To place yourself: Read all categories carefully and then decide
which one best describes your present ability level. Assume you
are competing against players of the same gender and ability level.
If in doubt, place yourself in the next highest category.
To check your rating: After choosing a rating level, ask yourself,
"CAN I PLAY COMPETITIVELY AGAINST ANY AGE PLAYER OF MY GENDER WHO
IS RATED AT THE SAME LEVEL THAT I HAVE RATED MYSELF?" If your answer
is "yes," then your self-rating is probably accurate.
Characteristics of a 2.0 Player (Beginner)
|
| Forehand: |
Incomplete swing; lacks directional intent |
| Backhand: |
Avoids backhands; erratic contact; grip problems |
| Serve/Return: |
Incomplete service motion; double faults common; toss is inconsistent;
return on serve erratic |
| Volley: |
Reluctant to play net; avoids BH; lacks footwork |
| Playing Style: |
Familiar with basic positions for singles and doubles play;
frequently out of position |
| |
Characteristics of a 2.5 Player (Beginner)
|
| Forehand: |
Form developing; prepared for moderately paced shots |
| Backhand: |
Grip and preparation problems; often chooses to hit FH instead
of BH |
| Serve/Return: |
Attempting a full swing; can get the ball in play at slow
pace; inconsistent toss; can return slow paced serve |
| Volley: |
Uncomfortable at net especially on the BH side; frequently
uses FH racket face on BH volleys |
| Special Shots: |
Can lob intentionally but with little control; can make contact
on overheads |
| Playing Style: |
Can sustain a short rally of slow pace; weak court coverage;
usually remains in the initial doubles position |
| |
Characteristics of a 3.0 Player (Beginner / Intermediate)
|
| Forehand: |
Fairly consistent with some directional intent; lacks depth
control |
| Backhand: |
Frequently prepared; starting to hit with fair consistency
on moderate shots |
| Serve/Return: |
Can lob consistently on moderate shots |
| Playing Style: |
Consistent on medium-paced shots; most common doubles formation
is still one-up, one-back; approaches net when play dictates
but weak in execution |
| |
Characteristics of a 3.5 Player (Beginner / Intermediate)
|
| Forehand: |
Good consistency and variety on moderate shots; good directional
control; developing spin |
| Backhand: |
Hitting with directional control on moderate shots; has difficulty
on high or hard shots; returns difficult shot defensively |
| Serve/Return: |
Starting to serve with control and some power; developing
spin; can return serve consistently with directional control
on moderate shots |
| Volley: |
More aggressive net play; some ability to cover side shots;
uses proper footwork; can direct FH volleys; controls BH volleys
but with little offense; difficulty in putting volleys away |
| Special Shots: |
Consistent overhead on shots within reach; developing approach
shots, drop shots, and half volleys; can place the return of
most second serves |
| Playing Style: |
Consistent on moderate shots with directional control; improved
court coverage; starting to look for the opportunity to come
to the net; developing teamwork in doubles |
| |
Characteristics of a 4.0
Player (Intermediate)
|
| Forehand: |
Dependable; hits with depth and control on moderate shots;
may try to hit too good a placement on a difficult shot |
| Backhand: |
Player can direct the ball with consistency and depth on
moderate shots; developing spin
|
| Serve/Return: |
Places both first and second serves; frequent power on first
serve; uses spin; dependable return of serve; can return with
depth in singles and mix returns in doubles |
| Volley: |
Depth and control on FH volley; can direct BH volleys but
usually lacks depth; developing wide and low volleys on both
sides of the body |
| Special Shots: |
Can put away easy overheads; can poach in doubles; follows
aggressive shots to the net; beginning to finish point off;
can hit to opponent's weaknesses; able to lob defensively on
difficult shots and offensively on setups; dependable return
on serve |
| Playing Style: |
Dependable ground strokes with directional control and depth
demonstrated on moderate shots; not yet playing good percentage
tennis; teamwork in doubles is evident; rallies may still be
lost due to impatience |
| |
Characteristics of a 4.5 Player (Intermediate)
|
| Forehand: |
Very dependable; uses speed and spin effectively; controls
depth well; tends to over-hit on difficult shots: offensive
on moderate shots
|
| Backhand: |
Can control direction and depth but may break down under pressure;
can hit with power and moderate shots |
| Serve/Return: |
Aggressive serving with limited double faults; uses power
and spin; developing offense; on second serve frequently hits
with good depth and placement; frequently hits aggressive service
returns; can take pace off with moderate success in doubles
|
| Volley: |
Can handle a mixed sequence of volleys; good footwork; has
depth and directed control on BH; developing touch; most common
error is still over-hitting |
| Special Shots: |
Approach shots hit with good depth and control; can consistently
hit volleys and overheads to end the point; frequently hits
aggressive service returns |
| Playing Style: |
More intentional variety in game; is hitting with more pace;
covers up weaknesses well; beginning to vary game plan according
to opponent; aggressive net play in common in doubles; good
anticipation; beginning to handle pace |
| |
Characteristics of a 5.0 Player (Intermediate / Advanced)
|
| Forehand: |
Strong shot with control, depth, and spin; uses FH to set
up offensive situations; has developed good touch; consistent
on passing shots |
| Backhand: |
Can use BH as an aggressive shot with good consistency; has
good direction and depth on most shots; varies spin |
| Serve/Return: |
Serve is placed effectively with the intent of hitting a weakness
or developing on offensive situation; has a variety of serves
to rely on; good depth, spin, and placement or most second serves
to force weak return or set up next shot; can mix aggressive
and off-paced service returns with control, depth, and spin
|
| Volley: |
Can hit most volleys with depth, pace, and direction; plays
difficult volleys depth; given opportunity, volley is often
hit for a winner |
| Special Shots: |
Approach shots and passing shots are hit with pace and high
degree of effectiveness; can lob offensively; overhead can be
hit from any position; hits mid-court volley with consistency;
can mix aggressive and off- paced service returns |
| Playing Style: |
Frequently has an outstanding shot or attribute around which
his game is built; can vary game plan according to opponent;
this player is "match wise," plays percentage tennis, and "beats
himself" less than the 4.5 player; solid teamwork in doubles
is evident; game breaks down mentally and physically more often
than the 5.5 player |
| |
Characteristics of a 5.5
Player (Intermediate / Advanced)
|
| Playing Style: |
Player can hit dependable shots in stress situations;
has developed good anticipation; can pick up cues from such
things as opponent's toss, body position, back-swing, preparation;
first and second serves can be depended on in stress situations
and can be hit offensively at any time; can analyze and exploit
opponents weaknesses; has developed power and/or consistency
as a major weapon; can vary strategies and style of play in
a competitive situation. |
| |
Characteristics of a 6.0 Player (Advanced)
|
| Playing Style: |
Player typically has had intensive training for national tournament
competition at the junior level and collegiate levels and has
obtained a sectional and/or national ranking. |
| |
Characteristics of a 6.5 Player (Advanced)
|
| Playing Style: |
Player has a reasonable chance of succeeding at the 7.0 level
and has extensive satellite tournament experience. |
| |
Characteristics of a 7.0 Player (Professional)
|
| Playing Style: |
Player is a world class player who is committed to competition
on the international level and whose major source of income
is tournament prize winnings. |