Welcome to pickleball. A sport that looks simple, sounds friendly, and then immediately introduces a vocabulary that feels like it came from a secret club. If you have ever nodded along during a game while quietly thinking, “I have no idea what that means,” this guide is for you.
Below is a beginner-friendly, slightly sarcastic dictionary of pickleball terms, explained the way players actually experience them.
Pickleball Terms You Should Know
Dink
Definition: The polite argument disguised as a rally.
A dink is a soft shot that barely clears the net and lands in the kitchen. It is not aggressive, but it is deeply personal. Dinking exchanges can last forever and require patience, balance, and emotional control.
Dinks look harmless until you lose six points in a row and question your life choices.
Kitchen
Definition: The forbidden zone.
Officially known as the non-volley zone, the kitchen is the area near the net where you are not allowed to volley the ball. Step in at the wrong time, and the point is instantly over.
The kitchen exists to prevent chaos and broken ankles. It also exists to humble confident players. Respect it.
Erne
Definition: The thing you attempt once and immediately regret.
An Erne is an advanced shot where a player jumps outside the court and volleys the ball close to the net without stepping into the kitchen. It looks incredible when done correctly and unforgettable when done poorly.
Most players try it once. Some succeed. Most remember the pain.
Third Shot Drop
Definition: The shot that everyone talks about and few execute consistently.
This is the soft shot hit by the serving team after the return. Its purpose is to land gently in the kitchen and allow the serving team to move forward.
When it works, you feel like a strategist. When it does not, you apologize quietly and backpedal.
Read more about under-rated pickleball shots you should learn.
Banger
Definition: A player who believes power solves everything.
Bangers love speed, force, and driving the ball as hard as possible. They measure success by decibel level. Control is optional. Power is mandatory.
Every court has one. Sometimes you are them.
Reset
Definition: The art of saving yourself.
A reset is a soft shot hit from a bad position that neutralizes the rally. It turns panic into patience and chaos into calm.
Resets are not flashy, but they win games and protect friendships.
Poach
Definition: When your partner steals your shot and somehow makes it work.
Poaching happens when one partner crosses into the other’s space to intercept a ball. When successful, it is celebrated. When not, it leads to a long walk to the back of the court.
Communication helps. Trust helps more.
Speed Up
Definition: The moment everything gets serious.
A speed up is when someone decides the rally has lasted long enough and attacks the ball with pace. It can end the point quickly or end confidence even faster.
Use with caution.
Related: Common Pickleball Personalities
Volley
Definition: Hitting the ball before it bounces.
Volleys require quick hands, good positioning, and the ability to avoid the kitchen. They are fast, reactive, and unforgiving.
Master them, and you control the net. Miss them, and you hear about it.
The Real Pickleball Lesson
Pickleball terms may sound strange, but they quickly become part of your everyday language. Soon, you will be explaining dinks to new players and warning friends about the Erne, as if it were a cautionary tale.
That is how you know you belong. That’s how you know you’re making the most of every pickleball moment.
Which pickleball term confused you the most when you started?
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