Need help determining your skill level?
If you are already playing in tournaments, you’re probably getting a handle on understanding skill levels. If you have only ever played with friends locally, it can be challenging. Pickleball players use subjective words like Newbie, Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Pro, etc. So what does that all mean? Here are some resources that might help.
Tournament Player Ratings
Tournament players playing in competitions run using the PickleballTournaments.com will have earned a USA Pickleball Tournament Player Rating (UTPR).
Read about UTPR’s here.
Skill Rating Descriptions: 1.0-2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5+
There is a Player Skill Rating rubric that can be super useful for recreational players or those thinking about entering tournaments for the first time. Players can use these descriptions to help figure out their own “Self Rating.” This resource focuses on what skills and strategies a player is capable of and actively using during their play. Read a description of each skill rating here.
Rating Descriptions: Am I a still a Newbie?
There’s no strict rule when it comes to the language we use to describe our playing abilities and the level of people we want to play with. We all have different interpretations of these words based on our own experiences. According to “The Pickleball Guru” Prem Carnot, it’s important to be understanding of these differences when talking to friends about playing together.
