Pickleball Lob Shot

What is a Pickleball Lob shot and how to execute it perfectly? It is a genuine question and I feel like people should put in more effort in understanding the mechanics and execution of the shot rather than blindly practicing it the way they see it. This is because the overall body movement, paddle angling, and the force with which you hit the ball are the most important things in determining the effectiveness of the shot.

Plus, it is always better to have a few shots up in your Pickleball arsenal that would tip the odds in your favor and win your game easily without too much effort. Of course, it is a difficult shot to execute and you would have to practice it quite a lot to successfully make this shot.

What Is A Pickleball Lob Shot?

The Pickleball Lob Shot is a defensive serve shot aimed to push your opponent to move into a vulnerable position toward the baseline. It is a swerving shot with a lot of names such as Sky shot, Pop up, Sky ball, Moon ball, and High Floaty ball. In this shot, the player puts more force into hitting the ball than normal while serving.

Furthermore, the aim is to land the ball farther down on the field at the opponent’s side, so that the opponent would be forced out of the Kitchen area just to hit the ball in time. This would buy you enough time to plan your next shot effectively and take the opponent off guard. The chances of you making a score in such a situation is around 95%.

However, it is a tricky shot and needs a lot of practice to perfect the strategy. So, if you can’t yet use this shot effectively to your advantage, don’t worry because perfection comes with time, and sooner or later, you will become a master at it.

Is Lob Shot Good In Pickleball?

The Lob shot is like a gamble and even expert pickleball players sometimes go wrong with this shot. This is because the right technique is required to get the ball to land in the perfect spot in the opposite direction. It involves using the perfect hand and muscle movement, using the correct force, and hitting the ball at a precise angle.

A slight mistake in any of these things would destroy your momentum and hence might give your opponent an edge over you and tip the scales in your favor. So, make sure that you practice this shot as many times as possible on an actual pickleball field so that you can perfect your technique.

Other than that, the best thing about the Lob Shot is that, if used correctly and precisely, it will destroy the rhythm of your opponent right from the start. If you can handle the subsequent shots, it will win you the match in no time at all.

How To Hit A Lob Shot In Pickleball?

As I mentioned earlier, hitting a Lob Shot in Pickleball is a little tricky and requires proper technique. Simple practice won’t help you get the shot right unless you are practicing the right way. So, I would suggest that you learn how to do it the right way first before you try to execute it.

1. Contact Point

This is the most important step of the Pickleball Lob shot and you must know about it. The contact point is the angle at which you hold the paddle while hitting the pickleball. To put it simply, the paddle must be exactly beneath the ball rather than behind the ball. The face of your paddle must be pointing towards the sky rather than slanted away from it.

2. Follow Through

The follow-through is the positioning of your body right after you hit the ball in the opposite direction. One leg must be pointed forward while the other must be slightly bent at the knee behind.

Your arm must be lifted toward the sky right after hitting the ball. This body positioning ensures that you put in just enough force and edge into your hit so that the ball lands in the right spot on the other side.

3. Slower Paddle Speed

Many people think that putting in force means that you must move your paddle harder and faster. That is wrong and will never help you achieve perfection in your shot. This will only disrupt your momentum and hence give an edge to your opponent rather than tipping the odds in your favor.

So, it means that you should be relying utterly on your body movement and force to get the ball where you want to send it rather than the hard/fast-hitting of the paddle on the ball. The movement of the paddle should also be precisely calculated rather than using shear force.

Perfect Time To Use A Lob Shot In Pickleball

The Lob Shot is a very technical serving shot and should only be used when hitting the ball with strategy and executed with deeply calculated moby language and movement. Now, the question is, how would you know when is the right time to make the Lob Shot, right?

Well, there are a few tips that I am about to share with you that will give you a good judgment over when to use this shot. To put it simply, you must look for a few pointers in the overall stance and positioning of your opponent before making this shot. The better you can judge your opponent’s stance, the better your chances are at successfully getting the shot right.

1. When Playing Offensively

If your style is to play offensively and finish the game with aggressive shots, then the perfect execution of the Lob Shot would win you the match in no time at all. However, if you are planning to play on the defensive side, then you won’t be able to handle this shot at all even if you do manage to get it done perfectly, the subsequent gameplay would be harder for you to manage.

2. Opponent Is Focused On The Kitchen Area

If you notice the commitment of your opponent mainly in the Kitchen area of the court, then it would be the perfect time to dislodge his momentum. Landing the ball towards the perimeter of the court would push him towards the base line hence taking him off guard.

Afterwards, the subsequent gameplay would be focused more towards the perimeters of the court hence putting him at a disadvantage. Hence, there would be no time before the opponent loses the game to you.

3. Opponent’s Poor Stance

The best time to execute the Pickleball Lob Shot would be when the opponent has a poor stance. This would mean that the opponent is not focused, is not in proper positioning, or is not looking forward towards you. At such a time, the Lob Shot would be unexpected and hence throw him off balance.

You might even score a shot right there and then if your opponent is not vigilant enough to catch the ball in time you perform the shot with perfection. So, you must always keep a sharp eye out for the positioning and stance of your opponent.

How Do You Counter A Lob In Pickleball?

If you are on the receiving end of an expertly executed Lob shot, things can get a little critical for you. If you are not careful enough, you might end up losing your balance and thereby the match itself. So, it’s not just that you should practice throwing a good Lob shot, rather, you must also be prepared to deal with it in case your opponent uses it on you.

Now, there are a few easy ways in which people counter a Lob shot. The First method is to counter the Lob shot with a Lob shot. Honestly speaking, it is not a very great idea because that is exactly what your opponent would be expecting from you 99% of the time. This would lower your chances of gaining the momentum of the game even further.

So, if you want to be better than average, then you would have to react aggressively to this shot rather than defensively. You might be forced back into behind the baseline, but if you react with a smash shot, it will require your opponent to hit the fastball with equal force hence, decreasing his chances of throwing the ball in the kitchen and thereby ruining your momentum even further.

Hence, you will better be able to regain your momentum and tip the scales of the game back in your favor rather than letting the opponent get his way. So, always remember that countering a Lob shot with a Lob shot is not a very good idea.

Types Of Lobs

There are mainly two types of Lob shots namely, the Regular/Basic Lob shot and the Topspin Lob shot. There’s only a slight difference between the two but the effect is different. Let’s discuss the two types of Lob shots briefly down below.

1. Basic/Regular Lob Shot

The Regular Lob Shot is the easiest and the most common one. It is more suitable for the beginner and the intermediate pickleball players. The steps I mentioned above are related to the Regular Lob shot. It is easier to execute and even counter during the gameplay.

2. Top Spin Lob Shot

The TopSpin Lob shot is slightly different from the Regular Lob shot as it involves a slight spin. In this shot, the player only slightly moves the paddle while hitting the ball to give the ball a spin.

This spin makes the direction of the ball extremely difficult to predict after it hits the ground on the other end of the court. Hence, the opponent might end up missing the shot altogether thereby earning you an instant point!

However, it is an advanced level shot and only practiced by highly trained pickleball professionals mainly because it is hundreds of times harder to execute properly. It takes more effort, time, and practice to make the perfect shot and some players never get to do it ever.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Pickleball Lob Shot Difficult To Execute?

Yes, the pickleball Lob shot is a little difficult to execute particularly because it depends upon the body language of the player and his muscle movement. It is also dependent upon the precise angling of your paddle and the force with which you hit the ball. So, the perfect combination of all three determines the accuracy and perfection of your shot.

The Bottom Line

So, it is safe to say that the Pickleball Lob shot is indeed one of the most useful shots that a player can master. It instantly tips the scales of the game in your favor and you get an upper hand over your opponent. However, it requires a lot of practice and effort on your part to properly carry out this shot on the court because a slight misstep might ruin your shot and cost you your game.

On the other hand, you must also prepare yourself for the receiving end of the Lob Shot, especially the TopSpin Lob Shot. If you want to counter the Lob shot effectively then it will also require you to do a lot of practice on the field because otherwise, your opponent would have the upper hand on you and you might end up losing the game.

Pickleball Lob Shot – How And When To Hit Them