Last week we talked about footwork and preparation for the overhead. This week we exam the options based on what type of lob you’re given.
- A high and short lob that drops straight down – let the ball bounce and use your quick feet to get in position to hit an angled overhead put away
- A looping/topspin lob that’s also short – take this ball out of the air, if it bounces you may not catch it
- A well hit lob going over your head – just try to get under it enough to tap the ball back deep and stay in the point, or if you are athletic – jump and hit the overhead a la Pete Sampras
- A very deep, high lob – let the ball bounce, move into position and hit a slice overhead similar to a serve, or even hit an aggressive ground stroke to gain control of the point
Fast feet, early preparation, and proper shot selection will improve your overhead. As a matter of fact, those 3 things will improve pretty much every shot in tennis.