What Level of Pickleball Player Am I?

Beginner Pickleball Levels

  • Level 1.0 (JumpStart Classes)

    I’ve Never Played A Ball Sport In My Life

    • Little to no experience with racquets, paddles, or any “ball” sport.

    • Players often transition beyond this level quickly.

  • Level 1.5 (JumpStart - Adv Beg)

    I’ve Never Played Pickleball But I’ve Played Other Sports/Athletics

    • Minimal or no understanding of how Pickleball is played.

    • Participated/trained in non-ball sports (running, biking, boxing, swimming, etc).

    • Played a ball sport at some point.

    • Players who can serve & return with high consistency can transition to the 2.5 Level.

  • Level 2.0 (Advanced Beginner)

    Pickleball Primed But Haven't Actually Played Yet

    • Currently or have previously played a racquet or paddle sport.

    • No understanding of Pickleball rules or scoring, but may have watched someone play/on TV.

    • Players who can serve & return with high consistency can transition to the 2.5 Level.

If you’ve been playing, you probably fall into one of these USAPA Levels:

  • Level 2.5 - 3.0 (Advanced Beginner)

    • Can execute serve, return, transition to Non-Volley Zone, and dinking with little consistency and accuracy.

    • Can maintain a short rally with another player.

    • Understanding of how to keep score and fundamental rules.

    • Needs work on serving & return consistency/depth, directional control, footwork, and control at Non-Volley Zone.

  • Level 3.0 - 3.5 (Adv Beg - Intermed)

    • Prefers forehand and avoids backhand shots.

    • Can hit medium-paced shots but lacks consistency, depth, and directional intent.

    • Can only dink very short rallies (not consistently or for extended periods).

    • Able to begin competing in tournaments but needs work on court positioning, effective drop shots, or ground strokes.

  • Level 3.5 - 4.0 (Intermed - Adv Intermed)

    • Has controlled forehand shots and tends to avoid backhand shots.

    • Can rally for a medium amount of time but with little control over height/depth of dinks and developing solid drop shots as means to get to Non-Volley Zone quicker.

    • Knows the importance of moving to the Non-Volley Zone quickly and Stacking.

    • Can differentiate between soft/hard games, varies as needed.

    • More comfortable in tournaments.

  • Level 4.0 - 4.5 (Advanced)

    • Controls backhand and forehand shots consistently.

    • Dink is reliable; still learning when to end a rally (attackable vs non-attackable).

    • Understands team/partner movements, and can use a mix of power vs soft shots during 3rd shot.

    • Beginning to identify opponents' weakness and changes strategy accordingly.