📍Quick Start

Each game you upload is analyzed across six key dimensions of performance:

Serve Return Offense

Defense Consistency Agility

Together, these sub-ratings form your overall PB Vision score, offering a deeper look at how you played, not simply whether you won.

👀 What Is A Player Skill Rating?

Your PB Vision skill rating reflects how you played, not whether you won. It’s calculated from dozens of performance signals that capture things like movement speed, shot quality, error rate, positioning, and other indicators of play quality. Ratings are currently available for doubles games only, with singles support planned for the future.

DUPR measures results (who won and by how much). PB Vision measures performance (how you played and what skills you demonstrated). Both use the same 2.0–8.0 scale but represent different perspectives. A difference between your DUPR and PB Vision rating doesn’t mean either is wrong. DUPR is outcome-based, while PB Vision isolates your performance within each video. As you upload more representative games, the two ratings often align over time.

At amateur levels (2.0–5.0), physical skills like movement and shot quality have the biggest impact. At higher levels, subtle differences in strategy and shot selection matter more. Ratings currently cap at 5.5, which reflects the upper limit of what our model can confidently assess.

Treat your PB Vision rating as a progress tracker, not a replacement for DUPR. Use it to measure improvement from game to game and to see how you stack up against your partner and opponents. For the best accuracy, upload a mix of wins, losses, and close matches. Ratings become more precise the more games you’re tagged in, and natural variation between games is completely normal.

Below you’ll find explanations of each skill rating, what we measure, and how to improve them.

Serve Skill

Your serve skill reflects how effectively you start each point. PB Vision evaluates your serves based on speed, depth, placement variety, and fault rate. We also consider how challenging your serves are to return. Serves that consistently force weaker returns contribute to a higher rating.

We measure:

• Percentage of legal serves

• Depth and speed of serves

• Variety in placement and pace

• How often your serves create an advantage in the rally

How to improve your serve rating:

• Keep serves consistently in play

• Aim for deeper placement near the baseline

• Mix up speeds, spins, and targets to stay unpredictable

• Develop one or two “weapon” serves that regularly put opponents on defense

Return Skill

Your return skill reflects how well you neutralize the opponent’s serve and set up your team for success. PB Vision evaluates the depth, speed, and placement quality of your returns, as well as your fault rate. We also look at the quality of your opponent’s third shot—tougher returns that limit their attack contribute to a higher rating.

We measure:

• Frequency of return faults

• Depth, speed, and hang time of returns

• How effectively your returns make the opponent’s third shot more difficult

How to improve your return rating:

• Aim for deep returns that keep opponents from attacking early

• Add pace or spin when possible to increase pressure

• Reduce unforced errors on returns

• Place returns strategically to force weaker third shots

Offense Skill

Your offensive skill reflects how effectively you create and capitalize on attacking opportunities. PB Vision evaluates the quality of your aggressive shots, how often you speed up play, and how successful those attacks are—both in winning rallies and forcing opponents to retreat or make mistakes.

We measure:

• Frequency of attacking shots (speedups, drives, and put-aways)

• Shot speed, placement, and effectiveness

• How often your attacks lead to points or push opponents back

How to improve your offense rating:

• Look for smart opportunities to speed up play

• Place attacking shots where they’re hardest to defend

• Finish points cleanly and confidently at the net

Defense Skill

Your defensive skill reflects how well you handle pressure and turn defense into opportunity. PB Vision evaluates how often you’re pushed back, how effectively you reset rallies, and how quickly you recover position near the kitchen. Getting back into points (and winning them) after being on defense is a strong indicator of a high defensive rating.

We measure:

• Frequency and quality of resets and counterattacks

• Ability to recover and regain strong positioning after being pushed back

• Movement speed and control near the kitchen line

How to improve your defense rating:

• Practice consistent resets under pressure

• Stay balanced and recover quickly after defending

• Focus on neutralizing attacks and regaining control of the rally

Agility Skill

Your agility skill reflects how efficiently and precisely you move around the court. PB Vision evaluates your movement speed, footwork precision, and how quickly you transition between defensive and offensive positions. We also measure how consistently you reach the kitchen line early and maintain balance while hitting.

We measure:

• Movement speed (distance covered per second)

• How quickly you reach the kitchen line in serving and receiving roles

• Stability and control during shots

• How well you position yourself for a shot (we measure by tracking how far you have to travel to take a shot)

How to improve your agility rating (besides just getting younger):

• Focus on efficient footwork and controlled movement

• Anticipate and move early to reach the kitchen line faster

• Anticipate where an opponent is going to hit a ball based on your previous shot and move there

• Stay balanced and stable through every shot

Consistency Skill

Your consistency skill reflects how reliably you execute shots and limit unforced errors. PB Vision evaluates your overall fault rate, especially unforced errors, along with how steady your performance remains across multiple rallies. High consistency means maintaining your level of play under pressure and making smart, repeatable decisions.

We measure:

• Overall fault rate

• Unforced error rate

• Variability in rally outcomes or score swings

How to improve your consistency rating:

• Reduce unforced errors by focusing on high-percentage shots

• Make smart shot selections under pressure

• Practice repeating successful shot patterns

♾️ Lifetime Rating

The rating shown on your Profile page is driven by your 90 most recent games. The games are weighted as shown in the formula below. Your overall rating is driven by your most recent games, which have a greater affect on the rating shown than older games.

🙏 Special Thanks

We wanted to extend a huge THANK YOU to Wei Pua. Wei was kind enough to provide player ratings on hundreds of videos that have helped to make our automatic ratings system happen.

Wei is a pickleball coach based in Kamloops, BC. Originally from Singapore, he now calls Canada his second home. Formerly an engineer, he’s passionate about how technology can enhance pickleball, and in particular he’s excited about PBVision.

⁉️ Looking For More?

If you still have questions or run into issues, check out our Contact Us guide or email support@pb.vision.