Summer Pickleball!

New and have only minimal knowledge of the game and rules

• Limited to some rallies
• Learning hour to serve
• Developing a forehand
• Fails to return easy balls frequently and occasionally misses the ball entirely
• Play a few games and is learning the court lines, scoring, and some basic rules of the games

• Sustains a short rally with player of equal ability
• Demonstrating the basic shot strokes: forehand, backhand, volley, overhead and the serve but has obvious weaknesses in most strokes
• Familiar with court positioning in doubles play

• Makes long lasting slow-paced rallies
• Most most easy volleys and uses some backhands, but needs more work on developing shot strokes. 
• Beginning to approach the non-volley zone to hit volleys
• Aware of the 'soft game'
• Knowledge of the rules has improved
• Court coverage is weak but improving

• More consistent on the serve and service return and when returning medium-paced balls.
• Demonstrates improved skills with all the basic shot strokes and shot placement but lacks control when trying for direction, depth, or power on their shots.
• Beginning to attempt lobs and dinks with little success and doesn't fully understand when and why they should be used

• Demonstrated improved stoke consistency with directional control on most medium-paced and some faster-paced balls
• Demonstrates improved control when trying for directions, depth and power on their shots
• Needs to develop variety with their shots
• Exhibits some aggressive net play
• Beginning to anticipate opponent's shots
• Learning about the importance of strategy and teamwork in doubles

• Consistent and dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand shots
• Reliable serves, lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys and can use spin shots with some success
• Occasionally can force errors when serving
• Rallies may be lost due to impatience
• Uses the dink shot and drop shots to slow down or change the pace of the game
• Demonstrates 3rd shot strategies -drop shots, lobs, and fast-paced ground strokes
• Aggressive net play and teamwork in doubles is evident
• Fully understands the rules of the game and can play by them

• Beginning to mater the use of power and spin, can successfully execute all shots, can control the depth of their shots, and can handle pace
• Beginning to master the dink shots and drop shots and their importance to the game
• Beginning to most 3rd shot choices
• Displays sound footwork and moves well enough to get to the non-volley zone whenever required
• Understands strategy and can adjust style of play and game plan according to the opponent's strengths and weaknesses and court position
• Serves with power and accuracy and can also vary the speed and spin of the serve
• Understands the importance of "keeping the ball in play" and the effect of making errors
• Making good choices in shot selection
• Anticipates the opponent's shots resulting in good court positioning

• Mastered all the skills - all shot types, touch, spin, serves, with control and can use them as weapons
• Excellent shot anticipation, extremally accurate shot placement and regularly hit winning shots
• Forces opponents into making errors by "keeping the boll in play"
• Mastered the dink and drop shots
• Mastered the 3rd shot choices and strategies
• Uses soft shots, dinks and lobs to set up offensive situations
• Mastered pickleball strategies and can vary strategies and styles of play in competitive or tournament matches
• Dependable in stressful situations as in tournament match play
• Athletic ability, quickness, agility, and raw athleticism are also qualifies that are sometimes what separates the top players from those near the top.