What Is My Rating?

Just like tennis, pickleball has player ratings or skill levels. It’s important to know your rating so that when you go out to play with others you do not know, you can make sure you’re not playing over your head which is no fun for you and the players you are playing with.

The official way to obtain a USAPA (USA Pickleball Association) rating is to play in a tournament! It’s not as intimidating as you think. It’s practically the same as playing here at HFCC only you have a bunch more people, someone telling you when and where to go to play and some motivated playing partner and opponents who would like to win the match.

But if you do not have a rating you can still figure out your playing level.

The USAPA has guidelines for self evaluation. When you first start out with absolutely NO playing experience in tennis, racquetball you are probably starting at a 1.5 – 2.0 rating.
Once you get a feel for hitting the ball and can consistently get the ball over the net, complete a legal serve you are definitely at a 2.0+ level.

When you can compete with like-skilled players you’re going to join the ranks of 2.5 players which is the majority of social players. Social players come to the courts just to play, don’t get upset if they lose, have a great time with their partners and opponents.

When you get more serious about your game, you’ll be training yourself to perfect your shots, understand the value of the “soft game” which is dinking, using angles, etc. When you are in that zone you will probably graduate to the 3.0 level. It’s probably at that point that you’ll be seeking some extra training (group lessons, private lessons) and want to get involved in some competitive leagues or tournaments.

Ratings Explanations

1.0

New and have only minimal knowledge of the game and the rules.

1.5

• Limited to some rallies.
• Learning how to serve.
• Developing a forehand.
• Fails to return easy balls frequently and occasionally misses the ball entirely.
• Played a few games and is learning the court lines, scoring, and some basic rules of the game.

2.0

• Sustains a short rally with players of equal ability.
• Demonstrating the basic shot strokes – forehand, backhand, volley, overhead and the serve, but has obvious weaknesses in most strokes.
• Familiar with court positioning in doubles play.

2.5

• Makes longer lasting slow-paced rallies.
• Makes most easy volleys and uses some backhands, but needs more work on developing shot strokes.
• Beginning to approach the non-volley zone to hit volleys.
• Aware of the “soft game.”
• Knowledge of the rules has improved.
• Court coverage is weak but improving.

3.0

• Knows the fundamental rules and can keep score
• Regularly gets serves “in” to mid-court or deeper
• Dinks mostly in opponent’s 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-dimensional player working at broadening their playing repertoire
• Consistent on the serve and service return and when returning medium-paced balls.

3.5

• Demonstrates improved stroke dependability with directional control on most medium-paced balls and some faster-paced balls.
• Demonstrates improved control when trying for direction, depth and power on their shots.
• Needs to develop variety with their shots.
• Exhibits some aggressive net play.
• Beginning to anticipate opponent’s shots.
• Learning about the importance of strategy and teamwork in doubles.
• 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

• Consistent and dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand shots.
• Reliable serves, lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys and can use spin shots with some success.
• Occasionally can force errors when serving.
• Rallies may be lost due to impatience.
• Uses the dink shot and drop shots to slow down or change the pace of the game.
• Demonstrates 3rd shot strategies – drop shots, lobs, and fast-paced ground strokes.
• Aggressive net play and teamwork in doubles is evident.
• Fully understands the rules of the game and can play by them.

4.5

• Serves with power and accuracy and can also vary the speed and spin of the serve.
• Understands the importance of “keeping the ball in play” and the effect of making errors.
• Making good choices in shot selection.
• Anticipates the opponent’s shots resulting in good court positioning.
• 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 putaways
• 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 multi-dimensional player and/or is exceptionally dominate in a limited playing repertoire.

5.0

• Mastered all the skills – all shot types, touch, spin, serves, with control and can use them as weapons.
• Excellent shot anticipation, extremely accurate shot placement and regularly hit winning shots.
• Forces opponents into making errors by “keeping the ball in play.”
• Mastered the dink and drop shots.
• Mastered the 3rd shot choices and strategies.
• Uses soft shots, dinks and lobs to set up offensive situations.
• Mastered pickleball strategies and can vary strategies and styles of play in competitive or tournament matches.
• Dependable in stressful situations as in tournament match play.
• Athletic ability, quickness, agility, and raw athleticism are also qualities that are sometimes what separates the top players from those near the top.

If you wish to work with Jay or Joe on getting a self evaluation, just let us know. We can work with you and do a skill assessment as suggested by the USAPA. Just drop an email on the contact form on our website.

For a COMPLETE guide on ratings, you can go to the USAPA site here to get a more comprehensive explanation of player ratings.