Smash movement: the first step that changes everything

The lob is one of the most common shots in amateur doubles, and the inability to deal with it is one of the biggest sources of free points. The problem is rarely the swing. It is nearly always the movement.

The first step: turning the hips

When a ball goes up, the most important thing the net player does is orientate their hips sideways to the net. This is the first step, and it has to happen immediately. An explosive hip turn from the split step position opens up every movement option that follows: shuffle step, crossover step, or a full running retreat depending on the quality of the lob.

Without the hip turn, the player is stuck facing the net and moving backwards with their chest forward. That is slow, unstable, and almost always results in being caught underneath the ball.

Getting behind the ball

The goal after the hip turn is simple: get behind the ball as quickly as possible. The method of getting there depends on the lob. A short lob might only need a shuffle step or two. A deeper lob might require a crossover step or several running strides. But whatever the movement, the quality of the first step dictates how quickly the player can execute it.

A practical benchmark

There is a useful rule of thumb here. If the player at the net can get their back foot to the service line before the ball crosses the service line, they become very difficult to lob at any level. That might sound like a narrow window, but with an explosive first step and efficient movement, it is achievable and gives the smasher time to set up properly behind the ball.