Do you wish to evaluate your rating ?

Here is a description that will allow you to have a first idea of your level. Playing tournaments, leagues is of course the best way to reach an accurate rating. Keep an eye on our Tournament calendar. There is surely one not far from you.

Rating Descriptions

1.0. Beginner

• Player is new to Pickleball, learning scoring and rules
• Can hit a number of balls with a forehand
• Have a hard time playing games as a rally is not sustainable yet

1.5 Beginner

• Players keep short rallies going but fail to return balls frequently, and occasionally miss the ball entirely.
• Have played a few games and knows how to score and knows some of the basic rules of the game
• Learning how to serve and be accurate
• Developing a forehand

2.0 Beginner

• Players start to learn to judge where the ball is going and can sustain a short rally with players of equal ability
• They have obvious weaknesses in their strokes, but are working on improving them
• Able to keep score and are familiar with the court positions for doubles play.
• Still reluctant to come to the net.

2.5 Advanced Beginner

• Players are able to sustain longer rallies
• Many make easier volleys and use the backhand more often but need to work on stroke development
• They think more about coming to the Non Volley Zone (NVZ) and start to become more aggressive in their play
• Begin to use dinks and lobs, but don’t fully understand when and where they should be used.
• Serve becomes more reliable
• Knowledge of the rules improves
• Court coverage may still be week but improves consistently.

3.0 Intermediate

• Players are fairly consistent on the serve and serve return when hitting medium paced shots
• Players demonstrate improved skills with all the basic shots strokes and placement, but lack control when trying for direction depth or power on these shots.
• They are using dinks and lobs on a regular basis as part of their game

3.5 Advanced Intermediate

• Players have achieved stroke dependability with directional control on most medium paced and some harder hit shots
• They still need to develop more depth and variety with their shots but are exhibiting more aggressive net play
• They anticipate their opponent’s shots and are developing team work in doubles.
• They start to use the “third shot drop” and mix play with dinks, soft shots, more pace, angles and lobs.

4.0 Advanced

• Players have dependable strokes, directional control and depth on forehand and backhand strokes
• Use lobs, overheads, approach shots, and volleys with success and occasionally force errors when serving
• Successful third shot drops, dinks, pace mixture, angles and lobs are now regular parts of their game.
• They fully understand the rules, and can play by them
• They understand the importance of “keeping the ball in play” and the effect of making errors.
• Rallies may only be lost due to impatience.
• Teamwork in doubles is evident

4.5 Advanced Tournament Level

• They have mastered all the skills, shot types, touch, spin, serves and can control the depth of their shots, and handle pace.
• They have excellent shot anticipation, extremely accurate shot placement and regularly hit winning shots
• They force opponents to make errors by keeping the ball in play
• Anticipate opponents shots resulting in good court positioning
• Mastered shot choices and strategies, varying these and their style of play according to the opponents strengths and weaknesses, and court position
• Excellent shot mix, soft, dinks, pace, angles and lobs. All to set up offensive situations.
• Unforced errors are kept to a minimum to take advantage of opponent’s errors.

5.0 Champion Level

• All the skills have been mastered all shot types, with touch spin serves all controlled to use as weapons
• Excellent shot anticipation extremely accurate shot placement and winning shots
• Force opponent’s error by keeping the ball in play.
• Mastered the dink and drop shot
• Mastered the 3rd shot choice and also strategies
• Use soft shots, dinks and lobs to set up offensive situations
• Mastered the strategies and can vary them and their style of play to compete.
• Dependable in stressful situations as in tournament or match play
• Athletic ability, quickness, agility and raw athleticism are also qualities that separate the top players from those near the top