To lob or not to lob?

[coolchap]

Hello Everyone,

In my games whenever I play I always tend to go back start playing from mid or far distance and even try to lob. People with not much of experience they may find it hard to return but decent players are able to smash it or do a drop shot.

There is 2 part questions:-

1. Is it wrong on my end to get in defensive mode and going far naturally and keep using lobs? I am not sure how even I picked it up may be watching Adam Babrow and Xu Xin but I don't have technique to turn back from lobbing to top spin rally.

2. How to make lobs difficult for other person to return , I do put some side spin to it? Is there any anything else or lobbing at the first place is wrong technique?


Unfortunately I don't have videos to share currently but I am planning to get a tripod soon and record my matches going forward.


Thanks

 

[Tyce]

1. There is no wrong. There's a guy in my club who stands far away from the table and loves to just play topspin balls from almost floor height. Plays a decent game like that even if it looks extremely unbalanced.

Lobbing feels good because it makes you feel capable of getting the ball back, hitting the table from a distance. It requires some impact which is a good feeling too.

2. Placement first, deception later. Notice how Adam is so good at getting the ball right behind the net, in the corners, hitting edges (you hit edges when you aim to get the ball near the edge).

Switching to attack takes patience and a good estimation when the ball is less dangerous so you can take over. You build that up by using placement and deception to make it difficult for the opponent. As soon as they are slightly out of position, the ball will be less powerful giving you a chance.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Hello Everyone,

In my games whenever I play I always tend to go back start playing from mid or far distance and even try to lob. People with not much of experience they may find it hard to return but decent players are able to smash it or do a drop shot.

There is 2 part questions:-

1. Is it wrong on my end to get in defensive mode and going far naturally and keep using lobs? I am not sure how even I picked it up may be watching Adam Babrow and Xu Xin but I don't have technique to turn back from lobbing to top spin rally.

every style has its problems. there is no right or wrong, but what will happen when someone drops shots you?
if you know these are problems, you must find solutions for it.
and this includes very good footwork and the second part of your question
or simply, don't get into problems you can't solve - unless these kind of defense, is your scoring ability.

2. How to make lobs difficult for other person to return , I do put some side spin to it? Is there any anything else or lobbing at the first place is wrong technique?

add more spin to it, more spin, more difficult to drop or smash.
placement - is also important, more deeper is more difficult to drop and hit, but also risk of not landing on the table.

 

[McSmasher]

I think physical attributes also play a part...

If you're tall with long arms, then playing a compact game close to the table can be harder than someone short with chicken wing arms (like me lol).... conversely, if a tall player is further back, they are more likely going to reach balls that short players would have to have high-level footwork to reach

 

[jk1980]

Hello Everyone,

In my games whenever I play I always tend to go back start playing from mid or far distance and even try to lob. People with not much of experience they may find it hard to return but decent players are able to smash it or do a drop shot.

It might be you copying players that "taught themselves" tabletennis and simply can not play something else.
What i noticed in some clubs is that players with "too fast" equipment try to play that way, because if they play closer to thet able the shoot balls out/long too often. regular lobs really do only work against noobs who cant smash, so if you want to stay in that very low skill bracket where you only score because the opponent is too bad to attack these balls, then keep doing it. If you want to improve, then try to stay closer to the table and learn the proper strokes.

There is 2 part questions:-

1. Is it wrong on my end to get in defensive mode and going far naturally and keep using lobs? I am not sure how even I picked it up may be watching Adam Babrow and Xu Xin but I don't have technique to turn back from lobbing to top spin rally.

Adam and Xu Xin are two very different playstyles. Adam lives from being able to anticipate the next attack and move accordingly. I would not guess that you could copy that style easily without years of playing experience. On top of that Adam also attacks if the ball comes to the forehand and when he is not he tries to use snake shots (with hidden spin added to the lob, so that the ball jumps unexpectedly after the bounce on the opponents side) to fool the opponent.

2. How to make lobs difficult for other person to return , I do put some side spin to it? Is there any anything else or lobbing at the first place is wrong technique?

Lobbing is usually only an emergency stroke, because it is very easy to attack against. if you are adamant on going back then try to chop the ball so that the underspin makes it harder to attack against.

 

[Lazer]

Hello Everyone,

In my games whenever I play I always tend to go back start playing from mid or far distance and even try to lob. People with not much of experience they may find it hard to return but decent players are able to smash it or do a drop shot.

There is 2 part questions:-

1. Is it wrong on my end to get in defensive mode and going far naturally and keep using lobs? I am not sure how even I picked it up may be watching Adam Babrow and Xu Xin but I don't have technique to turn back from lobbing to top spin rally.

2. How to make lobs difficult for other person to return , I do put some side spin to it? Is there any anything else or lobbing at the first place is wrong technique?


Unfortunately I don't have videos to share currently but I am planning to get a tripod soon and record my matches going forward.


Thanks

Nothing wrong with a defensive style. However starting with a lob puts you in an unfavorable situation. It is better to if its a short ball push, or if is a counter ball chop....

Cheers
L-zr

 

[coolchap]

Got my game video posted here https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...ootage-–-open-to-all-comments-analysis.37444/

 

[PoppaChubby]

If you lob but cannot get back fast enough at the table when your opponent plays a drop shot, then ... don't lob.
1- a good lob is a long and high one, not just behind the net or mid table so your opponent can easily kill you with a power shot or a drop shot.
2- a very good lob is long, high, and loaded with top spin or side spin, like the chinese do.
3- a pro lob is placing your lob always in the opponent's backhand: cannot find the easy diagonal FH-FH or middle table, on the line: don't give too much wide angles to your opponent.
3- an expert lob is mixing it with faux top spin a la Gauzy (the famous one loaded with back and side spins), strawberry chops... a la Gauzy, etc. ... a la Gauzy.

 

[joshmak10]

There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just harder to win points because you put urself into an immediate disadvantage (for most ppl anyways). I do get into the lobbing game when needed, But ofc I will always prefer two winged looping from close-mid table rather than lobbing.

 

[pong99]

Looking at your video, work on your basic skills first. If you like having fun lobbing, do a little to keep things interesting.

Watch videos of Vladimir Samsonov. When forced away from the table he played a style called fishing where he semi lobs. Note how he is fishing with spin to try to get back into point by attacking weaker balls and getting back closer to the table. This is a useful skill, but you should prioritize basics.

 

[PoppaChubby]

Looking at your video, work on your basic skills first. If you like having fun lobbing, do a little to keep things interesting.

Watch videos of Vladimir Samsonov. When forced away from the table he played a style called fishing where he semi lobs. Note how he is fishing with spin to try to get back into point by attacking weaker balls and getting back closer to the table. This is a useful skill, but you should prioritize basics.

Waldner did the same, he was rarely high lobing but must of the time"controling" in the backhand diagonal at mid distance with mid high spinny backhands. This is what Gauzy does most of the time.

 

[Lungfish]

Hello Everyone,

In my games whenever I play I always tend to go back start playing from mid or far distance and even try to lob. People with not much of experience they may find it hard to return but decent players are able to smash it or do a drop shot.

There is 2 part questions:-

1. Is it wrong on my end to get in defensive mode and going far naturally and keep using lobs? I am not sure how even I picked it up may be watching Adam Babrow and Xu Xin but I don't have technique to turn back from lobbing to top spin rally.

2. How to make lobs difficult for other person to return , I do put some side spin to it? Is there any anything else or lobbing at the first place is wrong technique?


Unfortunately I don't have videos to share currently but I am planning to get a tripod soon and record my matches going forward.


Thanks

My opinion is: If you are pushed back for a good reason (not because you randomly drifted), then lobbing is really effective and sometimes better than counter looping.

 

[PoppaChubby]

Hipster: knew the hype before everyone, and wears beanies
Lobster: knows how to play at a table

 

[PoppaChubby]

 

[Lungfish]

Waldner did the same, he was rarely high lobing but must of the time"controling" in the backhand diagonal at mid distance with mid high spinny backhands. This is what Gauzy does most of the time.

Yes, If you lob w/out spin (whether being backspin, sidespin, or topspin), you are not lobbing as well as you could be.