Ask a club player about the lob and most will describe it as the thing you do when you are in trouble. That is exactly why so many people stay stuck at the same level. The lob is not a panic button. It is the single best way to take the net off a pair who have taken it from you, and the players who understand that win a lot of matches.
A weapon, not a last resort
Here is the logic. The team at the net is winning the point. To beat them you either hit through them, which is low percentage, or you go over them. A good deep lob forces both opponents to turn and retreat to the back glass. In the second it takes them to recover, you and your partner move forward and take the net yourselves. The whole balance of the point flips. That is not defence, that is an attack played upwards instead of forwards.
How to hit a good deep lob
The target is the back of the court, dropping in the last couple of metres before the glass so it is awkward to attack. Height and depth matter more than anything. Take the ball early, get under it with an open racket face and lift with your legs, brushing gently up the back of the ball for a little control. Follow through high towards your target. The most common error is a lob that is high but short, which just sits up for an easy smash. If in doubt, aim deeper. A lob that drifts long by a foot still did its job of moving them back; a short one gets punished.
When to use it
Use the lob the moment your opponents are set at the net and you have no clean passing angle. Use it when you are stretched wide and need time to recover. Use it against a pair who crowd the net very tightly, because they have the least room to backpedal. And use it to break rhythm; a pair who expect you to try to pass will get dragged back the instant you go over them. Our beginner tactics guide covers how lobbing fits the wider point.
Offensive versus defensive lobs
A defensive lob is about survival. You are late or stretched, so you throw the ball up as high and deep as you can, simply to buy time and reset the point. Accept that you may not win the net back, you are just staying alive. An offensive lob is played from a balanced position with intent. It is flatter, more disguised and aimed precisely at the corner, and it is designed to win the net or draw a weak reply you can attack. Same shot family, very different mindset. Knowing which one the situation calls for is half the skill. Understanding how the ball behaves off the back wall helps too, so it is worth reading how to read the glass.
Reading the wind outdoors
Plenty of Manchester courts are outdoor or covered but open at the sides, so wind is real. A lob into the wind will hold up and drop shorter than you expect, so hit it deeper and a touch flatter. A lob with the wind behind it will carry, so take pace off or it sails out the back. Crosswinds push the ball towards one side glass, so aim a little into the wind to let it drift back onto your target. Watch the flags or the trees between points, and adjust before you hit, not after you have gifted a point away. Our tools page lists venues so you can check which sites are covered.
Drill the lob and you add a shot most of your opponents cannot handle. A coach can help you groove the depth so it becomes a reflex rather than a gamble.
FAQ
Is the lob a defensive shot?
It can be, but its best use is offensive. A good deep lob forces your opponents back and lets you steal the net, which turns defence into attack.
How high should a padel lob be?
High enough that the net player cannot reach it with a smash, but the priority is depth. A slightly lower lob that lands deep is far better than a very high one that lands short.
What if my lob keeps going out?
You are likely hitting too flat and hard. Open the racket face, use your legs to lift and brush up the back of the ball for control, aiming for the last couple of metres of court.
Should I lob more in the wind?
Adjust rather than avoid. Hit deeper into a headwind, take pace off with the wind behind you and aim slightly into a crosswind so the ball drifts back to target.