{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"05bf590d-2ae2-4aec-90f7-fb3489eec2f2","tenantuid":"45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903","projectuid":"4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919","title":"What Is a Bert Shot in Pickleball?","slug":"article/what-is-a-bert-shot-in-pickleball","html":"\u003Cp\u003EA Bert is an advanced doubles shot where the non-Erne player \u2014 the partner whose side the ball is NOT traveling toward \u2014 crosses in front of their partner to execute an Erne-style volley from the opposite side of the court. It is the Erne performed by the \u201Cwrong\u201D partner, and it requires quick communication, coordination, and precise timing between doubles partners.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022bert_vs_erne_whats_the_difference\u0022\u003EBert vs. Erne: What\u0027s the Difference?\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Erne and the Bert are closely related but performed by different players. In the Erne, the player on the side the ball is coming to positions beside the net post and volleys wide. In the Bert, the OTHER partner crosses the entire court in front of their partner to hit that same wide volley from the opposite side. Think of it as a cross-court Erne.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003EShot\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EWho hits it\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003ERequired movement\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EErne\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EPlayer on the side the ball is traveling toward\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ESlide or jump to the near post\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EBert\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EPlayer on the OPPOSITE side from where the ball is traveling\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ECross in front of partner to the far post\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022how_the_bert_works\u0022\u003EHow the Bert Works\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a dinking exchange, the ball is being played cross-court toward one player\u2019s side. Instead of that player hitting an Erne, their partner \u2014 who is on the other side of the court \u2014 reads the pattern early, calls the shot, and runs around the outside of the kitchen to reach the wide volley position on the opposite side.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECommunication first:\u003C/b\u003E The player executing the Bert must call it \u2014 say \u201CBert\u201D or \u201CI got it\u201D clearly so their partner knows to step back and give them room.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERead the pattern early:\u003C/b\u003E The Bert requires anticipating the cross-court dink before it\u0027s hit. You need to start moving before the ball crosses the net.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERun around the kitchen:\u003C/b\u003E The player crosses in front of their partner and runs around the end of the NVZ to reach the wide position beside the opposite post.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EVolley from outside the NVZ:\u003C/b\u003E Same rules as the Erne \u2014 feet must be outside the kitchen. Land outside the court boundary after contact.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPartner adjusts:\u003C/b\u003E The player whose side was just vacated needs to slide toward center to cover the court.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022is_the_bert_legal\u0022\u003EIs the Bert Legal?\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes \u2014 the Bert is completely legal by the same rules that govern the Erne. The player must not step in or touch the NVZ before, during, or after the volley. Feet must be established outside the kitchen (landing on or past the sideline, outside the court) when contact is made. The ball must land in the opponent\u0027s court.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ENote\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Bert is one of the highest-risk, highest-reward plays in doubles pickleball. It leaves your side of the court temporarily uncovered, so it must be executed with clear communication and good timing. Used incorrectly, a Bert attempt gives your opponents an open court to exploit.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022why_is_it_called_a_bert\u0022\u003EWhy is it called a Bert?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe shot takes its name from the Sesame Street character Bert \u2014 the companion to Ernie (Erne). Since the Bert is the partner shot to the Erne, naming it after Bert was the natural choice in the pickleball community.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022is_the_bert_used_at_the_professional_level\u0022\u003EIs the Bert used at the professional level?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes \u2014 the Bert appears in professional doubles matches, though it\u2019s less common than the Erne because of the coordination required and the court coverage risk it creates. At the pro level, partners have practiced together enough to execute it reliably in specific situations.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022how_do_you_defend_against_a_bert\u0022\u003EHow do you defend against a Bert?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same way you defend against an Erne \u2014 vary your dinks. Don\u2019t only dink cross-court in a predictable pattern. A straight-ahead dink down the line is the most effective counter: the Bert player has vacated their side of the court to go for the wide position, leaving it wide open for a well-placed line dink.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022related_articles\u0022\u003ERelated Articles\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/pickleball-shots-and-techniques-library-every-shot-you-need-to-know\u0022\u003EPickleball Shots \u0026amp; Techniques Library: Every Shot You Need to Know\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/pickleball-strategy-guide-how-to-win-more-points-games-and-matches\u0022\u003EPickleball Strategy Guide: How to Win More Points, Games, and Matches\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/complete-pickleball-rules-guide\u0022\u003EComplete Pickleball Rules Guide\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions about pickleball shots and techniques? Email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pickleball.com\u0022\u003Esupport@pickleball.com\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","author":{"authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","name":"Christy Cook","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/","photo_url":"https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903/4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919/4fd2cf59-047a-4a00-8a6d-2d9c6c9f91fe.jpg?v=1114665229","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Learn about the Bert shot in pickleball: an advanced doubles volley where the partner crosses court to hit an Erne-style shot from the opposite side.","keywords":"Bert;Erne;doubles shot;volley;cross-court;communication;coordination;kitchen;non-volley zone;court coverage","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"total_views":20,"date_stale":"2027-07-01T00:00:00","date_published":"2026-06-29T21:08:08.03","date_updated":"2026-06-29T21:08:08.04","date_created":"2026-06-29T21:02:36.477"}}}