The following skill level sets are intended to be a guide for evaluating your own level. They were developed using existing guidelines listed by the US American Pickleball Association (USAPA) on their website (www.usapa.org), include refinements suggested by larger pickleball clubs, and include some ideas developed locally at Club 509 Pickleball.
1.0 Skill Level
- New player with understanding of the game and rules.
1.5 Skill Level
- Can hit the ball back and forth a bit
- Learning to serve
- Fails to hit easy balls frequently
- Beginning to learn the basic rules such as scoring, lines, sideouts, etc.
2.0 Skill Level
- Sustains short rallies
- Makes basic strokes such as forehand, backhand, volley, and can serve the ball
- Understands court positioning and doubles rules
2.5 Skill Level
- Has had a lesson or has played with other pickleball players who have taught them the basic rules of how to play the game.
- Learning to move around the court in a balanced and safe manner, as opposed to running at great speed or backwards, thus becoming a danger to themselves and others.
- Learning how to get their serve in regularly.
- Usually will let the ball bounce before returning the serve or returning the return of serve (2 bounce rule), but not always.
- Learning where to stand on the court during serves, returns and point play.
- Knows the basics of how to keep score, but may struggle to do so.
- Has not yet learned how to effectively “dink”, but could be attempting to do so.
- Placing more emphasis on keeping the ball in play, as opposed to trying to hit it low, hard or placing the ball.
- Occasionally may lob with a forehand, although probably not well.
Examples of 2.5 thinking during a game:
- “What is the score, anyway?”
- “How can I avoid having to hit my backhand?”
- “I don’t know or care what the other team is doing- I’m just trying to get the ball over the net.”
- “When in doubt, lob”
- “Why don’t the 3.0’s and 3.5’s want to play with me?”
3.0 Skill Level
- Knows some of the rules and how to refigure the score after losing track.
- Getting about 75% of their serves in.
- Striving to return more than half of their backhands and overheads.
- Working towards serving to both sides of the opponent.
- Striving to place their serves and returns deep in the court (nearer to the baseline).
- Usually moves to the non-volley zone line quickly after the return of serve.
- Uses deeper and higher returns of serve to allow time to approach the non-volley zone line.
- Working to develop consistent forehand and backhand ground strokes.
- Should not be hitting returns up in the air (after the return of serve); but making flatter returns.
- Becoming more aware of their partner’s position on the court relative to themselves, and how to move in concert with a partner.
- Not consistent in the overhead smash.
- Beginning to use the forehand lob with some success.
- Can sustain a short volley session at the net, but has little, if any, ability to place their volleys.
- Developing more power in their shots, and the ability to return a ball hit lower and harder.
- Developing a sustained “dink” exchange at the net.
- Not yet thinking about varying the speed of shots and does not handle differing ball speeds consistently.
Examples of 3.0 thinking during a game:
- “I wish my backhand was as good as my forehand!”
- “It’s fun to smash the ball at the net, but I hope the other team doesn’t hit it hard at me”
- “Lobs are good anytime”
- “I know I’m supposed to get to the net after a service return, but I’m not quite sure why”
- “I wonder why the 3.5s don’t really seem to enjoy playing with me.”
3.5 Skill Level
- Continuing to improve their knowledge of the rules of pickleball. Knows all the main rules at this point.
- Generally able to get their serve in play and return most serves.
- Regularly serving deep and returning the serve deep.
- Understands most basic match strategy and the tactics that apply to skills that they either possess or are trying to learn; however, employment of such strategy and tactics is still inconsistent.
- Improving their skill to play with partners effectively, with proper communication and good team coverage of the court.
- Moves to the net quickly after returning serve, but may occasionally still lag back too long.
- Hits to the weak side of opponents somewhat regularly.
- Possesses shots such as forehand and backhand ground strokes, forehand lob, overhead smash, net volleys and sustained “dinking”, and hits them with a fair level of consistency.
- Developing the ability to place their shots with some accuracy.
- Starting to practice drop shots from ¾ court and using them with some success to get to the net.
- Developing the backhand lob.
- Improving their knowledge of when to make specific shots.
- Learning when to use soft shots versus power shots to their advantage.
- Gaining the reflexes and judgment to avoid hitting balls which may be going out of bounds.
- Comfortable with putting more velocity on balls but less comfortable returning high velocity balls softly.
Examples of 3.5 thinking during a game
- “Let’s just hit it as hard as we can”
- “Lobs are always a good option”
- “I’ve got to get into the net on the returns”
- “Volley rallies at the net are fun but don’t last very long”
- “What’s with all this talk about 3rd shot drops? The other team will just smash them.”
- “Why do the higher-level players do so much dinking? That seems silly. Why not just pound the ball and win the point outright?”
- “I wonder why the 4.0s don’t really seem to enjoy playing with me?”
4.0 Skill Level
- Solid knowledge of the rules of pickleball.
- Able to get their serve in play and return most serves.
- Regularly serving deep and returning the serve deep.
- Understands basic match strategy and the tactics that apply to skills that they either possess or are trying to learn; however, employment of such strategy and tactics is still inconsistent.
- Improving their skill to play with partners effectively, with proper communication and good team coverage of the court.
- Moves to the net quickly after returning serve, but may occasionally still lag back too long.
- Hits to the weak side of opponents somewhat regularly.
- Possesses shots such as forehand and backhand ground strokes, forehand lob, overhead smash, net volleys and sustained “dinking”, and hits them with a fair level of consistency.
- Places shots with fair accuracy.
- Starting to hit drop shots from baseline and ¾ court, using them with some success to get to the net.
- Works their way into the net after serving, even if it takes several shots to do so
- Improving their knowledge of when to make specific shots.
- Learning when to use soft shots versus power shots to their advantage.
- Gaining the reflexes and judgment to avoid hitting balls which may be going out of bounds.
- Comfortable with putting more velocity on balls but less comfortable returning high velocity balls softly.
- Shows good consistency in most shots, is more likely to hit the higher percentage shot rather than going for spectacular winners.
Examples of 4.0 thinking during the game
- “I’ve got to get my serves in consistently, deep is nice, too”
- “Everyone keeps talking about 3rd shot drops, but I usually get killed when I try it, or just
- hit it into the net”
- “I don’t really see the point of dinking too much—just 1 or 2 then go for it!”
- “I’m mainly going to drive the ball’ and overpower them”
- “I’m going to attack any volleys that come to me and try to put the ball away as soon as possible”
- “I guess should try to hit it to their backhands more often, but I usually forget to. It’s really hard to do anyway”
- “When I’m at the net, I’m going to poach to my forehand side no matter how far I have to reach to hit it”
- “I wonder why the 4.5’s don’t really want to play with me”
4.5+ Skill Level
The 4.5+ skill level player is distinguished from the 4.0 player by displaying increased skills, a higher level of strategy, quickness of hands, judicious use of power, superior placement of shots and consistently fewer unforced errors.
- Comfortable with all the rules of pickleball.
- Controls and places both the serve and return of serve.
- Generally consistent in their play, understands match strategy and uses a variety of specific shots to affect their strategy.
- Moves effectively with a partner and easily switches courts to cover their partner’s side when required.
- Comfortable playing at the non-volley zone line. Works with their doubles partner to control the line by keeping their opponents back, driving them off the line, or controlling the speed or placement of the ball.
- Recognizes and consistently hits to their opponents’ weaknesses when possible.
- Can block strong volleys directed at them at the non-volley zone line or elsewhere, and can place their volleys with a good degree of accuracy.
- Has excellent footwork and moves forward, backward, and laterally with ease and quickness.
- Understands the strategy of “dinking”, employs it on a regular basis, can sustain a “dinking” session until receipt of a “put away” shot, recognizes the “put away” shot, and usually succeeds in ending the rally with it.
- Hits overheads consistently “in”, often with high velocity, and with effective placement. Developing the ability to return overheads hit at them or their feet.
- Fair to good ability and willingness to change from a soft shot strategy to a hard shot strategy during any given rally, or vice versa.
- Hits effective forehand and backhand lobs judiciously, using them only when it is strategically appropriate. Has good accuracy in placing lobs.
- Consistently makes drop-shots successfully from ¾ court and frequently makes successful drop-shots from the baseline as their preferred method of getting to and gaining control of the net.
- Good at avoiding returned shots which may be going out of bounds.
- Can handle a good deal of speed on shots without over-hitting or hitting out-of-bounds too often.
- Generally poaches effectively.
- Developing the use of spin on a variety of shots.
Typical 4.5+ thoughts during a game
- “I’m going to get those serves in deep and try to reach their backhand side regularly”
- “I’m going to work my way into the net after serving”
- “Come hell or high water, I’m going to reach the NVZ line after hitting my return”
- “I’m going to keep dinking as long as it takes until I get a shot I can attack”
- “I’m going to hit a mixture of drives and 3rd shot drops when the return comes back”
- “Don’t go for too much- be consistent, let them make the mistakes”
- “I see our opponents weaknesses and I’m hitting to them regularly”
- “I’m aware of where my partner is at all times- I’m moving right along with them”
- “If I get behind or on the defensive in the volleys at the net, I’m going to reset”
- “If a dink pulls me off court, I’m going to reset and get back into position”
- “Lobs are generally a dumb shot to hit- I’ll only hit them on occasion”
- “I have a strategy in mind for any possible set of court positions involving my partner and our opponents”