- Not to be confused with a grab air.
An air grab is the action of grabbing an item while the user is in mid-air. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the player must press the Z button or the R and A buttons just as their character overlaps the item to grab it. The air grab can be used to grab any items that are on the ground or in the air (regardless of whether it is being thrown or not). In Brawl, air grabs can be done by simply performing an aerial attack or using a mid-air dodge, grabbing the item while doing so. This has a variety of uses. It allows a character to reach an item without having to land on the ground to obtain it. However, this cannot be used on heavy items such as Crates and Barrels. This can be useful for items on pass-through platforms and characters who are in the air, as it allows one to reach an item without having to wait for it to reach the ground. Normally, one would use an air dodge to grab an item, as landing while executing a mid-air attack will cause landing lag. As a result, most item grabbing is done while air-dodging, since air-dodging does not have landing lag.