OT: ESPN ranks 60 sports from hardest to easiest.

[Bulldog04]

Re: golf, I'm trying to figure out the most tactful way to word this.

If a sport features elderly and overweight people playing it regularly, it's probably shouldn't be high on this list.

Have you ever watched how embarrassed some of the best athletes in the world get when they try to play golf? Ever seen lebron swing?

 

[721Comstock]

Have you ever watched how embarrassed some of the best athletes in the world get when they try to play golf? Ever seen lebron swing?

Golf is a skill.

Not a sport.

Let’s see John Daly play hoops.
Full court.

 

[Eric15]

Have you ever watched how embarrassed some of the best athletes in the world get when they try to play golf? Ever seen lebron swing?

I haven't personally seen Lebron swing a golf club. But intuitively I'm guessing it would be less embarrassing than if you subbed Rory McIlroy into an NBA game.

 

[jordoo]

I'd say a vast majority of golfers, (not pros) like 90% do not play by the rules and should be adding 10+ strokes to there scores. On a good course with legit length, following all the rules, holing out every putt maybe 5% are going to break 85 on a regular basis (probably less though). Most golfers are terrible at golf but don't realize how bad they actually are.

 

[Eric15]

For what its worth, this is a digitally unaltered stock photo of a totally random golfer.

 

[jordoo]

Golf is a skill.

Not a sport.

Let’s see John Daly play hoops.
Full court.

I'd call golf a leisure activity. In reality its simply the meditative exercise of staying out of your own way.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Re: golf, I'm trying to figure out the most tactful way to word this.

If a sport features elderly and overweight people playing it regularly, it's probably shouldn't be high on this list.

it's an insult to anyone who's ever picked up a golf club to rank it near bowling, curling, billiards, shooting and fishing. Say what you want about Daly and Stadler but they accomplished things at the highest level that only a limited amount of people who have ever golfed have done..

I think it's a lot harder to hit 500 golf balls everyday than to shoot 500 jump shots or free throws.

 

[Bulldog04]

I'd call golf a leisure activity. In reality its simply the meditative exercise of staying out of your own way.

Leisure activity? Then why are there scholarships and national champions for D1-D3 and juco ? I sound like such a 90 year old stubborn golfer lol

 

[Eric15]

it's an insult to anyone who's ever picked up a golf club to rank it near bowling, curling, billiards, shooting and fishing. Say what you want about Daly and Stadler but they accomplished things at the highest level that only a limited amount of people have who have ever golfed have done..

I think it's a lot harder to hit 500 golf balls everyday than to shoot 500 jump shots or free throws.

I'll say something nice about golf now. It should be ahead of the following:

-rodeo (which honestly should be illegal in 2024, wrestling calves to the ground and tying them up is ridiculous)
-auto racing
-horse racing
-probably badminton and table tennis also

 

[dollarbill44]

Well the list was not compiled by one person and Boxing was #1 and wrestling was #5

Well, anyone can box or wrestle. It doesn't take much effort to get knocked out or to lie on your back on a mat. Being good at them is a different discussion.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

For what its worth, this is a digitally unaltered stock photo of a totally random golfer.

View attachment 244796

The key to a good swing is to activate your glutes. LOL!!!

Why Strong Glutes Are the Key to a Stable Golf Swing

Hit better shots and reduce injury risk by engaging your largest muscle group.

www.tonal.com

 

[jordoo]

Leisure activity? Then why are there scholarships and national champions for D1-D3 and juco ? I sound like such a 90 year old stubborn golfer lol

To be good at golf you still need talent and athletic ability but its an activity to me rather than a sport. Not dissing it though. Its one of the hardest activities to be capable at let alone good.

 

[Tango32]

It’s not that much more difficult than gym class floor hockey on ice. Surprisingly not hard on the body either to play as an adult vs soccer or tackle football.

I can attest 1st hand when comparing to other sports Ive played and now son plays, it is insanely difficult and requires an ungodly time commitment to be remotley competitive,100% it belongs at the top of the list.

 

[richard levy]

At an elite level, all of the listed sports are played on a different planet than the one i live on. Even watching Ping Pong in the Olympics. It hardly resembles the game i used to play in my basement or in my college frat house. I was a mediocre wrestler in high school. I wrestled a college level wrestler who broke me. He told me he wrestled an Olympic wrestler, Lloyd Keaser who broke him. I play a lot of pickleball, and I do believe i could score a point against a major league pickleball player.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Nah I don't agree with most of this.

I'm an expert at skiing to the point where its too easy and nowhere near enough challenge regardless of how steep and if I hike to something crazy in the alps or wherever. I miss snowboarding for a challenge where I'm more of an intermediate but the falls are very violent and one smashed my shoulder and I can't be walking around in a sling for months again. Don't get me wrong I love skiing its just not hard to be an expert at all with modern equipment.

I'm terrible at fishing and haven't caught a single fish on my boat 2 summers in. Was out drifting and reading a book and I got a legit bite out nowhere yesterday. I was in 50 feet of water so it couldn't have been weeds or whatever on the hook. Nothing crazy like a shark or tuna but would have been big I faught it for 3-4 minutes and the line snapped. I think maybe I screwed up and tied the leader/spindle/hook wrong. Wish I at least got a look at the thing. Will almost certainly end the year on zero. Closest I've come by far. I don't even want to invite anyone to put rods in together bc I'm so ashamed and embarrassed at how much I suck at it I just cruise and drink with friends. Might hire a guide. I can't believe that is the easiest I thought the list was reversed my first read.

Hockey is also somewhat easy. There is no way to reliably play pickup basketball when your old. I tried to do pickup soccer games and everyone was WAY too good. And it totally wrecked my body the stopping and cutting on the astro turf fields for a slightly overweight late 30s guy was brutal 60 minutes was way worse wear and tear than a 10 mile jog or anything else I can think of. Think I played twice this spring one game my achilles was toast for 2 weeks and the next my quad was popped badly for 2 weeks as well. Groins hurt and both hamstrings were bad. Interested to try again if I can lose 20-30l lbs. Hockey on the other hand no matter what I'm fine after. Even a big fall last game where I banged my head hard on the ice with feet out from under me was no biggie not sore or anything. Was never good in HS but average and can play in any of these older player games and am fine. Just expensive and smelly. Usually score 1-2 goals per game and add some assists even against decent goalies and mostly better players.

Boxing is tough put gloves on and throwing punches is like taking golf swings everything is just way harder and you're much slower when 2 people have gloves on and are going the same thing. Tennis is hard. Baseball not really if you consider softball the same sport.

Michael Jordan could not succeed at baseball. He then went back to basketball and won 3 more championships.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Have you ever watched how embarrassed some of the best athletes in the world get when they try to play golf? Ever seen lebron swing?

Barkley’s swing was something else.

 

[Eric15]

Michael Jordan could not succeed at baseball. He then went back to basketball and won 3 more championships.

He went from literally not playing at all to being an average AAA player. That seems very successful, IMO.

 

[bevosu]

I want Jim Boeheim to weigh in on this.

 

[Col. Bleep]

The rankings are based on fairly specific criteria…most of which require great physical abilities. That explains a lot.

Wrestling and martial arts (mma and the individual arts it consists of) probably should be right up there with boxing.

BUT the list is incomplete without the world’s greatest sport ever:


You gotta love the excited crowd cutaways!

 

[Cappy3]

He went from literally not playing at all to being an average AAA player. That seems very successful, IMO.

Actually, he played in AA not AAA. And hit .202 with 114 ks when his team average was .248. So, a below average AA player would be more descriptive.

 

[Nicknack]

Golf at 51 shows me everything I need to know about this list. 14 clubs. Weather. Elements. Different styles of courses. Different grasses.

Basketball at 4, get real. Every court is the same. Every hoop is the same. Ball doesn’t change. Climate controlled. Stop it

This is laughable

Amen, you're talkin my language. I'm an avid golfer. I don't think non-golfers really get how hard the sport is. It's so damn technical and even if you get your game dialed in, you have lies that make you adjust constantly not to mention weather (like you mentioned). My wife doesn't get it. She told me the other day that yeah, it's hard, but at least the ball isn't moving like other sports.

 

[dasher]

He went from literally not playing at all to being an average AAA player. That seems very successful, IMO.

He was no where near a AAA player. What are you talking about? He played one year of AA and that was a complete joke. He hit .200 with zero power. Truth be told, if his name was Eric instead of Jordan, he would not have been sent to AA. I would bet anything with anyone that he wouldn't have been good at the lowest level of single A

 

[Eric15]

Actually, he played in AA not AAA. And hit .202 with 114 ks when his team average was .248. So, a below average AA player would be more descriptive.

My bad, you’re right. Birmingham was AA. I still think it was an impressive transition after not having played for so long and losing all those years of baseball muscle memory.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

My bad, you’re right. Birmingham was AA. I still think it was an impressive transition after not having played for so long and losing all those years of baseball muscle memory.

He only was in AA because he was Micheal Jordan. It wasn’t on merit. He was not “good”, by any objective measure.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Have you played ice hockey?

4 games in the last week and I'll play 4-5 this weekend. I'm on an ice hockey kick bc its too hot still to run. I signed up for an unlimited membership to this app/league that has like 40 games per week at different rinks and have been using it StinkySocks Hockey bc I need to do 2 games in a row for it to be worth driving and putting on all the nasty ass gear.

Just saying app soccer made it so I couldn't walk. Hockey I'm dripping in sweat totally gassed but not sore the next day at all, falls don't hurt, score goals and get assists. Way easier than if I tried to jump into a pick up basketball game vs anyone decent.