Wathced a few 4.5 and 5.0 teams

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
5.0- every player is damn good !! I mean really really good.No surprise. They all seemed to get along well and probably have played each other hundreds of times. They all seemed like friends just hanging out.

4.5 - 1 singles is excellent player and 1 and 2 doubles looked very tough and solid.
However, there was a huge drop off at both 2 singles and 3 doubles. Maybe only slightly better than 1 singles on 4.0 and 1 doubles on 4.0.
Players seem to have more attitude and were crazy about winning than 5.0 ( in a way). Saw more emotions and temper.

There is a big difference between strong 4.5 and weak 4.5. I have can play most lower 4.5's pretty evenly but the stronger 4.5 players are well. WAY TOO STRONG FOR ME. And the stronger 4.5 are below the weaker 5.0

Interesting.

Also noticed half of the 4.5 doubles guys were out of shape but played very well. I assume most were ex-singles guy that switched to doubles at some point.
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
I play 4.0 USTA , which is fun because you know every player has a major weakness. IF one guy is serving bombs then he probably cannot hit a backhand to save his life. If he has a mega forehand then his serve is probably a joke.
That is what is fun about 4.0 because everybody has one major weak spot you dont see at 4.5
5.0 players unlike 4.5 can hit multiple big shots off many shots.
 

damazing

Rookie
Definitely within all of the levels there is a spectrum of abilities with the lower end of each level having weaknesses that the top of the level does not. My experience playing 5.0 players is that they would rarely make shot mistakes on any ball that isn't forcing. To win points against the 5.0 guys I've played required a very attacking style.
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
Seems the gap is far bigger from low 4.5 to high 4.5 than anybody in the 5.0 level.

That makes sense.
You 5.0 guys have to play open division!!!
 

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
5.0- every player is damn good !! I mean really really good.No surprise. They all seemed to get along well and probably have played each other hundreds of times. They all seemed like friends just hanging out.

4.5 - 1 singles is excellent player and 1 and 2 doubles looked very tough and solid.
However, there was a huge drop off at both 2 singles and 3 doubles. Maybe only slightly better than 1 singles on 4.0 and 1 doubles on 4.0.
Players seem to have more attitude and were crazy about winning than 5.0 ( in a way). Saw more emotions and temper.

There is a big difference between strong 4.5 and weak 4.5. I have can play most lower 4.5's pretty evenly but the stronger 4.5 players are well. WAY TOO STRONG FOR ME. And the stronger 4.5 are below the weaker 5.0

Interesting.

Also noticed half of the 4.5 doubles guys were out of shape but played very well. I assume most were ex-singles guy that switched to doubles at some point.
there is a lot of Arrogance going around in 4.5 leagues......Foolish and undeserved Arrogance. Some of these fools think they are better than they really are. and they are actually only borderline 4.5(like upper 4.0) so they have this inferiority complex, you see.... so they try to cover it up by acting in Arrogance. Very very foolish. Borderline 5.0 players like myself see right thru this and laugh inside.......LOL
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
there is a lot of Arrogance going around in 4.5 leagues......Foolish and undeserved Arrogance. Some of these fools think they are better than they really are. and they are actually only borderline 4.5(like upper 4.0) so they have this inferiority complex, you see.... so they try to cover it up by acting in Arrogance. Very very foolish. Borderline 5.0 players like myself see right thru this and laugh inside.......LOL

Yes I am strong 4.0 to weak 4.5 and I see it all the time. Many of these players think they are much better than they are and some can have big tempers on the court. I see the most yelling in the 4.5 divisions rather than the higher and lower ones.
The 5.0 guys ( who never play with me) all seem happy and relaxed because they know they are good and have nothing to prove and many of them played college tennis.
 

J_R_B

Hall of Fame
there is a lot of Arrogance going around in 4.5 leagues......Foolish and undeserved Arrogance. Some of these fools think they are better than they really are. and they are actually only borderline 4.5(like upper 4.0) so they have this inferiority complex, you see.... so they try to cover it up by acting in Arrogance. Very very foolish. Borderline 5.0 players like myself see right thru this and laugh inside.......LOL
I am a low level 4.5 and I'm well aware that I suck.
 

NLBwell

Legend
5.0- every player is damn good !! I mean really really good.No surprise. They all seemed to get along well and probably have played each other hundreds of times. They all seemed like friends just hanging out.

The 5.0 guys probably all played juniors and/or college, where the matches actually did mean something. Playing 5.0 after that is for fun. They probably do all know each other and have been playing each other for years. There may a few long-standing feuds, but generally, it is a small circle with a good camaraderie.
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
I've found, that after playing high level college, no one pays attention to NTRP, and only pay more attention to ranking and/or tournament results.
They become "5.0" because that's the only league they can play in...
"5.0" becomes a blanket rating for anyone good not playing futures.
Occasionally I'll hear a good player say they are 5.5, but only because they got bumped up and kicked out of the 5.0 league (and now have nowhere to play) :p
 

West Coast Ace

G.O.A.T.
Low level 4.5 is still somewhere in the 90th percentile of USTA players. I'd say that's pretty good.
Agree 100%. Most people who take up the game and aren't very athletic or don't have rich parents to pour $$$$ into lessons will be very lucky to get to 4.5. 3.5 and 4.0 are the catch-alls (for those who've taken some Statistics, the fat majority of the Bell Curve) for most people who ever pick up a racquet.
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
I have watched many lower 4.5 that were not that good and who played on 4.5 teams that I would beat.
In fact, I play with many of them and I can beat them, usually. Even through its close

Now Strong 4.5 players is a totally different level than those weak 4.5 guys.
Seems a huge drop off from 1 singles to 2 singles on 4.5 and 1 and 2 doubles to 3 doubles.

5.0 has everybody GREAT
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I have watched many lower 4.5 that were not that good and who played on 4.5 teams that I would beat.
In fact, I play with many of them and I can beat them, usually. Even through its close

Now Strong 4.5 players is a totally different level than those weak 4.5 guys.
Seems a huge drop off from 1 singles to 2 singles on 4.5 and 1 and 2 doubles to 3 doubles.

Maybe this means you're not a weak 4.5 but stronger than you think.
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
Maybe this means you're not a weak 4.5 but stronger than you think.

Lol
the stronger 4.5 guys would beat me !!! The strong 4.0 are similar to weak 4.5 is all I am saying

I am very consistent and can hit 20 balls in a row and I have good speed still and I am very grinding style despite a messy serve
 

dgold44

G.O.A.T.
But serve has gone up from 3.5 to 4.0 and I will get it up another final level as I am trying very hard

I am happy to just one day be an average 4.5 and my goal is by summer
 
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