How to beat players who always lob

For pros, getting lobbed is a temporary setback. They’re quick to keep or regain the net. At club level, the lob often parks you at the back, and the next ball becomes an attack on you.

Beginners smash and play fast; lobs are shorter and easier to finish. At intermediate level, players learn that a good lob steals the net. Suddenly you’re facing patient lobbers from the baseline, and if your vibora and attacking overheads aren’t reliable yet, every exchange can feel the same: lob, retreat, lob again.

You can’t stop opponents lobbing. Accept it as part of the game. Your first job is not to give the net away for free.

When the lob goes up and it isn’t deep, tell yourself: overhead this, then recover forward. Pros use jump bandeja or jump vibora so they can still contact a ball that would otherwise be gone, and they land with weight moving forward, not falling back.

At club level you may not jump. That’s fine. Step back, hit your bandeja with the clear intention to push in immediately. No ball-watching. No ambling forward after you see where it landed.

Place it to buy time: side glass, back glass, or fence contact gives you a window to reclaim the net. Prefer cross-court or middle. Down the line opens gaps and often forces you to stay back and defend. Soft down the middle works well when they’re stepping in. Then sprint forward with your partner.

When the lob is too deep for a bandeja, turn, take the bounce off the glass, and think offense on that next ball.

Pros move back like a coiled spring, ready to step in and stretch the opponents. Club players often retreat with the ball behind them and automatically scoop a lob. Lobb back if you choose to, but from a solid position, not because you got scooped.

Get behind the ball with space. Fast down the middle is hard for both net players to cover. A softer angled ball toward the fence forces a stretch and can set up your approach on the following shot. Footwork and adjustment steps matter more here than raw power.

In your next match, make this the tactical focus: every time you’re lobbed, plan to be offensive on the very next shot.

It doesn’t have to be a rocket. A medium-paced, purposeful ball into space (often the middle) is enough. If they’re crowding the net, lob is still available. Just go back with the mindset that this is your first chance to take the point to them.