Drop shot, then the lob

The decision

Decision: The opponent is at net. Where is the space?

You are behind the baseline. The defender is near the middle, near the net.

• Lift a lob — Pass overhead — GOOD READ: The opponent is at net. Your lob targets the space behind them. The ball lands 2.8 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 6.7 m back and returns deep in this example.
• Drive past them — Try a passing lane — TOUGH CHOICE: Behind the baseline, this low path leaves little room for error. The ball lands 1.3 m inside the sideline. The defender travels 6.8 m back and returns deep in this example.

What to take into the next point

A lob targets open depth when your opponent has come forward.

What a good read looks like

The read this lesson trains: See the space behind a player near the net. Short balls used when the defender starts deep, and the recovery problem they create once reached. In the interactive lesson you play the rally, make the call, and then read why it worked or did not. The coaching grades the decision, not just the point outcome — a good read can still lose the rally, and the lesson says why.

Part of the Drop shot pattern

Every lesson that trains this pattern is collected on the Drop shot pattern page.

Related lessons in this pattern

• Drop shot after deep pressure — SIMULATION-BUILT LESSON · lesson 18 of 50
• Reply to the drop shot and recover — SIMULATION-BUILT LESSON · lesson 47 of 50

Free to play

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