3 Best Tips to Help Tennis Players Master The Art of Lob Shots

With adidas Tennis Camps offering 30 hours of tennis instruction during any given session, there are plenty of opportunities for tennis players to really improve their game – both on and off the court. We also make sure to prioritize certain parts of the camp experience that we know is the most impactful for those who participate.

As an example, our New Jersey Tennis Camps offer ample opportunity for one-on-one tennis instruction, along with guest instructors and lecturers, mental edge training, conditioning and nutritional programs, and a goal-setting worksheet. With a low camper-to-coach ratio, it’s a lot easier for our coaches to give each camper the attention they deserve when it comes to truly helping them find another level in their game.

One of the benefits to having so many hours of available instruction in a short period of time is that it allows our camp directors to map out a way in which coaches can work on multiple types of shots with the players in attendance. The most popular ones are the forehand, backhand, and serve, but there’s a huge bonus to mastering the lob, which is a high shot aimed over your opponent.

The whole point of lob shots is the put the ball deep on their side of the court and out of their reach. This is typically used when an opponent is up at the net. Although the technique used for lob shots can vary depending on whether backspin or topspin is used, there are still a handful of general tips that can be helpful for this stroke.

Racket Positioning and Swing Trajectory

Every aspect of the lob shot is important with regard to executing it, but without a solid foundation, it’s hard for everything else to fall into place. When it comes to the actual positioning of your racket, the head must be lower than the handle so getting the upward lift on the ball can be much easier.

As for swing trajectory, this differs quite a bit from other groundstrokes because it’s a low-to-high kind of motion. You must swing up instead of forward, and with following through in the same direction instead of finishing across your body.

Know How to Improve Your Balance

Although you’re typically using one arm/hand as the dominant one on your racket, your non-hitting hand can also be used as a way to balance yourself more effectively. Your body is going to be leaning slightly back in order to get the racket under the ball, so it’s important to find a way to stay balanced and keeping your body positioned to execute the kind of shot you’d like to.

Be Mindful of Placement

The point of a lob shot going toward the back of a tennis court is to catch your opponent off balanced. It’s imperative to not hit this particular shot too shallow because you’d leave yourself vulnerable to an overhead smash, which is obviously a difficult shot to return the opposite way. Lobs are supposed to make them retreat and be in a bit of an awkward position, so take full advantage of that opportunity.