PLATFORM TENNIS PLAYING LEVELS – WHAT TO EXPECT….WHAT TO AIM FOR

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C2 No platform tennis experience, and probably no racquets experience in general.

SERVE & VOLLEY: Can serve overhead style or underhand style, and sometimes gets the ball in the service court. Serves are often very “floppy”, meaning high off the paddle, short into the service court and with a high arc bounce. Sometimes comes to net, but often does not remember to. 

STROKES: May not have the correct “hammer” grip (shown in PT101), which will affect their strokes and direction. The grip needs to be re-checked during play and drills. Has a little understanding of the drive, lob, volley and overhead, but not necessarily how to use them during play. Often overhits the ball, and often does not follow through.  

LOBBING: Lobs are very inconsistent, often going long, wide, or short of the net. Should keep practicing the knee-bend and follow through to start to develop height and depth.

WIRES: Very little screen play, or none at all. 

POSITIONING AND ANTICIPATION: Little understanding of the court diagonals and being in sync with the partner in relation to the opponents and the ball. Little anticipation and slow reaction time.

ERRORS: Abundance of errors, mostly due to stroke weakness and inconsistencies. 

 

THE “BIGGER” PICTURE: C2 players can manage very short points of 2 or 3 exchanges over the net before they’re out of position or make an error. Strokes are unreliable and player is still learning the ball bounce and how to hit it.
 

C1 SERVE & VOLLEY:  Attempts serve & volley, but not always successful. Without success, they often stay back on their serve. This practice needs correcting early on.

STROKES: Keep checking for the correct grip. Weak strokes, but tries to incorporate all shots during play. Drives too often.

LOBBING: Lobs are often way too short or way too long, and not high enough. 

WIRES: May occasionally play a ball off the wire, but not by choice. Take PT102 again.

POSITIONING: Is often very rooted, flat-footed, and stagnant on the court, not working in tandem with their partner. May know where they should be, but often fails to be there. If pulled out of position, does not recover quickly enough. Gets “caught” often.

ANTICIPATION: Slow to react to the opponent. Is still doing more watching than reacting. Is sometimes ready for the ball, but is more often surprised that their shot came back and they’re not ready.

ERRORS: Makes many errors by not being ready or trying to end points with “winners”.

 

THE “BIGGER” PICTURE”: They can sustain a short rally of slow-paced balls with other players of the same ability.  

They need court experience and stroke repetition to create longer rallies. 

They need to develop their lob to buy time for their team and get practice in the wires. 
 

B2 SERVE & VOLLEY: Can usually serve and get to the net, but not always make the volley. They need to stick with it to get comfortable being at the net. May be still watching their serve too long, hanging around the baseline.

STROKES: Can hit overheads, volleys and lobs, but may lack some directional control. Can handle medium-paced shots, but is not comfortable with ALL strokes yet or with pace from the opponent.

LOBBING: Lobs are improving and they are starting to use the lob more than the drive. Lobs are getting deeper and higher. 

WIRES: Weak in the wires, and still reluctant to let the ball go there. Blocks too many balls instead of letting them go to the wires to learn how to play them.  

POSITIONING: Has more sense of where to be on the court, and may sometimes communicate with their partner to keep them in sync as to who has the ball. Still out of position often.

ANTICIPATION: Play is still in a “re-active” “frantic” phase, where they are not reading the opponent early enough to be in the right place or see what shot is coming. Can occasionally see what’s going to happen, but often cannot react quickly enough to stay in the point.  

ERRORS: Makes many errors and often fails to extend the point. 

 

THE “BIGGER” PICTURE:  Needs to keep developing all their strokes, especially lobbing, which slows down the point. 

B2 players need to build confidence lobbing and hitting back deep overheads that go into the opponent’s wires.

Starting to see where their own weaknesses lie, and should begin addressing improvement in those skills. Bad habits at this level can be hard to break.
 

B1 SERVE & VOLLEY: Gets the serve in consistently and is successful coming to net for the first volley. 

STROKES: Can and will use lobs, overheads, drives, and volleys with success. Overheads and volleys may still be too short, and overheads hit too hard.  Drives may have some pace, but may be used too often, when they should have lobbed instead. 

LOBBING: Will consistently lob the ball more often to push the opponent off the net.  But often still cannot extend the point during scramble and defensive situations. Forehand lobs are successful almost all the time. Backhand lobs are successful over 50% of the time.

WIRES:  Lets more balls go to the wire and becoming more skilled in wire play. Forehand single wires are successful almost all the time. Backhand and two-wire screens are successful 50% of the time.

POSITIONING: Knows where their position should be on court most of the time, although not always executing completely.  Gets caught out of position occasionally, and is aware of where they should have been.

ANTICIPATION: More anticipation of where the opponent’s shot is going, but is often not ready quickly enough.

ERRORS: Makes fewer errors.

 

THE “BIGGER” PICTURE: Understands the angles and positioning better, and is communicating with their partner often.  Play is occasionally becoming “pro-active” (rather than “re-active”), whereby they are directing and controlling more points. Starting to strategize and analyze the opponent, but cannot always adjust appropriately.

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A2 SERVE & VOLLEY: Serves and volleys consistently and does not lose many points there. Can place the serves to capitalize on opponent’s non-dominant hand.

STROKES:  Has fairly accurate shot-making on ALL strokes, and can handle the opponent’s pace. Has developed other shots (drop shots, spin), and uses them successfully.

LOBBING: Lobs opponents for extended exchanges, and loses patience less frequently. Extends the point more often than not. Backhand lob is almost as strong as the forehand.

WIRES: Can play, and often chooses to play, both forehand and backhand wires, including the     corners, with confidence and success. 

POSITIONING: Knows court position and covers their area consistently. Can also cover for their partner’s area with some success when scrambling. “Gets caught” infrequently.

ANTICIPATION:  Anticipates where the opponent’s shots are likely to go and positions themself pro-actively to craft the point. 

ERRORS: Makes few unforced errors, and goes less for winners. Is also ready when their “winner” comes back over the net.

 

THE “BIGGER” PICTURE:  Always communicates with their partner, “early and often”, so they    don’t double-cover balls

Has generally good shot selection and especially knows where NOT to hit the ball.  Can mix it up with pace and without pace, depending on the situation. 

Can analyze opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Will quickly adjust play and strategize to avoid the strengths and capitalize on the weaknesses with a degree of success.  
 

A1 SERVE & VOLLEY: Serves and volleys consistently, with placement, pace, spin and cuts. 

STROKES: Hits overheads consistently into opponent’s wires. Can use touch shots and drop shots appropriately. Can hit various speeds, soft/hard, knows where to hit the ball and has accurate placement. Often has a “weapon” shot, e.g. big service return, drive off the wires, etc.

LOBBING: Has excellent height and depth on lobs, and hits more lobs than drives. Will lob continuously to move opponents around and out of position.

WIRES: Plays balls off the wires with both forehands and backhands, drives and lobs, consistently. And CHOOSES to play many balls off the wires.

POSITIONING: Has advanced court sense and is aware of players’ positions and capabilities, both of their partner and the opponent. Continuous communication and positioning on every point. Feet are always moving.

ANTICIPATION: Is always ready and expects the ball to come back. Has mental toughness and discipline to stay in the point.

ERRORS: Rarely makes an error.

 

THE “BIGGER PICTURE”: Has command of all the shots and proper court positioning. Will quickly use different strategies when necessary, e.g. using “Australian”, chip & charge, poaching, etc. to counteract the opponents’ game. Has the patience and discipline to wait for the right shot at the right time, and can execute the shot needed.