Need to Raise Your DUPR Rating? Here are 4 Tips

For some of the best pancakes in Los Angeles, head to Du-Par’s. For some of the most accurate pickleball ratings in the world, you might be better off with DUPR.

What is DUPR?

The slightly word-soupy Dynamic Universal Pickleball Ratings (DUPR) system assigns each player a score on a scale from 2.0 to 8.0. For context, the highest rated player in the world right now according to DUPR is Ben Johns with a 7.16. Anyone ranked between a 2.0 and 2.99 is considered a novice, a 3.0 to 3.99 is considered intermediate, while scores of 4.0 to 4.99 earn you the "advanced" title and anything higher means your playing at a professional level. Ratings are automatically calculated from the score of any match entered in their database, meaning you could have a score without even knowing it (find yours at Experian or FreeScore.com). Tournaments often use DUPR scores to sort players into different skill-level brackets, and some even have a minimum rating required to enter. All that is to say, your DUPR score is SUPR important.

How Ratings Are Calculated

The DUPR system uses three criteria to calculate ratings: match result, opponent’s rating and type of match (tournament play, league match play, rec play, etc.). Essentially, the formula weighs what it would expect your result to be against someone with your opponent’s ratings, compares it to the actual result, and adjusts your result accordingly – with more weight being given to tournament and league matches.

So how do you improve your rating? Here are a few tips:

Sign-up for Leagues & Tournaments

If you feel like your game has improved lately but your score doesn’t reflect that, the easiest way to improve your rating is to sign-up for leagues and tournaments. Participating in tournament matches is favored by DUPR. Win, or place, in a few tournaments and your DUPR rating will reflect your new skill level in no time.

Play Doubles with a Strong Partner

DUPR takes your partner’s rating into account, but if you can consistently win doubles matches against opponents who are rated higher than you, your rating will go up anyway. Find a doubles partner good enough to carry your team, but not rated so highly that the algorithm attributes the win entirely to your partner, and you should see your score soar.

Play Opponents Slightly Better Than You – If You’re Up To It

Since the formula takes opponents ratings into account, holding your own against stronger opponents will raise your rating. Even if you lose at first, you should get used to the skill level of your opponents and slowly start to make the games close. But there is a catch. Lose games more frequently or by wider margins than their algorithm would expect, and your rating will go down. If your think you’re ready to take a step up, this is a great way to get your rating to reflect that. Just don’t get too cocky.

Improve Your Game

The bottom line is that the DUPR system is really accurate. It takes into account what feels like every factor imaginable so there isn’t really an easy way to cheat the system. Sure it might be a cop-out answer, but the best way to improve your rating is to get better. Practice, prove yourself on the court, and it will show in your DUPR rating. Then head to Du-Par’s - or the nearest IHOP - for some pancakes to celebrate.