The Erne and ATP in pickleball, with drills
How to hit an Erne and an around-the-post (ATP) shot in pickleball, when they're legal, and three drills, for 3.5 to 4.0+ players.
For players rated 3.5+
When to use it
An Erne is a volley hit from outside the sideline, next to the net, so you reach the ball without touching the kitchen. You get there by jumping over the corner of the kitchen or running around it.
An ATP (around the post) is a shot hit around the outside of the net post instead of over the net, after the ball has bounced wide. Both are rare finishing shots that punish wide balls, especially dinks down the line.
1.Erne footwork
Solo3.5Learns the path around the kitchen without touching it.
- Stand at the kitchen line near the sideline.
- Step or hop outside the sideline, beside the kitchen, landing with both feet out of the kitchen.
- Shadow a volley there, then return to the kitchen line.
Reps: 10 each side
2.Erne feed
With a partner4.0+Trains reading a dink down your line and stepping out to volley it.
- Your partner dinks down the line toward your sideline.
- After two normal dinks, on the third, move outside the sideline and volley it.
- Your partner tells you whether you touched the kitchen.
Reps: 10 each side
3.ATP feed
With a partner4.0+Builds the low, wide ATP from a wide angled dink.
- Your partner hits sharp angled dinks that bounce outside the sideline.
- Chase each one wide and hit it around the post, low, into the court.
- Keep the shot low; it doesn't have to go over the net.
Reps: 10 each side
Watch it
Common mistakes
- Touching the kitchen line on the way out or back.
- Telegraphing the Erne by drifting wide early.
- Trying an ATP on a ball that's not wide enough; then it has to go over the net.
- Leaving your partner with the whole court. Talk before you go.
What to work on at your level
| 2.5–3.0 | Not yet: get comfortable with dink and volleys & hand battles first. |
|---|---|
| 3.5 | Know the rules and practise the Erne footwork. |
| 4.0+ | Use the Erne on predictable dinks down your line. Set it up with your dinks, and take ATPs off sharp angles. |
Paddles that help
Both shots are about reach, and an elongated paddle adds the extra inch or two you need on a wide ball.
Best Elongated Pickleball PaddlesCommon questions
- Is the Erne legal?
- Yes, if you don't touch the kitchen or its line before, during or after the volley. Your feet must be outside the kitchen when you hit.
- Is the ATP legal?
- Yes. The ball can travel around the post instead of over the net, even below net height, as long as it lands in the court.
- Why is it called the Erne?
- It's named after Erne Perry, a player in the US whose use of the shot made it popular.
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