Lobs-topspin or flat?

[smiley74]

So, my tecahing pro said I should hit every lob with a lot of topspin. It is much harder for me to do. I know when I play people they just flat hit it up and lob over me with no spin.

He says...Do I just want to get the ball back or do I want to improve my game? If I want to improve, I should topspin lob.

But, that makes the shot a higher risk low percentage shot for me to try as I can't topspin lob it perfectly from both sides.

So, should I just flat lob in a match but practice topspin lob so I can one day do topspin or just do topspin lobs right off bat even if I lose points?

Also, does anyone else topspin lob Every lob shot?

 

[A.Davidson]

You'll have more control, but I know I FOR SURE don't hit every single lob with topspin.

 

[Rickson]

So, my tecahing pro said I should hit every lob with a lot of topspin.
Also, does anyone else topspin lob Every lob shot?

I can do both, but I topspin lob more often than flat because the spin is insurance that the ball will drop into the court and if I can get the ball right at the baseline, the ball sometimes jumps too much for the opponent to deal with it properly. I tend to flat lob against speedy players who can chase down balls because the lower lob will take time away from them, but it is a riskier shot because the ball could sail out. I say practice your TS lobs and keep doing your flat lobs during points, but keep adding topspin to your real match lobs little by little until it becomes an actual topspin lob.

 

[burosky]

What was your objective for lobbing? Is it an offensive or defensive lob? If you want an offensive lob you definitely have to hit it with top spin. If it is a defensive lob sometimes you don't have a choice but to just "bump" the ball back with no spin. Given a choice, I always prefer to hit it with top spin.

 

[Supernatural_Serve]

What was your objective for lobbing? Is it an offensive or defensive lob?

Very good point

If you want an offensive lob you definitely have to hit it with top spin. If it is a defensive lob sometimes you don't have a choice but to just "bump" the ball back with no spin. Given a choice, I always prefer to hit it with top spin.

Offensive lobs don't necessarily require spin, they simply have to clear the person's racquet reach and be hit deep. Like little one's hit from the mid-court area where the opponent is expecting a half volley or volley, and you simply hit a softie a foot or so out of their reach cross court and watch them run.

Everyone should develop touch to hit all kinds of lobs with and without varying amounts of spin based on the ball presented to them. It doesn't take much spin to make that ball bounce away from the opponent chasing the lob, sometimes simply rolling your racquet over the ball. Remember, the angle of incidence upon alobs bounce is working in your favor. So, its well worth learning.

Very high lobs are almost always defensive with or without spin, although I've hit a few and have seen a few bounce and clear the high fence at the usual distance behind the baseline. A defensive lob hit from well behind my own baseline very high with tons of spin, and the opponent doesn't realize that its going to bound over the fence behind them.

That's always a crowd pleaser.

 

[MrAWD]

I would like to add here that top spin lob allows you to make a higher trajectory for your ball so opponent has lower chance to get to it. Now if you go higher without the spin it is very hard to control such a ball and it often goes long. When done with the top spin, forward rotation of the ball brings the ball down sooner at higher speed, so the bounce also carry more energy. Then,

thanks to that forward rotation of the ball bounce also has a great chance to trick the opponent even more or to send ball over the fence as explained above.

So, practice your top spin lob, since it is safest and most offensive way to lob your opponent.

When lob is done with the slice then you also clear the opponent and spin keeps it inside the court, but ball doesn't bounce out of the court but rather stays in, which gives your opponent more time and space to return the ball well.

Fedja

 

[burosky]

Putting top spin also helps on those windy days.

 

[smiley74]

Thanks guys for all the comments!

Sorry...it was offensive lob I was talking about.

I will work on hitting it with topspin in practices and maybe I can pull it off in a match!!! :twisted:

Thanks again!

 

[tbini87]

you NEED a lob that works for you. whether it is topspin, backspin, no spin, you need a lob. the easiest lob for you will get you out of plenty of jams. however, having a topspin lob to use offensively is also a great shot to have. if you are still trying to improve and get a better all around game i would definitely work on the offensive topspin lob.

 

[scowalters]

like tbini said, you want a lob that you like and can stick with. both topspin and flat are good and have different situations, but stick to what you like better (and can hit under pressure consistently.)

 

[Nellie]

I also find that if you practice a lot of top spin lobs, on both sides, it will really help your regular groundstrokes because you (1) take the ball on the rise, and (2) exagerate the top spin but use a similar motion.

 

[Rui]

You shouldn't be constrained to one type of lob. So, yes practice your top spin lob, but don't be afraid to just lift the ball over the net guy.

 

[NamRanger]

Ever since I saw Federer use that slice lob that just stopped on the baseline, I've been using that all the time. It's quite a good lob to use, confuses your opponent even if they get to it.

 

[swimntennis]

For me, it completely depends on where I am in the point. If I'm on defense chasing down a ball I'll hit a very high, flat, deep lob to get myself back if the point. If I have time to set up and my opponent is at the net, I'll usually hit an offensive topspin lob over the backhand side of my opponent.

 

[montx]

I think a topspin lob is a good habit though slice lobs or flat lobs maybe just as good in practice.

But the theory that works for the topsin lob is this, just that if u execute it well your opponent say if he gets to it will also have to deal with the factor of the topsin which is more difficult usually to deal with than the slice spin or the flat drive especially since its a lob.

I think he is trying to put you into a good habit.

 

[Tempest344]

topspin lobs are much harder to put away with overheads


another tactic to be used (but only as a last resort)
is to send the ball very high and deep(If you are waaay out of position that is)