This Shot Buys You Time

Week 51

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible for this week’s paddle giveaway. Last week’s winner was Emily from Missouri!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

• How to slow down the rally with one shot

• A partner drill that builds your lobs, footwork, and defense all at once

If you’re reading this, you now have a chance to win this week’s paddle giveaway!

Now, let's get to it!

Big shoutout to Selkirk for sponsoring this newsletter and making all the paddle giveaways I do possible! I personally have been using a Selkirk paddle for over five years now, and every paddle I’ve used has been better than the last one. I recently started using their newest paddle - the Project 008, and it’s giving me more power and spin than I’ve ever had before. You can pick yours up on their website here and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Hit Reset

Let’s talk about one of the most underrated shots in pickleball: the lob.

If you’re ever in the middle of a rally and you’re starting to feel pressured, hitting a lob can be like hitting the reset button. It buys you time to give yourself and your partner a chance to breathe, recover, and get into an offensive position. A good lob will push back your opponents and force them on defense so that you can take control of the point.

Singles note: This is especially useful in singles. A singles game usually moves a lot faster than doubles, and you have more court to cover. So, a lob can be exactly what you need to buy some time while you recover.

Feel free to disguise your lob. The most deceptive offensive lobs are when it looks like you could be hitting a dink or speedup. Nothing should change as you’re setting up to take your shot—the only thing that’ll change is your follow-through to make sure the ball goes up and over your opponents’ reach. If you can disguise your shot, your opponents will be slower to read your movements and less prepared for the lob.

There’s also an ideal place to aim – go for cross-court. The diagonal distance of the court is longer than it is straight on, so you have a bit more “real estate” to drop your lob in. It can be really easy to hit a lob out, so a little extra court can only help.

Whether you're on defense or just want to mix things up, don’t overlook the lob. When used at the right time—and with a little disguise—it can completely shift the momentum of the rally in your favor.

Don’t Bother Going to the Gym

I’ve got a really great drill for you to practice hitting and returning lobs this week. It’ll help you practice real, game-like scenarios, and it’ll give you a great workout.

You can play this with two, three, or four players. If you’re playing with two players, just use half the court. If you’re playing with three, have two players stand on one side and hit only to the half that the third player is standing on. If you have four players, then naturally, use the full court.

Here’s what you do (from the perspective of two players):

• Designate one player to hit lobs – the other player will return them.

• Position at the kitchen line and start by hitting a couple of dinks. Don’t hit too many – the dinking is just a segue into the real action.

• After a couple of dinks to get the drill started, the designated player hits a lob.

• The other player runs back to retrieve it and immediately starts transitioning back to the kitchen with drops and resets.

• Once that player makes it back to the kitchen, hit a couple more dinks, then lob again.

Keep repeating this cycle several times in a row without stopping. The player hitting lobs will get great practice refining this shot, and the one retrieving the lobs will be learning how to read the shot properly, return it well, and make it back up to the kitchen to continue the rally seamlessly.

Switch roles and do it again so both players get plenty of practice in both areas. After you practice this drill a few times, your lobs will look so much better, and you’ll also be extremely prepared to return lobs in a real game.

Note: Don’t forget to warmup a little before you start this drill since it does require more cardio.

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