Term
Erne
A shot where you go around the outside of the kitchen, without stepping in it, and volley beside the net.
A shot where you go around or jump over the corner of the non-volley zone (kitchen) so that you don't step in it, and volley near the net (pickleball.com). It is said to work well when the opponent keeps hitting the same crosscourt dink (pickleball.com).
The conditions are: you must not touch the kitchen or the non-volley zone line (kitchen line) while you volley (3.A.4.c, 11.A, 11.A.1); if you touched the kitchen, you must get both feet down outside it before you volley (11.A.3); and you must hit the ball after it has crossed the net (13.F, 13.F.1) (When an Erne is allowed).
Erne vs. ATP
| Erne | ATP | |
|---|---|---|
| How you hit it | Volley (no bounce) (pickleball.com) | No rule about whether it must be a volley (13.C) |
| Where you hit it | Near the net, after jumping over or going around the corner of the kitchen (pickleball.com) | Far outside the sideline, where you were pulled wide (The Dink) |
| Path of the ball | Over the top of the net | Not over the net; around the outside of the post (13.C) |
Both shots are often hit from outside the sideline. An erne is a volley you hit after going around the corner of the kitchen (pickleball.com). An ATP sends a ball that pulled you wide back from outside the post (The Dink).
How to read the sources: numbers like (8.F.4) are rulebook sections, and links are outside sources. An "Author's note" is the author's personal experience, not an official rule.