The Lob Game is one of the best tennis games for medium-large groups of intermediate or better players. It moves fast and gives players a chance to try some less mainstream shots.
You feed from well behind the baseline. The players line up by the net post to your right. One player, "the attacker," is positioned on the center line, halfway between the net and the service line, on your side of the court.
The player at the front of the net-post line, "the chaser," runs to the middle of the net on the other side of the court and tags the center strap with her racquet. When she tags, you hit a deep, fairly high lob roughly down the middle of her court. She chases your lob, then plays the point out against the attacker, who can move from his initial position as soon as the chaser hits the ball.
If the attacker wins the point, he stays put.
If the chaser wins the point, she must run around the net on the side opposite the line of players and take the attacker position. She must hurry, because as soon as one point ends, the next player in line runs out to tag the net and begin the next point.
Much of the player rotation and positioning goes on while the lobs are in the air, which makes the game move exceptionally fast. The game puts players in unfamiliar situations (most players don't chase lobs or move to net behind a good lob with much frequency), so lots of interesting situations develop that entertain the waiting players as well as those doing the hitting.
- If a player is so dominant as attacker, no one can unseat her, set a maximum number of points after which she is replaced by the next chaser, win or lose.
- Either player may hit any kind of shot. Encourage chasers to try lobbing the attacker, which is generally the best strategy in a match situation.
- Make sure to keep the playing area clear of loose balls. They'll tend to roll into the chaser's baseline area where they're particularly likely not to be seen as the player is looking away from where she's running.
