Cover the lob without hesitation and second guessing.
When I’m out on these courts playing with various partners, communication seems to be lacking. I’ve noticed this with other teams as well. No one talks. If you’re not talking, you will react slower. And you risk bumping into each other or slappin’ paddles. This will definitely happen when trying to recover from a lob.
The animation above shows off a simple strategy to cover the lob. It all depends on ball placement. Where the ball is changes your role on the court. If you’re the one responsible for covering the line, you are the sidekick. The rest of the court is up to the hero as they zip around to get that lob.
Now that you find yourself ready to hit the lob shot successfully, how should you return it? It’s best to reset. You need to get back to the kitchen, so your shot should provide you with that opportunity. Hitting a fast line drive is not going to give you the time you need. You could get lucky where the drive overpowers your opponent, and they hit it weakly into the net. But they will likely dink it softly at an angle for a clean end to the point. You should focus on a drop shot or a lob of your own. A drop shot is the best option. Even better if you can do a cross court drop. The ball travels farther giving you even more time. This is less risky than returning a lob with a lob of your own. If you return with a lob, you risk setting your opponent up with a hard overhead slam or simply sailing out of bounds.
If you’re in the St. Charles or St. Louis, Missouri areas, don’t forget to book a lesson.