Determining your level of play in Paddle.

How do you determine your own level of play? How to understand how best to organise the game on an account so that all participants have fun, for this we have gathered for you the information and criteria that define each level.

The seven categories are divided into subcategories: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Find out how to move up to the next level of the Paddle.

It is important to know your level of play and to have some guidelines when preparing for tournaments and meeting friends on the courts, which is why we have created this article.

The main purpose of this Padel level calculation is to have an idea of your level when organising games with players who do not know each other.

And you, do you know what your level is?

When someone says: “My level of play is low, or medium, or high”, on what basis do they say that? How many times have we met someone who claimed to have the same level as us and it was not true and the game was not enjoyable.

Situations like this often happen, especially on padel forums when we start playing with people we don’t know.

And it is on the forum, this idea of determining your level of play, has been adapted and translated from the NTRP scoring system used in the USA to catalogue tennis players.

A guide that will help you learn a lot and meet new people you haven’t played a single match with yet in padel, and participate in tournaments with threats of your level.

What is my level of play in Paddle?

Calculating the level of play in Paddle according to a timetable of one to seven, and this is the instruction to assess yourself:

BEGINNER’S LEVEL OF PLAYING PADDLE

– Level 1.0: For people who have just started playing padel …

– Level 1.5: Fans with very little experience, whose level is limited to trying to keep the ball in play.

LOW INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF PADDLE

– Level 2.0:
RIGHT HAND: Incomplete swing, lack of directional control, slow ball speed.
BACKHAND: Avoids backhand, erratic stroke, grip problems, incomplete stroke.
SERVE/RESTOW: Incomplete stroke, usually commits double faults, inconsistent ball bounce, rest with many problems.
VOLLEY: Avoids going to the net, avoids the backhand volley, poor foot positioning
REBOUNDS: Fails to return any rebounds.
STYLE OF PLAY: Familiar with basic positions, although frequently positions himself incorrectly.

INTERMEDIATE PADDLE LEVEL

– Level 2.5:
RIGHT HAND: Developing, moderate ball speed.
BACKHAND: Problems in preparation and grip, often prefers forehand to backhand.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Attempting to perform the full gesture, slow ball speed on serve, inconsistent ball bounce, slow return of serve.
VOLLEY: Uncomfortable at the net especially on the backhand, frequently uses the face of the drive on backhand volleys.
REBOUNDS: He tries to position himself for rebounds although he only hits the ball occasionally.
SPECIAL HITS: Makes intentional lobs but with little control, impales the ball occasionally on high shots (smash).
STYLE OF PLAY: Can rally with slow ball speed, weak coverage of his space on the court, stays in early game position.

– Level 3.0:
RIGHT HAND: Relatively good consistency and moderate variety of strokes, good directional control, developing range of strokes (slice, flat, topspin).
BACKHAND: Frequently prepared to hit with relative consistency.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Developing the gesture of service, little consistency when trying to hit with power, second serve is considerably worse than the first. Subtracts with relative consistency.
VOLLEY: Consistent forehand volleying, inconsistent backhand volleying, problems with balls to the feet and open shots.
REBOUNDS: Positions himself correctly on slow strokes, manages to impale. Does not move forward on strong balls.
SPECIAL SHOTS: Makes lobs moderately consistently.
STYLE OF PLAY: Consistent with medium ball speed, little consistency in positioning with partner, sometimes one up and one down, goes up to the net when dictated by the game but is weak in execution.

UPPER INTERMEDIATE PADDLE LEVEL

– Level 3.5:
RIGHT HAND: Good consistency and moderate variety of strokes, good directional control, developing range of strokes (slice, flat, topspin).
BACKHAND: Hitting with directional control on some shots, difficulty returning strong or high balls, difficulty defending the backhand.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Beginning to serve with control and some power, developing the cut serve, can subtract consistently with directional control with moderate ball speed.
VOLLEY: More aggressive in net play, some ability on side strokes, fairly good foot positioning, has directional control on forehand volleys, control on backhand volleys, but with very little offensive power. It’s time to attack!
REBOUNDS: Positions himself correctly on forehand shots. Consistently defends forehand and moderate ball speed. Defends backhand with difficulty on fastballs. Developing the downhill wall
SPECIAL SHOTS: consistent in high shots, developing tray, second volleys and approach shots. Returns most of the second serves.
STYLE OF PLAY: Consistency and directional control with medium ball speeds, moderately consistent partner positioning (developing teamwork), looks for the opportunity to win the net.

– Level 4.0:
RIGHT HAND: Reliable, hits with a fair amount of control, attempts to hit difficult defensive shots with control.
BACKHAND: Can address the ball with consistency and moderate ball speeds, developing variety of strokes.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Places first and second, power and frequent placement with the first, uses cut balls in the service, reliable in the rest, subtracts with depth and control.
VOLLEY: Depth and control in the forehand volley, directs the backhand volley, but with lack of depth and aggressiveness. Developing low volleys.
REBOUNDS: Consistently returns forehand rebounds, positions himself correctly on backhand rebounds. Down the wall consistently and with power with the right, backhand usually play balloon.
SPECIAL SHOTS: He hits high with consistency, gets to volley aggressive shots, begins to define points with the volley and smash, seeks and directs the volley to the weak area of rivals, defends with balloons consistently. Begins to develop the tray.
STYLE OF PLAY: Reliable and controlled hitting with medium-high ball speeds. Team play, losing the point in rallies due to lack of patience.

ADVANCED LEVEL OF PADDLE PLAYING

– Level 4.5:
RIGHT HAND: Very reliable, uses speed, control and variety of strokes with depth. Offensive on most shots.
BACKHAND: Can control direction and depth but suffers defending difficult shots, can hit with relative power.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Service with placement and control, with few double faults, uses power and cut balls, seconds with good depth and placement, aggressive and controlled returns.
VOLLEY: Good foot placement, can control rallies on volleys, has power, control and depth on forehand volleys, most common errors when hitting with power.
REBOUNDS: Good down the wall forehand, backhand gets depth and placement with average ball speed.
SPECIAL HITS: Approach shots with control and depth, consistency in volleys and high shots. Gets definitive backhands, gets to get the ball for 4 on some occasions, gets sometimes left volleys.
STYLE OF PLAY: Hitting with relative power, good coverage on the court, begins to vary the game depending on the opponent, aggressive play at the net, good anticipation.

– Level 5.0:
RIGHT HIT: Strong stroke with control, depth and variety of strokes, uses the forehand to prepare the rise to the net. Consistent on deep lobs.
BACKHAND: Can use the backhand in aggressive shots with fairly good consistency, good control in direction and depth on most shots, fairly consistent in deep lobs and defense.
SERVICE/RESTOW: Place the service effectively and looking for the weak point of the opponent and win the net quickly, good variety of services, depth, placement in seconds to force little powerful remains, subtracts with control difficult services.
VOLLEY: Can hit most volleys with depth and power, plays difficult volleys with depth, looking for the weak point of the opponent.
REBOUNDS: Good defense of rebounds, even with strong balls. Get winning points with strong wall rebounds. Down the wall good both forehand and backhand.
SPECIAL SHOTS: He hits with force and high degree of effectiveness, good defensive and offensive lobs, hits high in any position of the court with control, plays trays with consistency, gets winners with strong smash. Gets the ball out for 3 on occasion.
STYLE OF PLAY: Varies the game according to the opponent, solid teamwork, manages to read the match and finds the opponent’s weak point, is less consistent mentally and physically than the 5.5 player.

– Level 5.5:
Plays reliable strokes in compromising situations,
has developed a good anticipation,
reads the match with ease looking for the weak points of the rivals,
first and second serves are deep and placed strokes,
has developed strength and consistency as his greatest weapon,
varies the strategy and style of play in a compromising situation.

PADDLE PROFESSIONALS

– Level 6.0 – 7.0: Expert professionals. The different professionals, who are now called World Paddle Tour Players, would form part of this group.

These players do not need categories, they appear in championship rankings.
The 6.0 player has intensive training for regional and national tournaments, and has a national ranking.
The 6.5 player has the potential to become a 7.0 player and plays national tournaments on a continuous basis.
The 7.0 player is the professional paddle player, he competes in open tournaments and his main source of income is tournament prizes and sponsors.