Hardest sport to play

[nondescriptive]

I'm sure you've all seen the HNIC ad/commercial where Brian Burke says that hockey is the hardest sport to play, "You've got to to what other athletes do but on skates and its full contact"

I tend to agree, more skills to learn: hockey players have to skate all out (cut left or right, spinarama, stop suddenly...etc), stick handle , be aware of position of opposing players, be able to shoot the puck into the top far corner of the net while on the fly, fight on skates....

Baseball- run , catch , throw and hit

Basketball- run, dribble and shoot

Soccer- run , dribble and kick

Football-run, hit, take a hit , catch and throw

 

[SkyRider]

I never played it but it seems like nude rugby is the hardest, or at least the most risky. These guys don't even wear protective cups.

 

[thewalker]

I'm sure you've all seen the HNIC ad/commercial where Brian Burke says that hockey is the hardest sport to play, "You've got to to what other athletes do but on skates and its full contact"

I tend to agree, more skills to learn: hockey players have to skate all out (cut left or right, spinarama, stop suddenly...etc), stick handle , be aware of position of opposing players, be able to shoot the puck into the top far corner of the net while on the fly, fight on skates....

Baseball- run , catch , throw and hit

Basketball- run, dribble and shoot

Soccer- run , dribble and kick

Football-run, hit, take a hit , catch and throw

I thought we were done with that gasbag on Toronto airwaves when he was canned.

Anyway, my opinion is hitting a 90-100 mile an hour baseball is both the scariest and most difficult thing to do in all of sports. But it is balanced out by the rest of baseball being pretty simple, just a lot of hanging out in the outfield and infield if the ball isn't hit to you, so does that make it the hardest sport to play, I don't know.

 

[shack]

Boxing is the toughest.

A brutal/primal contest.

 

[maurice93]

Many of hockey's skills are easier to perform on skates than on feet.

For example stickhandling and shooting.

 

[Ridgeman08]

Hardest sport to play? Or hardest sport to play WELL.

Its said that hitting a baseball is the hardest "thing" in sports to do... the best of the best do so effectively less than a 3rd of the time.

IMHO the hardest sport to do well is Golf.

 

[Keebler Elf]

And what do you mean by "hardest"?

Football destroys your body more than any of those other sports, including boxing (might lose your wits over time but your chances of blowing out a knee on any given day aren't nearly as high).

Baseball is more about the grind. It's "easier" on a game to game basis, except being able to hit a major league curveball or fastball.

I'd say basketball is one of the easier ones. But nothing is truly easy at the major league level.

 

[shack]

Hardest sport to play? Or hardest sport to play WELL.

Its said that hitting a baseball is the hardest "thing" in sports to do... the best of the best do so effectively less than a 3rd of the time.

I have read this many times and it is patently false.

Players hit the ball almost every at bat, not 25-35% of the time. Fly balls, groundouts, foul balls are all "hitting the baseball". Every time bat contacts the ball it has been hit.

Getting a base hit is something else. But hitting a baseball is quite routine.

Ted Williams was very wrong.

 

[SexyFriendsTO]

I have read this many times and it is patently false.

Players hit the ball almost every at bat, not 25-35% of the time. Fly balls, groundouts, foul balls are all "hitting the baseball". Every time bat contacts the ball it has been hit.

Getting a base hit is something else. But hitting a baseball is quite routine.

Ted Williams was very wrong.

Mountain biking can be very challenging and dangerous especially Downhill and Freeride competitions.

 

[Celticman]

I boxed (ABA) in the UK from the age of 6 to 20. It was not the only sport that competed in, but I always found boxing, especially a tough fight, to be extremely hard both physically and mentally, especially the latter.

Boxing is the toughest.

A brutal/primal contest.

 

[K Douglas]

As one who has played many sports from ice hockey to soccer to volleyball I'd say the toughest sport for me to pick up is golf. Finding consistency is such a challenge.
But out of all the major sports I'd say American football is the toughest to play. In particular the QB position.

 

[Yoga Face]

I boxed (ABA) in the UK from the age of 6 to 20. It was not the only sport that competed in, but I always found boxing, especially a tough fight, to be extremely hard both physically and mentally, especially the latter.

What is the mental part? figuring out opponent or never quitting ?

I would never box because of potential damage to body esp brain - seems a foolish thing to do

I heard cricket can be tough as they use no protection or gloves in the field and ball moves fast

 

[Yoga Face]

I'd say the toughest sport for me to pick up is golf. Finding consistency is such a challenge.

agree. one day all your shots are straight next day nothing goes right - WTF?

ever shank one? (ball hits shaft and flies at right angles)

Once you do it you are afraid to take another swing

I have seen it happen on the LPGA - I followed her around and it was amazing to watch, every other shot from this pro was a shank, she could not stop the shank and even shanked a chip. She would use a wood instead of a iron (cannot shank a wood) just to finish round and go home


the key in sports is to reduce the moving parts to minimum so they are repeatable

 

[janus]

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

I'm trying to figure out why boxing ranks so low on the analytic aptitude scale.

 

[franci]

Many of hockey's skills are easier to perform on skates than on feet.

For example stickhandling and shooting.

Exactly how much Ice Hockey have you played?

Neither of those is easier on the ice. Especially shooting.

 

[franci]

The question should really read "Which sport is the hardest to play well?" Almost everyone can play a sport poorly regardless of what it is.

 

[Boss Nass]

Ferret legging, no contest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret-legging

 

[thumper18474]

Rochambeau...current world champion is
Iron balls mcgillicutty...Still undefeated:yo:

 

[maurice93]

Exactly how much Ice Hockey have you played?

Neither of those is easier on the ice. Especially shooting.

Any advanced dekes or handling the puck is easier while moving on skates. Similarly, taking a shot is much easier when you can glide into it (which is much smoother than running).

Accuracy is probably easier off skates.

So I guess if you are a not a great skater than yes it may be harder. But if you are a good skater many things are easier to accomplish on skates than feet.

 

[franci]

Any advanced dekes or handling the puck is easier while moving on skates. Similarly, taking a shot is much easier when you can glide into it (which is much smoother than running).

Accuracy is probably easier off skates.

So I guess if you are a not a great skater than yes it may be harder. But if you are a good skater many things are easier to accomplish on skates than feet.

I'm an excellent skater and I've played at a pretty high level in my day. Now I spend my time watching my son play.

Next time place four targets in each corner of the net and try hitting them both on and off skates and tell me what is easier.

Anyone can shoot a puck. It's accuracy that counts. As for dekes, there is more resistance with a puck on the ice than there is with a ball on the ground. Unless you are talking about using a puck off ice.