How to Hit an Around the Post Shot: 6 Keys to Turn Wide Dinks Into Winners
The around the post shot turns a ball pulled wide into one of the most satisfying winners in pickleball. Here is how to set it up, time it, and recover after you hit it.
The around the post shot, or ATP, is the rare pickleball swing that turns a defensive moment into an instant winner.
When an opponent pulls you wide with a dink, most players panic and pop the ball up.
The around the post flips that script: you curve the ball outside the net post and into the open court, with no net to clear at all.
Selkirk TV coach Emilia Schmidt breaks the shot down in a short drill video, and the mechanics are simpler than the highlight reels make them look.
The whole shot lives in one idea: wait for the ball to drop, then curve it back around.
Below are six keys to hit an around the post on command, plus the partner drill Emilia uses to groove it.
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What Is an Around the Post Shot in Pickleball?
An around the post shot is any ball you hit around the outside of the net post rather than over the net.
Because the ball travels wide of the post, it can fly below net height and still be legal, which is exactly what makes it so deadly.
The shot only becomes available when a ball lands wide enough and far enough toward the sideline that your contact point is outside the post.
That usually happens during a crosscourt dink rally, which is why dinking patience is the foundation of the whole play.
There is no height requirement on an around the post. You can hit it ankle high if you want, because you are going around the post and not over the net.
That freedom is the reason the ATP draws the loudest reaction on any highlight reel.
Six Keys to Hit an Around the Post Shot Winner
1. Create the Angle Before You Ever Look for the Around the Post Shot
You cannot hit an around the post shot off a ball that lands in the middle of the kitchen. You have to manufacture the wide ball first.
Emilia sets this up with a simple partner drill: hit forehand dinks crosscourt and pull your opponent steadily wider.
The wider and more angled your crosscourt dinks get, the more likely your opponent sends one back wide enough to attack.
This is the same principle behind moving an opponent side to side before you strike, which is the foundation of modern pickleball strategy built for winning in 2026.
Dinking with a plan, rather than dinking and hoping, is what separates players who manufacture ATP opportunities from those who just stumble into them.
Sharpen those angles with the 12 drills you need to play your best pickleball in 2026 and study how the best players use kitchen line angles to open the court.
2. Read the "Blue" to Know the Ball Is Wide Enough
The trigger for an around the post is visual, and Emilia gives it a memorable cue: look for the blue.
"I kind of see that opening where I see a little bit of the blue on the court," she explains, meaning the strip of open court that appears outside the post when a ball is pulled far enough wide.
When you can see that opening, you know the ball is wide enough to curve around the post.
If the ball is still in front of you over the kitchen, it is a normal dink, so reset and keep building the angle.
Learning to read these cues is the same skill that separates players who recognize advanced dinking patterns from those who just react.
Master dink placement at the kitchen line to build the spatial awareness that makes this read automatic.
The Dink Media Team
3. Wait for the Ball to Drop to Its Lowest Point
This is the single most important key to the around the post shot, and the one most players get wrong.
"Wait for the ball to be at its lowest height, and then I'm going to curve it back around into the open court," Emilia says.
Rushing the around the post is what sends it into the net post or wide of the court. Because there is no net to clear, you actually want the ball low.
The lower your contact, the sharper you can angle the ball back toward the court.
Taking the ball at the right height applies to wide defensive balls too.
Per CBS Sports' 2025 breakdown of elite-level shot timing, soft hands and a clean contact point matter more than power on any low, off-pace ball.
The same discipline that makes your dink consistent is what makes the around the post land in bounds.
The Dink Media Team
4. Wait as Long as You Possibly Can
Patience deserves its own key because the instinct to hit early is so strong.
"You want to make sure that you wait as long as you possibly can to hit this ATP," Emilia repeats. "That way you can actually curve it back around."
The extra beat of waiting lets the ball travel farther past the post, which widens your angle back into the court.
Let the ball come to you, set your feet, and trust that the open court is not going anywhere.
This same discipline applies to every attack decision in pickleball.
Knowing when to hold off is just as important as knowing when to swing.
A simple 4-step system for winning more pickleball games in 2026 covers that decision-making framework in detail.
The Dink Media Team
5. Pick Your Target: Down the Line or Back to the Middle
The around the post shot is not one shot, it is two. Emilia points out a couple of different targets depending on the ball you get.
Your options when you set up an around the post:
- Down the line with depth: if you have room, drive the ball all the way down the line, deeper into the court, to push your opponent back and away from any chance at a defensive reach.
- Back toward the middle: if the ball your partner hit is a little shorter, curve it back around more toward the center of the court, where the angle is more forgiving and still well out of reach.
Reading which target is available is part of learning to attack the right ball and to disguise your intentions until the last second.
How to set a 1-2 trap for through-the-middle winners shows exactly how pros use court geometry to force errors.
Eric Roddy
6. Recover to the Middle the Instant You Hit the Around the Post
An around the post is not a guaranteed point, so do not stand and admire it.
"Even as I hit that ATP, I still then want to look to recover back middle just in case someone does defend it," Emilia says.
Hitting the shot pulls you well outside the sideline, which leaves the entire court open if your opponent gets a paddle on it.
Sprint back toward the middle and re-establish your kitchen line positioning so you are ready for the next ball.
Controlling the middle court in pickleball covers exactly who covers what and keeps you and your partner from leaving a gap.
The around the post is one of several creative shots reshaping how the game is played.
Here are the 6 essential pickleball shots to master for 2026 if you want to see where it fits in your full offensive toolkit.
Anna Bright
Drill the Around the Post Shot Until It Becomes Automatic
The reason the around the post looks effortless when a pro hits it is reps.
Grab one partner, start a crosscourt forehand dink rally, and pull each other progressively wider until the ATP opportunity appears naturally.
Do not force it. The drill teaches your eyes to spot the blue and your feet to wait for the drop, so that in a real match the around the post shot shows up without you thinking about it.
The 5 defensive dink styles you need to dominate the kitchen line shows how patience in the dink rally directly creates the wide balls that make this drill work.
Watch how a player like Anna Leigh Waters hunts wide balls at the kitchen line, and you will see the same patience: she lets the ball travel before she commits to the around the post shot.
According to ESPN's 2025 profile of Waters, her ability to manufacture offensive opportunities from defensive positions is what separates her at the elite level.
Reps build the instinct. The mechanics are simple, but the timing only comes from hitting hundreds of them.
The 5 pickleball shots you must master before 2026 gives you the roadmap to build these skills in order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Around the Post Shot Legal in Pickleball?
Yes. The around the post shot is completely legal, and the ball does not have to clear net height because it never crosses over the net. As long as you make contact on your side and the ball lands in bounds, an ATP that travels below the top of the net is a legal winner.
Can You Hit an Around the Post Shot on the Backhand Side?
Yes, an around the post can be hit off either wing. The drill in the video uses forehands because crosscourt forehand dinks naturally pull you wide on that side, but the same read applies on the backhand: wait for a ball wide enough that you can see open court outside the post.
When Should You Go for an Around the Post Shot Instead of a Normal Dink?
Go for it only when the ball is pulled wide enough that your contact point is outside the net post and you can see open court. If the ball is still in front of the kitchen, keep dinking and building the angle. Forcing an around the post off a ball that is not wide enough is how unforced errors happen.
Why Do My Around the Post Attempts Keep Hitting the Net Post?
Almost always because you hit the ball too early. Wait for the ball to drop to its lowest point and let it travel farther past the post before you swing, which opens up the angle back into the court and keeps your shot clear of the post.
How Do You Practice the Around the Post Shot by Yourself?
Solo work is tough because you need a wide ball to react to, but you can shadow the footwork and the low contact point against a wall or with a ball machine set to feed wide. The fastest gains still come from the partner dink drill, where a live opponent creates realistic angles and trains your eyes to read when the ATP opportunity is actually there.
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