One of the most overlooked shots in the amateur’s arsenal is without doubt the lob.
Watch any rally between the games very best practitioners and you’re sure to see the lob appear frequently - as both a defensive and attacking shot option.
But at the amateur level, the lob is rarely seen.
When played well it can be ruthlessly effective. It is a shot that can buy you time when on the defensive, it can be used to take the pace out of a rally and re-set against a hard-hitting opponent and can be used as an attacking ploy to put your opponent under pressure in the back court.
Step onto the court with a seasoned pro and they will string you along with a devastating use of the lob - it’s not a pretty experience!
So how do you master the lob?
Low Racket
Height is our priority. We want the ball to get lots of height - more height equals more recovery time when defending. To generate height we've got to hit from underneath the ball.
To strike the bottom of the ball, you need to come in with a short, low back swing. You want to keep the racket below your hips. If you want to lift that ball, anything above hip height will make it difficult to drop the racket under and then get it back up.
Body Position
Similar to playing an effective drop shot, an effective lob requires you to get your hips low and get your knees down. If you don't get low, the bottom of the ball is not going to be easy to hit.
Racket Face
You want to keep the racket face open to create the necessary angle to hit the ball high on the front wall. Having the racket face closed will limit your effectiveness and lead to those half-hit lobs that present your opponent with a perfect opportunity to punish you when they cut it off in mid-court.
With an open racket face, you can aiming to hit the front wall on the highest possible point - making it more challenging for your opponent to intercept the lob.
Contact Point
When it comes to the execution, you want to have the ball out in front of you. If you get side onto the ball it will be hard to then flick the ball and put it to the other side of the court.
You want to be reaching forward - not reaching sideways - because from there, there will be natural lift on the ball and it will also assist with the follow through.
Follow Through
Commit to the follow through. If you bail out, you won’t get as much lift. Maintain a long and controlled follow-through, directing the ball towards the middle of the front wall. This will ensure the lob carries deep into the back corner of the court.
Wen it's executed well, it hangs in the air, but then as it drops down, there's no energy on the ball. Your opponent is now under pressure, having to dig themselves out the corner.
Jesse from SquashSkills and SquashMind shares his tips on the lob in this great video
