If you’ve never played, the very first thing you must do is sign up for a beginner’s pickleball clinic, which the club pros offer frequently. Cardinal Hill pickleball events such as Dink ‘n’ Donuts assume that everyone who signs up knows the game and can play at the beginner level or higher. The club hosts a pickleball clinic every Saturday at 11:00 am, and private lessons are also available. Send an email to club pickleball pros Robin Crider or Nebyou Minassie to arrange a session.

In this early phase of developing Cardinal Hill pickleball, our events have been “come one, come all.” Much of the attraction of pickleball is that players of different skill levels can still enjoy playing together. Newer players can refine their game, and more experienced players can pay it forward. We were all rank beginners at some point, right?

As the Cardinal Hill pickleball community expands, we’ll be offering more targeted sessions that will include guidance on what skill level player should sign up. Often, beginners want to play with other beginners so they can work on their serves or gain a better understanding of the rules, or the strategies. And sometimes, more experienced players just want to all-out compete by smashing their returns or putting crazy spin on their serves. 

So, to help you gain an understanding of where you stand in the pickleball food chain, here are two helpful charts.