Have you ever walked off the pickleball court feeling like a superstar, convinced that your ranking just doesn’t do you justice? There’s something about the nature of pickleball that makes people overestimate their abilities, and it’s more common than you might think.
Let’s dive into why so many players fall into this trap and how you can get an honest look at your skills.
Why We Think We’re Better Than We Are
One of the primary reasons for players overrating themselves is the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias that leads people to overestimate their skill level due to a lack of awareness about what they don’t know.
In pickleball, beginners often think they are advanced because they don’t know what “advanced” really looks like. They’ve learned to hit the ball over the net, maybe even with a bit of spin, and they consistently beat their usual playing group—so they assume they’re well on their way to being top-level competitors.
Why Your 3.5 Might Not Be the Same as Mine
Another contributing factor is how pickleball ratings vary significantly by location. What counts as a “3.5 player” in one city might mean something entirely different in another. Many players stick to their local courts and rarely play in tournaments, making it easy to think they’re more skilled than they actually are.
Ratings like 3.0 or 4.0 become labels people wear with pride, but without broader experience, it can be hard to calibrate what those numbers truly mean.
Players also commonly misinterpret or misuse the rating systems. Some players read a skill chart and decide they’re a 4.0, but they haven’t played enough opponents at that level to accurately gauge their true abilities.
The labeling itself can be flawed—”beginner,” “intermediate,” and “advanced” are subjective, and no one wants to label themselves as “bad” or “beginner” when they’ve been playing for years. The terms can feel limiting or even insulting.
Sticking to the Same Crowd: The Comfort Zone Dilemma
Another reason players think they’re better than they are comes from familiarity. If you only play against the same people, you end up learning their tendencies and becoming very good at beating them. But that doesn’t necessarily make you a stronger player overall. You’re simply getting better at a narrow slice of competition, which can inflate your self-assessment.
When these players venture out into a broader pool—maybe at a tournament or while traveling—they often get a reality check. Suddenly, shots that worked in their regular games fall short, and they realize that others are quicker, more consistent, and more strategic than the players they’re used to.
5 Signs You Might Be Overrating Yourself
- You Only Play Games, Not Drills: Playing games is important, but the real improvement comes from drilling. If you don’t spend time practicing specific shots repeatedly, your skills won’t develop beyond the basics.
- You Stick to Your Comfort Zone: If you always play with the same people or never try new techniques during matches, you’re limiting your growth. Mistakes are part of learning—if you aren’t making them, you’re not improving.
- You Judge Yourself by Your Best Shot: We all have shots we love. Maybe you have a killer backhand, but what about your consistency at the net or your serves? Judging yourself only by your best shot is a classic way to overestimate your overall skill.
- You’re Inconsistent: If you have a great day followed by an awful one, it suggests your fundamentals need work. Consistency is key in pickleball, and players who lack it often lack the skills that underpin a truly higher-level game.
- You Avoid Challenging Games: The best way to improve is to play against people better than you. If you find yourself avoiding tougher matches to protect your ego, you might be holding yourself back.
How to Get an Honest Assessment of Your Skills
If you think you might be overestimating your abilities, don’t worry—it happens to almost everyone at some point. Here are a few ways to get a more accurate assessment:
- Play in Tournaments: Tournament play is the gold standard for assessing skill. Everyone is playing to win, and you’ll get a sense of where you really stand against a wider variety of players.
- Ask for Feedback: Play with or against tournament-level players and ask them for honest feedback. It’s not always easy to hear, but it’s invaluable for growth.
- Broaden Your Playing Circle: Seek out new opponents whenever possible. Different styles and strategies will challenge you in new ways and help you understand your strengths and weaknesses better.
- Be Objective: Instead of focusing on your wins, pay attention to your mistakes. Where do you struggle? What shots do you avoid? The answers to these questions are often where the most opportunity for improvement lies.
Forget the Labels and Just Keep Improving
Pickleball is growing fast, and with that growth comes the need for better systems to assess and communicate skill levels. Until those systems are standardized, the best approach is to stay humble, be open to learning, and recognize that the journey of improvement never really ends.
Ultimately, enjoying the game should be the goal. Whether you’re a 2.5 or a 4.5, if you’re having fun and making progress, you’re exactly where you need to be. 🏓
