The shot used to punish an opponent's lob — hitting down on a high ball from an elevated contact point. Requires quick lateral or backward movement, proper body coiling, and a throwing motion for maximum power.
When lob is detected, push hard off the lead foot to spring into a cross step or side step (side step if lob isn't too deep). Turn shoulders naturally during the movement. Coil upper body for extra power. Set up trophy position: non-paddle hand up tracking the ball, create right angles between torso/elbow and elbow/forearm. Use a tilted throwing motion: shoulder leads elbow, elbow leads hand. This maximizes power relative to body size.
Morgan Evans: "It's safer to expect and prepare for the lob than be surprised by it." Most players maintain a neutral stance and react when the lob appears — by then they're a half-step behind. Maintaining an athletic position (knees bent, wide base) at ALL times means the lob response is a continuation of your stance, not a scramble from rest.
Cincola: most overhead misses go LONG because players swing FORWARD through the ball — this keeps the paddle face open and the ball launches out. The fix is counterintuitive: think about swinging UP, as if you're going to throw your paddle straight into the sky. When the arm extends fully upward, the paddle naturally snaps over the top of the ball, generating power while getting on top of it. Swinging forward = open face = long. Swinging up = natural snap = down into the court.