Lob and Smash
PartnerNTRP 3.0–4.010 minvolleyfootwork
Why this drill
The overhead decays fastest of any stroke because nobody practices it — and the lob wins more club points than any winner. Training them against each other fixes both at once.
Setup
Player A at the net with a ball; Player B at the opposite baseline. This is a controlled, cooperative exchange at three-quarter effort.
The drill
B lobs to A; A hits a controlled overhead back to B's half; B retrieves and lobs again. Count consecutive completed cycles — a lob plus a returned smash is one. Ten cycles is the target. Swap roles every three minutes. The smasher works on footwork under the ball; the lobber works on height and depth under pressure.
One thought to take on court
Turn sideways and skip back with the racquet already up — never backpedal facing the net.