ROOKIE 1.0
• 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
BEGINNER 1.5
• 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
ADVANCED BEGINNER 2.0
• 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
LOW INTERMEDIATE 2.5
• 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 weak but
improves consistently
INTERMEDIATE 3.0
• 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
HIGH INTERMEDIATE 3.5
• 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 teamwork in doubles
• They start to use the "third shot drop" and
mix play with dinks, soft shots, more pace,
angles and lobs
INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED 4.0
• 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
ADVANCED 4.5
• 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
OPEN 5.0
• 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