What is the hardest thing to do in sports?

[Fan from VT]

For me, the alley oop, hands down. i'm 5'8. given 10,000 tries, i bet i could get a hit, luck out on a serve return, sink a put, stop a pk, etc.

however, in 1,000,000 tries, i will never complete an oop.

[wiley]

I can hit baseballs at the highest speed rating in a batting cage, and so the hitting the ball question therefore takes into account the skill of the pitcher along with the chance that you could get nailed by the ball, two major X factors in hitting a baseball.  But I'll bet that just by picking an area and guessing I would make contact with the ball far more often than I would even come close to stopping a penalty kick in soccer.  I'm 6'3" and a decent athlete, but if I consider the skill of the penalty shot taker, I don't think I'd ever stop a penalty kick, and barely scrape the ball at some pathetically low rate....

So, the fact that pitcher must put the ball right next to me, however fast, gives me a chance via guessing.

[jdpapa3]

I think the hardest thing in sports to do is to play quarterback. There are so many things you need to do: call the play in the huddle (not so easy), manage the team, remember the snap count, read the coverage, see who's blitzing, read the play live, hit the right route. And this is all in a matter of split seconds. This stuff was hard in pop warner, where there are the simplest of coverages. It's amazing what guys like Tom Brady and Manning are able to do. Quarterbacks need to be in peak mental and physical shape to play the position.

Also, a Randy Johnson 87 mph slider after seeing a bunch of his fastballs as a lefty batter can't be too exciting to see.

[Chris]

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it's right to compare a skill you have to have to play a game with individual plays. You HAVE to be able to hit a ball to make it in the pros in baseball. All the rest of those things you listed are individual plays. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

How about you change it to hitting a knuckleball.

I think returning a serve is a skill.  While you may get lucky more than you would in baseball, it is very difficult to consistently return a serve, and get it in (and ideally in a good position, so you don't just lose the point on the next shot).

You didn't say "Return a serve". You said return a 130MPH serve. Not every serve is 130MPH. Most aren't in pro tennis. A 130MPH serve return is an individual play. How many 130 MPH serves are out and then the server then serves a 80 MPH serve with spin in order to get the ball in and not double fault? Happens all the time. How many but the very very best women can serve over 130MPH? How about the men? Returning a 130MPH serve is an individual play, not a skill.

Again, doing it with any consistency (and doing it effectively) absolutely is a skill.  Its not just a matter of getting the racket on the ball.  You need to know how to direct the ball, and put the proper spin on it, etc.

I still agree that hitting a baseball is harder (and keeping it in play), but returning a tennis serve is absolutely a skill.

[nickagneta]

Having played college baseball and had to go against 90+ MPH pitches that could spot the ball, I say it has to be hitting a baseball.

As an aside, hitting in a batting cage is nothing like in game action of hitting a baseball. It's not close. Most good batting cages are within the same MPH range and the balls stay within a decent location range. Also, seeing pitches in a cage within seconds of each other is nothing compared to the delay between pitches and not knowing what type of pitch is coming next. Ever have to duck out of the way of a beanball in a batting cage?

I would bet every Tommy Point I have against anyone here being able to hit a Manny Delcarmen pitch at an at bat. I would bet every one of them against anyone here even being able to make contact. And I'm talking Manny Delcarmen not Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon.

[nickagneta]

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it's right to compare a skill you have to have to play a game with individual plays. You HAVE to be able to hit a ball to make it in the pros in baseball. All the rest of those things you listed are individual plays. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

How about you change it to hitting a knuckleball.

I think returning a serve is a skill.  While you may get lucky more than you would in baseball, it is very difficult to consistently return a serve, and get it in (and ideally in a good position, so you don't just lose the point on the next shot).

You didn't say "Return a serve". You said return a 130MPH serve. Not every serve is 130MPH. Most aren't in pro tennis. A 130MPH serve return is an individual play. How many 130 MPH serves are out and then the server then serves a 80 MPH serve with spin in order to get the ball in and not double fault? Happens all the time. How many but the very very best women can serve over 130MPH? How about the men? Returning a 130MPH serve is an individual play, not a skill.

Again, doing it with any consistency (and doing it effectively) absolutely is a skill.  Its not just a matter of getting the racket on the ball.  You need to know how to direct the ball, and put the proper spin on it, etc.

I still agree that hitting a baseball is harder (and keeping it in play), but returning a tennis serve is absolutely a skill.

I agree. Returning a serve is a skill. But you're talking about return the fastest of serves. You might as well put a hitting knuckleball or hitting a 95 MPH fastball. I don't understand why you are being speed specific with the serve and not with the pitched ball.

[Chris]

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it's right to compare a skill you have to have to play a game with individual plays. You HAVE to be able to hit a ball to make it in the pros in baseball. All the rest of those things you listed are individual plays. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

How about you change it to hitting a knuckleball.

I think returning a serve is a skill.  While you may get lucky more than you would in baseball, it is very difficult to consistently return a serve, and get it in (and ideally in a good position, so you don't just lose the point on the next shot).

You didn't say "Return a serve". You said return a 130MPH serve. Not every serve is 130MPH. Most aren't in pro tennis. A 130MPH serve return is an individual play. How many 130 MPH serves are out and then the server then serves a 80 MPH serve with spin in order to get the ball in and not double fault? Happens all the time. How many but the very very best women can serve over 130MPH? How about the men? Returning a 130MPH serve is an individual play, not a skill.

Again, doing it with any consistency (and doing it effectively) absolutely is a skill.  Its not just a matter of getting the racket on the ball.  You need to know how to direct the ball, and put the proper spin on it, etc.

I still agree that hitting a baseball is harder (and keeping it in play), but returning a tennis serve is absolutely a skill.

I agree. Returning a serve is a skill. But you're talking about return the fastest of serves. You might as well put a hitting knuckleball or hitting a 95 MPH fastball. I don't understand why you are being speed specific with the serve and not with the pitched ball.

I wasn't speed specific about anything, I was just talking about returning serves in general, or returning pitches in general.  Someone else made the thread. 

I really think returning the serve and hitting the baseball are the only real "skills" here, while the others are really just athletic feats. 

Put it this way, if you take a world class athlete, and put them in the batters box, or returning a serve without any real training, they are not going to be able to do it, because they are learned skills.  However, if you ask them to catch an alley-oop, or stop a penalty shot, or shot in hockey (providing they have been on ice skates before), they will have some chance of actually doing it.

[jdpapa3]

Having played college baseball and had to go against 90+ MPH pitches that could spot the ball, I say it has to be hitting a baseball.

As an aside, hitting in a batting cage is nothing like in game action of hitting a baseball. It's not close. Most good batting cages are within the same MPH range and the balls stay within a decent location range. Also, seeing pitches in a cage within seconds of each other is nothing compared to the delay between pitches and not knowing what type of pitch is coming next. Ever have to duck out of the way of a beanball in a batting cage?

I would bet every Tommy Point I have against anyone here being able to hit a Manny Delcarmen pitch at an at bat. I would bet every one of them against anyone here even being able to make contact. And I'm talking Manny Delcarmen not Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon.

Yea, I was able to go up against that kid Allison from Peabody that got drafted in the first round and it's hard to even see the ball. You have to almost decide if you will swing before the pitcher winds up.

[wiley]

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it's right to compare a skill you have to have to play a game with individual plays. You HAVE to be able to hit a ball to make it in the pros in baseball. All the rest of those things you listed are individual plays. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

How about you change it to hitting a knuckleball.

I think returning a serve is a skill.  While you may get lucky more than you would in baseball, it is very difficult to consistently return a serve, and get it in (and ideally in a good position, so you don't just lose the point on the next shot).

You didn't say "Return a serve". You said return a 130MPH serve. Not every serve is 130MPH. Most aren't in pro tennis. A 130MPH serve return is an individual play. How many 130 MPH serves are out and then the server then serves a 80 MPH serve with spin in order to get the ball in and not double fault? Happens all the time. How many but the very very best women can serve over 130MPH? How about the men? Returning a 130MPH serve is an individual play, not a skill.

Again, doing it with any consistency (and doing it effectively) absolutely is a skill.  Its not just a matter of getting the racket on the ball.  You need to know how to direct the ball, and put the proper spin on it, etc.

I still agree that hitting a baseball is harder (and keeping it in play), but returning a tennis serve is absolutely a skill.

I agree. Returning a serve is a skill. But you're talking about return the fastest of serves. You might as well put a hitting knuckleball or hitting a 95 MPH fastball. I don't understand why you are being speed specific with the serve and not with the pitched ball.

I wasn't speed specific about anything, I was just talking about returning serves in general, or returning pitches in general.  Someone else made the thread. 

I really think returning the serve and hitting the baseball are the only real "skills" here, while the others are really just athletic feats. 

Put it this way, if you take a world class athlete, and put them in the batters box, or returning a serve without any real training, they are not going to be able to do it, because they are learned skills.  However, if you ask them to catch an alley-oop, or stop a penalty shot, or shot in hockey (providing they have been on ice skates before), they will have some chance of actually doing it.

Under these parameters, separating skills from feats and choosing between tennis and baseball, it's hitting a baseball that's the hardest imo....

A lot of this is fear factor.  Of the four major pro sports (soccer 5th) I have long considered baseball players the most courageous.  Next would be wide receivers.

[nickagneta]

As I said in the other thread, I don't think it's right to compare a skill you have to have to play a game with individual plays. You HAVE to be able to hit a ball to make it in the pros in baseball. All the rest of those things you listed are individual plays. Hitting a baseball is a skill.

How about you change it to hitting a knuckleball.

I think returning a serve is a skill.  While you may get lucky more than you would in baseball, it is very difficult to consistently return a serve, and get it in (and ideally in a good position, so you don't just lose the point on the next shot).

You didn't say "Return a serve". You said return a 130MPH serve. Not every serve is 130MPH. Most aren't in pro tennis. A 130MPH serve return is an individual play. How many 130 MPH serves are out and then the server then serves a 80 MPH serve with spin in order to get the ball in and not double fault? Happens all the time. How many but the very very best women can serve over 130MPH? How about the men? Returning a 130MPH serve is an individual play, not a skill.

Again, doing it with any consistency (and doing it effectively) absolutely is a skill.  Its not just a matter of getting the racket on the ball.  You need to know how to direct the ball, and put the proper spin on it, etc.

I still agree that hitting a baseball is harder (and keeping it in play), but returning a tennis serve is absolutely a skill.

I agree. Returning a serve is a skill. But you're talking about return the fastest of serves. You might as well put a hitting knuckleball or hitting a 95 MPH fastball. I don't understand why you are being speed specific with the serve and not with the pitched ball.

I wasn't speed specific about anything, I was just talking about returning serves in general, or returning pitches in general.  Someone else made the thread. 

I really think returning the serve and hitting the baseball are the only real "skills" here, while the others are really just athletic feats. 

Put it this way, if you take a world class athlete, and put them in the batters box, or returning a serve without any real training, they are not going to be able to do it, because they are learned skills.  However, if you ask them to catch an alley-oop, or stop a penalty shot, or shot in hockey (providing they have been on ice skates before), they will have some chance of actually doing it.

Sorry dude, though it was you who made the thread.

[wdleehi]

Not being called for a foul against Lebron/Kobe/Wade when having to play high pressure defense.

[slamtheking]

I will edit this one, just in case...

[Edgar]

Score a 72 round

I can sink a 15 foot from time to time tough and never get unde 95

[Boris Badenov]

Q: "What is the hardest thing to do in sports?"

A: "Stay away from strippers."

[RAcker]

All of the choices except one simply require the physical ability (tall enough, able to walk, etc.) and some amount of skill that can be improved through practice.  The one that requires not only ability and skill but 50% luck is the penalty kick.  No amount of practice can help with that 50% you need to pull it off.