The Lob Shot in Water Polo: When to Use It, How to Shoot It + 4 Drills (Ages 10–15)

Every season I see the same play. A young player gets the ball at 5 or 6 meters. The goalie comes out high, arms up, ready for a hard shot. The player shoots as hard as he can, straight into the goalie's hands. Then he swims back on defense shaking his head.

The goalie did his job. The shooter didn't read him. In that exact moment the right shot was not the hardest shot. It was the soft one over the top: the lob.

The lob is one of the most useful shots for players ages 10 to 15, and one of the least practiced. Most kids think it is a "trick shot." It is not. It is a smart shot, and it rewards players who look before they shoot.

What Is a Lob Shot in Water Polo?

A lob is a soft, high shot that goes up and over the goalie and drops down under the crossbar. It travels slowly on purpose. The goalie is beaten by height and placement, not by speed.

It is usually aimed at the far corner, so the ball drops behind the goalie's hand and inside the far post.

A good lob has three parts:

• Height. High enough that the goalie cannot reach it.

• Drop. It comes down fast enough to go under the bar, not over it.

• Placement. Far corner, close to the post, away from the goalie's hand.

When to Use the Lob (And When Not To)

This is the most important part. A lob at the wrong moment is an easy save and a counterattack for the other team. A lob at the right moment is almost impossible to stop.

Use the lob when:

1. The goalie is high in the water and out of position. If he jumps up and forward to stop a hard shot, the space behind and above him is open.

2. You are at a wide angle. From the wing (positions 1 and 5), a lob to the far corner is often the best option because the near side is closed.

3. You are on the counterattack and the goalie comes out. If he swims toward you, go over him.

4. The goalie has already "bitten" on a fake. After a pump fake he is high and moving. That is your moment.

Do not use the lob when:

• The goalie is deep in the goal and on his line. He has time to move back and catch it.

• You are far away (8+ meters). The ball is in the air too long.

• A defender's hand is right in front of you. A soft shot is easy to block.

The simple rule I give players: Look at the goalie before you shoot. If he is high and forward, think lob. If he is deep and on the line, shoot hard and low.

How to Shoot a Lob: 5 Steps

1. Get your body up first

The lob starts with your legs, like every shot. Strong eggbeater, hips up, shoulders out of the water. If you are low, the ball goes flat and the goalie catches it. If you need help here, read Water Polo Shooting Technique for Kids: Fix Your Shot Motion.

2. Show a hard shot

Your arm goes back and your body looks exactly like you are going to shoot hard. This is what makes the goalie jump. If you "telegraph" the lob by slowing down early, the goalie stays deep and waits.

3. Hand under the ball, fingers pointing up

Instead of pushing through the ball, slide your hand slightly under it. Fingers point up and back toward you. This puts backspin on the ball, and backspin helps it drop.

4. Release high and soft

Release the ball higher than for a normal shot, with an upward motion. Think "throw it to the ceiling, not to the net." It is a wrist and fingers motion, not full power from the shoulder.

5. Aim for the far corner

Pick your target before you release. For most lobs it is the far top corner, about one ball inside the post and just under the bar. Do not aim at the middle of the goal. A lob to the middle lands in the goalie's hands.

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The 4 Most Common Lob Mistakes

1. Too flat. The ball goes on a straight line and the goalie just lifts his hand. Fix: get your hand more under the ball and release higher.

2. Too high and too long. The ball goes over the bar. Fix: less arm, more wrist. Soft touch.

3. Telegraphing it. The arm slows down before the release, and the goalie reads it. Fix: show the hard shot all the way until the last moment.

4. Using it every time. When a player discovers the lob, he wants to shoot it on every possession. Goalies learn fast. The lob works because the goalie is also afraid of your hard shot. Mix them.

4 Lob Shot Drills You Can Do in Normal Practice

You do not need extra pool time. Use these during warm-up shooting or after practice with a teammate.

Drill 1: Target lobs (no goalie)

Put a ball, a cap or a kickboard on the far top corner of the goal (or ask a coach to hold a hand there). From 5 meters, 10 lobs from the left wing, 10 from the right wing, 10 from the middle. Count how many drop inside the post. Goal: 6 out of 10.

Drill 2: Fake and lob

Same position. Make one strong pump fake, then shoot the lob. This trains the most realistic situation: the goalie bites on the fake, and you go over. If your fakes need work, read How to Have Better Fakes in Water Polo.

Drill 3: Goalie decides

With a goalie in the goal. The goalie chooses where to start: high and out, or deep on the line. The shooter must read it in one second and choose: lob if he is high, hard and low if he is deep. This is the drill that builds the real skill, which is decision-making.

Drill 4: Counterattack lob

Shooter starts at half pool and swims in with the ball. The goalie comes out toward him. At 4 to 5 meters, the shooter lifts up and lobs over the goalie. This is the most common lob goal in youth games.

Do 10 to 15 good lobs per practice. Quality over quantity. A tired arm shoots bad lobs.

How the Lob Fits With Your Other Shots

A complete young shooter needs three basic options:

• The hard shot when the goalie is deep and the corner is open.

• The skip shot when the goalie's hands are high. More here: How to Do a Better Skip Shot in Water Polo.

• The lob when the goalie is high and out of position.

Once you have all three, the goalie can't guess. That is what makes a player dangerous at 12U and 14U, not only a strong arm.

For a step-by-step path through every shot, the course 1.4 Shooting Fundamentals takes you from body position to the release, in the right order.

For Parents: What to Watch For

You do not need to know water polo technique to help here.

• Watch the goalie, not only your child. When your child shoots, where was the goalie? High and out, or deep on the line? This tells you whether the shot choice was smart.

• Praise the decision, not only the goal. A good lob that hits the post was still a good decision. "I liked that you looked at the goalie before you shot" is great feedback.

• Don't push trick shots. The lob is not a show-off shot. It is a tool. Keep the message simple: read the goalie, then choose.

• Leave the in-game coaching to the coach. Talk about it after, on the ride home, if your child wants to.

Final Thoughts

The lob is not about power. It is about reading the goalie and having the patience to shoot soft when everyone expects hard. Get your body up, show a hard shot, slide your hand under the ball, release high and aim for the far corner. Then practice the decision as much as the technique.

Players who learn this at 11, 12, 13 years old score goals that bigger, stronger kids can't. It is one of the clearest examples of smart beating strong.

If you want the full plan, Waterpolo University membership gives you every course in the right order, from eggbeater and body position to shooting, passing, defense and game IQ. You can also send me your game or practice video and get same-day video feedback. It is $25/month, or $250/year (about $21/month), and you can cancel anytime. See the membership →

Not sure where your game is right now? Take the free quiz and find out: Test Your Water Polo IQ.

Frequently asked questions

What is a lob shot in water polo?
A lob is a soft, high shot that goes over the goalie and drops under the crossbar, usually into the far corner. It beats the goalie with height and placement instead of speed.

When should you shoot a lob in water polo?
When the goalie is high in the water and out of position, when you shoot from a wide angle like the wing, or on a counterattack when the goalie comes out toward you. Do not lob when the goalie is deep on his line.

How do you make a lob shot drop under the bar?
Slide your hand slightly under the ball with your fingers pointing up and release high and soft. This creates backspin, which helps the ball drop. Use more wrist and less arm.

At what age should kids learn the lob shot?
Players can start practicing the lob at 10 to 12, once they can lift their body up with a solid eggbeater. The most important part at any age is learning when to use it, not only how.