Most Difficult Sport

[GoaLaSSo]

I think that gymnastics is certainly crazy hard, but I don't think I would agree it is the hardest. I place a lot of value on sports where you are directly competing against others, not where you are only competing against scores and yourself. Although many will not agree, sports like tennis, squash, boxing, football (American and not), etc. are very uncomfortable sports where competitors must account for more variables and adapt. In sports like golf, track events, swimming, and gymnastics your performance is not affected by other competitors to the same degree. I also favor sports that combine technical ability and athleticism, rather than only needing one.

I'm no expert and the above is just personal opinion. I don't think there is any real way to claim that a certain sport is harder than another with all the different opinions on what makes a sport hard.

 

[Hollywood401k]

I like how Steer Wrestling is less frightening than Boxing according to ESPN writers. Being punched in the face =/= Being gored.

Their Agility scale is about the only metric that seems actually to consider 'skill'. And I think they did a decent job grading that. The other metrics are mostly redundant and purchasable with diet & exercise alone.

 

[insideguy]

I like how Steer Wrestling is less frightening than Boxing according to ESPN writers. Being punched in the face =/= Being gored.

Hell Rodeo in general is nuts. Riding a bull is just plain insane.

 

[SublimeTennis]

If you guys are like me, we've all experienced playing a tennis match under a broiling sun for two or three hours, desperately wanting it to end but not giving up. Tennis can be a brutal sport. More than most non-tennis people realize. I've always wondered where tennis would rank in the terms of toughness or difficulty.
I came across an ESPN "study" that they put out a few years ago and it categorized ten attributes needed in a sport and their "experts" ranked 60 sports to try and determine what the most difficult sport was.
Nothing like this is ever perfect or without flaws but it does make for some interesting conversation. Tennis came in at No. 7 but it was ranked ahead of soccer and baseball. It's been a few years since they did this so maybe it's time for another try.

Most Difficult Sport

Nothing is close to boxing. I used to box. It's like playing a grueling tennis match with no break and someone hitting you in the head and body.

 

[Kirijax]

Nothing is close to boxing. I used to box. It's like playing a grueling tennis match with no break and someone hitting you in the head and body.

True, boxing is a whole different thing. You might not even be able to call it a sport. Brutal.

 

[Fugazi]

I'd put squash #2 after boxing, racquetball is nothing like squash

Indeed, squash is brutal, much more so than tennis. But it's not always easy to tell unless you become pretty good at it or you watch it live, especially at a high level. Brutal.

 

[Fugazi]

True, boxing is a whole different thing. You might not even be able to call it a sport. Brutal.

lol We ended our two consecutive posts with "Brutal.", and I swear it's a coincidence! Hilarious.

 

[SublimeTennis]

True, boxing is a whole different thing. You might not even be able to call it a sport. Brutal.

Yea looking back I can't believe I would do that. I mean the goal is to make your opponent unconscious. Yea not really a sport, I agree.

 

[Kirijax]

lol We ended our two consecutive posts with "Brutal.", and I swear it's a coincidence! Hilarious.

Haha. Are you my long lost twin that I'm subconsciously connected to?

 

[Dharmaboy]

I think they say being an ice hockey goalie in the pro leagues is one of the toughest most dangerous positions to play in sports.

 

[Bobby Jr]

I think they say being an ice hockey goalie in the pro leagues is one of the toughest most dangerous positions to play in sports.

Isn't like basically every inch of their body covered in padding?

Try being a loose forward in rugby union, especially the openside flanker.

 

[Fugazi]

Haha. Are you my long lost twin that I'm subconsciously connected to?

Who knows!

 

[Fugazi]

I think they say being an ice hockey goalie in the pro leagues is one of the toughest most dangerous positions to play in sports.

Haha you're clearly not from North America or Europe! Am I wrong? Being a hockey goalie is quite safe, by far the safest position in hockey.

 

[adil1972]

each sport is difficult in its own

 

[TERRASTAR18]

Yea looking back I can't believe I would do that. I mean the goal is to make your opponent unconscious. Yea not really a sport, I agree.

no it isn't.

 

[Kirijax]

each sport is difficult in its own

I think the goal of this "study" was to determine which sport requires the most out of an athlete. Impossible to correctly gauge but a nice effort. Better than anything else I've come across.

 

[Chanwan]

If you guys are like me, we've all experienced playing a tennis match under a broiling sun for two or three hours, desperately wanting it to end but not giving up. Tennis can be a brutal sport. More than most non-tennis people realize. I've always wondered where tennis would rank in the terms of toughness or difficulty.
I came across an ESPN "study" that they put out a few years ago and it categorized ten attributes needed in a sport and their "experts" ranked 60 sports to try and determine what the most difficult sport was.
Nothing like this is ever perfect or without flaws but it does make for some interesting conversation. Tennis came in at No. 7 but it was ranked ahead of soccer and baseball. It's been a few years since they did this so maybe it's time for another try.

Most Difficult Sport

I would be very surprised not to find tennis ahead of baseball. No offense, but isn't it pretty much like cricket - just twisted a bit to the American audience?

 

[*Sparkle*]

Sorry. I don't understand how Gymnastics is NOT the most difficult sport.

You need to be incredibly fit and have supreme control of your body, but there isn't much in the way of tactics, and you can plan your routines well in advance of a competition and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

It's all a question of how much weight you give to these different factors.

I don't get the argument that a sport is hard because you get hit a lot and are a physical wreck by the end of the season. Is a mugging victim the ultimate athlete?

 

[rufus_smith]

Boxing got a much too high a score for foot speed or it wouldn't be number 1. You don't hardly need any running speed for boxing except to run out of the ring as fast as possible. Tennis would be even higher rated except it had a low NERVE score (The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumped) . Interesting idea.

 

[LeeD]

High penalty risk counts for something.
Surfing.
Motocross
Motorcycle road racing.

 

[Bdarb]

This is such a dumb question. All sports at a certain level are tremendously difficult. If you don't think so, take the best player from any sport and throw them in a professional league of any other, nearly all athletes could not compete at this level. Probably 99.9%.

If tennis is harder than hockey ask Roger to take an open ice hit from Chara, and vice versa, if tennis is easier, ask crosby to hit 120 in the service box. Its not apples and oranges so much as it is apples and snorkels. Its not comparable what so ever.

 

[Kirijax]

Boxing got a much too high a score for foot speed or it wouldn't be number 1. You don't hardly need any running speed for boxing except to run out of the ring as fast as possible. Tennis would be even higher rated except it had a low NERVE score (The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumped) . Interesting idea.

I thought Tennis got low of a score for nerve. Final set tiebreak, you're down 5-6 and you're getting ready to hit a second serve. It takes a LOT of nerve. That spot right there is what separates the champions from the wannabes.

 

[Indio]

Free solo climbing. It's probably not a true sport, but it's definitely an athletic activity. Make a mistake and die.

 

[LeeD]

Stunt plane flying?

 

[OddJack]

I also think solo climbing is more difficult than boxing, and it also is an sport.

 

[Russeljones]

Biathlon seems hard. Difficult question. Decathlon?

 

[Dan Z]

Amazed badminton isnt on that list - its FAR more physically demanding than tennis (though perhaps not as mentally demanding as its so much more reflex dependant)

 

[tlm]

Ice Hockey at No.2 ???

How dafuq did they justify that??

MMA/ UFC should be No.1 imo

A bunch of meatheads pounding the crap out of each other is not a sport. Any type of fighting wether it is wrestling boxing or whatever is fighting plain and simple.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Amazed badminton isnt on that list - its FAR more physically demanding than tennis (though perhaps not as mentally demanding as its so much more reflex dependant)

Highly debatable call.

 

[Sid_Vicious]

Highly debatable call.

Agreed.

Someone also mentioned squash as being tougher than tennis. Completely disagree. How can a sport in which a guy wins 555 consecutive matches over the course of 5 years be the most difficult sport?

 

[Dan Z]

Highly debatable call.

perhaps but a top of his game badminton player is in a considerably higher state of physical fitness and all round strength than your equivalent tennis player.
it's documented wear and tear on players bodies that skewers it.

 

[Bobby Jr]

perhaps but a top of his game badminton player is in a considerably higher state of physical fitness and all round strength than your equivalent tennis player.

Yeah, the movements in badminton are much shorter so require a different kind of fitness - as does squash which is brutally hard - but the duration of tennis matches is longer then in badminton (as an aside, the tactical and technical aspects of badminton pail in comparison to tennis).

it's documented wear and tear on players bodies that skewers it.

Documented where?

 

[jeebeesus]

difficulty is ranked by how easy a person can pick up the sport.

an ordinary person can just pick up a badminton racket first and easily carry on a rally. ditto for table tennis

boxing , hockey and running

but not the same for game like tennis

 

[Bdarb]

Hahahahah yeah jeebersus, anyone can just pick up hockey.. Unless you don't know how to skate in which case standing is difficult, let alone moving.

 

[SublimeTennis]

no it isn't.

Uh, yes it is. I boxed from 15-23 and off and on had 30 amateur fights. Yes you can and will take a fight on points, but everything is geared towards making your opponent fall asleep

If you don't know that you simply don't have a clue about boxing.

 

[jeebeesus]

Hahahahah yeah jeebersus, anyone can just pick up hockey.. Unless you don't know how to skate in which case standing is difficult, let alone moving.

yeah that is so true ., ice hockey is like two sports in one , but there is also hockey played on grass

 

[Bdarb]

yeah that is so true ., ice hockey is like two sports in one , but there is also hockey played on grass

field hockey is generally reserved for women in America, though I've seen international men's teams on television briefly that looked intriguing. I don't mean to sound sexist but girls field hockey is about the dullest spectator sport there is period. And where I went to school, our team was like 53-0, over three seasons of undefeated field hockey... I went to one game, you couldn't pay me to go back lol.

my only point really, is that to compare hockey to running and boxing is absolutely ludicrous. Its a very complex game and... it's played on ice ffs.. lol

 

[magnut]

bull riding is the most difficult. lots of sports are difficult but bull riding takes it to another level. Your basically throwing a wild, ****ed off animal that can easily kill you into a competitive environment. Rodeo stars are not dumb cowboys like some people think. they are tremendously skilled athletes that are very intelligent at what they do. they are a little crazy though IMO.

Tennis maybe one of the most diverse though in terms of difficulty due to many different aspects IE. physical, mental, tactical, and the fact that your opponent can really screw you up. there is also no clock in tennis. a match could literally go on forever if both players were up to it.

 

[bigred1910]

field hockey is generally reserved for women in America, though I've seen international men's teams on television briefly that looked intriguing. I don't mean to sound sexist but girls field hockey is about the dullest spectator sport there is period. And where I went to school, our team was like 53-0, over three seasons of undefeated field hockey... I went to one game, you couldn't pay me to go back lol.

my only point really, is that to compare hockey to running and boxing is absolutely ludicrous. Its a very complex game and... it's played on ice ffs.. lol

if you ever get the chance or you become bored enough look at the damage that ball can create, the damage it leaves imho is more potent than a puck not to mention theres no protective headwear except the goalie.

not saying its the hardest sport but its one of the most brutal non contact ones.

 

[Fugazi]

Hands down the most difficult sport: Extreme free solo climbing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX_rh8Qugt0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[oztennisfan]

soccer shouldn't be on that list, laughable its ahead of rugby.

 

[Kirijax]

Woud be interesting if they did a "playoff discussion" in each continent and the top ten sports from each area would then be discussed by an international panel. I think tennis would fare pretty good compared to baseball, rugby or cricket because it is one of the truly international sports.

 

[Bdarb]

It would be cool to see each country take their top ten athletes, and they have to compete against other athletes in sports that is not their own discipline. Could be a s*** show but it would probably be entertaining.

 

[GoaLaSSo]

soccer shouldn't be on that list, laughable its ahead of rugby.

more physical =/= more difficult

 

[Kirijax]

It's tough to gauge between individual sports and team sports as well. A tennis player is out there the whole time by himself, while a football player gets to sit down and have a nice drink and rubdown while the offense does their thing.

 

[Bobby Jr]

more physical =/= more difficult

I agree.

Soccer would undoubtedly require more cardio fitness and, for a few players, an extremely rare level of skill. Rugby on the other hand requires much more tactical nous, teamwork and strength.

The diversity of roles in rugby, like American football, is broader than in soccer so it's hard to compare them. We mostly hear about the key players who are the famous ones for good reason - they're the playmakers, geniuses and sheer talent of the bunch, as is the case in most team sports.

 

[ivan_the_terrible]

Why is it called American football when it's only rarely kicked and only because they absolutely must?

And why is it a Super Bowl and World Series and all that hyping. I don't get it.





(flame suit on)

 

[Russeljones]

Agreed.

Someone also mentioned squash as being tougher than tennis. Completely disagree. How can a sport in which a guy wins 555 consecutive matches over the course of 5 years be the most difficult sport?

You need to try it. On a purely physical level, it's way more demanding. Everything is in explosive spurts.

 

[tacou]

Why is it called American football when it's only rarely kicked and only because they absolutely must?

And why is it a Super Bowl and World Series and all that hyping. I don't get it.





(flame suit on)

What does this mean? The term "bowl game" is very common in football and other sports, so simply adding the word "Super" is not much hype. Same thing with world series..."Playoff series" is a well known term, this is the most important one in baseball.


As for this thread, I'm glad I'v gotten to the point in my life where I appreciate all sports, even the ones I don't find very interesting.

My two favorite sports are tennis and basketball. They can't really be compared, though I wager you run about the same in each.

 

[90's Clay]

I dont think ANYTHING is "difficult" when you have grown up playing it your entire life every day. Practice makes perfect as the saying goes. Most pro athletes at the top level had a TON of free time on their hands to learn their craft. If you had all that time to learn something as they do, you damn well better be good at it.. Regardless of what it is. You better master it.. And if you don't something is wrong. A lot of the pro tennis stars came from money, so they didn't have your standard responsibilities of having to become a responsible adult who worked the 9-5 support a family or had to get a job on the side to make it through school. Hell, when I was in school, a lot of these athletes didn't eve have to go to class. They just played their respective sports all day, and thats what they did