How to Hit an ATP

What was once considered to be a ‘trick shot’ by many players, hitting the ball Around-the-Post is still a glam shot but as the game has grown and evolved, it has become more common to execute and easier to defend.

This shot is exactly how it sounds - an ATP is when the ball is hit around the post by a player.

The ball can be struck at any height and it’s usually lower than net level.

Although this shot seems intimidating, it’s achievable for anyone, but like anything else in pickleball, it takes patience to drill it and the time to understand the proper mechanics.

Let's dive in...

The Opportunity

In order to attempt this shot, you’ll have to know what the right opportunity looks like and be on the lookout for it. Anticipating this opportunity really is half the battle because you need all the time you can get to set up for your attempt.

If you’re late in recognizing it then that chance has probably come and gone. Keep an eye out for your time to shine off of a cross-court dink, but not just any dink, what you’re looking for is a ball that shoots out wide off of the bounce.

That is, a shot that’s most likely hit into the kitchen but is shallow and wide because these dinks in particular, will often cause the ball to travel wide and off of the court off the bounce.

The dinks that are aimed towards the feet are not the ones that create the ATP opportunity - so just remember that the ones you’re looking for are when the opponent is moving the other player around and pushing the ball into empty space - towards the sideline.

Follow the Ball

In order to hit this shot you’ll have to move well with the ball and almost stay “on top” of it’s path. By this, I mean that you often cannot hit an ATP by taking one sidestep because that won’t provide enough angle.

In terms of width, the ball needs to bounce somewhere around the actual post and the flight path it takes off of the bounce will kick the ball wide.

If you’re properly following the ball then by the time you make contact with it you’ll see that you’ve got a good view of the other side of the court and you’ll be able to see how much surface area you have to hit the ball to.

The key is to hit the ball just before it lands on the ground for the second time. This will buy you more time to follow the ball and for it to pull further away from the court itself.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Your Paddle

For this shot, you want to keep the ball as low to the ground as possible. By doing so, you’ll make it harder for the opponent to defend the ATP.

Because the opportunity to hit this shot happens so quickly, you don’t have time to impart spin but also, there’s just no need.

The best approach for an ATP is to hit the ball flat and square off the paddle and if anything you can hit the ball with a bit of topspin.

Be sure to keep the paddle in front of the body (even if you’re on a small sprint for the ball, despite the fact that you're going to want to pull the paddle behind you to set up with a big swing; then strike the ball with a smooth motion coming from the shoulder and follow through all the way. 

Body Control

This shot requires as much body control as possible.

At the beginning, you’re going to be very happy to even make your first attempt and as you become more comfortable with these attempts you can start to focus on some important factors that will set you up for as much success as possible.

Be sure to stay low to the ground, so engage the knees and lower your body while in motion.

On contact, try your best to maintain a grounded (or balanced) open stance and although you want to keep your eye on the ball (always), you have to open up the peripherals to see the opponent’s court.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

The ATP is definitely occurring more and more during rallies and not just at the highest level, which is fantastic.

Players are able to read and anticipate an ATP much better these days as well, which means defending them is also becoming more common.Want to know how to defend this shot? Stay tuned!

This article was taken from our 'Control the Kitchen' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!