← Glossary
Shots & strokes
Lob
A high, arcing shot designed to land deep in the opponent's court — usually to push opponents off the kitchen line.
Last revised
Lobs are weaponized at every level of pickleball, but they're a high-risk shot: a too-short lob is a putaway gift, and a too-long lob is just out. Played well, the lob forces opponents off the kitchen line and resets the point's geometry.
Defensive lobs (recovering from a stretched dink) and offensive lobs (catching opponents leaning forward) are tactically different.