Mastering the Lob: Resurgence of a Game-Changing Tactic in Doubles

The lob is making a powerful comeback in doubles tennis, emerging as a key counter to aggressive net play. As more teams employ the I-formation and crowd the net to dominate with sharp volleys, the return lob has resurfaced as an essential tactic to disrupt this approach.

By lobbing the ball over the net player and forcing the server deep into the court, teams are regaining control of points, turning defense into offense, and setting up their own opportunities at the net. This resurgence of the lob is redefining modern doubles strategy, bringing balance back to the battle for court positioning.

An excellent example of this can be seen in the US Open dubs semifinal, where Krawietz/Puetz used the lob return 37 times, compared to their opponents’ 22, contributing to a total of 59 lobs over three sets.

And the IBM return stats were impressive:

Lob Return Stats

Team	Lob Attempts	Successful Lob Bounces	Win % After Lob Bounces	Total Return Points Won	Return Points Won with Lobs
Krawietz/Puetz	37	14	64%	42	9
Bolelli/Vavassori	22	6	67%	–	4
Total	59	20	65%	–	13

This strategic shift countered the I-formation, where the server’s partner stands aggressively at the net. The return lob neutralized this tactic, creating space for the returning team to take control.

This highlights a key takeaway: the goal of the return lob is to land the ball deep, forcing the server back and allowing the returning team to move forward and take control at the net.

Whether it’s a low lob over the net player or a high lob landing deep near the baseline, this tactic is proving highly effective in breaking down aggressive net play.

This tactic not only disrupts aggressive positioning but also builds psychological pressure, leading to opponent mistakes such as double faults.

In today’s doubles game, mastering the return lob is a game-changer, transforming defense into offense and shifting momentum at critical moments.