Pickleball Skill Rating Calculator

Forehand

Can hit medium-paced shots, but lacks accuracy and consistency.

Better stroke technique with moderate shot control.

Consistently hits with depth and control, still working on shot choice and timing.

Very consistent, uses pace and depth to force opponent errors or prepare for the next shot.

Exceptional forehand skills: excels in touch, spin, and pace with precise control for offensive play.

Backhand

Doesn't use the backhand, and struggles with direction and consistency.

Learning how to use the backhand, still working on consistency and avoids it when possible.

Getting better at using the backhand with improved stroke technique and some success.

Can control the ball well with varying depth and speed consistently.

Exceptional backhand skills: excels in touch, spin, and pace with precise control for offensive play.

Serve / Return

Can hit medium-speed shots but struggles with depth and direction.

Gets serves/returns consistently but has limited control over depth.

Places most serves/returns with varying depth and speed.

Serves with power, accuracy, depth, and can vary speed and spin.

Exceptional serve/return skills: excels in touch, spin, and pace with precise control for offensive play.

Dink

Struggles to maintain dink rallies and lacks shot control.

Improved consistency with some height/depth control, maintains medium-length rallies, starting to grasp pace variations.

Even better consistency but sometimes ends rallies early due to impatience while learning to spot attackable balls.

Able to place the ball successfully, changing shot types consistently and with offensive intent, recognizing and trying to hit attackable dinks.

Exceptional at dinks and drops, moves opponents with placements, displays patience in rallies for setting up attacks with dinks, and strategically varies pace.

3rd Shot

Usually hits a medium-paced ball with limited direction.

Working on the drop shot to approach the net.

Mixes soft and power shots selectively to gain an advantage with mixed success.

Consistently uses effective 3rd shot strategies that are hard to return, intentionally and consistently placing the ball.

Mastered 3rd shot strategies, consistently executing drops and drives from both sides.

Volley

Can hit medium-paced shots but struggles with direction and consistency.

Developing control by volleying medium-paced shots.

Volleys a variety of shots at different speeds, working on consistency and control, starting to understand the block/re-set volley.

Able to block hard volleys and consistently drop them into the NVZ, comfortable with swinging volleys. Consistently hits overhead shots, often as winners.

Proficient at handling volleys, placing overhead winners, targeting opponents' feet, and skilled in both initiating and counterattacking with swinging volleys.

Strategy

Understands basics, learning court positioning, knows fundamental rules, can score, and participates in tournaments.

Quick NVZ movement, versatile play, rally length, court positioning, and stacking awareness.

Partner-aware, agile, good rule knowledge, low errors, solid stacking, identifies opponent weaknesses, and seeks competition.

Excellent footwork, agile direction changes, comfortable at NVZ, strong communication and stacking with partner, adaptable strategy, few errors.

Mastered strategies, versatile play styles, turns defense into offense, efficient footwork, quick adjustments to opponents, and minimal errors.