Level Assessments - Slate Pickleball Club - Northbrook IL Pickleball

Level Assessments

To participate in a majority of programming at Slate, you must receive a Level Evaluation.

Your Level defines what programming you are eligible to enroll for.

Not all offerings require a Level.

Each bullet point is graded on a 1-5 scale. If the added score reaches or exceeds a certain number, you are eligible to move to the next Level!

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Beginner

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Intern

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Manager

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Director

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Able to use a forehand and backhand driving groundstroke with light spin off easier situations.

1. 1. Low-to-high whipping motion on the foreswing on groundstrokes to create topspin
  2. High to low motion to create underspin
  3. Maintain gross motor rhythm and flow of groundstrokes despite additional fine motor spin skills
  4. Understands situations on when to apply different spins, such as low balls

Consistently gets serve and return serve in with increased pace, depth, and direction.

1. 1. Low-to-high whipping motion on the foreswing on groundstrokes to create topspin
  2. High to low motion to create slice
  3. Maintain gross motor rhythm and flow of groundstrokes despite additional fine motor spin skills

Able to live dink and sustain medium length rallies with height and depth control, directing to opponents weaker side.

1. 1. Adding light spin when going crosscourt to increase difficulty for opponent
  2. Accurately adjust footwork and stance for shorter and deeper dinks

Able to make offensive plays when appropriate with swinging volleys and speed ups.

1. 1. Coil and uncoiling motion with unit turn to use better use kinetic chain to create paddle speed
  2. Topspin with upward thrust and whip
  3. Adapted follow through path to encourage proper depth

Able to hit a 3rd shot drop off both deep and short balls, and quickly follow the ball into the NVZ at appropriate times.
1. 1. Situational adjustment steps forward and back to ensure consistent early contact point
  2. Paddle pathway adjusting for depth control to ensure ball bouncing in NVZ.

Able to block, punch, and transition volley with medium paced shots.

1. 1. Shortening or lengthening paddle pathway to create appropriate depth
  2. Can add topspin on higher balls with low to high whip
  3. Can add slice for lower balls with cutting catching feel
  4. Adaptive weight transfer and footwork adjustment to maintain consistent contact point

Can sustain a short volley fire session at the NVZ, covering some body shots.

1. 1. Quick contact to follow through pathway to keep pace
  2. Fast recovery and focus after each shot

Stronger understanding of court positioning and of the opponent, with athletic movement and footwork to the NVZ line.

1. 1. Adjusts distance from NVZ line depending on offensive or defensive situation
  2. Good decision making on when to move forward or stay back from baseline to NVZ line.
  3. Heel off ground in adjustment steps
  4. Good deceleration to recovery and wider split-steps
  5. Able to stack with stronger player covering middle
  6. Able to start anticipating opponents’ shot selection

Vice President

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Can play with moderate amounts of underspin and topspin on serve, return, and 3rd shot.

1. 1. Weight transfer creates natural follow through step on appropriate stances
  2. Adapted swing path to ensure proper depth
  3. Can receive faster balls and send spins while maintaining previous ball controls
  4. Starting to take time by hitting on the rise on appropriate situations

Lobs are better placed with height and depth to prevent overheads.

1. 1. More vertical pathway and open paddle face to add topspin
  2. Can adjust dink or volley to become a lob by adjusting paddle parameters
  3. Can add underspin when pulled out wide to ensure consistency

Increased power, direction, and court coverage on overheads.

1. 1. Crossover step on deep lobs to allow proper contact point
  2. Trophy position with body preparation fully loaded
  3. Quick and loose throwing motion to further increase paddle speed
  4. Follow through to the non-dominant side

Maintains a consistent, reliable, and variable dink, differentiating between a live and dead ball dink based on situation.

1. 1. Can add spin in all directions for live ball dinks with playful paddle motions
  2. Balanced weight transfer to permit focused accuracy

Understands situations which are attackable or not in a dink rally, altering pace of rally at appropriate times with better-hidden speed-ups.

1. 1. Explosive paddle speed and weight transfer while maintaining similar dink preparation
  2. Upward whipping motion and paddle curving path to create heavier topspin
  3. Adapts paddle face and extension to ensure accuracy

Able to swing volley, neutral volley, and transition volley a variety of shots with different spins.

1. 1. Explosive footwork on transition volley to create more power and topspin
  2. Fluid weight transfer and cross steps on lower balls with transition underspin volley
  3. Ball absorption and underspin feel to create drop volleys when opponents are back
  4. Kinetic chain from ground up allowing more power and control

Able to receive and block back hard shots at NVZ to prevent opponents from finishing the point.

1. 1. Quick and accurate paddle face preparation to allow accurate resetting balls
  2. Low athletic ready position and recovery cycle to keep pace

Understanding opponents’ weaknesses and is capable of directing play toward them in all overarching play situations.

1. 1. Uses the first three shots of to set up more offensive opportunities
  2. Consistently hits to the weaker sides of the opponents in the NVZ situations

Appropriately adapts positioning and knows when to be defensive, then reset back to the NVZ.

1. 1. Maintains balance moving up and back when transitioning from defense to offense
  2. Accurately adjusts stride length depending on situation
  3. Strong movement from split-step with quick acceleration
  4. Adaptive positioning and stacking to permit the stronger player to hit more shots

President

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Strong command of the five ball parameters of all foundational shots to appropriate situations (height, direction, depth, spin, and speed).

1. 1. Adapting paddle parameters to maintain ball controls in increasingly difficult situations
  2. Knees bent and athletic base and movement on all situations
  3. Non-dominant hand usage permits maximum application of kinetic chain
  4. Maintaining ideal contact points despite advanced movement and shot making

Able to topspin lob off more difficult and appropriate situations.

1. 1. Faster paddle speed with loose wrist and high twitch pronation
  2. Can adapt footwork and stances for wide or deep balls and maintain shot control

Serve is weaponized and can force errors, directing with angles and variety.

1. 1. Paddle lagging and snapping forward to create higher power and heavier spin
  2. Can adjust swing to be more compact to create sharper wide angles
  3. Can use a swiping, slicing motion to create a sidespin serve option
  4. Can adapt swing to be more vertical to create a looping heavy topspin serve

Forehand and/or backhand drive is weaponized, and can be used as a successful hard shot, or a dipping heavy spin 3rd or 5th shot, both slice and topspin.

1. 1. Paddle lagging and snapping forward to create higher power and heavier spin
  2. Adapting paddle parameters to create dipping spins or deep power drives
  3. Load and explode footwork to increase kinetic chain on the higher power shots
  4. Maintaining accuracy and direction despite increased athletic application

Ability to vary and adjust dink with good placement, heavier spins, and high consistency.

1. 1. Adapting footwork in all directions with cross steps and low athletic base
  2. Harder cuts with underspin with subtle lag and snap to increase spin rate

Able to block hard volleys and overheads directed at them and drop them in NVZ to reset point.

1. 1. Soft pillow hands that catch the ball on the paddle with underspin
  2. Contact point out in front despite high speed of opponent’s shot
  3. In midcourt, can dig out power shots with low blocking motions

Able to attack and finish points with powerful swinging volleys and overheads.

1. 1. Explosive leg and core drive to further increase paddle speed
  2. Paddle lagging and snapping forward to create higher power and heavier spin
  3. While maintaining high explosive power, can hit the open court
  4. Can jump at NVZ to hold ground on overhead

Can cover the court with balanced, strong footwork and solid positioning and recovery.

1. 1. Uses the four stances on proper situations to create optimal balance and weight transfer
  2. Can slide to decelerate and change direction
  3. Adaptive paddle ready position in defensive midcourt situations

Able to Ernie, ATP, and inside out, tweener, and other trick shots in appropriate situations.

1. 1. Explosive leg drive, speed, and balance for Ernie’s and ATPs
  2. Excellent command of fast-twitch paddle control to ensure consistency under pressure

Can adjust style of play and game plan according to the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

1. 1. Using specific shots to accurately attack in neutral situations
  2. Effectively uses patterns to bringing imbalance to opponents in neutral situations
  3. Capable of anticipating opponents’ shots and patterns more accurately

Professor

Tactical and Technical Parameters

Expert control of the five ball parameters using mastered paddle techniques in all play situations with excellent understanding of advanced tactics to create offensive situations.

1. 1. Heavy spins available with full kinetic chain applied
  2. Passing shots with very high power possible with full kinetic chain applied
  3. Maintain control of all five parameters while receiving difficult situations

Able to adapt and plan strategies against strong opponents, successfully picking at their weaknesses despite tough situations.

1. 1. Using specific shots to accurately attack in difficult situations
  2. Uses patterns to bringing imbalance to opponents despite difficult reception

Able to receive highly difficult power shots and counter them offensively.

1. 1. Receives a power shot at NVZ and sends with explosive paddle extension to win point
  2. Receives a power shot at NVZ and absorbs with underspin dropshot to win point
  3. Receives a power shot at midcourt and digs out with blocking motion to drop into NVZ
  4. Receives a power shot at baseline and counters with power and direction to win point

Attacking shots such as overheads are highly varied and are often unable to be returned.

1. 1. Adaptive footwork to create perfect contact point
  2. Full kinetic chain and unit unload to create power put aways
  3. Adds sidespin to create sharp angles to win point

Dinks are varied and are often heavily spun, breaking down strong opponents and forcing pop ups or higher bouncing balls which are subsequently and consistently put away.

1. 1. High energy vertical flicks to create heavy topspin despite short court
  2. Can effectively place and spin dinks off the most difficult positions, even if off balance
  3. Highly accurate paddle angle and pathway to hit very specific targets

Able to effectively attack and defend from difficult positions on the court.

1. 1. Excellent acceleration and deceleration into any stance to set up and cover the court
  2. Can stretch and effectively lob, pass, or drop off of shots that would normally be winners
  3. Adapting paddle technique to maintain spin and power on full sprint

Unforced errors and poor shot selection is very rare.

1. 1. Consistency maintained despite full kinetic chain on very offensive shots
  2. Accidental placement to opponents weapons is rare

Positioning and athletic recovery is mastered, with expert usage of alternate serving and returning positioning strategies, as well as anticipation of the opponents.

1. 1. Stacking consistently used with proper and accurate recovery and movement
  2. Split-step and explosive weight transfer off first step allowing full court coverage
  3. Recovery positioning is excellently placed in all situations