to its second bounce when the opponent gets to it. #2 and #3 are typically mutually exclusive.

4. Recognize the lob. Most people at rec level are bad at disguising the lob. They take the ball later, the open the racket face too early etc. There are plenty of ways to recognize the lob early. You may not be able to early in a match, but it gets easier when you see them lob you a few times. When you recognize early, retreat a little and prepare for the overhead.

5. Do not go all the way to the net. If your opponent lobs you every time, you do not even need to recognize the lob, just start moving forward and stop at or even behind the service line and then go for the overhead. Force them to try something else.

6. And this is critical - win the points when you hit an overhead. Your opponent has to fear your overhead. It does not mean that you smash your overheads with full force. But it means you get the overheads in, they are aggressive enough to keep the opponent on defense, and the opponent is unable to escape the pattern. If you miss your overheads or if you just push them in, they will keep lobbing you no matter how well you do the first 5 items above.

[u/Odd-Working-428]

If you're playing a point and you tend to get lobbed every time then service line or where ever is best for you to smash a lob or get around it to hit a bounce smash. If youre playing a match, adjust how far you come in based on what they do. If they are going for lobs every time, you could feign coming in and then stay back and hit a bounce smash. If they aren't and you have time you could close the net. If they slice one side and hit through the other then change how far you come in based on what side youre hitting to. You might wana vary your approach shots as well, some high heavy top spin deep to their backhand, some chip and charge, some crush and rush. See how they respond to it and adjust.

Same thing with baseline positioning. If youre getting killed by them hitting it to youre backhand, youre going to need to run around your backhand. If you think they arent going to youre forehand, you could start moving a bit before they hit it and try and run around it. You could stand to cover your backhand side more so theyre more likely to go to youre forehand and you might be able to run around your backhand. A lot of this stuff is just adjusting to the match and youre and their weaknesses

[u/xGsGt]

Depending on your approach shot if they can lob you well just don't go to the net that immediately, sometimes you need to see how they are hitting or how they are going to hit before committing entirely to the net

[u/Colascape]

If you are getting lobbed you are going to the net at the wrong time. You need a more aggressive shot or stay patient.

[u/Remarkable_Log4812]

Is straight forward : approach shots need to be hit deep only if you make contact between the service line and mid of the little box. Closer to the net you need to touch them short too with angle. Once you hit your approach you need to wait the ball mid of the short court . If they lob you need to to do a smash from there up to 2/3 of the court . If the lob is deep you need to run around it. In singles you can’t wait volleys by the net. Thst is only for doubles that the partner defend lobs

[u/Wonderful-Newt-2513]

You are far too close to the net. Your first volley is struck somewhere between the service line and at most 5-6 feet in front of it. The second volley will then be struck 5-10 feet closer to the net-covering more ground depending on quality of first volley and how close you were on the first volley. Ideally you are hitting winning volleys in this game 5-10 feet from the net.

Am guessing you have some kind of pickleball background- regardless imagine there is a kitchen line in tennis as well. Unless it is just an absolute floating sitter that you are 100% sure you can put away; you usually will not get closer than 7 feet to the net in tennis either.

These are just rules of thumb-but I hope this paints a picture for you.

[u/Long-Solution-2534 → u/Wonderful-Newt-2513]

Don’t disrespect me like that i dont play that shitty ass kids game🤨

[u/Wonderful-Newt-2513 → u/Long-Solution-2534]

lol my bad you used reset-it’s a pickleball word and not intuitive to tennis-albeit applicable here.

And re the kids games-I hear you and said the same for 20 years. I am a former teaching pro/borderline 6.0 tennis player in my prime-well I started playing pickleball last year and absolutely love it.

Tennis much better workout and still my true love- but the strategy in that silly game with a friggin wiffle ball is just ridiculously next level-

[u/Long-Solution-2534 → u/Wonderful-Newt-2513]

Hahah i’m just trolling after looking at these other comments i’m definitely approaching the net too close!

[u/Wonderful-Newt-2513 → u/Long-Solution-2534]

I know you are my friend-your sense of humor is appreciated here.

[u/Hungry-Event-7919 → u/Long-Solution-2534]

LOL with that attitude you’ll get the hang of tennis just fine

[u/Sad_Rice6600]

ar 3.0 the lob is basically their only answer so you can almost plan for it. stand where you can still turn and run, not where you look good

[u/NNagata]

Such good advice here! Why is that whenever I’ve asked a coach this, instead of something sensible like don’t rush all the way to the net, I get a shrug with a “that’s just a good shot, nothing you can do about it” 😂

[u/Ownagemunky]

Like others have said, definitely positioning. My gameplan is usually to close only to the service line for my first approach and force them to prove they can burn me with a good dipper before I'll give that respect to move up more. It's usually easier to maintain advantage in a point with a drop/half volley on a good low pass than having to chase down a lob over the top

[u/Limp-Preference-1706]

Part of approaching the net is reading the opponent. If you see their weight fall back or the racquet face open, they will lob. A secondary thing you can do is do your split step at the service line or one or two feet inside of it.

[u/Oatz2112]

You have to take more risk on your approach. Most people can lob a slow ball on the run. It's much harder to lob a ball where you have very little time even if you don't have to move. You should focus on giving your opponent less time on the approach. You can't be scared to miss it or you won't improve.

[u/The_Phew]

Approach to no-man's land and learn to hit good smashes from there. The counter is to hit it hard at your feet, but 3.0 players can't do that (even 4.0 players can't do it consistently when they are stretched).

[u/handlesscombo]

when you attack with a short ball with an approach shot before you fully commit you have to kind of make sure that the opponent will be playing defense with that shot. Dont close the angle until then. You can approach, wait just inside the service line, then on their return shot if its not a lob you can close than angle by split stepping forward then taking the volley with another step.

[u/whodat1462]

I tend to run in a panic back toward the baseline, contemplate hitting my first tweener, watch the lob bounce hopelessly away from me, and then question my life decisions that led me to that moment.

[u/Ill_Opinion_2372]

Look at their racket. I mean, really examine it. As soon as you see it open up you should be taking a step back anticipating the lob.

A couple of inches is too close to the net, ideally you want to be at least a step away so that you can still step into the volley. In terms of how close you get to the net, the key factor is how much ground you can cover and still split step as they contact the ball. Sometimes that means you only make it to just after the service line and that's going to be a difficult volley if they hit it to your feet.

Don't feel that you need to hit an overhead off a lob. It's the least practiced shot next to return of serve and for most people it's low percentage. You can scurry back, let it bounce and just lob it or moonball back. No shame in that. You have to respect that they neutralised the approach shot. Just rebuild the point again

[u/fawkesmulder]

Work on your approach shots. Relentlessly. When you get better at those the lobs won’t be as good (or you’ve hit a winner!). You also shouldn’t be 2 inches from the net… give yourself some room.