Golf #51 on ESPN's List of Hardest Sports

[twotacosfor99cents]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

Scroll down. I find this a little inaccurate because I have surfed, skied, skateboarded and obviously played golf, as well as some other sports, and golf is definitely up there in the list of hardest sports i've ever played.

[weswilkes]

I would disagree with that as well but I can see where they got there ranking from. They were takin more in to count the physical nature of a sport and not the mental. And IMO I would say golf is more mental then physical. And what i mean is that you dont have to be a brute and play the sport and being a brute can in some cases hurt you. For example if you are use to forcing things and using your strength to carry you in a sport it is hard to transfer that to golf where you have to think about your shots and use more momentum then anything and swing angle and many other mental things to think about.

[Dent]

Thats very innaccurate, they are measuring about endurince, and the stamina it takes for a sport, they don't seem to know about the mental, the technique, the finesse.

[Mully]

According to this ranking, Table Tennis is harder than Golf.

There goes all the credibility for that list

[AmenCorner]

According to this ranking, Table Tennis is harder than Golf.

Agreed.

Incidentally, ESPN ranks #1 in my list of bored organizations. These guys have so much air to fill that they will think of the most ridiculous lists or arguments to make. It is endless pile of drivel and semantics in the form of retired has-been athletes in pinstripe suits. Seriously, I wish they would just air the games and shut the hell up sometimes. The Sports Reporters are the worst.

[gogolfing]

Hey, at least we finished ahead of cheerleading

A very subjective list; really depends on the criteria they used for it. Everything on the list has its own skill set.

[geezer]

With all due respect, ESPN, that list is Bulls**t.

So fishing is harder than Gaelic football, Aussie rules, Hurling?? I could go on

Golf is way underrated on that list, too. 6.something for hand-eye? What? 6 for Analytic aptitude.

[WilsonWill]

Considering golf is a GAME of skill, I dont really care where they think it ranks as a SPORT, since you know...it isnt one.

[geezer]

I disagree, I think it is a sport:

Sport
-noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

Source: dictionary.com

[Bignose]

The list is obviously a little more slanted toward the casual than the professional level. Because, let's face it, compared to skating or snowboarding or skiing, or even baseball, almost everyone with some semblance of hand-eye coordination can hit a ball sitting still on the ground with a stick. And while it may not be a good hit, at least they hit it. That's more enjoyable than swinging at three thrown baseballs and missing each time, or standing on a surfboard or skateboard and just falling off or yes even not getting the hand of how hard to hit the table tennis ball and constantly having to run after it.

Golf is among the simplest in terms of just picking up some equipment somewhere and trying it out and having at least a modicum of success and enjoyment. Before I got serious about my game, I just plain sucked, I have no qualms about admitting that. But, I enjoyed playing those 1 or 2 times a year that I went out, and that was enough.

The other sports underneath golf are similar. Take bowling for example. I only bowl once or twice a year, don't have my own shoes or balls or towels or anything. And with rented shoes and an alley ball and the lanes after several hours of league play, I can still roll a 150 most of the time, and hit 200 once in a while after I find my groove again. In terms of just picking up the equipment and going out and having fun, bowling is easier than even golf. Billiards/pool is similar. Go out, have a few beers and put some quarters into the poor table and smack a rack around once in a while. No one I know has their own cue or table or anything, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying ourselves on the pool table and hitting some pretty good shots once in a while.

This is how the list is arranged, not in terms of difficulty at the pro/top levels. That would be an interesting discussion. Just to spark some discussion, I'm not sure that the mental game of golf is actually much harder than some other games. Pitching in baseball is largely a product of concentration. And the same sort of things happen: You can hit a good drive in golf, and the ball hits a sprinkler head right in the dead middle of the fairway, the ball takes a large bounce and goes OOB. In baseball, you can make a perfect pitch, get the batter off balance and they just flop their bat out there, and the ball lands between 3 fielders for a single. Both cases perfect execution on the part of the athlete, but just rotten luck. That pitcher has to put that luck out of his mind and concentrate on the next batter, just like the golfer has to concentrate on each shot at hand. A hockey goalie's job is largely about concentration. Same thing for gymnasts, and track and field and ski jumpers and many other sports. Sure, the physical demands are there, but at the top level of the sports the physical differences usually aren't all that big. The concentration levels on executing the task perfectly on time every time is the difference between 1st place and 21st place.

[x-forged]

i disagree with that list as well. golf may not be as pfysically demanding, but the competitiveness and mental game is second to none.

And motocross, without a doubt, should be on there.

[CG031]

It's a sport for sure. Team Handball is not nearly as hard as golf.

[AmenCorner]

Considering golf is a GAME of skill, I dont really care where they think it ranks as a SPORT, since you know...it isnt one.

Please don't start this retarded argument. It usually inspires a never ending series of BS semantical posts. Do you work for ESPN?

[GOLFSALOT00]

WOW they could not me more wrong, golf is more about finesse and control, annd you dont have to be a total body builder like boxing play it

[Backspin]

I don't regard golf as a 'sport', I see it as a hybrid. Somewhere between a sport and a game/skill. The reason it is so hard is that it's counter-intuitive. Once you realize that, it becomes MUCH easier.

[geezer]

WOW they could not me more wrong, golf is more about finesse and control, annd you dont have to be a total body builder like boxing play it

You don't have to be a total body builder to box, either...

[michaeljames92]

i personally think boxing is really boring. i mean the beating they take is enormous, but i still don't like it. now golf..that is a sport i can watch. and to add to geezer's list: cricket. hitting a 90 mph hard leather ball which could be at your toes, head or ribs is pretty darn hard to hit. i mean baseball requires skill, but the ball is thrown in a specific area i.e. strike zone. but whatever. golf is still better than those sports.

[MrKadash]

To me this list is bias toward physical exertion/high instance of injury. If they based the list on what sport would be hardest to be good at, then that's another story all together.