Which One of These Eight Pickleball Player Types Are You?

While it's fun to think that each of us is unique with our own style of play, most pickleballers can be placed into a specific category – or archetype. With each comes particular strengths and weaknesses that shine through.

Here's a list of some common types of players you're likely to run into on the pickleball court. Which one best describes you?

The Banger

What you lack in mystery and creativity, you make up for by hitting rockets at your opponents. You love putting players on the defensive and forcing them to hit blocks and weak returns.

Once you smell blood in the water, it's open banger season.

Strengths

Forehands and drives
Knowing which opponent to target (usually the one who looks most scared)

Weaknesses

Backhands
The soft game
Game strategy (everything will be a drive)

Your favorite shot(s)

The drive (obviously)

Your least favorite shot(s)

Anything other than a drive

How you win most games

You tend to overwhelm your opponents and rack up free points if they can't judge out balls well. Players rated 3.5 and below don't stand a chance.

How you lose most games

If your opponent can handle (and even counter) your drives or they know how to neutralize it by targeting your backhand.

Your ideal partner(s)

Mr/Ms Dependable
Bangers
The Aggressor

Pros you should watch

Christian Alshon
Quang Duong
Thomas Wilson
Callie Smith

Mr/Ms Dependable

Some might call your game boring, but you'd call it consistent. And somehow, you're always on the winning team and making podiums at tournaments. You rarely let your opponents get big leads on you, and most games are won or lost 11-9.

Strengths

You're always the best dinker on the court
Bangers are no sweat
Always solid, always in control

Weaknesses

Need a strong partner because you can't take over a game if needed
You need your opponents to make mistakes (which they almost always do)

Your favorite shot(s)

Blocks, resets, and getting the ball "on the ground"

Your least favorite shot(s)

Low-percentage shots and attacks off the bounce

How you win most games

You are a pickleball grinder, so you win your games by letting your opponents make more mistakes than you.

How you lose most games

You don't lose often, but when you do, it's likely because your opponent is more skilled than you or your partner is just too wild.

Your ideal partner(s)

Mr/Ms Dependable
The Hero
The Creator
The Aggressor

Pros you should watch

Catherine Parenteau
Dylan Frazier
Marietta (Etta) Wright
Matt Wright

The Creator

Pickleball should be fun, and you spend most of your time coming up with new shots instead of drilling. In a game, you're always looking for a chance to flash your brilliance, and sometimes it actually works.

When those moments happen, it makes the other 19 times it didn't work worth it.

Strengths

Finding ways to keep the game fun
The Erne, the ATP, the Kyle, and maybe an occasional Nasty Nelson

Weaknesses

Consistent dinks, drives, and drops
Your partner or opponents can bore you into doing even sillier things

Your favorite shot(s)

Whatever new shot Jack Munro shared on Instagram

Your least favorite shot(s)

Anything conventional and safe

How you win most games

You probably don't win too often, but that doesn't keep you from having a good time and trying new things.

How you lose most games

You're fun style can lead to crazy runs – sometimes, by your opponents.

Your ideal partner(s)

The Hero
The Magician
The Joker
The Rebel

Pros you should watch

Jack Munro
Andre Mick
Connor Garnett
Jill Braverman

The Hero

You're one of the top players in your area, and everyone loves to play with you. You have all the shots in your bag and can change your play style as needed. You also don't mind playing "down a level" because you'll always find a way to challenge yourself and have fun.

Strengths

Everything

Weaknesses

None (Unless being too good is a weakness)

Your favorite shot(s)

It depends on the situation

Your least favorite shot(s)

Everything has its time and place (except third-shot lobs - they're just silly)

How you win most games

In rec games, you don't care about winning or losing. During tournaments, you win by being the best player on the court.

How you lose most games

In rec games, you focus more on improving a specific shot than winning, which can lead to a lot of losses. In tournaments, you lose because a ringer showed up from out of town.

Your ideal partner(s)

You can play with anyone

Pros you should watch

Ben Johns
Anna Leigh Waters
Andrei Daescu
Anna Bright

The Rebel

Rebels can frustrate you with how good they are and how little they seem to care.

You might secretly believe pickleball is less of a sport and more of a backyard game. As such, it shouldn't be taken too seriously. You don't really care about technique or learning how to do things "the right way." You just like being competitive and sweating a lot.

Strengths

Rebels are often sneaky athletic (they just don't show it very often)
Your nonchalance lets you play loose and carefree, leading to inconsistent but mostly good play

Weaknesses

Your carefree attitude can backfire, especially with specific partners
Because you don't care to learn technique or strategy, your game is very inconsistent

Your favorite shot(s)

The middle roll shot
Accidental lobs that somehow stay within the baseline
Net cord winners

Your least favorite shot(s)

The one your partner wants you to hit

How you win most games

Wins and losses? Pssh. "Who's buying the beer?"

How you lose most games

See above.

Your ideal partner(s)

The Hero
The Magician
The Joker
The Creator
The Banger

Pros you should watch

Jack Sock
Lea Jansen
JW Johnson
Tina Pisnik

The Joker

It's not that you don't know how to play consistently or make good decisions; it's just that doing that every time is so boring. You're not trying to go pro, so you might as well have as much fun as possible.

Also, making frustrating other players counts as a win in your book.

Strengths

Your opponents underestimate your ability
You can be fun to play with (and hell to play against)

Weaknesses

You're typically inconsistent with your skill level – you can be a 4.0 one game and a 3.2 the next
Some will avoid playing with you

Your favorite shot(s)

Anything fun and different
Whatever makes you laugh

Your least favorite shot(s)

You're usually okay with anything

How you win most games

You don't, but that's okay. When you do, it's because you're on fire or your opponents just want to get off the court against you.

How you lose most games

How you play means you'll lose a lot – and you couldn't care less.

Your ideal partner(s)

The Rebel
Other Jokers
The Creator

Pros you should watch

Matt Wright
Riley Newman
Hayden Patriquin
Sam Querrey

Coach

You watch all the YouTube videos, have taken lessons, and know precisely what you (and your partner) should be doing on every play. If that partner would just listen to your advice, you'd never lose a match.

For the record, you're not an actual pickleball coach, but you're quite sure you could be.

Strengths

You know the game inside and out and watch game breakdowns by pros
Most of the time, your technique is flawless – or pretty darn close
You can identify your opponent's weakness and build a game plan to beat them

Weaknesses

Your knowledge of the game is at a 5.0+ level, but your actual skills are closer to 4.0
You can't help but correct your partner's poor play, and not everyone is open to that type of feedback on the court

Your favorite shot(s)

The "third shot drive, fifth shot drop" combo
Setting your partner up for a shake-n-bake

Your least favorite shot(s)

5th, 7th, or 9th shot drives

How you win most games

You win most by outsmarting your opponents, even if they are more technically skilled than you. Also, when your partner listens to your advice.

How you lose most games

Because your partner won't listen to you.

Your ideal partner(s)

The Hero
Mr/Ms Dependable
The Creator

Pros you should watch

Collin Johns
Lucy Kovalova
Jessie Irvine
Federico Staksrud

The Aggressor

You would never call yourself a negative person; you just don't like dealing with BS. So, you struggle to keep cool when you're stuck with a partner who can't hit a simple drive and drop, or your opponents ride a wave of lucky net cords and fluke shots.

You won't hesitate to tell a newbie they should play down a level.

Strengths

You come from a sports background that translates well on the pickleball court
You're physically fit thanks to a lifetime of competing
Your no-nonsense approach means you don't take a lot of risks

Weaknesses

Sometimes, your annoyance gets the best of you, and it shows in your play
You get upset when things aren't happening the way they "should"
If your partner is too far below your skill level, you just want the game to end

Your favorite shot(s)

Drives, overhead slams, and clean winners

Your least favorite shot(s)

Lucky ones

How you win most games

Thanks to your ultra-competitiveness, you rarely lose. Often, you overwhelm your opponents with aggression, which works really well at all levels.

How you lose most games

You don't adapt your game well enough to overcome highly-skilled opponents. You simply try to outwork them, which doesn't always end up in victory.

Your ideal partner(s)

The Banger
The Hero
Mr/Ms Dependable
Other Aggressors

Pros you should watch

Christian Alshon
Thomas Wilson
Gabriel Tardio
Anna Bright

The Magician

Somehow, you get to every ball and come up with some of the most amazing shots anyone has seen. ATPs are too easy for you. Tracking down that lob to hit a between-the-legs tweener? No sweat.

However, you can miss easy ones because you play too many low-percentage shots. Win or lose, you're always fun to watch.