I dunno, the OP did use the word Lob and described himself as hitting over the opponents reach.
I'm not a big guy, I'm fit, tall and have quick reflexes. And I very much doubt you'd be returning my balls with a slice since I hit my shots just over the net, landing at the T or deeper with enough topspin that it bounces lower than your kneecaps. This would make your lob returns or attempted slices go pretty high, cause you'd have to find the angle considering your technique is to get a considerable net clearance on your normal shots. Just guessing the clearance gets higher on your shots when you're under pressure. Practicing against a wall, I've put a heavy forehand shot just over the net line with topspin and it's very difficult to hit a low topspin shot with a slice, even if you know it's coming as I do in this instance. Unless hit perfectly, the return is usually slower, with a lobbing sorta trajectory. Or it simply hits the net.
I don't have a weak slice either,, pbly my best shot.
I think you're describing your groundstrokes as flat rather than topspinny. Trajectory seems flat and it isn't bouncing high at all. Just because I have high net clearance on my standard FH doesn't mean I lob my slices as well. And of course, slices can't be hit particularly fast, so of course it's going to be slower than your topspin/flat groundstrokes. It's all about resetting the point or switching from defence to offence. I take larger swings at low, flatter balls like you've described with my FH, or decide to slice it nice and low. When I'm under pressure I tend to hit the net rather than out long, because I try to set myself up as quickly as possible to hit a flatter winner.
Also, when you're hitting a topspin shot against a wall, the ball that comes back to you has
backspin, not topspin, because the spin hasn't changed direction upon impact.
You can describe his shots as loopy if you want, but to me it sounds like a clear lob and probably very slow one at that. Pusher mentality from what I've been learning recently.
Here is the OP's post, with the relevant parts bolded:
All my shots off forehand and backhand are like 'fast lobs' and they clear the net by so much that it is uncomfortable for people to overhead them probably because they're hit at normal groundstroke speed, so they can't react to it fast enough.
They always land well inside the baseline, however. It's actually proving to be quite useful for doubles, because it doesn't matter if I hit to the net player as it goes over them anyway. I have a full western grip with my forehand and a semi-western 1hbh. Should I change what I'm doing if it seems to be working?
Looks like a heavy topspin shot with high net clearance
You can describe his shots as loopy if you want, but to me it sounds like a clear lob and probably very slow one at that. Pusher mentality from what I've been learning recently.
The OP should watch the next tennis matches with the ATP tour on t.v. and see if too much net clearance is a bad thing. Those guys eat up shots that clear the net high because it has to be a slower shot to stay in.
Again, sounds like a heavy topspinny shot, a bit like this guy, you might know him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=F...feature=player_detailpage&v=u8FoCRbd8bg#t=62s
Define 'fair' bit of pace?
Cause I hit my strokes between fair and heavy and they usually land between the T and the baseline and with crazy topspin. If my shots had more net clearance many of them would land outside my opponents baseline.
In my case, when I'm practicing, I'm pretty much trying to hit at about 70-80% strength. When I'm playing a set, I lower my net clearance but hit at about 60%. I suppose it's anywhere in the region of 45-65 mph?
So either the OP has the most crazy topspin ever or he's lobbing his shots super high. I'm just analyzing the way he described his shots. He used the word lobbing over the opponent. Would be an extremely slow shot in order to clear an opponent and still land inside the baseline, even with a crapload of topspin.
He said it was like a lob, but fast (i.e. normal groundstroke speed). He hits with a full Western grip. That grip naturally produces a lot of spin. Granted, we won't know how good it is until we know how fast he "normally" hits, but assuming he's just a normal guy, I'd say it's less a lob and more a topspin-laden, high net clearance groundstroke.