Fake ATP
Also known as: fake around-the-post, ATP fake
A fake ATP is a deceptive shot where the player winds up as if going around the post, drawing the opponent wide, then redirects the ball crosscourt or down the line.
The around-the-post (ATP) shot is one of pickleball's most spectacular legal plays. The fake ATP exploits the fact that opponents must respect its threat. This means if an opponent sees you move wide and steps to cover the ATP angle, you redirect the ball the other way to the now-open court. Executing a convincing fake requires moving wide enough and raising the paddle in a believable ATP motion while maintaining the balance and control to redirect. At elite levels, both the real ATP and the fake ATP coexist in a read-and-react game.
Executing a convincing fake ATP requires committing to the wide sprint far enough that the opponent genuinely shifts to cover the ATP angle. A half-hearted fake that barely reaches the sideline does not create enough threat to pull the defender. The player must plant the outside foot wide, raise the paddle in an ATP-ready position, and only then redirect. This means the full commitment is what makes the deception work.
Reading whether to go real or fake comes from watching the opponent's eyes and feet after the split step. If they immediately move to cut off the ATP angle, the redirect opens the court. If they hold position and wait, the real ATP is more available. Drilling both the ATP and the fake ATP together. This means committing to the decision late in the approach. This means is how players develop the split-second read that makes both threats viable.
Practice the real ATP first — until you can execute the genuine shot, the fake will not produce enough threat to pull defenders out of position.
Study your opponent's feet during the wide approach. This means if they shift weight toward the ATP side before you commit to the redirect, your fake is working. Use this read to decide in real time.
Example
A player sprints wide as if to go around the post. The opponent shifts to cover the ATP angle. The player redirects crosscourt into the vacated space.
How it shows up on video
SwingVantage tracks the player's court position relative to the sideline post and the paddle height during the wide approach, confirming whether the ATP threat was committed enough to pull the defender. The ball's final landing zone is cross-referenced against the opponent's position shift.
Common mistakes
- Not committing far enough wide to make the fake convincing, leaving the opponent no reason to shift coverage
- Redirecting the ball without maintaining body balance, causing a mis-hit or a wide error on the redirect
- Using the fake ATP on a ball too far inside the court, where the ATP threat is not geometrically credible
- Running the fake ATP so predictably that opponents learn to stay in position and punish the redirect
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
Motion Lab tracks the lateral distance covered in the wide approach and the body lean at the decision point, confirming whether the physical commitment was sufficient to create a genuine ATP threat before the redirect.
Related terms
- ErneAn Erne is an aggressive shot where a player jumps or runs around the outside of the kitchen to volley a ball beside the net post, legally contacting it outside the non-volley zone for an unexpected, sharp-angled winner.
- Around-the-Post (ATP)An around-the-post, universally shortened to ATP, is a legal shot played around the outside of the net post rather than over the net, at any height at all. It arises when a sharply angled ball pulls a player outside the sideline. This leaves the outside route as the only way back into the opponent's court.
- Court PositioningCourt positioning is the ongoing management of where you stand relative to the net, your partner. The ball. This means the foundation of all tactical decision-making in pickleball.
- Golden Position at KitchenThe golden position is the optimal stance at the kitchen line. This means about one foot behind the NVZ line, balanced and paddle-ready. This comes from which a player can cover the widest range of shots without sacrificing dink quality.
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