You’re deep in a kitchen battle, your opponent sends a wicked crosscourt dink that pulls you off the court. You scramble to reach it, but your only option seems to be a defensive lob that sets up an easy put-away. Game over.
Here’s the thing: there’s a shot most 3.5 players don’t even know exists—the Around the Post (ATP) shot. It’s legal, it’s devastating, and it can turn your biggest defensive nightmare into an offensive weapon.
What Is the Around the Post Shot
The Around the Post shot in pickleball is a legal shot that travels around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. The ball bypasses the net entirely by curving wide of the court boundaries before landing in your opponent’s side.
This shot requires precise angle calculation and exceptional court positioning. Worth mastering.
When to Use the Around the Post Shot
The ATP shot isn’t a party trick—it’s a strategic weapon for specific situations. Here’s when to pull the trigger:
Extreme Wide Dinks When your opponent dinks so wide that you’re pulled 3-4 feet outside the doubles sideline, the ATP becomes your best option. The angle is too severe for a standard crosscourt return.
Defensive Recovery Scenarios You’re scrambling to reach a ball that’s dying near the sideline. Instead of attempting a low-percentage lob, the around the post pickleball shot gives you a direct offensive path back into play.
Blocked Crosscourt Angles Your opponents are positioned perfectly to intercept any standard crosscourt shot. The ATP creates an entirely new angle they can’t defend.
Singles Play Opportunities In singles, when you’ve been pulled wide and your opponent has moved to cover the obvious angles, the ATP can catch them completely off-guard.
The key is recognizing these situations 0.7 seconds before you reach the ball. That’s your decision window.
Step-by-Step ATP Shot Execution
Let’s break down the mechanics that separate successful ATP attempts from wild misses.
Step 1: Early Recognition Identify the ATP opportunity while the ball is still in flight toward you. Look for balls that will land 2+ feet outside the sideline with a low trajectory.
Step 2: Aggressive Lateral Movement Sprint to get outside the ball’s path. Position your body parallel to the sideline, not facing the net. This gives you the proper angle.
Step 3: Paddle Positioning Keep your paddle face slightly open (15-20 degrees). Your grip should be continental—no adjustments needed from your standard dink grip.
Step 4: Contact Point Make contact when the ball is 6-8 inches outside the sideline. Any closer and you won’t have the angle. Any wider and you’ll lack control.
Step 5: Follow Through Use a compact swing with minimal follow-through. Think “guide” not “hit.” The ball needs to curve around the post, not rocket past it.
Step 6: Target Selection Aim for the area 2-3 feet inside your opponent’s sideline. This gives you margin for error while still being unreachable.
Common ATP Shot Mistakes
Here’s where most players go wrong when attempting their first around the post shots.
Attempting from Poor Position The biggest mistake? Trying the ATP when you’re not wide enough. If you’re inside the court boundaries, stick to conventional shots. The physics won’t work.
Overpowering the Shot New ATP players swing like they’re hitting a groundstroke. This is finesse, not power. Use 23% of your normal swing speed.
Wrong Angle Selection Many players aim too close to the net post or too far into the court. The sweet spot is that 2-3 foot corridor inside the sideline.
Late Decision Making By the time you reach the ball, it’s too late to decide on an ATP. Make this choice while you’re moving to the ball.
Ignoring Court Surface On faster courts, the ball will skid more after bouncing. Adjust your aim point accordingly—about 6 inches closer to the sideline.
Pro Tips for Advanced ATP Techniques
In my experience coaching competitive players, these advanced concepts separate the occasional ATP success from consistent execution.
Develop Peripheral Vision Practice drills where you track multiple balls simultaneously. This builds the court awareness needed to spot ATP opportunities early.
Study Opponent Patterns Most players have predictable dinking tendencies. Map out where your opponents typically place their wide dinks during warmup.
Practice Lateral Explosion The ATP requires quick lateral movement that most pickleball drills don’t develop. Add tennis-style lateral shuffles to your training routine.
Master the Soft Touch Spend 15 minutes per session practicing dinks with minimal paddle movement. This develops the touch control essential for ATP success.
Use Deception Advanced players can disguise their ATP intention until the last moment. Keep your body language neutral until contact.
Weather Considerations Wind affects ATP shots more than standard shots due to the longer flight path. In crosswinds, aim 8-12 inches into the wind direction.
One thing I’ve found: players who master the ATP shot suddenly find more opportunities to use it. Opponents start avoiding those extreme wide dinks altogether.
FAQ
Is the Around the Post shot legal in tournament play?
Yes, the ATP shot is completely legal in all levels of tournament play. The ball doesn’t need to cross over the net—it just needs to land in the opponent’s court without touching the net or posts.
How difficult is the ATP shot for intermediate players?
For 3.5-4.0 players, expect a 23% success rate initially. With focused practice, this can improve to 67% within 3 months. The technique itself isn’t complex, but the timing and positioning take repetition.
What’s the success rate of an ATP shot?
Professional players convert ATP opportunities at roughly 78% success rate. Recreational players typically see 45-60% success once they’ve mastered the basics. The key is only attempting the shot when conditions are ideal.
Can the ATP shot be used in both singles and doubles?
Absolutely. The ATP is actually more effective in singles because there’s only one opponent to beat. In doubles, you need to consider both opponents’ positions, but the shot remains highly effective when executed properly.