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Shots and techniques
The serve and return, dink, third-shot drop, drive, volley, reset, lob, overhead, erne, ATP and spin, with drills for each.
Every rally in pickleball is built from a small set of shots. Learn what each one is for, how to hit it, the common mistakes and a simple drill to groove it. Start with the dink and the third-shot drop: they are the two shots that most clearly separate beginners from intermediate players.
TechniqueSpin in pickleballTopspin, backspin and sidespin change how the ball flies and bounces. Learn how each spin works, which shots use it, how paddle surfaces affect spin and what the serve rules say.TechniqueThe ATP (around the post)An around-the-post shot travels outside the net post rather than over the net and can land low in the opponent's court. Learn when it is legal, how to set it up and how to defend it.TechniqueThe dinkThe dink is a soft shot from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponent's kitchen. Learn the grip, stance, targets, cross-court patterns and drills that make it reliable.TechniqueThe driveA drive is a hard, low groundstroke used to put pressure on opponents. Learn when to drive instead of drop, how topspin keeps it in, and which targets work best.TechniqueThe erneThe erne is a legal volley hit from outside the sideline, next to the kitchen, by jumping over the kitchen corner or stepping around it. Learn the rules, the setup and how to defend it.TechniqueThe lobThe lob sends the ball high over net players to land near the baseline. Learn when the lob is smart, when it is a gift, how to hit offensive and defensive lobs, and how to defend against them.TechniqueThe overhead smashThe overhead is the put-away shot for high balls and short lobs. Learn safe footwork, where to aim and how to finish the point without overhitting.TechniqueThe resetA reset turns a fast or difficult ball into a soft one that lands in the kitchen, taking the rally back to neutral. Learn when and how to reset from the transition zone and the kitchen.TechniqueThe serve and the return of serveHow to hit a reliable deep serve, why the return should be deep and slow rather than hard, and how to get to the kitchen line after you return. Includes targets and two drills.TechniqueThe third-shot dropThe third-shot drop is a soft shot from the baseline that lands in the opponent's kitchen and lets the serving team move forward. Learn why it works, how to hit it and how to practice it.TechniqueThe volleyA volley is any shot hit before the ball bounces. Learn the punch volley, the block, the roll volley and the speed-up, and how to stay legal near the kitchen.