What Is an ATP in Pickleball?
Quick Answer: An ATP, or around-the-post shot, sends the ball around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. USA Pickleball rule 11.M makes it legal, and there is no height requirement, so the ball may travel below net height. It only has to land in the correct court.
The ATP is the shot that makes spectators react, and the first time you see one land it looks like it should not count. It does. Here is what it is, why the rules allow it, and when the opportunity actually exists.
What is an around-the-post shot?
It is a return that travels around the net post instead of over the net. You hit it from well outside the sideline, angling the ball back across into your opponent’s court without it ever crossing above the net.
The shot exists because of geometry, not trickery. When a ball is angled sharply enough, it can pull you so far wide that the shortest path back into the court runs beside the post rather than over the net. At that point going around is the natural line, not a stunt.
Is an ATP legal in pickleball?
Yes. USA Pickleball rule 11.M permits a player to return the ball around the outside of the net post. It is a fully legal shot, not a loophole, and it counts like any other return.
The rule has one part that surprises people: there is no height restriction. Because the ball is not crossing the net, the usual expectation about clearing net height does not apply. The ball may pass below the height of the net. You can hit it ankle high if that is the line available to you.
The only requirement is where it lands. The ball must come down in the correct court. Around the post and in is a winner. Around the post and wide is just an error with better production value.
When is the ATP actually available?
Less often than players hope. The shot needs a specific setup, and the setup has to be handed to you.
The conditions:
- A sharply angled incoming ball, usually a crosscourt dink or drive that cuts hard toward the sideline.
- A ball that pulls you wide, typically well past the sideline rather than just outside it.
- A ball low enough that the post is not blocking your swing path.
- A landing angle back into the court, which the wide position creates for you.
The honest read is that you do not go looking for an ATP. Your opponent creates it by hitting an angle sharp enough to pull you off the court, and your job is recognizing the moment fast enough to take it.
What I tell players learning it is to stop watching the net. The instinct under pressure is to look for a way back over, and that instinct is what causes people to miss ATPs that were sitting right there. If the ball has taken you outside the sideline and it is still below net height, look at the post first.
How does the ATP compare to other specialty shots?
It sits alongside the other shots that reward court awareness over power. An erne involves jumping around or through the non-volley zone to take a ball early near the sideline, and a bert is the same idea executed across your partner’s side. All three come from reading position rather than hitting harder.
The ATP differs in one important way: the erne and the bert are moves you plan and set up, while the ATP is almost entirely reactive. You are not choosing it. You are recognizing it.
If you want to build toward these, the foundation is the ordinary shots. Reliable volleys, a controlled speed-up, and clean court movement come first. Specialty shots are what a solid base makes available, not a shortcut past it.
Frequently asked questions
What does ATP stand for in pickleball? Around the post. It describes a shot that travels around the outside of the net post rather than over the net.
Is an ATP legal? Yes. USA Pickleball rule 11.M explicitly allows returning the ball around the outside of the net post, as long as it lands in the correct court.
Does an ATP have to go over the net? No. That is the defining feature of the shot. The ball goes around the post instead, so it never has to clear the net.
Can an ATP travel below net height? Yes. There is no height requirement on an around-the-post shot. The ball can pass well below the top of the net, even close to ankle height.
Does the ball have to land in bounds? Yes. The only real requirement is that the ball lands in the correct court. A shot that goes around the post and lands out is simply an error.
How do you set up an ATP? You generally do not. It becomes available when an opponent’s sharply angled shot pulls you wide past the sideline with the ball still low. The skill is recognizing it quickly.
Is the ATP worth practicing? It is worth drilling the recognition more than the swing. Have a partner feed sharp crosscourt angles so you learn what a genuine ATP opportunity looks and feels like.
The ATP looks like a trick and is really just good geometry plus fast recognition. Build the fundamentals underneath it, and if you want structured help, browse our coaches directory.
Written by the Pickler Junction Team.
