The 30-second version
- An ATP (around the post) is when you hit the ball around the outside of the net post instead of over the net — and it’s 100% legal.
- The ball can travel below net height on an ATP; there’s no rule it must go over the net.
- The chance appears when a sharply angled shot pulls you wide, outside the sideline, with the ball low.
- Let it travel wide, get low, and swing the ball back cross-court around the post.
Part of our guide to improving your pickleball game.
The around-the-post shot — the ATP — is one of the most satisfying and jaw-dropping shots in pickleball, and beginners are often shocked to learn it’s completely legal. Here’s how and when to hit it.
What is an ATP?
An ATP is a shot you hit around the outside of the net post, rather than over the top of the net. Crucially, the ball does not have to go over the net or clear any height — on an ATP it can travel well below the top of the net and even below the post, as long as it lands in bounds on the other side. It’s fully within the rules.
When does the ATP opportunity happen?
The setup is specific: your opponent hits a sharply angled shot (usually a wide cross-court dink or drive) that pulls you outside the sideline, and the ball is low and moving away from the court. Because you’re wide and the ball is low and angled, going over the net isn’t an option — but going around the post straight back at a sharp angle is.
How to hit an ATP
- Recognize it early — as the wide, angled ball pulls you off the court, read that an ATP is on.
- Let the ball travel wide enough that it’s past the net post and outside the sideline.
- Get low and move with the ball, staying balanced.
- Swing it back around the post, aiming cross-court into the open court. You can hit it flat or with a little topspin for control.
Common ATP mistakes
- Hitting it too early — trying to go over the net when you should let the ball travel wide for the ATP.
- Not getting low enough — the ball is usually low, so you have to bend.
- Aiming too fine — you have a big open court; hit it firmly cross-court rather than for the line.
The ATP mostly comes off sharp-angle dinks, so the better your dinking and angles, the more ATP chances you’ll both create and face.
Which levels this shot helps
This shot shows up on these rungs of the skill ladder:
The ATP, step by step
(1) Recognize early: the moment a sharply angled dink or drive drags you wide of the sideline, flip the mental switch from “get it back over the net” to “I have an angle.” The earlier the read, the better the footwork. (2) Chase with depth: run your curve outside and slightly behind the ball’s path — the most common error is crowding it. You want the ball between you and the post, with room to swing forward. (3) Let it drop: unlike almost every other shot, lower is better. The lower the contact, the more open the lane around the post — remember, it never has to clear the net. (4) Drive it flat or with a touch of roll along the outside of the post into the open court — usually deep cross-court or at the retreating opponent’s hip. (5) Recover in — the counter, if any, comes fast.
When the ATP is actually on (and when it’s a trap)
The genuine ATP ball is one that’s wide, low, and still traveling away from the court — a great cross-court dink or a sharp roll that would be awkward to lift back over the net anyway. That geometry is what opens the post lane. The trap: balls that are wide but dying — barely moving sideways. Chasing those into an ATP means hitting a low-percentage trick shot when a simple reset was available. Honest rule: if you can comfortably return it over the net with control, do that; the ATP is for balls where around the post is the easier path, not the flashier one.
Defending against an ATP
When you’ve pulled an opponent wide and they’re lining one up: don’t freeze. Their lane is narrow — along the outside of the post, usually toward your baseline corner or at the nearer player. The nearer player should shift toward the sideline and drop the paddle low (ATPs arrive below net height), while the partner covers the middle. And accept the math: a well-struck ATP is close to unreturnable — the real defense was the shot before. If your cross-court dinks keep getting ATP’d, they’re too wide and too high off the bounce; tighten the angle or take pace off so the ball dies before the sideline.
Practicing it
You can groove ATPs in ten minutes: a partner feeds exaggerated wide dinks from the opposite kitchen corner; you chase, let the ball drop below net height, and drive it around the post at a towel target in the deep corner. Count makes out of ten, then narrow the feed angle as your read improves. Once you’ve hit twenty in practice, the in-game recognition comes on its own.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ATP in pickleball?
ATP stands for “around the post.” It’s a shot where you hit the ball around the outside of the net post instead of over the net. It’s completely legal, and the ball can travel below net height as long as it lands in bounds.
Is the around-the-post shot legal in pickleball?
Yes, the ATP is fully legal. There is no rule that the ball must travel over the net — it can go around the post and even below the height of the net or post, as long as it lands in the opponent’s court.
When can you hit an ATP?
When an opponent’s sharply angled shot pulls you wide, outside the sideline, with the ball low and moving away from the court. Let the ball travel past the post, get low, and swing it back cross-court around the post.
Does the ball have to go over the net on an ATP?
No. On an around-the-post shot the ball goes around the side of the net post, not over the net, and it can be below net height. It only has to land in bounds on the other side.
Want a coach to fast-track it?
Reading a shot is one thing — grooving it under pressure is another. I run private lessons and clinics in Central Mass that drill exactly these shots. Your first session is half off.