Pickleball Glossary

Pickleball Glossary of Terms

This is a comprehensive listing of Pickleball terms. Please note some similarity to Tennis terminology.

Ace: A serve that your opponent is unable to hit back, resulting in a point won on your serve.

Approach Shot: Hitting the ball while moving toward the net.

Around the Post (ATP): A legal shot where the ball is hit around the side of the post (net) rather than directly over it.

Backcourt: The area near the baseline, a few feet inside the court from the baseline.

Backspin (Slice or Chop): Applying spin to the ball by striking it with a high-to-low motion, causing it to spin in the opposite direction of its flight.

Centerline: The line that extends from the Non-Volley Zone (NV-Zone) to the Baseline, dividing the service court into two equal halves.

Dink Shot: A soft shot that arcs over the net and falls into the opposing NV-Zone.

Double Bounce: A ball that bounces more than once on one side of the net before being returned, resulting in a lost point.

Drive: A forehand shot hit straight and low, deep into the opposing backcourt.

Drop Shot: A soft shot that clears the pickleball net and then falls short of the opposing players.

Doubles: A pickleball game played between 4 people (2 on each team). Teams can be men, women, or mixed doubles.

Dillball: A shot that is inbounds and has bounced once—a live ball.

ERNE: A term pronounce  as the name “Ernie”.  A shot in the air as  you jump around or over the  Kitchen.

Kitchen: same as the Non-Volley Zone.

Non-Volley Zone (NV-Zone): The area near the net where players cannot volley (hit the ball in the air).

Pickleball: A delightful sport combining elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton.

Serve: The underhand shot that starts the point.

Volley: Hitting the ball in the air without letting it bounce.