Advanced shots
Pickleball Around the Post
The ATP is one of the most spectacular shots in pickleball, and one of the most misunderstood. The ball doesn't go over the net. It goes around the outside of the post and lands in the opponent's court. Completely legal, almost impossible to defend when executed correctly.
Why the ATP is legal
Pickleball rules require the ball to land in the opponent's court, not to cross the net at the standard crossing point. The area past the sideline and around the post is outside the net entirely. A ball that travels around the post and lands inbounds is a legal shot regardless of how low it goes or whether it crosses below the net height.
How to hit the ATP
Five steps from recognition to execution.
Recognize the wide pull early
An ATP opportunity appears when a dink is hit sharply to the corner, wide enough to pull you past the sideline. Read it early and sprint wide rather than reaching. You need to be past the sideline to have the angle.
Get outside the sideline
Position yourself outside the court, beyond the sideline extension. The further outside you are, the sharper the angle around the post you can create. This is not a shot you hit from inside the court.
Low contact point
Contact the ball low, at or below knee height. Lower contact creates a flatter trajectory around the post. Higher contact loses the around-the-post angle and goes out of bounds.
Aim at the opponent's feet
The ATP should land at the feet of the player closest to you (usually the near-side opponent at the kitchen). They can't reach a well-placed ATP, the angle makes a return nearly impossible.
Follow through toward target
Swing toward where you want the ball to land, not toward the net. The follow-through direction controls placement. A ball aimed too close to the post clips it; aim with margin.
ATP
Ball goes around the post. Player is pulled wide by the opponent's shot. Reactive, usually forced by a sharp angle dink. Ball travels outside the court boundaries around the post.
Erne
Player jumps or walks around the post to volley. Proactive, player positions themselves near the post. Ball still crosses the net at normal height but player is outside the NVZ.
How to defend against the ATP
Don't give the angle in the first place
ATPs come from sharp cross-court dinks that pull opponents wide. Keep your dinks cross-court but not excessively sharp, aim toward the center of the kitchen, not the far corner.
Poach to the wide sideline
When you see an opponent pulled wide, move toward the near sideline before they contact the ball. Cut off the ATP angle by covering the target zone.
Lob the pulled opponent
When an opponent is running wide for an ATP, the middle of the court is completely open. A lob over the remaining player (or a ball hit to the open middle) is often the better play.
Hit to the far-side opponent
If one player is pulled wide, redirect to their partner on the opposite side. The partner can't reach an ATP from across the court, and the wide player can't recover quickly enough.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATP in pickleball?
ATP stands for Around The Post. It's a shot where the ball travels around the outside of the net post, not over the net, and lands in the opponent's court. The ATP is completely legal because the rules only require the ball to land in the opponent's court, not to cross the net at the typical crossing point. It occurs when a player is pulled wide off the court and can hit the ball at an angle sharp enough to go around the post.
Is the ATP legal in pickleball?
Yes, the ATP is completely legal in pickleball. The rules state the ball must land in the opponent's court, but it doesn't have to cross the net at the standard crossing point. As long as the ball goes around the outside of the post and lands in bounds, it's a legal winner. The ball may also travel below net height when it goes around the post, that's also legal since it doesn't cross the net.
How do you set up an ATP in pickleball?
ATPs happen when you're pulled wide off the court by a sharply angled dink. The opponent hits a dink that pulls you past the sideline, and you have enough angle to hit back around the post into their court. You can also set up an ATP intentionally by hitting a sharp angle dink to a corner, then running wide to where their return will pull you off court. The ATP is most common after an Erne attempt or after being pulled by an angled dink from mid-court.
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