Beginner Pickleball: (Level 1.0 – 2.0). A player that has minimal knowledge of the game. Has taken at least one lesson and is learning basic rules such as how to serve and keep score. This person has trouble with the non-volley zone (NVZ) a.k.a (the kitchen) and does not have court awareness.
Beginner/Novice: (Level 2.5 -3.0). A player is able to serve “in” more regularly, knows the two-bounce rule and demonstrates it most times. Knows where to stand on the court during serve, serve receive and general play. Is mastering keeping score, working on form for ground strokes, accuracy is variable and is beginning to approach the non-volley zone to hit volleys.
Novice/intermediate: (Level 3.0 -3.2). A player working to keep the serve and serve receive deep, moves quickly towards the non-volley zone when opportunity is there. Tries to make flatter returns (where appropriate). This player is more aware of their partner’s position on the court and moving more as a team, is developing more power in shots, beginning to attempt lobs and dinks with little success and doesn’t fully understand when and why they should be used. Is playing in tournaments.
Intermediate Pickleball: (Level 3.2 -3.8). This player demonstrates a broad knowledge of the rules of the game, gets high majority of serves in, is able to serve and return serves deep, hits to the weak side of opponent often, demonstrates more strategies of playing during games. This player works better with partners in communicating, covering court, moving to net. With varying consistency executes: lobs, forehand/backhand ground strokes, overheads, net volleys, and sustained dinking, starting to use drop shots in order to get to the net, hits fewer balls out of bounds or in the net and is able to sustain dinking in the game
Advanced: (Level 3.9 -4.0): Anticipates opponents shots resulting in good court position, primarily plays offensively, controls and places serves and return of serves to best advantage, puts strategy into play in the game, consistently varies shots to create a competitive advantage, works and moves well with partner – easily switches court positions when required, very comfortable playing at the non-volley zone. Works with partner to control the line, keeping opponents back and driving them off-line, can block volleys directed at them, has good footwork and moves laterally, backward and forward with ease.
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