By Stephen Huss, Program Director, Huss 75 76 Tennis at Crooked Creek
Any tennis player that I have ever spent some time coaching would know that I am a huge advocate for hitting the ball “on the full” whenever possible. When a lob goes up, players must do everything they can to hit an overhead; after all, it is the most aggressive shot in tennis and the winning percentage should be high.
However, many players position themselves close to the net for put-away volleys and simply just say “Yours” and run to the other side when a lob goes up above their heads. The lob is an effective shot for multiple reasons: 1) To nullify a net player who is crowding the net. 2) To take net position away from the other team and take it yourselves (take the net over after a successful lob please). 3) Many players do not have confident overheads. 4) To find the baseline player’s backhand when lobbed over the correct side.
So, ALTA players, use the lob and conversely, work on taking the overhead.
About Stephen: Stephen Huss is from Melbourne, Australia. He was an All American in singles and doubles at Auburn University and is a former National Women’s coach. He has coached Sofia Kenin, Jennifer Brady, and Caroline Dolehide. Huss is a former assistant coach at Virginia Tech (men’s tennis) where the team earned a #12 national ranking. He also is the 2005 Wimbledon Men’s Doubles Champion. Huss has competed in 37 grand slams, won 4 ATP titles, 17 Challenger Titles, and 8 Future Titles. Stephen runs his Elite Tennis Program, Stephen Huss 75 76 Tennis out of Crooked Creek. More info: sceneytennis.net/stephen-huss-75-76-tennis.
