If you’ve been introduced to an exciting game of pickleball, you will hear certain pickleball terms and phrases that you may not have heard of. While it may take a few games to familiarize yourself with them, here are some common pickleball terms you may want to know.
New To Pickleball? Basic Pickleball Terms And Phrases To Know
What does dropping in pickleball mean?
In pickleball, dropping means softly hitting the ball to your opponent in the kitchen or non-volley zone to make it as hard for them to “attack” the ball back to you. Dropping is a popular third-shot choice to make from the baseline after the ball is returned from a service. It is known as a “third-shot drop” and the advantage is that it gives you and your partner time to safely walk to the kitchen line.
What is dinking in pickleball?
Dinking means softly hitting the ball to your opponent’s non-volley zone while you’re at the kitchen line. Both dropping and dinking are important shots to know and execute as you continue playing and advancing in pickleball.
What does driving mean in pickleball?
Driving means hitting the ball hard toward your opponent, instead of softly. You will want to apply topspin on the ball so that the ball does not go out of bounds. Driving is another important shot in pickleball. While it is not as popular of a third-shot choice as dropping the ball, it can be as effective if your opponents are not used to drivers.
What is a volley in pickleball?
A volley is hitting the pickleball while in the air without the ball bouncing off the ground first.
What is a half-volley in pickleball?
A half volley is hitting the ball right off the bounce, instead of waiting for the ball’s maximum bounce height.
What is lobbing in pickleball?
Lobbing is lifting the ball high above your opponent’s reach to the back of the court, forcing your opponent to backtrack to the baseline.
What does poaching mean in pickleball?
Poaching means moving to your partner’s side of the court to hit the ball that is aimed at them. It is essentially “stealing” or taking their shots.
What does pickled mean?
Getting pickled in pickleball means to get “skunked” or “bageled” in other sports with a score of 11 to 0.
Advanced Pickleball Terms
What does stacking mean in pickleball?
In competitive play and tournaments, players may choose to stack to be in their preferred, strongest position to give their team the best chance. It could be because one player has a better backhand than the other so they may choose to always cover the left side of the court.
Or it could be that one player is left-handed while the other is right-handed. By stacking, both players will have their dominant hand ready for any shots coming down the middle.
What is an ATP in Pickleball?
ATP stands for Around The Post. This shot occurs when the ball is shot far wide and a player returns the ball around the post, instead of over the net.
What is an Erne in Pickleball?
An Erne is an advanced shot where a player hits the ball from outside the sideline instead of from inside the court. This can be advantageous when your opponent makes a shot toward your backhand. Instead of waiting for the ball to bounce and dink back, you can step out onto the sideline and smash in a deep angle with your forehand.
What does resetting the shot means in pickleball?
As the ball is sped-up for a volley match or a ball is slammed from an overhead, resetting the shot means dropping the ball back safely or to take the pace off of the ball by blocking the ball softly in order to slow down the pace of the ball and play. You will see resets in advanced play or watch the pros in tournaments.
Last Tips
The great thing about pickleball is that the sport welcomes all ages, physical abilities, and all athletic or non-athletic backgrounds. Pickleball is easy to learn and the cost to start playing the sport is relatively inexpensive compared to most sports. You can find a set of pickleball paddles and balls affordable on amazon. For more pickleball tips and gear recommendations, check out the next few articles below.
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