Watch any good padel match and you will see the lob again and again. That is not an accident. LTA Padel calls the lob the most important shot in padel, because it moves opponents off the net, where a high percentage of points are won, and buys you time.
This guide covers why the lob matters so much in padel, how to hit it, where to aim, what the rules say about lobs and the walls, common mistakes, and a drill from LTA Padel to practice it.
Why the lob matters in padel
In padel, the team at the net usually has the advantage. LTA Padel puts it simply: "A high percentage of points in padel are won at the net," and the lob is one of the most effective ways to counter opponents who are volleying.
A good lob does several jobs at once. According to LTA Padel, it:
- pushes your opponents back when they are at the net,
- gives you the chance to move forward and take the net yourself,
- gives you more time to set up for the next shot, and
- moves opponents around the court and tires them out during long rallies.
LTA Padel's skills for beginners guide also lists the lob over your opponents' heads as an effective way to counter a team at the net, so it is worth learning from your first sessions.
New to padel terms like bandeja, vibora and chiquita? Our padel glossary explains them.
When to lob
LTA Padel suggests playing a lob when you are under pressure at the back of the court or when you want to force your opponents away from the net. It can be both a defensive and an attacking shot:
- Defensive lob. You are pinned at the back, perhaps after playing a ball off the glass. A high, deep lob gives you time to recover your position.
- Attacking lob. Your opponents are crowding the net. A well disguised lob over their heads pushes them back and lets your team move forward.
You can lob from either the forehand or backhand side. LTA Padel's advice is that the key is control and height, not which side you hit from.
How to hit a padel lob
LTA Women's National Coach Libby Fletcher breaks the lob down into a few key elements in LTA Padel's lob guide:
- Prepare early. As with your groundstrokes, get sideways on with your racket taken back.
- Open the racket face. The big difference with the lob is a racket face that is more open, "pointing more towards the sky." That is what gives the ball height.
- Swing from low to high. Start with the racket low and finish high, above your head.
- Use your legs. Bend your legs to get low, then push up through the ball as you hit it to create that steep racket path.
Keep the swing smooth. The lob is about control of height and depth, not power.
Where to aim: depth, height and direction
Depth is everything. LTA Padel says to aim for the lob to bounce just beyond the service line but before the back glass. A lob landing there:
- pushes your opponents out of position to return the ball,
- makes them more likely to play a defensive shot back,
- is harder to attack with an overhead, because the ball is landing deeper, and
- gives you more time to set up.
Height matters too. You want enough height that the ball goes over your opponents' heads and has less rebound off the glass. A low, flat lob is an easy smash. A lob that bounces short and comes hard off the back glass gives your opponents a second chance to attack.
Go cross court when you can. LTA Padel's top tip is that a cross court lob has a longer distance to travel, so you have more room for error. You still want it to bounce beyond the service line.
Lobs, walls and the rules
The walls are what make the padel lob different from a lob in other racket sports, so it helps to know the basics. Under the FIP Rules of Padel:
- It must bounce first. If your shot hits your opponents' walls or metallic fence before bouncing in their court, you lose the point.
- After the bounce, the walls are in play. Once the ball has bounced in your opponents' court, it stays in play if it then hits the glass or the fence, and they must return it before it bounces a second time.
- Out of court play is court dependent. A lob that bounces and then goes over the walls can be chased outside only where out of court play is authorized, which depends on the court having the right safety area.
That is why a lob that bounces deep with good height is so effective: your opponents have to retreat, let it come off the glass and then play from the back. Our guide to playing off the walls in padel covers the wall rules in more detail.
What to do after you lob
A lob that pushes your opponents back is your chance to take the net. Move forward with your partner as the ball goes over their heads, so you arrive in position for their reply. If your lob is short, hold your ground and be ready to defend an overhead.
When you are on the other side of a lob, LTA Padel advises moving back quickly, getting under the ball and choosing between a smash, bandeja or vibora depending on the lob's height and depth. Our guide to the padel bandeja explains the most common reply and when it beats a smash.
Common lob mistakes
- Lobbing short. A ball that lands around the service line is the easiest overhead in padel. Aim beyond the service line.
- Not enough height. A flat lob sits at the height your opponents can attack. Open the face and lift.
- Arm only swings. Without the leg drive, the racket path flattens out. Bend and push up.
- Late preparation. If you are still turning as the ball arrives, the lob is rushed. Get sideways early.
- Standing still after a good lob. If you do not move forward, you lose the advantage the lob created.
Drill: two up, two back
LTA Padel recommends a simple match play drill:
- Two players at the net, two players at the back of the court.
- The net players feed the ball, and the team at the back hits a lob to start the rally.
- Play the point out like a normal match.
- Swap which team starts at the net every two points.
- First team to 10 points wins.
To groove the racket path on your own first, LTA Padel suggests balancing the ball on your racket face up and flicking it into the air, then dropping the ball onto the racket and hitting it up, then tapping the ball up in rallies before hitting a lob back.
Gear for a better lob
A lob is a touch shot, so a racket that feels comfortable and controllable in your hands helps. Compare the shapes and feel of Mint's range in our guides to choosing a padel racket and padel racket shapes, or browse the padel rackets collection, including the Manouvre, Merveille, Merite and Majeste. Our explainer on padel racket core density covers how the core affects feel.
Mint's Racket Weight 3g Strips can be used on padel rackets as well as pickleball paddles, if you want to experiment with balance and feel.
Lob practice uses a lot of balls, and worn balls bounce differently. Stock up with Cannonballz Premium Tournament padel balls, also available as a 24 ball pack or in the padel balls collection. Our guide on how long padel balls last explains when to swap them out, and what makes a padel ball tournament grade covers what to look for.
Coming to padel from another racket sport? Our comparisons of padel vs pickleball and pickleball vs tennis vs padel explain why the walls make the lob so central to padel. And if you want to keep score in your lob drill, see padel scoring explained.
FAQ
What is a lob in padel? A high shot aimed over your opponents' heads, usually to push them back from the net and win control of the point.
Is the lob an attacking or defensive shot? Both. Defensively it buys you time to recover. Offensively it pushes your opponents back and lets you take the net.
Where should a padel lob land? LTA Padel recommends a bounce just beyond the service line but before the back glass, with enough height to clear your opponents.
Can my lob hit the back glass? Yes, after it has bounced in your opponents' court. If it hits their glass or fence before bouncing, you lose the point.
How do I defend a lob? Move back quickly, get under the ball and choose a smash, bandeja or vibora depending on the height and depth.
Sources
- LTA Padel, Tips to play and improve padel lobs
- LTA Padel, Padel skills for beginners
- International Padel Federation (FIP), Rules of Padel
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