An ATP shot can be difficult to defend against given the typical low trajectory and angle of the pickleball. To defend against an ATP, try the following:

1. If your opponents are successfully and consistently hitting the ATP, avoid hitting shots with sharp angles that give your opponents an easy opportunity to hit an ATP;

2. Plant your feet a step or two off of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line and along the sideline closest to your opponent hitting the ATP. Get your paddle in a backhand position out in front of your body, and keep your paddle and your body relatively low to the ground, as your opponents will most likely be targeting your feet. Be sure to angle your paddle back into the middle of the court, rather than back at your opponent hitting the ATP, who will certainly be out of bounds upon contact. Simply find the pickleball with your paddle and get the pickleball over the net and into the middle of the court; and

3. Avoid the urge to hit every ATP. Remember the ATP is a specialty shot that is difficult to master. So, most ATP shots will be into the net or out of bounds, whether wide off the court or beyond the baseline. Be disciplined and be sure to only hit the good ATP shots.

Key Takeaways:

1. To defend against the ATP:

a. Avoid hitting shots with too sharp of angles;

b. Plant your feet, drop low, and find the pickleball with your paddle to hit the pickleball back over the middle of the court; and

c. Avoid hitting the ATPs that are going out of bounds.