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Cross or down the line: which way should the lob go?
Lob cross-court by default. It is the longest line on court and it makes the far player run.
You are defending on the left and you have time to lob. Both opponents are at the net. Where do you aim it?
Lob cross-court by default. It is the longest line on court and it makes the far player run.
Why
The diagonal of a padel court is about 22 metres against 20 down the line, and that extra margin matters when you are hitting a high slow ball into a headwind of nerves. The cross lob also lands behind the player who has the furthest to travel and forces them to turn, run and hit an overhead moving backwards. Down the line is the surprise, not the standard.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Aim over the far corner. If you are consistently hitting it long, you are lobbing too flat: get more height, not less power.
Intermediate
Cross by default, straight when their net player has crept in too far or has a weak overhead on that side.
Advanced
On a pair with one left-hander, lob to force them to switch sides or to hit the overhead on their weaker wing. The geometry matters less than which shoulder the ball ends up over.
Common questions
You are defending on the left and you have time to lob. Both opponents are at the net. Where do you aim it?
Cross-court, over the far player. Lob cross-court by default. It is the longest line on court and it makes the far player run. The diagonal of a padel court is about 22 metres against 20 down the line, and that extra margin matters when you are hitting a high slow ball into a headwind of nerves. The cross lob also lands behind the player who has the furthest to travel and forces them to turn, run and hit an overhead moving backwards. Down the line is the surprise, not the standard.
Why not straight down the middle?
Safe from the net, but it lets either of them take it comfortably in front, which is exactly what you were trying to avoid.
What should a beginner do here?
Aim over the far corner. If you are consistently hitting it long, you are lobbing too flat: get more height, not less power.
How does this change for an advanced player?
On a pair with one left-hander, lob to force them to switch sides or to hit the overhead on their weaker wing. The geometry matters less than which shoulder the ball ends up over.
Puzzles like this one
Both 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.
intermediateWhat do you do with the return of serve?
The return lob is how the receiving pair steals the net. Aim over the player who is still moving.
advancedThey are camped at the net and you cannot lob. What now?
If you cannot lift it over them, make them lift it for you. The chiquita is a slow ball at their feet.