A volley fed by a coach and a volley at 30-40 are different tasks. The USTA describes a 4.0 as using lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys "with success", and it also says that matches, and not strokes hit in a lesson, are the basis of a rating. So the question at this level is whether your shots show up when an opponent is trying to beat you.
This article sets out the USTA wording, gives you a check that compares your drill shots with your match shots, and deals with the impatience the USTA names at this level. For the whole scale, see our NTRP guide.
What the USTA expects from a 4.0 player
- Groundstrokes: dependable, with directional control and the ability to alter depth on forehand and backhand during moderately paced play.
- All-court shots: lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys used with success.
- Serve: occasionally forces errors. A dependable second serve is listed as a potential strength.
- Doubles: teamwork is evident.
- Decisions: may recognize chances to finish points, but points can be lost through impatience.
A USTA chart from 2008 adds more detail, though it is an older document. A 4.0 places both serves, often with power on the first, uses spin and has a dependable return. Backhand volleys can be directed but usually lack depth, and wide and low volleys are still developing. The player can put away easy overheads, poach in doubles, follow aggressive shots to the net, and lob defensively on difficult balls and offensively on set-ups.
Are you playing 4.0 tennis, or only hitting 4.0 shots in drills?
This two-part check is our suggestion, and it has no official score. Use it as evidence to read beside the USTA wording. Pick five shots: a deep forehand, a deep backhand, an approach shot followed by a volley, a lob and an overhead.
- Drill count. With a partner feeding or rallying, hit 10 of each shot. Count the ones that land where you meant them to. For the deep shots, that means past the service line.
- Match film. Film two practice sets against someone who wants to win. Our match review routine shows how to set this up.
- Match count. For the approach, lob and overhead, write down how many times you tried each shot and how many times it worked. Worked means you won the point or forced a weak reply. For depth, check the first 10 rally balls on each wing in each set.
- Compare. Put each shot into one row of the table below.
| What you find | What it suggests | What to practice |
|---|---|---|
| Low drill count | The shot itself needs work | Keep it in fed practice until it lands where you aim, then add movement |
| Good drill count, but few tries in the match | You avoid the shot when it counts | Practice sets with a rule that forces it, such as coming in after every short ball you attack |
| Good drill count and many tries, but few worked | The shot breaks down under pressure, or you choose the wrong ball for it | Check on video whether the ball was short enough, then play points that start from that situation |
| Tries and success stay close to your drill count | The USTA wording fits your match play for this shot | Move on to the next shot |
Some research supports more game-like practice, but the evidence is mixed. A 2007 review of skill learning in tennis said that repetitive hitting and unstructured play are both unlikely to get the most out of practice, and suggested more variable and random practice. A 1996 study of 83 undergraduates in tennis classes points another way for weaker players: low-skilled students did better with blocked practice, and high-skilled students showed no difference. A sensible reading is to keep some repetition and add live points as a shot improves. For more on this gap, read why you may play better in practice.
Impatience: the problem the USTA names at 4.0
The League guide says points may be lost due to impatience. The 2008 chart adds that a 4.0 is "not yet playing good percentage tennis" and may try too good a placement on a difficult shot. You can measure this from your film. For every point you lost on your own error in one set, pick one label:
- Too early: you attacked from a difficult ball, such as one on the run or one deep in your court.
- Right ball, missed: you attacked a short or easy ball and missed it.
- Neutral miss: you missed a rally ball with no attack in mind.
A high "too early" count points to shot choice. A high "right ball, missed" count points to execution, so practice your attacking shot with targets well inside the lines. A high "neutral miss" count points to rally margin. These labels are ours, and the USTA does not use them.
Two practice formats for patience
- Four-ball start. Neither player may attack until four balls in the point have landed past the service line. Play to 11. A miss before the fourth ball still loses the point.
- Earned attack set. Play a set in which you may attack only a ball that lands inside your service line. Every other reply goes cross-court or down the middle, past the service line. Count the points you win with an attack, and try to beat that count next time.
Signs you are near the edge of 4.0
- Closer to 3.5: your depth holds on one wing only, or lobs, overheads and approach shots rarely work in sets.
- Inside the 4.0 wording: you change depth on both wings in moderately paced play, you come in behind good approach shots, and your second serve holds up.
- Closer to 4.5: you change pace and spin on purpose, plan around strengths and weaknesses, and often win points off your serve or return. See what a 4.5 player does differently.
This list helps you read the wording. It cannot place you at a level.
Who decides whether you are a 4.0?
The USTA does. Its computer system compares each match score with what the dynamic ratings on court predicted, so you can lose a match and rise, or win one and fall. A strong drill count does nothing to that calculation, and a teaching pro's opinion cannot change it either.
If you are self-rating and torn between 4.0 and a neighboring level, the 2026 USTA League regulations direct you to the higher one.
The Progress tab in TennisAI, our video analysis app, shows an estimated NTRP that the app itself calls not official. The USTA calls numbers like this from third parties inaccurate as NTRP ratings, and they cannot support an appeal or a grievance. So treat that estimate as a personal reference, and never let it guide a self-rating or a league choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is 4.0 a strong level in tennis?
The USTA does not grade levels. It describes a 4.0 as controlling direction and depth on each wing in moderately paced rallies, and as using net and overhead shots with success, and the rating itself comes from match results.
What is the difference between a 4.0 and a 4.5 tennis player?
A 4.5 mixes pace and spin, covers the court effectively, plans around strengths and weaknesses, and pairs a first serve with power and accuracy with a second serve it can place. A 4.0 forces errors with the serve only occasionally and may lose points through impatience.
Does a 4.0 player need a kick serve?
None of the USTA descriptions we read name one. The 2008 chart says a 4.0 places both serves and uses spin, and the League guide lists a dependable second serve as a potential strength.
I hit every shot well in practice. Does that make me a 4.0?
Not on that evidence alone. The USTA says ratings come from matches, so what counts is how those shots work in scored play. Compare your drill and match counts to see where the gap is.
See this in your own game
Upload a practice or match video to TennisAI and get feedback on your forehand, backhand and serve.
Sources
- USTA League support (ACTIVE Network): League NTRP Rating Information
- USTA: NTRP Ratings Questions and Answers
- USTA: 2026 League National Regulations (copy hosted by USTA Eastern)
- USTA: National Tennis Rating Program chart, revised 2008 (hosted by Tennis Warehouse)
- Reid, Crespo, Lay and Berry: Skill acquisition in tennis, J Sci Med Sport 2007
- Hebert et al.: Practice schedule effects on low- and high-skilled students, Res Q Exerc Sport 1996
This article is general information about tennis training and does not replace a coach or medical advice. Stop and see a professional if something hurts. TennisAI is made by Pace, the publisher of this blog. TennisAI is not affiliated with USTA, UTR Sports, the ITF or any official tennis association. Rating systems change, so check the official sources for current rules.
