A short lob should be a gift: an overhead smash to finish the point. Yet many club players miss easy smashes because they rush, stay facing the net or swing too hard. A calm, well-prepared overhead is far more reliable.
Turn sideways immediately
As soon as you see the lob, turn your shoulders and feet sideways, with your non-hitting hand pointing up at the ball. This hand helps you track the ball and keeps your shoulders turned. Take the racquet up into a shortened service motion, with the racquet behind your head rather than a full backswing.
Move back with side steps
Never backpedal facing the net: it is slow and you can fall. Use side shuffles or crossover steps to move back, keeping your body sideways. Aim to get slightly behind the ball, so you hit it in front of you. If the lob is very high or deep, you can let it bounce and smash after the bounce, which is easier to time.
Contact and placement
Use a continental grip, as on the serve. Make contact at full extension, slightly in front of your hitting shoulder, and let the forearm pronate through the ball. Placement matters more than speed: an angled smash into the open court or a deep smash to the corner is enough. Aim for the big target first; the wild full-power smash often ends in the net or the fence.
When you have to jump back for a deep lob (“scissor kick”), focus on getting the racquet up and placing the ball deep rather than going for a winner.
Practice drills
- a partner or ball machine feeds lobs of varying depth; you hit overheads to targets;
- the “smash and close” drill: one overhead, then move forward for a volley;
- alternating deep and short lobs to practice moving forward and back.
When your opponent smashes
Overhead returns are mostly about defense and luck, but you can improve your odds. Move back and sideways to give yourself time, keep the racquet up in front of your face, and try to block the ball back high and deep with a lob. Watch your opponent’s shoulders, which often show the direction. Protect yourself: at close range, turning away is perfectly acceptable.
Good overheads depend on the lob coming in the first place, which usually means you have pressured your opponent from the net; see how to improve your net game. When you are the one lobbing, read how to hit a good lob.
