The Erne in Pickleball: What It Is & How to Hit One

Part of our guide to improving your pickleball game.

Named after player Erne Perry, the Erne is one of pickleball’s flashiest legal shots — and it looks like magic the first time you see it. Here’s how it actually works.

What is an Erne?

An Erne is a volley you hit from just outside the sideline, next to the net, having legally gotten around the kitchen rather than standing in it. Because you’re right at the net and taking the ball early, you can hit a steep, surprising angle or jam it straight at your opponent before they can react.

How to hit an Erne

There are two legal ways to get into Erne position:

• Jump around the kitchen: from outside the sideline, leap over or around the corner of the non-volley zone and volley in the air, landing outside the kitchen.
• Move through and re-establish: step through the kitchen before the ball comes, and get both feet planted outside the sideline (beyond the kitchen) before you volley.

Either way, the golden rule: your feet must be outside the kitchen when you make contact. Then volley the ball sharply cross-court or straight at the opponent.

When to hit an Erne

The Erne is an anticipation shot. It works when your opponent is dinking predictably to your sideline or corner — you read it early, get around the kitchen, and ambush the dink at the net. Because it requires you to commit and move early, timing and disguise are everything.

Staying legal

• You cannot touch the kitchen (or its line) when you volley — that’s a fault.
• You can’t touch the net or posts during the shot.
• If you go through the kitchen, both feet must be re-established outside before contact.

Common Erne mistakes

• Committing too early and getting passed on the other side.
• Clipping the kitchen line — an automatic fault.
• Forcing it when the dink isn’t predictable — the Erne rewards patience and reading, not hope.

The Erne is a 4.0+ weapon — build the dinking and anticipation underneath it first.

Which levels this shot helps

This shot shows up on these rungs of the skill ladder:

• 4.0 → 4.5
• 4.5 → 5.0

The Erne, step by step

Break the move into four beats. (1) Read: the Erne starts two shots early — you notice the opponent dinking repeatedly down the line to your sideline, with their head down and paddle face committing to that lane. (2) Position: slide toward the sideline while their eyes are on the ball. For the step-around version, step outside the sideline entirely, past the kitchen, planting both feet in the legal zone beside the post. (3) Take it early: as their dink crosses the net, volley it out of the air — down at their feet or into the open middle. The whole advantage is taking the ball a full second before they expect. (4) Recover: land balanced, paddle up, ready for a counter — and your partner shifts middle to cover the court you vacated.

The jump Erne vs. the step-around: which to learn first

Learn the step-around first. It’s legal the same way, requires no athleticism, and teaches the real skill — the read and the timing. The jump Erne (launching from inside the court, flying over the kitchen corner, landing outside the sideline) adds two failure points: touching the kitchen on takeoff and landing off-balance. Add it only when the step-around version is consistently winning you points. Either way, the sequence of feet matters: for the step-around you must be established outside the kitchen before contact; for the jump you must take off from legal ground and not touch the kitchen until the ball is dead.

Setting up the Erne on purpose

High-level players don’t wait for Erne chances — they manufacture them. The classic setup: feed two or three heavy dinks at the opponent’s backhand, angled toward their sideline. The natural, comfortable reply to that ball is a straight-ahead dink up the line — exactly the ball the Erne eats. You’re herding them into the trap. Pair this with an occasional obvious fake (a loud step toward the line as they swing) and even the threat starts winning points: opponents steer dinks away from your sideline into the middle, where your partner’s forehand lives.

Troubleshooting

• You keep faulting on the kitchen line: your first foot is landing on the line, not past it. Practice the footwork with no ball: two quick steps, both feet fully outside, freeze.
• You get there but the ball goes by: you’re leaving too late. Go as their paddle starts forward, not at contact.
• They burn you behind it: you’re telegraphing — moving while they can still redirect. Hold until their shape commits to the line, and don’t Erne twice in a row.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Erne in pickleball?

An Erne is an advanced shot where you legally get around the outside of the kitchen to volley the ball right at the net, taking it early for a sharp angle or a jam. Your feet must be outside the non-volley zone when you make contact.

Is an Erne legal in pickleball?

Yes, an Erne is legal as long as you don’t touch the kitchen or its line when you volley, and you don’t touch the net or posts. You either jump around the kitchen from outside or re-establish both feet outside it before contact.

How do you hit an Erne?

Anticipate a dink to your sideline, then either jump around the corner of the kitchen from outside the sideline, or move through the kitchen early and plant both feet outside it. Volley the ball at the net, sharply cross-court or straight at your opponent.

When should you use an Erne?

Use it against a predictable dink to your sideline or corner. It’s an anticipation shot — you read the pattern early and ambush the ball at the net. Don’t force it when the dink isn’t predictable.

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.

Book a lesson →

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