What is my skill level?
1.5 Starter
- Still learning scorekeeping
- Still learning court positioning
- Serves and serve returns in 40% or less
- Limited mobility
2.0 Beginner
- Needs reminders with scorekeeping
- Has minimal understanding of court positioning
- Serves and serve returns 40% to 50% of the time
- Showing adequate mobility (safe and balanced)
2.5 Rating
- Must know how to keep score
- Must know where to position yourself at the start of each point
- Able to hold a brief rally with players who are around the same skill level
- 50% of serves and returns are usually in bounds
- Prefers to use their forehand and attempt to hit a backhand stroke
- Showing good mobility and can move around the court in a safe manner
2.75 Rating
- Must be able to meet all of the 2.5 rating level requirements
- 60% of serves and returns are in bounds, working on accuracy and depth
- Demonstrate a ready position at the NVZ
- Able to demonstrate proper punch volleys (using backhand correctly)
- Showing good mobility, hand-eye coordination, and moderate quickness
3.0 Rating
- Must be able to meet all of the 2.75 rating level requirements
- 100% knowledge on the basic rules and being aware of where to position yourself on each point
- Must get serves and returns in 75% of the time
- Must move to the NVZ after the return of serve and not retreat during play
- Must be able to maintain at least a 5+ shot rally
- Able to successfully hit forehand and backhand volleys at the NVZ
- Able to hit most forehands and backhands with direction and control regarding height & depth
- Aware of dinking and will occasionally engage in it, but lacks control over the height and positioning of their dinks
- Starting to use the third shot drop in game play, but not consistently or in control. More at ease on a third shot drive.
3.25 Rating
- Must be able to meet all of the 3.0 rating requirements
- Consistently gets serve and service returns in
- Attempts and executes dink rally 50% of the time
- Attempts and executes 3rd shot drops 50% of the time
- Aware of unforced errors and is working and drilling to minimize
3.5 Rating
- Able to meet all of the 3.25 rating level requirements
- Possesses a broader understanding of the regulations than just the fundamentals (including net rules, net post problems, NVZ, etc.)
- Must be successful in dropping from the baseline (3rd, 5th, etc.) to get to the NVZ at least 60% of the time
- Unforced errors are less than 8 in a game
- Deep and reliable serves and returns
- Successfully putting balls away using overheads and volleys
- Is initiating dinking and can maintain a controlled dink rally
- Growing more accurate with shots and beginning to apply this in your strategies
- Starting to plan and collaborate with your partner to build the point
- Accumulating a range of shots, both quick and slow, in their arsenal
- Competed in tournaments and consistently won or placed in the top 3 teams in 3.0 Skill Brackets
3.75 Rating
- Able to meet all of the 3.5 rating level requirements
- Must be successful in dropping from the baseline (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc) and driving from the baseline
- Unforced errors less than 6 in one game
- Attempts and executes resetting from the transition zone with 50% accuracy
- Demonstrates understanding of which balls are attackable and which are not
- Understanding proper court positioning and working with a partner
- Recognizes the balls in a dink rally that can be attacked and those that cannot
- Competed in tournaments and consistently won or placed in the top 3 teams in 3.5 Skill Brackets
4.0+ Rating
- Able to meet all of the 3.75 rating level requirements
- Resetting from the transition zone and when forced back to baseline
- Apply both 3rd shot drops and drives as the conditions dictate (90% success rate)
- Totally understands the importance of court positioning in collaboration with a partner
- Low unforced errors, 5 or less during a single game
- A significant number of serves and returns are placed with variable depth and speed
- Lobbing only from NVZ and not using lob as a reset or panic
- Able to maintain dink rallies at different shot heights and depths
- Able to recognize an opponent’s flaws and devise a plan to exploit them
- Developing the block to return fast, hard volleys
- Able to switch between soft and power shots to gain the upper hand
- Able to stack and how to use it
4.25+ Rating
- Able to meet all of the 4.0 rating level requirements
- Able to place shots with consistent changing paces and touch anywhere on the court
- Serves and returns with strength, precision, and variety of spins and depth
- Capable of a consistent dinking game, maintaining long rallies with variety and precision with an offensive intent
- Consistently carries out third-shot strategies, both drive and drop, that are not easily returned for advantage
- Able to reliably reset or block hard volleys
- Easily stacks court positions and is aware of the strategy of using it
- Understands strategy and can modify their play style and game plan to counter the advantages and disadvantages of their opponents
- Competed in tournaments and consistently won or placed in the top 3 teams in 4.0 Skill Brackets
