When to Lob
When to Lob The lob is an effective shot in squash when used at the right time. For beginners, a lob is a ball that is hit high on the front wall, and ends up dropping in the back court with no pace on it, thus making it very hard to return. One good time to lob is when you are at the front of the court and your opponent keeps cutting your next shot off by guessing which side you are going to hit it. By throwing in the lob from this position you will force him to not creep up the court behind you so much, so that you become less easy to read. Another great time to lob is when your opponent has played a great front court boast or drop, and you are struggling to get to it. If you throw in a lob then, you will have time to regain your composure, and basically start the rally again. This gives you time to get back to the `T`. It is a hard shot to play from this position because you are usually under pressure at this stage, but it does `buy you time` if you can learn to play it. Stuart davenport, a Kiwi who got to 3 in the world in the Devoy/Norman days, used to play a great version of the lob which hardly anybody plays, but is extremely effective. Off the serve he would cross-court volley a ¾ paced, lob-type shot that was too high to volley, and be real difficult to return out of the back of the court. Give this a go as a bit of variation-it works a treat. Happy squashing Rob