10 Pickleball Shots You MUST Know

ThatPickleballSchool

Hey guys, it’s Kyle from ThatPickleballSchool. To play the game, you gotta know the language—so you’re about to learn the top 10 most common terms used in pickleball. Let’s go.

1. Serve and Return

The first one is the serve. “Good serve,” which is often what you’ll hear them say after they’ve missed—whether your serve was good or not.

The second shot is the return. I’m hitting the serve to this person, and they’re hitting the ball back to me. That’s also called a return.

2. Dead Spot (Bonus Term)

“Dead spot” isn’t one of the top 10 terms you need to know, but it is a good one. People will say it—usually when they miss a shot.

3. Third Shot Drive and Drop

Next is the third shot—and this one has two parts: A and B.

The third shot is just that—it’s the third shot of the rally. I hit the first shot (the serve), the return is the second shot, and then comes the third shot.

There are two types of third shots:

• Third Shot Drive: That’s when you try to hit the ball hard, like you’re Roger Federer or Serena Williams, right at their faces.

Players who hit a third shot drive almost every single time? Yeah, we call them bangers. He’s a banger.

• Third Shot Drop: One of the most common terms in pickleball. You’re trying to hit the ball into the kitchen to give yourself time to get up to the kitchen line.

4. Dinking and Donking

Next is a term called dinking. Say that four times fast: dink, dink, dink, dink…

Often when you’re watching pickleball, you’ll turn to the person next to you and be like, “Why is everybody hitting the ball so softly all the time when they’re around the net?” Well, that soft shot is called a dink.

Now as the great comedian once said—don’t donk your dinks. You’re donking your dinks when you hit the ball high. That’s a big no-no. People dink to keep the game soft and in control. If you hit something hard or high at the wrong time, this often happens.

Sometimes when you’re at court—or maybe at a tournament—someone might just walk over and say, “Hey, uh, you want to dink?” That’s a totally okay term. They just want to dink with you.

5. Speed Up

The next term is called a speed up. When you’re dinking, you’re kind of volleying, looking for a moment to take the ball from slow to fast. The moment you do that? That’s a speed up. It can come off the bounce, or out of the air.

6. The Kitchen

Now the kitchen. If you’re new, you might wonder why these players are always behind this line. The founders of the game didn’t want people smashing balls too close to the net—it wouldn’t be fair. So you can’t hit the ball out of the air unless you’re behind the kitchen line.

This is also why we dink—you can’t volley if you’re inside the kitchen. If I step in here, I have to let the ball bounce first. But if I lean in and poke a ball out of the air without stepping in? That’s okay—and that’s a speed up too.

If someone’s donking their dinks, you should speed it up.

If you step into the kitchen and volley? That’s a foot fault. If someone you play with constantly calls foot faults and you don’t have a ref? That’s someone you shouldn’t invite to the next game. 😉

7. Side Out

Next is side out.

Here’s how side out works: I serve, we play the rally, and we lose. Then my partner gets to serve—we get two chances to score. If we lose again, the ball goes to the other team. Now it’s their chance to serve and score. We beat them on both opponents serve, and then the ball comes back to us. That’s a side out.

Side out just means the ball changes sides. You lost your serve.

8. Net Cord

A net cord—that’s C-O-R-D, not C-H-O-R-D. I used to spell it like a music chord and got berated forever. Don’t be like me—spell it right.

A net cord happens when you hit the ball and it clips the top of the net but still makes it over. You should neverapologize for a net cord. Why? Because they happen so much—50% of the time you win them, 50% of the time they do.

If we apologize every time, who are we? I mean, I feel bad if I knock into an old woman at the grocery store. I help her up, I say I’m sorry—because I mean it.

When I hit a net cord? I never mean it. Because I won the point.

9. The Erne

Guide on Erne here.

Next up is the Erne, named after Erne Perry. In fact, Ernie is so legendary that when he does pushups, he doesn’t push up—he pushes the ground down. That’s how cool Erne is. He’s got a shot named after him.

The Erne is when you jump through, over, or around the kitchen to get closer to the net and smash the ball. It’s a legal position—you can’t cross the plane until after contact, though.

But be careful—you can’t jump from the line or land on or inside the line. That’s a fault. A no-can-do.

10. ATP – Around the Post

Guide on Around the Post.

The last one is the ATP—Around the Post. Yes, it’s legal.

If someone hits you a dink (and remember—don’t donk your dinks) and it’s wide enough for you to go around the post? Do it. That’s an ATP.

Then go celebrate—go out with your friends after play.

Alright that’s it!

Think you know pickleball inside and out? Challenge yourself with ThatPickleball IQ Test and see if you can score a perfect 10 out of 10! 

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