Our Group Levels
Our Club has groups of players, which have different skill levels and experience:
- Group 1, Beginner
- Group 2 and 2.5, Intermediate
- Group 3, 3.25 and 3.5, Advanced
- Group 4+, Skilled
Silveridge Pickleball Club Skill Level Definitions
Silveridge Pickleball Club Skill Level Definitions
The following skill level sets are a guide for evaluating your own level and determining which lessons you should sign up for. They were developed utilizing existing guidelines listed by the USAPA (usapa.org). This is a work in progress and we expect to continue to modify these descriptions with your input at least once a year.
The club will use this information to develop training clinics and for seeding fun tournament players.
The purpose of rated events is to insure a consistent and competitive level of play for all players within that event as much as possible. Please do not sign up for a lessons, clinics or round robins at a level that differs from your skill level.
The following lists each skill level from 1 to 4+. It also adds specific detail about skills required to be at a given level.
1 Beginner Skill Level
Players possess the following attributes and skills:
- Have taken beginner’s training or the equivalent. Have been assessed by member(s) of Silveridge Executive
- Are familiar with how to serve although they may not be able to execute serve yet
- Are not comfortable with two-bounce rule and may not appear to know what it is
- Are learning where to stand on the court during serves, returns and point play but are still uncomfortable with some positions
- May not have basic ground strokes unless they are bringing in transferable skills from other sports…e.g. racquetball, tennis, badminton, paddle tennis, table tennis, squash, etc.
- Don’t yet demonstrate the basics of how to keep score, have no idea what a dink is, unless coming from tennis where a cut-volley or drop-volley may be a demonstrable comparable
- At best can keep a ball in play for a couple of shots
2 Skill Level
Players will also possess most/all of the skills of the 1 skill-level skills plus the following:
- Moves in a balanced and safe manner
- Getting at least 50% of serves in the service court and returning 50% of serves
- Are learning where to stand on court during serves, returns and point play but are still not comfortable with some positions
- Knows the 2 bounce rule and applies it during games. Can keep score comfortably
- Will have basic ground strokes with a very limited use of backhand, overhead, and volley
- Capable of keeping ball in play for a couple of shots
2.5 Skill Level
Players will also possess most/all of the skills of the 2 skill-level skills plus the following:
- Knows the basic rules including the “two bounce rule”, scoring
- Attempting to control forehand ground-stroke (direction, depth, height over net)
- Attempting backhand ground-stroke
- Getting 60% of serves in the service court and returning 60% of serve returns
- Knows where to stand as the server, server’s partner, and receiver
- Consistently Approaches the non-volley line for volleys
- Can keep the ball in play for longer lasting rallies
- Sometimes lobs with forehand
- Attempting to “dink” the ball at the net, can do so for short duration's
- Moves in a safe and balanced manner
- Developing good hand-eye coordination
3 Skills Level
Players will also possess most/all of the skills of the 2.5 level skills plus the following:
- Knows basic rules including how to keep score
- Developing control on forehand ground-stroke (placement, direction, depth)
- Developing control on backhand ground-stroke (placement, direction, depth)
- Getting 70% of serves and return of serves “in”
- Striving to place serves deep into the court
- Beginning to develop placement of serves
- Uses deeper and higher returns of serve to allow time to approach the net
- Approaches the non-volley line quickly rather than staying back
- Sustains a short volley session at the net
- Exhibits correct court positioning for doubles and how to “move as a team”
- Beginning to use the forehand lob with some success
- Developing a sustained “dink” exchange at the net
- Attempting to hit a soft ”drop shot” to approach the net (3rd, 5th, etc. shot)
- Attempting to adjust to differing ball speeds (hitting & returning)
- Has good mobility
- Developing good hand-eye coordination
3.5 Skills Level
Players will also possess most/all of the skills of the 3 skill-level skills plus the following:
- Knows all the main rules including how to re-figure the score and correct server
- Demonstrates control on forehand ground-stroke (direction, depth and pace)
- Demonstrates some control on backhand ground-stroke (direction, depth and pace)
- Getting 80% of serves and return of serves “in”
- Regularly placing serves deep into the court
- Regularly uses deeper & higher returns of serve to allow time to approach net
- Approaches the non-volley line quickly (when appropriate) rather than staying back
- Able to play with partners effectively. Beginning to use court strategies such as partner communication and team coverage of court
- Avoids hitting “out” balls
- Hitting the ball lower over the net consistently
- Developing a wide variety of shots with some consistency
- Learning when to use soft shots vs. power shots to their advantage
- Developing consistency on shot placement, including ability to create and hit “gaps”
- Sustains a short volley session at the net with some control and placement
- Initiates and maintains a sustained “dink” exchange at the net
- Able to execute a soft ”drop shot” to approach the net (3rd, 5th, etc. shot)
- Able to adjust to differing ball speeds consistently
- Developing ability to hit overheads with control
- Using a forehand and backhand lob when appropriate
- Developing patience in rallies
- Has good mobility
- Has good quickness
- Has good hand-eye coordination
4+ Skills Level
This is a term used to describe players who are capable of consistently executing at above a 3.5 skill-level. The 4+ player will distinguish themselves from the 3.5 player by possessing increased skills and strategy, or by more speed, power, or consistency.
- Controls and places 90% of both serves and returns of serves
- Consistent and dependable forehand and backhand ground-strokes, including directional control, depth, placement and pace.
- Consistent and dependable volleys, including some directional control, depth, placement and pace
- Consistent and dependable overheads, including some directional control, depth, placement and pace
- Has good accuracy in placing lobs
- Consistently makes successful ”drop shots” from the back court to approach the net (3rd, 5th, etc. shot)
- Regularly initiating and sustaining a “dink” exchange at the net until a “put away” shot is received
- Able to change from a soft shot strategy to a hard shot strategy, and vice versa
- Can block and return hard volleys
- Developing the ability to return overheads hit at their feet
- Can handle speed on shots without over-hitting or hitting out of bounds
- Moves effectively with partner, easily switching courts and communicating when required
- Can control play at the non-volley zone line, keeping their opponents back, driving them off the line and controlling the speed or placement of the ball
- Consistently uses shots to create and hit “gaps”
- Recognizes and exploits the weaknesses in their opponent’s game
- Can poach effectively
- Maintains patience in rallies
- Has good mobility
- Has good quickness
- Has good hand-eye coordination
