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Pickleball has its own unique vocabulary, and learning the lingo can help you feel more confident on the court. Here’s a quick glossary of must-know pickleball terms for beginners.
Common Pickleball Terms
- Dink: A soft, controlled shot that just clears the net and lands in the kitchen. It’s used to slow down the pace of play and set up strategic opportunities.
- Kitchen: The Non-Volley Zone — 2.1 metres on either side of the net where you can't hit the ball in the air (volley).
- Volley: Hitting the ball before it bounces.
- Serve: An underhand shot used to start each rally, served diagonally across the court.
- Fault: Any infraction of the rules that ends a rally, such as hitting out of bounds or volleying in the kitchen.
- Third Shot Drop: A soft, strategic shot played on the third hit of a rally, designed to land in the kitchen and slow down opponents at the net.
- Side Out: When the serving team loses the point and service passes to the other team.
- Let: A serve that clips the net but still lands in the correct service box. Under current rules, lets are played — no re-serve.
- Erne: An advanced move where a player jumps outside the court near the net to hit a volley without stepping in the kitchen.
🧠 Pro Tip: Listen in on a few social games at your local club — you’ll pick up most of the slang naturally!