ESTABLISH YOUR NTRP # (National Tennis Rating Program #) & FIND YOUR CORRESPONDING LEVEL
Tennis uses a number system to identify your skill level, ranging from 1.0 (never touched a racquet) to 5.0 Open (very skilled)
1.0 rookie (red balls)
1.5 beginner (orange balls)
2.0 advanced-beginner (reg balls)
2.5 low intermediate
3.0 intermediate
3.5 high intermediate
4.0 intermediate-advanced
4.5 advanced
5.0 + open
CATEGORY 1 OF 4 : GROUNDSTROKES
CATEGORY 2 OF 4 : SERVES
CATEGORY 3 OF 4 : RETURN OF SERVES
CATEGORY 4 OF 4 : NET PLAY
NTRP 1.0 (Rookie) TEST
- 42ft court, underhand serving, stage 3 (red) balls
- avg player understands 10% of rules
- major milestone: players gain confidence with first time playing tennis
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 8 shot rally using very slow/arched forehands & backhands
- net play: smashes & volley very slow/arched balls to land anywhere into a targeted half of 42ft court
- serve underhand: very slow/arched serve after 1 bounce into a targeted half of service box
- return of serve: return a very slow/arched serve into targeted deuce or ad box
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 1.5 division
players that achieve ≤ 60% in tests are recommended to stay in the NTRP 1.0 division
NTRP 1.5 (Beginner) TEST
- 60ft court, underhand or overhand serving, stage 2 (orange) balls
- avg player understands 20% of rules
- major milestone: players now able to play in challengers, tournaments, socials
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 8 shot rally using slow/arched forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley slow/arched balls to land anywhere into a targeted half of 60ft court
- serve: underhand after 1 bounce/ or 'backscratcher' serve (slow/arched) into a targeted half of service box
- return of serve: return a slow/arched serve into a targeted half of 60ft court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 2.0 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 1.0 division
NTRP 2.0 (Advanced-Beginner) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 30% of rules
- major milestone: players now use full court & reg balls
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 8 shot rally using moderate paced & tad arched forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley moderate paced balls & tad arched to land anywhere into a targeted half of court
- serve: full motion moderate paced & tad arched 1st serve, incomplete slow/arched 2nd serve; into a targeted half of service box
- return of serve: return a moderate paced & tad arched serve into a targeted half of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 2.5 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 1.5 division
NTRP 2.5 (Low Intermediate) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 40% of rules
- major milestone: spin is being introduced in this category; tho never used in matches
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using moderately-fast paced forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley moderately-fast paced balls to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: fast 1st serve & moderately-fast 2nd serve into a targeted half of service box
- return of serve: return a moderately-fast serve into a deep targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 3.0 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 2.0 division
NTRP 3.0 (Intermediate) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 50% of rules
- major milestone: spin is being trained regularly in this category; tho rarely used in matches
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using moderately-fast paced occassionally spinning forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley moderately-fast paced occassionally spinning balls to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: moderately-fast paced occassionally spinning 1st serve & moderately-fast paced 2nd serve into a targeted half of service box
- return of serve: return a moderately-fast paced occassionally spinning serve into a targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 3.5 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 2.5 division
NTRP 3.5 (High Intermediate) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 60% of rules
- major milestone: spin is being utilized in this category in one major category (either serve, forehand or backhand)
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using fast paced & often spinning forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley fast paced often spinning balls to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: fast paced 1st serve & moderately-fast paced often spinning 2nd serve into a targeted half of service box)
- return of serve: return a fast paced often spinning serve into a targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 4.0 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 3.0 division
NTRP 4.0 (Intermediate-Advanced) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 70% of rules
- major milestone: spin is being utilized in all major categories (serve, forehand or backhand & volleys)
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using fast paced spinning & deep forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley fast paced spinning & wide to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: fast paced & deep 1st serve & fast paced or spinning & 2nd serve into a targeted quarter of service box
- return of serve: return a fast paced & deep or spinning serve into a targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 4.5 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 3.5 division
NTRP 4.5 (Advanced) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 80% of rules
- major milestone: players able to comfotably explain their game style (ie. aggressive baseliner, serve & volleyer, moonballer, counter puncher, spot server, all court player etc)
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using fast paced spinning & deep forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley fast paced spinning & wide to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: fast paced & deep 1st serve & fast paced or spinning & 2nd serve into a targeted quarter of service box
- return of serve: return a fast paced & deep or spinning serve into a targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≥ 60% in tests are recommended to "level up" to the NTRP 5.0 division
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 4.0 division
NTRP 5.0+ (Open) TEST
- full court 78ft, overhand serving, regular balls
- avg player understands 90%+ of rules
- major milestone: players have entered "open class" tournament/ league/ team events & collecting accolades
4 TEST CATEGORIES
- groundstrokes: maintain 10 shot rally using aggressive, spinning & deep forehands & backhands
- net play: smash & volley aggressive, spinning & wide to land anywhere into a targeted quarter of court
- serve: aggressive & deep 1st serve that attacks forehand/ backhand or body shot & fast paced or spinning & 2nd serve into a targeted quarter of service box
- return of serve: return a aggressive, spinning & deep serve into a targeted quarter of court
TEST RESULTS
players that achieve ≤ 20% in tests are recommended to "level down" to the NTRP 4.5 division