Tactical Purpose: Learn how to transform a defensive situation into an offensive one, buy time, or just surprise the opponent with an unexpected shot when retrieving a lob.
Set-up: Player A starts every point at about 9 feet from the net (inside the service line). Player B is at the baseline, ready to move up inside the service court, on the opposite side of player A. The coach is at one of the net posts with a basket of balls ready.
Drill:
The coach will feed one ball, as a lob, over player A, who will let the ball go over her head without attempting to hit an overhead. Player A will turn around and chase the ball. She will attempt to return the lob, after the ball bounces, with either another high and deep lob or an aggressive groundstroke.
Depending on how deep the lob is and/or how fast player A is to chase/run around the ball, the return can be either an "over-the-shoulder lob" or an aggressive groundstroke.
As player A chases the ball, player B will move up to the net ready to intercept A’s return.
Once player A returns the ball, the two players will play the point out. The winner gets one point.
The game continues with every point starting with player A getting lobbed by the coach and player B moving up to the net and attacking A’s return.
Play first to win 7 points and then switch roles.
Note: Player A will have to come up with the best option to not only get herself out of a very difficult defensive situation but, if possible, to turn this into an attacking one. Of course, her tactic will strongly be influenced on the depth of the lob sent by the coach and her ability to move behind/around the ball quickly.