How to Lob in Padel: Height, Depth and When Not To

October 25, 2026

Stuck at the back with two players camped at the net? There's a calmer option than hitting harder. Lob it. More lobs, less drama. You stop trying to blast through two people, and you send the ball over them instead.

I make clothes, but I play too, in London, Essex and Manchester, and in the Algarve, Malaga and Madrid. The advice below comes from the LTA, the FIP rulebook and coaching sources, all listed at the end.

What the lob is for

A high percentage of padel points are won at the net, the LTA says, and a lob is how you get two volleyers to give it up. Its lob guide also names the moment to reach for it: when you're pinned deep and under pressure. The job is simple. Push them off the net, so your pair can take it.

Padel Browser goes further, with a rule that sums up the whole idea: "when in doubt, lob." The Padel School's beginner list says the same thing in a different way. Use it when you're under pressure, or when both opponents are close to the net.

Where to land it: the lob target zone

Padel Browser calls a short lob the most common failure. A lob isn't just "high". It has to land in a fairly narrow strip.

Here's your opponents' half, seen from above. The net is at the top.

 ========= NET =========
 |                     |
 |  R  too short:      |
 |     free overhead   |
 |                     |
 |                     |
 |--- service line ----|
 |  L  landing strip   |
 |                     |
 |  *  aim point       |
 ====== back glass =====
        X  glass on
        the full

Zone	Where	What happens
R	Net to service line, 0 to 6.95 m	Padel Browser calls a lob here a free overhead. Ely Padel Club says a short lob gets attacked with a vibora or smash
L	Service line to back glass, 3.05 m deep	The LTA's target: bounce just beyond the service line, before the glass
*	About 60 cm in from the glass	Padel Browser's aim point, roughly two feet inside the back glass
X	Back glass or fence before the bounce	Point lost under FIP Rule 13.1 g

The FIP puts the service line 6.95 m from the net on a 20 m court. So your landing strip is just over three metres deep. That's the whole target.

Two rule points help here. If the lob bounces in the strip and then hits the glass, it's still in play (FIP Rule 12.3). That's fine, and often good for you. But if it hits their glass on the full, you lose the point. For the rest of the wall rules, see our padel rules guide and the surface-by-surface ball and cage rules.

Cross court or straight?

The LTA recommends cross court. The diagonal is longer, so you have more room for error. A straight lob has less court to land in.

Over which player?

Padel Browser's targets:

If one opponent has drifted back, lob over the one still at the net.
Pick the weaker overhead, which is usually the backhand side.
For an attacking lob, go deep over the backhand shoulder.

Height buys you time

The Padel School puts it neatly: the higher you play the lob, the closer it stays to the glass, which makes it harder to return. The LTA adds that good height helps the ball clear them and rebound less off the glass.

One warning from The Padel School: don't lift your whole body to get the ball up. That leaves you unstable for the next shot.

Defensive lob v attacking lob

Padel Browser splits the lob into two shots. Both use a continental grip, the same as your volley, so the other pair can't read it early.

	Defensive lob	Attacking lob
When	Pinned at the back or scrambling out of a corner	Balanced, with them at the net expecting a drive
Racket face	Open, about 45 degrees	Flatter, about 25 to 30 degrees
Priority	Height	Depth
Swing	Short, brushing up, finishing high	Same turn as your drive, contact in front of your lead hip

The biggest technical fix, according to Padel Browser, is the contact point. Meet the ball beside your body instead of in front, and it floats short into zone R.

Once it's gone over them, don't stand and watch. Move up with your partner. Our guide to getting to the net in padel covers what happens next.

The "don't lob now" checklist

"When in doubt, lob" is a good default. But some moments are wrong for it. Run through these before you open the face.

You're off balance. The Padel School warns that a lob played out of balance usually turns out bad and pulls you even further out of position. Get the ball back any way you can and lob the next one.
You've just lobbed the same player. Padel Browser says don't do it twice in a row. Once they expect it, they back up and smash the next one.
It's heading for their better overhead. Padel Browser lists lobbing the player with the better overhead, or the side with the open angle, as a mistake that undoes the shot.
They're already back. The lob's job is to push them off the net. If both of them are deep, it has nothing to do.
You've given it away. Padel Browser's tells: changing grip, dropping your shoulder, or looking up at the target before you hit.
The wind is behind you and you're swinging full. That's how lobs sail long. More on this below.

If none of those apply, lob.

Outdoors: wind, sun and heat

Indoors there's no wind to think about. Outdoors there often is. The Padel School says wind hits the two most important parts of padel, the lob and the overheads. It also notes the wind often affects the ball more above the height of the glass, which is 3 m at each end under the FIP rules. So a normal-feeling rally can turn when you lob and the ball moves halfway across the court.

Condition	Adjustment	Source
Wind behind you	Take power off	The Padel School; Padel Browser says lobs with the wind are the ones that sail long
Wind in your face	Hit it harder. Padel Browser calls this the safer direction to lob	The Padel School, Padel Browser
Crosswind	None of the sources here gives a set rule. Test it in the warm-up	The Padel School suggests 5 to 10 minutes to get used to a court
Sun in their eyes	A good time to lob	The Padel School
Hot day	Courts play faster. Aim about a foot shorter than indoors	Padel Browser
Cold day	Balls are less responsive	The Padel School

Some UK courts are covered rather than fully indoor. A roof or canopy keeps the rain off, but the wind can still get in. Our guide to indoor padel courts in winter explains the difference.

Practise it

Two drills from Padel Browser, both simple:

Wall lobs. Stand about 15 feet from a wall, feed yourself drop balls, and aim for 20 defensive lobs in a row. Count consistency, not power.
Cones. Put a cone in each back corner. A partner feeds you drives, and you hit 10 lobs at one cone, then switch.

The Padel School also suggests agreeing with your partner, before the match starts, who takes lobs and balls down the middle. If the basics still feel new, our padel tips for beginners cover the first steps.

Dressing for the outdoor game

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FAQ

Why do my lobs keep landing short? Padel Browser points to two causes: contact beside the body instead of in front of it, and a flat path that barely clears the net. Its fix is to open the face, brush up the ball and aim about two feet inside the back glass.

Should I lob cross court or down the line? The LTA recommends cross court. The diagonal is a longer distance, which gives you more room for error.

How high should a padel lob be? High enough to clear both players with time to spare. The Padel School says a higher lob stays closer to the glass, which is harder to return, and the LTA says good height means it rebounds less off the glass.

Is it better to lob into the wind or with it? Into it is safer, according to Padel Browser. With the wind behind you, take power off, as The Padel School advises, or the ball can carry past the glass.

Which opponent should I lob? Usually the one still at the net, and over the weaker overhead, which Padel Browser says is normally the backhand side. Avoid lobbing the same player twice in a row.