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Their lob was good and they are advancing. How do you slow them down?
Against an advancing pair, bandeja to the feet, not the glass. Catch them in no man's land.
You are at the net, they lobbed you deep, and now both opponents are advancing. You have a bandeja from deep. Where does it go to slow them?
Against an advancing pair, bandeja to the feet, not the glass. Catch them in no man's land.
Why
A bandeja is usually hit deep, to the glass, to push a pair back. But when the opponents are already advancing behind a good lob, deep to the glass is exactly what they can handle. They stop, let it come off the wall, and continue forward on the next ball. The shot that hurts an advancing pair is the one at their feet as they move: a bandeja or a firm overhead aimed to land around their service line, at the shoes of whichever player is further forward, so they have to half-volley up from no man's land. That stops the advance and gives you the chance to hold the net.
What this means at your level
Beginner
If you see them running forward, hit the ball shorter, at their feet, rather than deep. Running players hate low balls.
Intermediate
Watch for the split step. If they have stopped and split, deep is fine; if they are still moving, feet.
Advanced
The feet bandeja is easier from a víbora-style contact: a touch of side-spin so it dips and skids. Practise the shorter target; the deep one you already have.
Common questions
You are at the net, they lobbed you deep, and now both opponents are advancing. You have a bandeja from deep. Where does it go to slow them?
At the feet of the advancing player, mid-run. Against an advancing pair, bandeja to the feet, not the glass. Catch them in no man's land. A bandeja is usually hit deep, to the glass, to push a pair back. But when the opponents are already advancing behind a good lob, deep to the glass is exactly what they can handle. They stop, let it come off the wall, and continue forward on the next ball. The shot that hurts an advancing pair is the one at their feet as they move: a bandeja or a firm overhead aimed to land around their service line, at the shoes of whichever player is further forward, so they have to half-volley up from no man's land. That stops the advance and gives you the chance to hold the net.
Why not deep to the glass as usual?
They are already moving forward; a deep ball to the glass lets them stop, turn and play it comfortably, and their advance continues.
What should a beginner do here?
If you see them running forward, hit the ball shorter, at their feet, rather than deep. Running players hate low balls.
How does this change for an advanced player?
The feet bandeja is easier from a víbora-style contact: a touch of side-spin so it dips and skids. Practise the shorter target; the deep one you already have.
Puzzles like this one
They lobbed you deep. Smash it or play the bandeja?
Deep ball, high hands: bandeja. The shot exists to keep you at the net, not to win the point.
beginnerThe ball is at your feet at the net. What now?
A ball below the net cannot be attacked. Block it deep and wait for one above the tape.
beginnerBoth of them are at the net. What is the highest-percentage ball?
Only the lob moves a net pair backwards. Everything else invites them forward.