Defense: Block, Lob, and Drive

The Context

Defense is the art of absorbing pressure without giving away free points. A predictable defender (always blocking, or always lobbing) is easy to attack relentlessly. The ability to vary your responses breaks the opponent's rhythm and prevents the attacker from finishing the rally.

The Concept

Three main responses:

• Block: a short return to the net (from a hard or well-placed smash).
• Defensive Lob: a high and deep return (to buy time).
• Drive: a flat and fast return (from a soft or poorly placed smash, counter-attack).

The choice depends on the impact height and the quality of the opponent's attack. The harder the smash, the more you block; the softer it is, the more you can drive.

To avoid: racket too low (impossible to get it up in time), trying to smash the opponent's smash (too risky), always lobbing (becomes predictable and the opponent will chain smashes).

How This Course Is Structured

We first work on blocking without a target, then blocking with a precise target, then the defensive lob, then varied defense based on the height of the incoming shot, and finally defense in a match against an attacker who smashes systematically.

To Go Further

• Counter-attack from defense — to turn defense into an opportunity.
• S2 Counter-attacking style — for the overall strategy centered around the drive.