How to Neutralize and Punish Really Good Lobbers

At the 3.0 to 3.5 rec level, a really good lobber can make you feel like you’re constantly chasing instead of playing. Instead of just reacting and scrambling, let’s flip the script—turn their best weapon against them.

Rather than treating lobs as a nuisance, use them as an opportunity to take control of the game. This strategy isn’t just about defending against lobs—it’s about forcing errors, disrupting their rhythm, and making the lobber regret their own game plan.

Step 1: Make Their Lobs a Liability

Lobbers Thrive on Comfortable Setups

Lobbing effectively requires time, balance, and positioning. If they’re set, they can launch a perfectly placed lob that lands within inches of the baseline.

How You Take That Away:

• Hit to Their Feet – Keep them off balance by forcing them to hit upward. A well-placed low drive or rolling dink makes it much harder to set up a controlled lob.
• Speed Up the Game – A lobber wants time to execute. Take it away with fast-paced shots that make them react instead of dictate. Harder, low drives with topspin force rushed decisions.
• Move Them Side to Side – If they’re adjusting to a different position on every shot, their accuracy drops. A lobber who has to move to their backhand side before setting up a lob is far less dangerous.

Result: Their lobs become inconsistent, leading to short lobs (smash opportunities) or long lobs (out balls).

Step 2: Use Their Own Strategy Against Them

Most Lobbers Struggle Against… Lobs!

Here’s the thing—many lobbers don’t like being lobbed. They’re comfortable launching balls over your head, but they often don’t have the same footwork, speed, or positioning to track down deep lobs themselves.

How to Test Their Lob Defense:

• Target Them with Deep, High Lobs – Instead of always smashing, mix in an occasional deep lob right back at them. Make them work to track it down.
• Make Them Run Backwards – If they’re creeping forward after hitting a lob, send a deep shot behind them. They’ll either:
  1. Backpedal and lose balance
  2. Give you a weak return
  3. Run out of room and let it drop in

Result: They start hesitating before lobbing, reducing their confidence in their best shot.

Step 3: The Midcourt Trap – Where Lobbers Struggle

Lobbers don’t like being stuck at midcourt. Why? Because it’s the worst possible place to hit an effective lob.

How to Force a Lobber into the Midcourt:

1. Drop shots that land in the transition zone – This forces them to hit while moving forward, making lobbing less accurate.
2. Attack their body – Instead of just driving the ball to the baseline, attack right at their chest. They’ll have trouble reacting and may pop up an easy putaway.
3. Hit slice dinks that dies near their feet – They’ll have to bend down and lift the ball—not ideal for a lob.

Result: Lobbers who can’t hit from midcourt are forced to play a more neutral game, taking away their biggest advantage.

Tyson McGuffin has some great advice on hitting slice push dinks:

Step 4: Anticipate & Preempt Their Lobs

A good lobber isn’t going to stop lobbing. But you can anticipate and control when they do it.

How to Know When a Lob is Coming:

• Watch Their Paddle Angle – If their paddle face is open before contact, expect a lob.
• Pay Attention to Their Court Position – If they’re hitting a forehand dink from the kitchen, they’re in prime lob position.
• Notice Their Body Movement – Lobbers often dip their knees and get low before launching a shot high.

Countermove:

• As soon as you see the tell, start moving back early. You won’t feel rushed and can set up for a controlled overhead or a well-placed return.
• Instead of always retreating, intercept lobs early and take them out of the air before they peak. This robs the lobber of their time and control.

Result: You stay in control of the point, and the lobber starts second-guessing their best shot.

Step 5: Take Away Their “Reset” Lobs

Some players lob because they’re in trouble—they need a reset shot to buy time and get back into position. If you let them get away with this, they’ll keep using it.

How to Shut This Down:

• Step Inside the Baseline – If they’re lobbing from deep, move in slightly so you can take their lob out of the air instead of letting it bounce.
• Smash at an Angle – Instead of hitting straight down, angle your overhead into the sidelines or open court.

Result: They realize their “safe” lob is actually a setup for your offense.

Struggling with weak or inconsistent smashes? Here are some top tips to help you power up and perfect your overheads:

Step 6: Frustrate Them & Break Their Confidence

Lobbers love dictating pace. If you take away their rhythm, they start making mistakes.

Psychological Warfare Against Lobbers:

1. Vary Your Return Speed – If they’re expecting a hard smash, mix in a soft drop to throw them off.
2. Play Off-Speed Overheads – Instead of always smashing, occasionally hit a high, slow ball to their backhand.
3. Make Them Beat You with Something Else – If they’re only lobbing, ice them out. Keep the ball away from them and target their partner instead.

Result: The lobber starts overthinking, hesitating, and losing effectiveness.

Make the Lobber Adjust, Not You

Most lobbers want you to adapt to their game. Instead, force them to adjust to yours.

• Take away their comfort zone by making them hit lobs on the run, from bad positions, and under pressure.
• Exploit their weaknesses—force them to play midcourt, use their backhand, and defend lobs themselves.
• Turn their lobs into attackable shots by anticipating early and taking control of the pace.

When you flip the advantage, the lobber suddenly isn’t dictating anymore—you are. And once they lose confidence in their lob, their entire game falls apart.