A shot played from outside the court near the sideline — either jumping around or stepping past the kitchen to intercept a ball near the net post. Named after Erne Perry. The Ernie is as much a psychological weapon as a physical one: the threat of the Ernie alters opponents' shot selection even when it isn't executed.
Setup: hit one or more dinks toward the center of the court, moving your opponent away from the sideline. This opens up space near the net post. As the opponent dinks back toward the sideline, move laterally outside the kitchen to take the ball out of the air near the net post. Don't telegraph by lining up down the line immediately — the opponent will see you and keep the ball away. The key is the setup: move them to the middle first, then take the next ball near the sideline.
Jill Braverman attempted 4 Ernies in the first 5 minutes of a match. The physical points won were maybe 2-3. But the psychological damage lasted the entire match — her opponent stopped dinking to the sideline entirely, creating pop-ups and net errors from awkward cross-court attempts. The Ernie's real value isn't the points it wins directly — it's the shots it prevents your opponent from hitting for the rest of the match.