PLAYER SKILL LEVEL
The following guide is to self rate your skill level in Pickleball. CONSISTENCY of all the points is the KEY.

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Choosing the right Skill Level helps everyone enjoy fair, fun, and competitive games. We want everyone to find the best fit so all players get their best game possible.

We encourage all players to review the skill level descriptions at www.soopickleball.com/skill-level and carefully consider where their current game best fits.

It's natural to enjoy playing with stronger players, and challenging ourselves can be a great way to learn. At the same time, some of the biggest improvements come from continuing to develop the fundamentals within your current level. Building consistency with backhand shots, deep serves and returns, kitchen-line control, soft-game skills, and court strategy are all important steps in becoming a stronger overall player and partner.

When you feel ready to move to the next level, a good guideline is that you are able to compete successfully and win consistently against players in that group. We simply ask that, when moving up, players take a moment to honestly assess their experience. If most sessions are ending with significantly more losses than wins, it may be a sign that spending a little more time developing skills at the current level will lead to greater success and enjoyment in the future.

Our goal is to create competitive, enjoyable games for everyone while supporting each player's development and progress. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to helping make that happen.

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The following guide is to self rate your skill level in Pickleball. CONSISTENCY of all the points is the KEY

RECREATIONAL 

• Plays pickleball for a FUN, SOCIAL time!

• Enjoys a slower paced game and not comfortable with hard hit balls.

• Knows the rules, working on a consistent serve, and can maintain a rally when ball is within mobility range.

INTERMEDIATE (INT):

• Enjoys a competitive game, within mobility range.

• Consistently gets serve in.

• Capable of relatively fast, longer rallies.

• Good forehand ground strokes; backhand noticeably weaker.

• Slower reaction times due to strategic moves of opponents.

• Beginning to develop dinking accurately, and transitioning from fast to slow.

• Still not really comfortable with hard hitting shots from opponents.

• Beginning to learn some strategy to affect the flow of the game.

 HIGH INTERMEDIATE (HIGH INT):

• Competitive player, with experience or interest in tournament play.

• Quick reflexes and reaction.

• Very mobile and can recover quickly from scrambles.

• Consistent serves, and deep serve returns.

• Comfortable with hard hitting, fast 

ADVANCED (ADV):

• Very competitive player with tournament experience and a recognized rating, or a proven history of consistent high level play.

• Quick reflexes and reaction and very mobile.

• Serves, returns, dinking, resets, 3rd shot drops/drives are all consistent, and used during play to affect the outcome of the game.

• Can transition from hard to soft game and vice versa as needed.

• Can read and react to opponents style of play and adjust strategy accordingly.

• Works with partner to set up winning shots