In padel we like to live close to the net to finish and win the points. We want to attack again and again and there are many types of shots we are usually obsessed with improving such as the smash, so that we can win points.
However, in order to win the most amount of points you first have to work on a point and know how to defend while waiting for the opportunity to attack. That is why you also have to learn to master defensive shots, and there is no shot more important than the lob.
The lob in the padel
This shot consists of hitting the ball in such a way that it overtakes the opponent and makes them go towards the back of the court.
The main function of the lob is to defend and get our opponents away from the net, taking away the their attacking position and letting us being able to come forward and up towards the net.
Although it is also true that there are players who base their entire game, both defensively and offensively, on simply lobbing, this is an “exceptional” case, and it is not recommended to abuse the lob.
You cannot forget that to win a match, we have to win more points than our opponents, and to win more points we have to bring ourselves to the net, that is why it is so important to dominate the lob. If our opponents keep putting pressure on us and keeping us in the back of the court, there is no better shot than the lob to move our opponents away from the net and us being able to take it.
How to execute the perfect lob
The lob is a really important shot in padel and although you don’t earn many points directly with it, it is very effective.
When the ball comes towards us we stand sideways, with the racket back and ready, and depending on the position of the ball we will move forwards or backwards.
Finally, we will follow the upward trajectory with our racket and arm so that the ball gains height and goes up, so that it goes as deep as possible into the back of the court.
When to play the lob
Lobbing in padel is definetely considered an art that must be worked on. And it has many variants: the centered deep lob, to the corner, at midcourt if the opponents suffer with their overheads.
It is a shot that must be trained and put into practice according to the opponents we are facing. Sometimes there will be no other option than to lob. For example, when the opponents corners us at the back of the court and there is no way to pass them. A good way to take the pressure off of us will be with a lob. But, be careful! Because if we are pressed, and we forcefully try to lob, there are many possibilities of hitting the ball straight into the glass or lobbing too short. If the ball comes with a lot of speed it is better to play low shots.
It is a shot that we will mainly use at the back of the court, since, as we already mentioned, it is the main resource to move our opponents away from the net and take the pressure off from us at defending, and putting ourselves in a possible attaching position.
Depending on which opponents you have in front of you, the lob may or may not become your best weapon during a match. Because of this, it is important to test your opponents during the first games of the match to see how they do.
There are players who are absolute machines when playing low, but as soon as they are lobbed, they get stressed and cannot hit well. Then you know their point of weakness and can lob more than usual.
The lob should not be used just because. Like any other shot, you have to see what options you have and choose the one that can give you the best results. If you fail, let it be due to a bad execution, not a bad choice.