Am I overusing lobs? Struggling with baseline play

At lower levels, it'll often be lob vs lob until a player plays a - very - bad lob. At higher levels, players' footwork to move back fast and their transition shots (viboras/bandeja whatever you wanna call it) are a lot better so they manage to keep the net position. So the lob quality has to be really good AND played at the right moment to prevent getting either punished or simply pushed backwards again. I think this indirectly answers your question. If your opponents can't keep the net position from your lob, keep playing them. Eventually they will or you will make a mistake. If you want to get better, make sure your opponents lobs become 'bad'. And if you want to make your opponents' lobs bad, you'll have to be able to learn the transition shots (therefore your footwork too). This way you'll have more option than running towards the glass and lob again. Plenty more to discuss, like chiquitas, bajadas etc, but with the above, you get the principle.

If you do a deep lob off the glass, don’t go all the way back to the net, take few steps back but only half way (in the grey area where they say never to be), because if you are anticipating a lob return to your lob (lob-lob battle), you will get an easy Bandeja/Vibora near the serve line (don’t let it bounce and hit the glass, unless you can play Bajadas which from your post it seems you are still learning). Hit that in the space. There will always be some space. And that way now you’re at the net in a couple of steps with your partner, and you’ve played a low ball into space, so they will best case defend with an easy floaty ball to your volley position. Kill the point in the space wherever you see it, volleys down the centre work best at beginner-intermediate level as a high percentage shot. Just visualize this combo and try it again and again. Works very for me. All this as a left side player.

Lobs are great , keep at it. When you can, lob. Under pressure, return hard low and flat. Switch up the lob every now and then for a more angled shot, or high to backhand. Chiquita also. Many options.

Use the red, amber and green system … if it’s a red ball, so you’re under pressure, play flat. Hit at the body or target the player with the weaker volley of you can. Amber - pick and choose. Green - so you have a bit of time, lob or chiquita and take the net. Lobs are great, but lob with purpose - to take the net. Once you have the net, don’t give it up and build pressure, ideally by targeting one player. The one thing you cannot do is lob short. It’s almost better to hit your lob long - lobbing short will just get put away at higher levels with powerful smashes, viboras or dummy smashes

I think you and your partner may have padel switched around. Lobs are aggressive, flat shots are defensive. Anything that lets you take the net should be seen as aggressive. The problem is not your lob - thats doing the job. Its the fact that you need to learn to do something against the opponents 'weaker' lobs. The bandeja will be your friend at first - try use it to pass them as they approach the net behind their lob. Later, use the vibora. This will teach you how to build a point and take the initiative

This is something i learnt from the padel school with sandy on YouTube that took me out of beginners into intermediate. Lob. Sandy said in one of his video to watch a pro match and count the number of lobs. On average, 1/3 of the shots are lobs. This really took me by surprised as someone who had only played for one year. I counted and it changed my game. I spent a lot of effort training my lobs. I am known as the lobbing king in my local club. I lob about 95% of serves. If you serve hard, side spin, soft , to the mid, to the glass - i am lobbing. I lob so much that my regular opponents have all stopped running to the net after serving. And that's when i play an easy soft to their net. When i first started, i only have one type of lob. The one that goes high and land between the service line and the glass. It works and took me out of beginners. Lob is an aggressive shot. I won many points just by lobbing to their backhand corner. Then i move into intermediate. It stopped working as players are faster, have better lobs and can play bajada. That's when i discovered the better lob. Lob to the place just one foot before the service line. This type of lob will ensure that the ball will not bounce off the glass too much. They can't really play a good bajada from there but they will try and fail. Recently i discovered the super sky lob. You need an outdoor court for this. The ball is lobbed so high that after bouncing, it cleared the 6m fence at the back and never come back 😆 Can only do this a few times before they wise up. But then they will have to take a ball that's falling to the court at super high speed due to the height. Most players will miss.

Use the chiquita. Even at pretty high level it's a very neutralizing shot. If you lob all the time, you will be dominated by higher level players with good overhead shots. Lobbing two times in a row is generally not a good strategy.

If after your lob you get lobbed again, ask yourself the right questions. Maybe you should stay a bit more in the back to take the ball before the bounce (smash or vibora)

Hit some Bajadas if you can get the hang of it but lobs are fine if they arent a threat for a smash. Take a deeper overhead and keep the net, don’t let it be a lob vs lob. A lot of the time when they see you’re going for an overhead they wont even try to take the net, so even if the overhead is a bouncy bandeja you still get to stay in an attacking position since they’re not good at bajadas either.

Don't listen to anyone.. lobbing is always good unless it's a short lob or the opponents bajada is super good. But other than that it's always a good shot to play.. if it's turning into a lob vs lob battle than u need to work on hitting good bandejas and viboras to counter these lobs or attack with a smash on a short lob. Either u r not confident of these overhead shots or just a little slow or the lobs quality from both ends is always great.. anyway playing flat from behind is a defensive tactic and a lob is the only way to get the net. You can experiment with a flatter lob or a spinning lob but thats pretty much it . To be honest, hitting great deep lobs consistently under pressure from baseline is an advanced and literally a get out of jail card skill. Why would u want to stop working with it...

You have to be awesome with your aim if you are trying to put pressure with low shots. Often also better than your opponents unless your aim is a specific strength in your game. Basically theres three main counters from good lob. Lob, chiquita and bajada. Harder low flat shots can be used to surprise your opponents or as passing shot attempts from certain places of court. I use harder shots because I like them. I also prefer to hit bajada whenever I can. Thats just because lob battles are boring and bajadas fun :D

Lob short lob short lob short If its all easy balls

Play flat, hard, and at the body. Theee balls are difficult even for good players to volley or put a lot of pace on. Only lob easy balls