Around-The-Post “ATP” Shot In Pickleball
The around-the-post shot or “ATP shot” is probably one of the most exciting shots in pickleball. I love it when players get so much joy out of executing perfectly crisp ATP shots. The ATP shot requires many hours of practice to master but is definitely worth practicing. I have hit a few ATP shots in my social sessions and it often results in a round of high-fives and cheers from my fellow players - and opponents. It's definitely a shot that will make you feel like a pro on the court.
What Is The ATP Shot?
My students often ask me about the ‘ATP” after they have watched pickleball matches by the pros in the USA circuit. They ask: “Coach, can you teach us how to go ATP?”
ATP is an abbreviation for “Around The Post” shot. This involves a player chasing down a sharp angled shot and hitting the ball around the net post on to the opponent's side, often leaving the opponent in awe. If executed correctly it is unlikely most opponents will be able to return your ATP shot as it bypasses the net and skids past the opponent. The ATP shot is within the USA pickleball association rules so once you learn it, you can enjoy using it!
How To Do It
When I teach my students the ATP shot, we first work on purely hitting the ball from a sharp angle around the post, minus the running. This allows for the student to get a taster of the accuracy required when executing an ATP shot.
There is only a small amount of space to hit into when sneaking the ball around the net post. Therefore, you need to practice the accuracy of your groundstrokes. Take note that we focus on the forehand side for the ATP shot. This is because we have greater reach on our forehand side in comparison to our backhand side.
In the second stage, we will practice hitting the ATP shot while running. My students will practice by starting from the middle of the court. I will feed them a sharp angled ball to chase down, and they will execute the ATP shot by running and hitting the ball around the post. We repeat this drill multiple times to get them familiar with moving their feet to hit the ATP shot.
The last stage is combining all elements together in a live game situation. This involves not only hitting the ATP shot but also adopting the correct ready position, having good anticipation, footwork, and timing. It's important to remember that the ATP shot is a high-risk, high-reward shot, and should only be attempted in certain situations.
