People have a tendency to “round up” when it comes to their pickleball rating. Once players move past the beginner stage and start taking the game more seriously, overestimating their skill level is common.

But what does it really take to become a truly advanced pickleball player?

Below we take a closer look at what defines the 4.5 level and go over some key differences on either side of this rating (4.0 & 5.0).

Also in this issue:

• Dekel Bar clears up hilarious rumors on Pickleballers 🎙️

• To be the best you gotta beat the best 💪

• This is the best training aid we know of 📈

• How Jorja Johnson & Tyra Black pulled off huge upset 👀

Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

GOING VIRAL: To be the best you gotta beat the best

It’s certainly too early to call Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black the best women’s duo in pro pickleball, but they sure were on Saturday in their semifinal win over No. 1 seed Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright at the PPA Tour Walgreens Open in Las Vegas.

In this incredible point, Johnson and Black showcased elite defense and then turned it into offense to finish off the rally and bring the crowd to its feet.

More on the weekend’s best match below.

🔗 Check out this point on Instagram or TikTok (25M views!)

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

Dekel Bar clears up hilarious internet rumors

In case you missed it last week, pro player Dekel Bar joined the Pickleballers Podcast to talk about growing up in Israel, battling through the brutal grind of professional tennis and eventually finding pickleball through his close ties with the Johns family.

Along the way, he ranks his personal top five players in the world, shares war-ready teammate picks from the PPA tour, and clears up some hilarious internet rumors about his “girlfriends.”

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify

THIS WEEK ON PICKLEBALLERS: Connor Pardoe, the CEO of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, joins the show to talk about the history of the PPA, player contracts and what the future holds for pickleball. This will be a must-listen episode for anybody who is interested in pro pickleball.

INSTRUCTION

What it takes to become a 4.5 level pickleball player

Over the past several weeks we’ve been taking a deeper look at each skill level and detailing the differences between beginner, intermediate and advanced pickleball.

We’ve already covered the 3.5 level and the 4.0 level, and today we’re going over what defines the 4.5 level.

SERVES, RETURNS, THIRDS & FOURTHS

A true 4.5 level player will hit the majority of their serves and returns with depth and pace. This player will also be able to hit a mix of drives and drops on their third shot in order to keep their opponent guessing. They will use their third shot strategically to either apply pressure to their opponent or take space away on the court while they work their way to the kitchen.

Lastly, the returning team will use their fourth shot to keep their opponents back, not giving them an easy invitation to the kitchen line. They will look to take balls out of the air and apply pressure whenever possible.

DINKING

4.5 players are able to not only just get the ball over the net, but do so in an offensive manner with a high level of success. They are able to place the ball around the kitchen and change the types of dinks they hit on a consistent basis.

A 4.5 level player will be able to recognize when certain dinks should be hit over others, such as offensive versus defensive. They are also looking to attack balls and take them out of the air whenever possible.

GAME AWARENESS & PARTNER COMMUNICATION

Being able to move as one is a massive trait at the 4.5 level. You and your partner are in sync with one another, covering the middle when needed, shifting to cover the line, and even letting balls go when you know your partner can have a better shot at it.

These players understand and can effectively “stack” in game while also knowing when and how to use that strategy effectively.

🔗 More on what defines a 4.5 pickleball player

THE PROS

How Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black pulled off upset over Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright

Late last week, we asked whether Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright could be beat this year. Most of the people in our Facebook community said no, with others saying "Maybe, but not yet."

In the article discussing the challenge of beating the No. 1 team, we laid out a blueprint that we thought would give teams the best chance. We also identified Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black as the best possible team to successfully overcome the top team.

Two days later, Johnson and Black took down Waters and Bright in the semifinals of the PPA Tour Walgreens Open in Las Vegas. This leads us to wonder: Did one of you share the blueprint with Johnson and Black? (Just kidding ... kind of.)

Here's a breakdown of what happened during the much-anticipated matchup, and how it matched with our blueprint:

BLUEPRINT: GEL TOGETHER AS A TEAM ✅

Johnson and Black have been teammates for the Dallas Flash in MLP for two seasons now, and they have also played several PPA Tour events together. They are one of the most experienced teams on the women's side at this point.

BLUEPRINT: BE FIRST TO ACT ✅

BIG check here. Johnson and Black pushed Waters and Bright around for much of the match. That's because they were not afraid to take the first shot to speed the point up and then trade blows. You are not going to beat the No. 1 team unless you are willing to get in there and mix things up.

BLUEPRINT: TARGET BRIGHT ✅

Another big check. Bright is an amazing player, but Waters is the best. Johnson and Black did a great job of primarily targeting Bright while keeping Waters in check and playing some balls behind her.

🔗 More details on how Johnson and Black took town the No. 1 team

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

Up your game with the Dink Master Pro

A reliable drilling buddy is hard to come by. Good thing most people have access to a garage or back patio where they could set up this training aid.

The Dink Master Pro from Enhance Pickleball is a durable hitting surface that provides accuracy targets for you to practice placing dinks and speedups.

An added bonus: Both products come with a drill catalog, and you can find a few of our favorite drills here.

🔗 Buy the Dink Master Pro here, and check out our full list of great training aids

QUICK HITS

• Pickleball perfection: How could it get better than this?

• POV: Grinding out a 5.0 pickleball point

• Love to see it: These women are taking it to the boys

• WOW: Men’s singles pro pickleball is getting better by the second

• Sheeesh: The level of play at the Hong Kong Open was no joke

• Look out: Ben Johns coming in hot