🔥I’d Rather Play with a 3.0 Killer Than a 4.0 Pushover Any Day
- Tom Kiat
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
I’ve played with every kind of partner you can imagine.
The guy who treats a Saturday rec game like the finals of the PPA.
The woman who laughs off every mistake with an “Oopala!” while the score ticks further against us.
Let's not forget the self-proclaimed “4.0” who crumbles faster than a grocery store muffin the second things get tight.
If I’m choosing between a hungry, scrappy 3.0 and a soft, comfort zone 4.0?
Give me the 3.0 every time.
Ratings measure skill.
Hunger measures heart.
You can teach footwork, shot selection, and paddle angles.
You can’t teach someone to care.
And in pickleball, just like in life, the one who wants it more often wins, even against “better” players on paper.
Effort Covers a Lot of Flaws
A hungry 3.0 will dive for a save, fight to get to the kitchen, and keep the rally alive when it should’ve been over. That kind of relentless energy rattles opponents. It turns “easy” points into battles and it often forces better players into mistakes.
Hunger Fuels Improvement
A 3.0 killer isn’t satisfied with being a 3.0. They’re looking for holes in their game, asking for feedback, and showing up early to drill.
Meanwhile, a complacent 4.0 is polishing the same game they’ve had for years.
Hunger Builds Mental Toughness
When the game’s on the line, hunger keeps you swinging.
A 3.0 killer will step up and take the shot. A 4.0 pushover will shove the ball back safely and pray the other guy makes a mistake.
One is playing to win. The other is playing not to lose.
In practice, put yourself in “game point” situations over and over. Take the aggressive, smart shot, even if you miss. Build the nerve now so you have it when it matters.
Ratings are just numbers.
They can be inflated. They can be wrong. They can be manipulated.
Hunger?
That’s obvious the moment you watch someone play. You see it in the way they chase down every ball, the way they stay locked in between points, the way they treat every rally like it’s the last one of the day.
If I’m building a team, I’ll take hunger over a hollow rating every single time.
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