Which sports do you think have the most talented athletes? Which sport would be hardest to excel at and reach the top?

[iloverachel]

So I was having a discussion with my friend, he believes dangerous combat sports are the toughest and hardest to reach the top. I do believe sports like boxing, mixed martial arts, kick boxing are hard and brutal, but I think due to them being smaller, niche sports compared to mega huge sports like basketball and football, the talent pool is not as deep (maybe boxing is close).

I believe either Olympic sports or Football being the toughest sports since billions play football across the world. Olympic due to it having the best athletes of each country.

 

[Kruska]

So I was having a discussion with my friend, he believes dangerous combat sports are the toughest and hardest to reach the top. I do believe sports like boxing, mixed martial arts, kick boxing are hard and brutal, but I think due to them being smaller, niche sports compared to mega huge sports like basketball and football, the talent pool is not as deep (maybe boxing is close).

I believe either Olympic sports or Football being the toughest sports since billions play football across the world. Olympic due to it having the best athletes of each country.

View attachment 1071667

What do you mean by tough? Bashing around and being able to take hits?
Or sports that are tough to perform?

For the latter - combination sports IMO, would be the toughest to perform/excel
E.g. Biathlon, Triathlon, Decathlon athletes

 

[luiza]

Which sport would be hardest to excel at and reach the top?​

Cricket undoubtedly .
It's complexity , artistry and duration ( up to five days in its most serious form ) is astonishing .

Obviously it will never suit Americans because of the mental strengths needed by players , the ability to concentrate for such long periods , and the ability to read total state of match conditions .

But, nevertheless , a sport which Americans should study if only because of its artistic beauty .
And in a generation or two America might be ready to compete at the lower level and then progress a little .

Mr Trumpf has partly sussed all of this through his dedication to the master sport of Golf .
Multiply its complexity and artistry by at least one hundred and you might become a top Cricketer .

 

[Mr Natural]

Hitting a baseball coming at you at 100 mph is the hardest thing in sports.

 

[iloverachel]

What do you mean by tough? Bashing around and being able to take hits?
Or sports that are tough to perform?

For the latter - combination sports IMO, would be the toughest to perform/excel
E.g. Biathlon, Triathlon, Decathlon athletes

tough as in physically, mentally and difficulty in reaching the top.

 

[luiza]

Hitting a baseball coming at you at 100 mph is the hardest thing in sports.

Not by a long way .
It is much more difficult in Cricket because the ball can bounce once at that speed and then change direction by way of manipulating the large seam on the ball , as and when it is bowled .
We let our school girls play baseball because it is comparatively easier . We call it Rounders .

 

[Harry Dresden]

Hitting a baseball coming at you at 100 mph is the hardest thing in sports.

thats right...players who hit the ball 30% of the time are considered the best batsmen....try that percentage in other sports and call them the best and see what you have...

 

[katsteve2012]

This is purely subjective, but as for my own experience from competing in AAU and golden gloves competition as well as college football,
I came to believe that sports which require that most of your training and ALL of your contests are done alone are the most difficult.

Getting up and doing roadwork at day break while everyone else was asleep,
was much more difficult than practicing secondary coverage against passing plays and doing tackling drills with a team.

Plus, when it's time to show up, you're on your own, against one opponent.

No one can throw a punch or defend against one, FOR you.

That aside, anyone who has the discipline required to regularly train and successfully compete in organized sports has my respect.

 

[luiza]

thats right...players who hit the ball 30% of the time are considered the best batsmen....try that percentage in other sports and call them the best and see what you have...

Approaches100% in Cricket .
Any ball that hits the wicket resuts in the batter being out .
Cricketers regard Baseball as a game for Cissies and I am afraid the evidence supports that .
My sons laughed at your post telling me that they are far from talented cricketers but a 30% hit rate is laughably low .

You Americans can be so lovably funny .

 

[luiza]

This is purely subjective, but as for my own experience from competing in AAU and golden gloves competition as well as college football,
I came to believe that sports which require that most of your training and ALL of your contests are done alone are the most difficult.

Getting up and doing roadwork at day break while everyone else was asleep,
was much more difficult than practicing secondary coverage against passing plays and doing tackling drills with a team.

Plus, when it's time to show up, you're on your own, against one opponent.

No one can throw a punch or defend against one, FOR you.

That aside, anyone who has the discipline required to regularly train and successfully compete in organized sports has my respect.

Top Cricketers have to be as physically fit as track athletes and indoor fighters .
Their games last a mimimum of a whole day and whilst batting they are facing possibly hundreds of missiles travelling around 100 mph .
I respect your choices but they only get Silver and Bronze medals .

IMHO , I could make a far stronger case for Professional Tennis players .

 

[Harry Dresden]

Approaches100% in Cricket .
Any ball that hits the wicket resuts in the batter being out .
Cricketers regard Baseball as a game for Cissies and I am afraid the evidence supports that .
My sons laughed at your post telling me that they are far from talented cricketers but a 30% hit rate is laughably low .

You Americans can be so lovably funny .

i never mentioned cricket luiza....a 30% hit rate is not low in baseball it is considered high...and i would be willing to bet if one of your cricket guys came over here to go up against a pitcher who throws the ball 90 mph plus...he would not do any better...

 

[rightwinger]

Hitting a baseball coming at you at 100 mph is the hardest thing in sports.

I agree
You have milliseconds to react

 

[MarathonMike]

I agree that hitting a fastball at 100 mph is the most difficult sports feat BUT that is different than the sport that has the most talented ATHLETES imo. Hitting a baseball is pure hand eye coordination and quick twitch reflexes. Are DHs the world's best athletes? I don't think so. I would go with NBA players because of their combination of size, strength and speed as well as great hand-eye coordination.

 

[katsteve2012]

Top Cricketers have to be as physically fit as track athletes and indoor fighters .
Their games last a mimimum of a whole day and whilst batting they are facing possibly hundreds of missiles travelling around 100 mph .
I respect your choices but they only get Silver and Bronze medals .

IMHO , I could make a far stronger case for Professional Tennis players .

As I said, going in, it's a purely subjective topic.
What I stated was just my opinion from my own experience and not a fact.

If one takes it seriously, there is no "easy" sport out there, especially if ones intention is to become what is considered highly skilled at it.
I respect anyone who has the discipline to put the work in, regardless of the sport.

 

[MarathonMike]

Which sport would be hardest to excel at and reach the top?​

Cricket undoubtedly .
It's complexity , artistry and duration ( up to five days in its most serious form ) is astonishing .

Obviously it will never suit Americans because of the mental strengths needed by players , the ability to concentrate for such long periods , and the ability to read total state of match conditions .

But, nevertheless , a sport which Americans should study if only because of its artistic beauty .
And in a generation or two America might be ready to compete at the lower level and then progress a little .

Mr Trumpf has partly sussed all of this through his dedication to the master sport of Golf .
Multiply its complexity and artistry by at least one hundred and you might become a top Cricketer .

You are confusing great reflexes with great ATHLETE. As I posted, both hitting a cricketball and baseball are more about great hand-eye coordination and quick twitch reflexes than being a great athlete.

 

[Harry Dresden]

You are confusing great reflexes with great ATHLETE. As I posted, both hitting a cricketball and baseball are more about great hand-eye coordination and quick twitch reflexes than being a great athlete.

there is also a difference in the bats...

and balls.....

 

[luiza]

i never mentioned cricket luiza....a 30% hit rate is not low in baseball it is considered high...and i would be willing to bet if one of your cricket guys came over here to go up against a pitcher who throws the ball 90 mph plus...he would not do any better...

I appreciate you never mentioned Cricket . I was replying to your post with that useless Baseball stat of 30% which seems hopeless.
I mentioned that the cricket ball travels in excess of 90 mph and our champions would be near 100% -- underlining what we all think , that your guys are plonkers !!
We love your humour . Even if it is unintentional !!!

 

[westwall]

Hitting a baseball coming at you at 100 mph is the hardest thing in sports.

Not even close. Taking a corner, at 160mph on a motorcycle, with no runoff, is by far the hardest thing in sports.

 

[Harry Dresden]

I appreciate you never mentioned Cricket . I was replying to your post with that useless Baseball stat of 30% which seems hopeless.
I mentioned that the cricket ball travels in excess of 90 mph and our champions would be near 100% -- underlining what we all think , that your guys are plonkers !!
We love your humour . Even if it is unintentional !!!

luiza a cricket guy would not fare any better....your bats are flat ours are round....the balls are different to.....a player who consistently hits .300 in baseball is considered good....

 

[luiza]

You are confusing great reflexes with great ATHLETE. As I posted, both hitting a cricketball and baseball are more about great hand-eye coordination and quick twitch reflexes than being a great athlete.

And I mentioned that our professional Cricketers are also top athletes albeit not Olympic medal calibre .
They have to be .
They combine so many all round qualities .

Guess this is irking all you Americans because those damend British are once again punching way above their weight and showing once more that they are the true Champs .
Rather like respective Militaries .