Pickleball — Glossary

Every Pickleball term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Dink (Movement)

A soft, short ball that drops just over the net into your opponent's kitchen. It gives them nothing to attack — push it rather than hit it.

Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone) (Slang)

The nickname for the 2.13 m zone right at the net. You may not take the ball out of the air there — and your follow-through must not carry you in either.

No Man's Land (Slang)

The zone between the net and the baseline. You are too far back to volley and too far forward for deep balls, so you spend as little time there as you can.

Split Step (Movement)

A small two-footed hop timed to your opponent's strike — it makes you instantly ready to move in any direction.

Third Shot Drop (Cheat code)

The serving team's first shot after serve and return: soft and high into the opponents' kitchen instead of hard — it buys you the time to move up to the net.

Two-Bounce Rule (Rule)

The serve and the return each have to bounce before anyone is allowed to volley. It stops the serving team from storming the net straight away.

Underhand Serve (Rule)

In padel the ball bounces first, then you strike it below hip height into the diagonal box. In pickleball the rule is: below the waist, paddle head under your wrist.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)

The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.

BMR & TDEE (Rule)

BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.

Cadence (Movement)

Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.

Core Tension (Movement)

Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.

Deload (Cheat code)

A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)

Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.

Knee Valgus (Movement)

The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.

Progressive Overload (Cheat code)

The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.

RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)

How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)

A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.

Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)

The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.