The fastest sport, has just, slowed down? Racquetball is known for how quick the ball moves, and fast pace of the game, in fact has several aspects of a slow sport. Similar to tennis, the object is to have the ball bounce twice before your opponent can get to it. And similar to tennis, there are a variety of serves. A drive serve is when the server just tries to blow it past their opponent, a “Z” serve is when the server tries to mix up and confuse his opponent, and finally a lob serve is where the server tries to slow the game down. The following are 7 steps to perfecting a lob serve.
1. Balance: Like any good serve for any sport, it is important to have great positioning. A rally can’t start until the ball has been served, so there is no point to rush yourself. Get yourself balanced, and be pre-paired to hit a perfect serve.
2. Center Yourself: It is important to stand in the middle of the service box, regardless if you are attempting to set your opponent up for a forehand or backhand serve. Standing too far to one side of the service box will affect where the ball bounces off the front wall, hitting the side wall and setting up the receiver for a kill shot.
3. Solid bounce: You want to bounce the ball at about head height and to simply just drop the ball. A low bounce will have you fishing for the serve and put too much power on it, resulting in a serve which will pop out too far off the back wall. Also, a bounce to high will result in the server reaching for it, producing a serve hit too lightly.
4. Striking the ball: A lob serve is all about positioning of the ball and speed to which it comes off the front wall. The server will want to push the ball, taking a significant amount of speed off the ball, but also giving it a great bounce. When the ball hits its peak, the server should use their body and hips to turn and push the ball towards the wall. Using the arm will give the ball more power resulting in a poor serve.
5. Aim: When hitting the ball, the server wants to aim about ¾ up the wall and either on the right side or left so after it hits the front wall, the ball hugs the side wall, hitting just before the encroachment line, heading to either back corner, without hitting the back wall. Leaving the ball in the middle of the court will give your opponent virtually any shot they want to take, especially since the ball is not moving fast.
6. Keep a firm wrist: Holding the racquet with a strong wrist eliminates the possibility of hitting a flimsy serve, with little accuracy. Having a strong wrist also allows for a more precise and accurate shot.
7. Breathe easy: A lob serve is not meant to be difficult serve or become a fault. A fault during a lob serve is usually a resort to the server rushing, being lazy or nerves. Take a deep breath and make this serve count.
A lob serve is a favorite among players because it takes a lot less energy and a rally can take a lot of energy out of the players. It is also a serve with a very high success rate, for not being a fault, making it a great second serve.
