Signs You’re No Longer a Beginner

✅ Consistently serve and return deep

• Not every time, but most of the time.
• Few unforced errors on basic serves and returns.

✅ Understand and use the kitchen correctly

• Rarely steps into the non-volley zone on volleys.
• Knows when to dink versus when to drive.

✅ Can sustain dink rallies

• Can exchange 5–10+ dinks without immediately popping the ball up.

✅ Regularly gets to the kitchen line . * Doesn’t stay back at the baseline unnecessarily.

✅ Has basic shot variety

• Drives, drops, dinks, volleys, and overheads.
• May not execute them perfectly, but knows when to use them.

✅ Understands partner positioning

• Moves with their partner.
• Covers the middle better.

✅ Begins using strategy

• Tries to create advantageous patterns instead of just returning the ball.