Lob Serve
Serve | Lob Serve | Smash Serve | Body Serve | Backhand Serve
The Lob Serve is the most commonly used Serve in the game. It is a high, slow Serve designed to get the ball over the opponent’s head and into the back corners of the court, where options for Returning the Serve are limited.
The Lob Serve is so widely used as it allows a player time to get back to T-Position and prepare themselves for their opponent’s return but also because it can be very tough to handle.
If the pace is right, the Lob Serve won’t come out of the back corner and so players know they have to attack it on the Volley, meaning a good Lob Serve will force an opponent’s shot selection. It also has so little pace on it, that the opposing player must generate the pace on their shot themselves, which is easier said than done, especially as the ball ricochets around the side and back walls.
Do a quality lob serve in five easy steps:
- Walk or step forwards before you serve – Before you strike the ball, walk or step forwards, like a ‘walk-up’, so that you can transfer your weight through the ball.
- Throw the ball gently at arm’s length – When you throw the ball up to hit, make sure you throw it at around arm’s length to give yourself the required space to play the ball. Additionally, make sure your throw is gentle and fairly low to make the ball easier to control.
- Lift the ball – Since we are aiming for height, you need to make sure you get your racket underneath the ball and that you lift it upwards, aiming for the top third of the front wall at least.
- Hitting the side wall – When you are playing a Lob Serve, aim for your shot to clip the side wall towards the back of the court so that it bounces close to the back wall.
- Make the ball bounce before the back wall – Make sure your Serve bounces before the back wall. If it bounces on the back wall first or comes off the back wall a lot, it will pop out and make for an easy Return for your opponent, which could see you under a lot of early pressure or worse.
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→ Recommended posts for those looking at Serve & Return of Serve:
Varying the Serve in Squash, Which side should you Serve to first?, The Importance of the Backhand Serve, Watching the ball on the Return of Serve