Pickleball is a fascinating game that's both easy to learn and incredibly fun to play. But as a beginner, you might find the lingo a bit confusing. To help you out, here's a glossary of pickleball terms from A to Z.
A - ATP (Around The Post): An ATP shot in pickleball is when a player hits the ball around the net post, not over the net, and the ball lands in the opponent's court.
B - Banger: A player who prefers power shots over finesse.
C - Carry: A shot where the ball rests on the paddle before being released; this is a fault.
D - Dink: A soft shot that is intended to arc over the net and land within the non-volley zone.
E - Erne: A shot where the player hits the ball in the air while standing beyond the non-volley zone line near the post.
F - Fault: A violation of the rules that results in the loss of a point or the serve.
G - Groundstroke: A shot hit after the ball has bounced once on the court.
H - Hinder: An interruption of play due to an accidental incident or obstruction.
I - IPTPA: International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association, an organization that certifies pickleball coaches.
J - Jigsaw grip: A grip technique similar to holding a jigsaw, where the base knuckle of the index finger is on the paddle face.
K - Kitchen: Slang for the non-volley zone.
L - Let: A serve that hits the net and lands in the service court; the point must be played out.
M - Midcourt: The area of court between the non-volley line and the baseline.
N - Non-Volley Zone: The 7-foot area on either side of the net where volleying is not allowed.
O - Overhead Smash: A hard, offensive shot hit from above the player's head.
P - Poach: To cross over into your partner's area to play a ball in doubles.
Q - Quick Feet: An expression used to encourage fast footwork and agility on the court.
R - Rally: The exchange of shots between players that begins with the serve and continues until a fault is made.
S - Server number: In doubles, either "1" or "2," depending on whether you are the first or second server for your team.
T - Third Shot Drop: A strategic shot used after the return of serve, intended to land softly in the non-volley zone, forcing opponents to hit upwards.
U - Unforced Error: A fault in a rally that is a result of a player's mistake, rather than the opponent's skill or effort.
V - Volley: To hit the ball in the air, without letting it bounce.
W - Wall: A defensive barrier set up by players to prevent the opponents from scoring.
X - X-Factor: The unknown, unpredictable element that can affect the outcome of a game, such as a sudden change in wind or sunlight.
Y - Yips: A loss of fine motor skills in athletes. In pickleball, it might manifest as repeatedly missing easy shots or serves.
Z - Zone: A specific area of the court where a player is trying to place the ball.
This glossary should help you understand the language of pickleball better and aid your communication on the court. Happy playing!
Yours in Pickleball,
Backyard Pickleball
* Updated on 6/29 - Replaced Ace with ATP, as an Ace is too rare in pickleball, and ATP is a bucket list shot for a lot of players!
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