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Some would argue, the most fun shot in pickleball is the “ATP.” 

As a quick reminder, ATP stands for “Around The Post.” It’s when the ball gets hit wide enough for a player to hit the ball around (instead of over) the post. Yes, this is a legal shot!

Now, this article isn’t about you hitting the ATP, but rather, doing what most can’t (or never learn).

Defending the ATP. 

Because if you learn this skill, you’ll begin to see an opponent’s ATP as an opportunity to turn the tables and regain your advantage in points. 

How To Spot An ATP Opportunity:

First off, let’s talk about how to know when an ATP might be coming, because you can’t defend something you don’t prepare for. 

If your partner hits a wide dink, that’s a trigger for you to prepare yourself for an ATP. Quick note, if you’re the one who hits the wide dink, yell, “cover” or “watch” to to your teammate to trigger them to do what you’re about to learn. 

1. Dynamically Drop Diagonal (DDD):

When you’re on the defensive end of an ATP, it’s important to create as much time and space to recover the shot. A common mistake players make when trying to defend is they move laterally to the side like this: 👇

Instead, drop diagonally in order to create more space, as I mentioned earlier. I actually picked up this strategy from watching a guy named Riley Newman, who may be the best defender in all of pickleball. 

2. Drop Your Paddle:

If you’ve read any of my recent blogs, you’ve heard me advise multiple times to keep your paddle up, especially at the kitchen line. But when defending an ATP, it’s actually better to keep your paddle down, since ATP’s are usually low and fast. With your paddle down, you’ll put your paddle in the best and most efficient position to cover the shot.

Countering The ATP:

Let’s go a step further and talk about how to counter the ATP and create an advantage for you to win the point. 

What kills your defense against the ATP is that your opponent's partner will actually go to cover the line or mid-line, since that’s where the ball is most often defended too.

Instead of hitting the ball down the line, hit it diagonally across the court. Doing this does two things. It: 

1. Catches them out of position 
2. Gets the ball to their backhand (if they’re a righty), which typically is a less offensive shot you’ll have to deal with.
   

Learning How To Defend An ATP? ✔️ 

Congrats! You now know how to defend the toughest (and coolest) shot in pickleball. You have the blueprint, so now you just have to follow it. Hit the courts with a few buddies and put your newfound knowledge to the test.

Also, If you’re up for the challenge. I just dropped a new video series sharing 18 advanced tips to quickly level up your pickleball game, which you can get completely for FREE.

I’ll only be dropping these tips exclusively in this offer, so if you want to learn how to level up your game, tap here.