Curious what style of pickleball you prefer to play when the game is on the line? Take this fun, quick quiz to find out where your tendencies reside.
[Guide: JOOLA Perseus and Scorpeus Review]
This is just for fun, but may be insightful as you continue developing as a player. Just add up your points and see the tallies and tiers at the bottom. Perhaps the results will surprise you!
[Industry Deal Alert: Franklin X-40 Balls on sale on Amazon]
Pickleball Player Type Quiz:
1: When serving, what is your default strategy?
a) Just get the ball in, don't worry about anything else (1 point) b) Aim for the center of the court to get things going solidly (2 points) c) Try to paint the back line to give your opponent a tough return (3 points)
2: What is your preferred shot?
a) Dink shots, keeping the ball low and safe (1 point) b) Fuller swings, hitting the ball hard and flat (2 points) c) Smashes, punches, and going for the kill shot (3 points)
[Fashion guide: Best Pickleball Shirts This Summer]
3: When at the net, how do you like to play?
a) Linger back a bit and wait for them to make a mistake (1 point)
b) Creep up and try to control the kitchen line and make things happen (2 points)
c) Swing away aggressively and go for the put-away shot (3 points)
4: How do you handle lob shots?
a) Let it sail and hope it goes out of bounds (1 point)
b) Retreat back, and just try to keep the rally going (2 points)
c) Run back and rip a hard shot back with a vengeance (3 points)
[Review of the best court shoes in the pickleball market]
5: What's your approach to defending against hard shots?
a) Just try to get any paddle on it and see how it goes (1 point)
b) Move quickly with hands and feet and try to punch (2 points)
c) Step into it and really crank a full swing and counter-attack (3 points)
6: When you're up at the net, how do you like to move?
a) Slow and steady, don't want to get caught out of position (1 point) b) Be ready to pounce on any short balls, looking for an opportunity (2 points) c) Move quickly and aggressively and try to instigate action ASAP (3 points) [Fun Bonus Read: 47 Signs You're Obsessed With Pickleball]
7: How do you feel about drop shots?
a) Love them! They're a safe way to construct a point (1 point)
b) Meh, they're okay. I'd rather try to pass them (2 points)
c) Hate 'em. Too risky, and I'm better off going for broke with power (3 points)
8: What's your preferred doubles strategy?
a) Stay back and let your partner poach and take charge (1 point)
b) Work together to move the ball around and look for attack chances (2 points)
c) Play with pace, trying to zip balls at the body and overwhelm opponents (3 points)
[Relevant guide: How to Attack (Aggressive Pickleball)]
9: How do you handle opponents who like to dink a lot?
a) Just keep playing your patient game and hope they give you something (1 point)
b) Try to take more initiative and move them around and perhaps take some risk (2 points)
c) Focus on hitting harder shots to keep them from being able to hit softly (3 points)
10: How do you react when your opponent hits a lucky shot?
a) No big deal, just keep playing, it's part of pickleball (1 point) b) Smile and give them credit for a good shot, but keep note of it (2 points) c) Get fired up and play even harder, ready to blast away ASAP next point (3 points)
What type of pickleball player are you?
Add up your total points...
1-10 points:
You're a dinker! You prefer a soft, patient game and aren't too aggressive. 11-20 points:
You're a hybrid! You like to mix it up, playing a balance of soft and hard shots.
21-30 points:
You're a banger! You're an aggressive player who likes to use power whenever possible.
What type of pickleball player are you?
The Patient Dinker:
If you're a dinker, focus on improving your footwork and positioning to be more effective at the net.
Dinkers really need to utilize their touch to move the opponents around and force errors out of impatient players.
Try incorporating variety into your shots, dinking cross-court whenever possible, to keep your opponents off balance. They should not be able to guess the direction of your shots.
Additionally, develop a reliable third shot to give yourself chances to move up safely.
The Balanced Player:
As a hybrid player, you have developed a consistent balance between your soft and aggressive shots.
Work on refining your shot selection and knowing when to switch up your game plan to tailor towards opponents with various weaknesses.
Don't be afraid to commit to a more patient game against an opponent with poor touch, or go for more pop and pace against opponents who cannot block as well.
You've got all the tools. Now just experiment with when to adjust the dials.
The Aggressive Banger:
If you're a banger, try to focus on developing a more well-rounded game that incorporates more soft shots and dinks.
While hitting hard is great and you should stick to your gifts and talents, you will want a fallback option against opponents who are adept at blocking.
Focus on keeping opponents guessing by mixing in the occasional touch shot. Tell yourself to set up your attack chances by constructing patterns in points, rather than always defaulting to a hard hit right from the get-go.
Practice drilling a reliable third shot drop and a drop-shot from no-man's land, and keep them in your back pocket. You can keep your aggressiveness under control and avoid making unforced errors during pressure situations.
Click photos or blue links above to browse on Amazon.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. It does not affect the price at all. PaddlePal is completely viewer-supported and we will not present a product unless we have researched the market to provide accurate, informed recommendations.
