Padel Rating Matrix
Guide to what each level typically looks like. Use this to understand where you are and what to focus on next.
| Category | 1+ | 2+ | 3+ | 4+ | 5+ | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness | Limited endurance; very short, slow rallies. | Limited endurance; medium length rally at slow pace. | Comfortable defence at medium pace in medium rally. | Comfortable defence in medium–long rallies; faster movement. | Sustain high‑intensity matches; very fast movement. | Sustain high‑intensity, fast & long rallies; very fast movement. |
| Groundstrokes | Basic flat FH; many errors; BH weak; very short rallies. | Basic flat FH/BH; fewer errors; longer rallies. | Basic flats w/ minimal errors; attempts placement/spin (inconsistent). | Flat & slice consistent; vary power/placement/spin w/ few errors. | Solid flat/slice; adds chiquitas/topspin; opens court angles. | Flat/slice/topspin/chiquita; changes speeds/effects/angles accurately. |
| Defence | Struggles vs walls; lobs understood but inconsistent & underused. | Single‑wall defence ok; forehand > backhand; basic lobs (inaccurate). | Consistent single‑wall at medium height; understands double‑wall; lobs as tool. | Consistent single & double‑wall defence; high deep lobs; reactive. | Comfortable single/double‑wall; some pre‑emption; varied lobs. | Perfect double‑wall control vs any effect; defend to gain advantage; full lob variety. |
| Net play | Basic flat volleys; poor depth/accuracy; reverts to FH/BH swings. | Flat volleys basic; inconsistent; learns net movement. | Medium‑height flat/slice volleys with angles and some depth. | Consistent flat/slice volleys (med‑low); transition volleys good. | Low, consistent volleys; varied spin/angles; some dropshots. | Any volley at any pace; transition or winner as needed; opens angles; uses dropshots. |
| Overheads | No bandeja/smash technique or understanding. | Understands bandeja; basic technique weak; over‑relies on flat smash. | Uses bandeja regularly (inconsistent); flat smash often at wrong times. | Regular bandeja w/ depth & accuracy; tactical; basic flat smash; limited topspin. | Consistent bandeja/smash with weight; developing topspin smash & víbora. | Alternates bandeja, víbora, topspin smash, rulo; picks the right one. |
| Footwork & Coordination | Inconsistent footwork; arm‑only swings. | Some weight transfer; still arm‑heavy; starts moving through shot. | Balanced at slow/medium pace; under pressure loses form; engages core. | Balanced at med/fast pace; under pressure some loss; consistent coordination. | Always balanced; engages core/legs to vary spin & force. | Always balanced; can vary spin/force at will using whole chain. |
| Court Position | Basic transition idea; doesn’t approach after serve. | Comes to net after serve (often wrong spot). | Always approach after serve; sometimes stuck in no‑man’s land. | Seamless front/back transitions; try to keep net. | Seamless transitions; some positional variation. | Seamless transitions with positional nuance (depth vs net, etc.). |
| Partner Work | Understands move in tandem front/back; covers own side. | Moves front/back in tandem; starts side‑to‑side; basic comms. | Sideways + front/back; develop patterns & role (left/right). | Consistent tactics with partner; aware of spacing. | Adapts to partner; communicates patterns; breaks formation when needed. | Fully adaptive; covers spaces & executes agreed strategies. |
| Strategy & Point Construction | No adjustment to opponent; cannot turn defence to attack. | Adjusts to cross‑court opponent; basic defence→attack via lob. | Basic point construction via lobs; reactive, limited anticipation. | Consistent basic construction; trial‑and‑error complex ideas. | Accurate construction; reads 2–3 shots ahead; avoids strengths. | Full strategic adaptation; exploits weaknesses; anticipates several shots ahead. |