🔥No One Respects the 3.5 Player Who Acts Like a 5.0
- Tom Kiat
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
Let’s talk about the guy, or gal, who struts onto the court like they’re about to play center court at the US Open.
They’ve got the latest paddle, the matching outfit, the sunglasses that scream “I’m sponsored” (spoiler: they’re not),
The game starts….....and the first dink sails into the net.
The Problem?
You’re a 3.5 player acting like a 5.0.
It’s not the 3.5 part that’s the problem, it’s the acting.
Pickleball respects authenticity.
If you’re grinding, learning, taking losses on the chin and drilling your weaknesses? People will root for you.
If you swagger around like you’ve “arrived” while making rookie errors? Everyone notices and nobody’s impressed.
Wanna Earn Respect?
1. Respect Comes From Work, Not Wardrobe
A $250 paddle won’t fix your third shot drop. You could play with a cutting board and still beat most rec players if your fundamentals are sharp.
Stop hiding behind gear. Start working on the shots that actually matter.
2. Your Game Tape Doesn’t Lie
If you’re a “self-proclaimed” 5.0 but you can’t represent yourself well in a legit tournament at that level, you’re not a 5.0. Period.
Your friends might feed your ego to avoid awkward conversations, but ratings are earned in pressure situations, not in “we’ll take it easy on you” rec games.
3. Act Your Level and Improve From There
Nobody hates the 3.5 who owns being a 3.5. They hate the one pretending to be a 5.0 and blaming the wind, the ball, or “bad bounces” for their losses.
If you want to get to 5.0, it starts by humbling yourself to play and lose at higher levels without excuses.
Pickleball has exploded so fast that the culture of earning your stripes is fading.
You can’t skip the grind. You can’t skip the drilling. You can’t skip the humility.
A real 5.0? They don’t need to tell you they’re a 5.0. You can see it in how they move, how they reset under pressure, and how they don’t take a single point for granted.
Stop acting. Start earning.
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