Feb 19 / Carlos Rodriguez

Pickleball Terms A-Z: Get to Know the Lingo of the Game

Paddlespeed Pickleball Glossary

Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an experienced player looking to refine your skills, understanding the pickleball terms is key to improving your game. Pickleball has its own unique language, and knowing the right terms can make a huge difference on the court. 

From the well-known rules like "dinks" and "volleys" to niche strategies like the "ATP" and "ernie," this comprehensive A-Z glossary covers every important pickleball term you need to know.

Explore this guide to familiarize yourself with the sport’s jargon, enhance your communication with teammates, and take your pickleball skills to the next level. 

A

Ace – A serve that the opponent cannot touch, resulting in an immediate point.
Approach Shot – A shot hit while moving toward the net.
ATP (Around the Post) – A shot that travels outside the net post and lands inbounds on the opponent's side.

B

Backhand – A shot made with the back of the paddle facing the net.
Baseline – The boundary line at the back of the pickleball court.
Banger – A player who primarily hits hard shots with power.
Bert – A player jumping across and in front of their partner outside the kitchen to hit a ball in the air.

C

Carry – When the ball rests on the paddle too long during a shot, resulting in a fault.
Centerline – The line that divides the service courts on each side of the net.
Coil - The first step in creating paddle speed where the body stores energy, starting from the upper body and moving down to the back foot. This rotational loading creates tension in the muscles, similar to winding a spring, preparing for explosive release.
Contact - The fourth and final step in creating paddle speed where all accumulated speed is applied to the ball, determining the ratio of spin to power. How and where the paddle contacts the ball determines its trajectory and spin.
Cross-Court – A shot that goes diagonally across the court.

D

Dead Dink – A dink that is poorly placed, sits up and easy to attack.
Dink – A soft shot that just clears the net and lands in the kitchen.
Double Bounce Rule – After the serve, each side must allow the ball to bounce once before hitting it.
Double Hit – When the ball is hit twice by the same player or team during one rally, resulting in a fault.
DUPR – Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, a system used to rank pickleball players.

E

Erne – A shot taken while jumping outside the kitchen to hit a ball in the air.

F

Fault – Any rule violation that stops play, such as a ball landing out of bounds or a player stepping into the kitchen while volleying.
Flick Volley – A quick wrist movement used to redirect a ball during a volley.
Forehand – A shot hit with the front of the paddle facing the net.

G

Golden Pickle – A pickleball game in which the winning team wins every point, without the opponent scoring.
Grip – The way a player holds the paddle. Common types include continental, eastern, and semi western grips.

H

Half-Volley – A shot where the ball is hit immediately after it bounces.
Hammer Grip – A grip that resembles holding a hammer, often used for overhead shots or smashes. Also known as a continental grip.
Horseman Stance - The optimal ready position at the kitchen line where the head is positioned directly over the shoulders, hips, and feet, with stomach in and weight balanced. 
Hybrid – A strategy or shot that combines multiple elements, like topspin with a lob.

I

Inside-Out Shot – A shot where the paddle moves across the ball from inside to outside, curving the shot.

J

Jigsaw – A slang term for when players piece together a combination of strategic shots.

K

Kitchen – The non-volley zone (NVZ) located 7 feet from the net, which players cannot step in unless the ball bounces in the kitchen during that shot.

L

Let – A serve that hits the net but lands in the correct service court.
Lob – A high shot that arcs over the opponent’s head.
Line Call – A determination of whether the ball landed in or out, made by players.

M

Match Point – A point that, if won, ends the match.
Midcourt – The area between the baseline and the kitchen line.
No Man’s Land – The midcourt area where it is risky to be caught during a rally.

N

Nasty Nelson – A serve that hits the opposing player instead of landing in the service court, scoring an immediate point.
Non-Volley Zone – Another term for the kitchen, where players cannot hit volleys.

O

Open Play – Informal games where players rotate and play with different partners.
Overhead – A powerful shot hit from above the head, usually to end a rally.

P

Passing Shot – A shot hit past an opponent who is at the net.
Paddle – The equipment used to hit the ball, typically made of composite materials.
Paddle Butt - The end of the paddle handle, which should be directed toward the ball during the approach to maximize power and control at contact.
Paddle Speed – The swing speed of the paddle head when it makes contact with the ball, which affects the amount of spin and speed of the shot. 
Pickler – A person who is passionate about and regularly plays pickleball.
Poach – When a player crosses into their partner's side of the court to take a shot.
Point – A score awarded to a player or team when they win a rally.
Punch Volley – A short, controlled volley with minimal backswing.
Push Volley – A volley where the player guides the ball forward without a full swing.

Q

Quick Hands – A player’s ability to react fast at the net, especially in fast-paced exchanges.

R

Rally – A series of back-and-forth shots between players before a point is won.
Rally Scoring – A scoring system where points can be won by either side, regardless of who is serving.
Ready Position – The stance players take, with knees bent and paddle up, ready to react to a shot.
Reset – A soft shot used to slow down the pace of the rally and regain control.
Return – The shot hit after the serve, ideally deep and inbounds.

S

Scorpion – A defensive position where a player holds their paddle above their head to block a speedup off the bounce..
Serve – The starting shot of a point, hit diagonally across the court.
Speedup Off The Bounce – A tactic where the ball is hit off the bounce with increased speed, aiming to catch the opponent off guard.
Side Out – A change in service where the serving team loses its service opportunity, allowing the opposing team to serve. In doubles play, a side out occurs after both players on the serving team have lost their serve. No points are scored during a side out; it simply transitions service to the other team.
Skinny Singles – A modified singles game where only half the court is used, often played in drills or practice.
Slice Dink – A dink with backspin, causing the ball to skid low after bouncing.
Spin – Rotation applied to the ball, affecting its bounce and trajectory.
Stacking – A doubles strategy where players switch positions after the serve or return to stay in their preferred roles.
Speedup (shot) – A shot intended to increase the pace of the rally, often hit aggressively off a dink.
Speedup (paddle speed step) - The second step in generating paddle speed where stored energy begins to release from the ground up. During the speedup, the body uncoils while the paddle and arm naturally lag behind due to inertia, creating the foundation for explosive power.

T

Topspin Dink – A dink shot with topspin that causes the ball to drop quickly and accereataccelerate upon contact.
Third Shot Drop – A soft shot used on the third shot of the rally, intended to land in the kitchen.
Transfer - The third step in the paddle speed sequence where momentum moves from larger body segments to smaller ones (legs to hips to shoulders to arm to paddle), creating a whip-like effect that multiplies speed with each transfer.
Tweener – A shot hit between the legs, often as a defensive move.

U

Unforced Error – A mistake made by a player that was not caused by the opponent’s skill.
Underhand Serve – A serve where the paddle contacts the ball below waist level.

V

Volley – Hitting the ball in the air before it bounces.

W

Wrist Flick – A quick snap of the wrist used to generate power or spin on a shot.

Y

Yips – A player’s loss of fine motor skills, causing them to make uncharacteristic mistakes.

Z

Zoning – When a player is so focused and in control that they perform at their peak.

Whether you're mastering techniques like the "third shot drop" or the "scorpion," or simply trying to understand what "stacking" is all about, this glossary will help you navigate the exciting world of pickleball with confidence.

If you're looking for a way to take your game to the next level, consider enrolling in the Paddlespeed Program—my unique course that centers around Revelation over Repetition. 

This program is designed to help you master the concepts and science behind generating a more powerful pickleball swing, so you can play with more precision and power. Perfect for players of all levels, the PaddleSpeed Program will give you the tools to elevate your game, fast!

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