Retreat Coaches Reframe the Lob, Teach It as Offense

On December 30, 2025 a coaching feature from The Dink Media Team shifted how coaches at pickleball retreats and clinics are being encouraged to teach the lob. Rather than treating the lob as a last resort, the piece presented it as a deliberately executed offensive tactic, supported by pro level analysis from Tyson McGuffin. That reframing has immediate practical value for retreat programming that aims to expand players tactical tool kits.

The feature laid out the mechanics coaches can coach directly. Key elements include paddle presentation, bait dinks, and a minimal backswing to disguise intent. The analysis explained when to select a line lob versus a cross court lob and how to read opponents for vulnerability. One target profile to watch for is the over leaner, a player who is committed too far forward and can be punished with a well disguised lob.

For retreat directors the article offered a compact lesson plan coaches can insert into stay and play schedules or clinic modules. Start by adding disguised lifts off standard dinking routines to warm up the timing and disguise. Progress into controlled practice points that reward successful bait and lob execution so players learn to choose the lob as a scoring option rather than a defensive escape. Finish with simulated match play sequences where the lob is an encouraged strategic weapon, letting players experience point by point decision making under pressure.

This material fits neatly into multi day retreats and short form clinics. For stays that emphasize tactical expansion the sequence can occupy a single advanced session or be stretched over two sessions to allow repetition and match play. For clinics adding an advanced tactics module organizers can allocate court time for the initial drills, then move groups into controlled drills and finally into coached points.

The benefit for players is straightforward. Learning to disguise lifts and pick the right lane expands options during critical points and forces opponents to respect a new threat. For coaches and retreat planners the feature offers a ready to use framework that elevates the lob from a defensive afterthought into a purposeful part of the game plan.