Every level is a handful of counts — makes out of attempts. You hit the number or you don't. No coach ever tells you you're "getting there."
Find My LevelIt's encouragement. It can't be checked, compared, or worked toward. So we don't use it. We use numbers a nine-year-old can read off a sheet.
"7 of 10 rallies reach ten shots." Either it happened or it didn't. Two coaches watching get the same answer.
Fifteen minutes of a normal lesson, whenever your coach says you're ready. There is no test day and nothing extra to pay.
Your coach scores it. A reviewer confirms it before your rank moves. A coach's number alone never promotes anyone.
Nine levels. Ace 1 to 3 builds the game on shorter courts and slower balls. From Ace 4 it's the yellow ball and a full court, and every level from there lines up with a USTA NTRP band — so "Ace 6" translates to "a 3.5" in one sentence, at any club in the country.
No hidden criteria, no opinion. Four counts, all four in the same session, scored while you play. Miss one and you keep your level and go again in 30 days.
Same nine levels, same standard. What changes is the ball, the court size and what you get when you move up. Your coach puts you on the right one in your first hour — you don't have to work it out.
Children start on a shorter court with a slower ball, so they rally properly in week one instead of chasing. Reaching Ace 4 means graduating to the full court and the yellow ball — the biggest moment on the ladder. Every level earns a coloured wristband, handed over at a monthly community event, and a progress note goes home after every check.
Best for: anyone under 18, from a first-ever lesson to a tournament player.
No kids' equipment and no coloured bands. Adults are placed at whatever level they actually play at — most walk straight in at Ace 4 or 5 — and climb from bronze to black. Between levels you get a countdown instead of a pep talk: "four more makes and you're an Ace 5."
Best for: complete beginners, anyone coming back after years off, and league players who want a number they can defend.
Your first session doubles as your placement. Included — no extra fee, no extra hour.