How do you match up? How would you rate yourself? See the criteria one pickleball community out West uses.
2.0 Skill Level Moves around court in balanced, safe manner
Gets some serves “in”, perhaps not regularly
Realizes aspects of score-keeping, rules and where to stand on court during serve,
receipt of serve, and general play
Has some basic stroke skills
2.5 Skill Level
Able to serve “in” more regularly
Knows two-bounce rule and demonstrates it most times
Knows where to stand on the court during serve, receipt of serve and general play
Is mastering keeping score.
Attempts to dink but not always effective at it
Working on their form for ground strokes, accuracy is variable
Can keep the ball in play longer
Sometimes lobs with forehand with varying degrees of success.
3.0 Skill level
Knows the fundamental rules and can keep score
Regularly gets serves “in” to mid-court or deeper
Dinks mostly in opp. kitchen and is dinking lower over the net
Able to sustain dinking in the game
Using both forehand and backhand on returns and forehands on overhead returns
Working at keeping the serve deep and return of serve deep
Moves quickly towards the non-volley zone when opportunity is there
Trying to make flatter returns (where appropriate)
Aware of partner’s position on the court & moving as a team
Developing more power and/or softness in their shots
Somewhat a uni-dimesional player working at broadening their playing repertoire.
3.5 Skill level
Demonstrates a broad knowledge of the rules of the game
Gets a high majority of serves in deep & returns serve deep
Often hits to the weak side of opponent
Demonstrates strategies of playing during games
Actively works with partners in communicating, covering court, moving to net
With varying consistency executes: lobs, forehand/backhand ground strokes,
overheads, net volleys, and sustained dinking
Some use of drop shots to get to the net
Specifically places shots rather than just hitting shots anywhere
Selective mixing up soft shots with power shots to create an advantage
Hits fewer balls out of bounds or in the net
Has a moderate # of unforced errors per game
Demonstrates ability to intentionally play in offensive mode
Self-correcting after play is over
Demonstrates extended periods of multi-dimensional play
4.0 Skill Level
Primarily plays in an offensive mode rather than reactively
Controls and places serves and return of serves to best advantage
Puts advanced playing strategy into the game, particularly in dinking
Consistently varies shots for competitive advantage, uses power shots selectively
Communicates and moves well with partner -- easily “switches” court positions
Very comfortable playing at the non-volley zone. Works with partner to control the
line, keeping opponents back and driving them off the line.
Can block hard volleys directed at them
Has good footwork and moves laterally, backward and forward with ease.
Hits overhead shots consistently, often as putways
Ability to change a hard shot to a soft shot
Consistently executes effective drop shots that are not easily returned for advantage
Can effectively poach
Hits a low # of unforced errors per game
Regularly demonstrates “anticipation of play”
Self-correcting during play
Consistently is a mult-dimensional player and/or is exceptionally dominate in a limited
playing repertoire.
4.5 - 5.0 Skill Level
1. Can regularly convert a hard shot to a soft shot
2. Exhibits patience in play at a superior level
3. Shows noticeably increased skills, a higher level of strategy, quickness of hands and
movement, judicious use of power, superior placement of shots, superb anticipation
of play, sustained volleying skills, superior put-aways ---all with consistency
4. Makes very few unforced errors
Differences between 4.5 and 5.0 are subjective – but, generally, each of the four points above is even more
pronounced at the 5.0 level
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