This tactic, highly effective at both beginner and advanced levels, consists of taking advantage of the space created by a high diagonal lob by playing your next shot into the open area along the diagonal fence.
Knowing this combination also helps you anticipate and plan your next shot after your diagonal lob, allowing you to play more intelligently with a clear game plan.
Video credits: USE These THREE LOB COMBINATIONS to Take the Net! | ThePadelSchool.com – YouTube
The tactic
The tactic consists of hitting a good high diagonal lob and then following it with a low cross-court shot aimed toward the diagonal mesh.
Your first diagonal lob will automatically create a triangular open space that you can target with your next shot—either with a ball that rebounds off the diagonal mesh, or with a chiquita that drops at your opponent’s feet.
In both cases, your opponent will be in trouble and out of position.
Theoretical explanations
Beginner level:
At beginner level, this tactic is useful because it makes you think about your next shot after the lob.
After a good diagonal lob, your opponent often won’t move back up to the net quickly, leaving a large open area—a wide triangular space—into which you can play your follow-up shot.
You don’t need a spectacular shot: no extreme spin, perfect angle, high power, or a perfectly precise chiquita that dies just before the mesh. Simply play calmly into the open space.
The more your opponent returns your lob with a cross-court angle, the easier it will be for you to target the diagonal mesh with your next ball.
The lob must be diagonal for this tactic to work and for this space to open. It does not work with a parallel lob.
Advanced level:
At a higher level, you can refine your low shot—either with a well-placed, slower chiquita that drops at your opponent’s feet, or with a strong ball that rebounds off the fence.
In both cases, it will be a difficult ball for your opponent to return, and they will inevitably end up out of position afterward.