A stone on the 4-4 point strikes a balance between influencing the center and defending the corner. It isn't as secure, territorially, as the 3-4 or 3-3 opening.

One could say the 4-4 point doesn't defend the corner at all, rather it defends the center and sides from the corner. To illustrate, an unsupported 3-3 invasion under the star point inevitably takes the corner, but gets sealed in on all sides.