Article says : "Hitting a Baseball is the Hardest Skill to Pull Off in Sports." -- Not IMO

[336Robin]

Tough comparison. If you average 300 hitting a baseball over the course of a baseball career you're in the hall of Fame.

If you run 300 in straight pool or run a 100 every day for 10 years but never win a title you're not getting in the Bca hall of Fame.

Tough to measure metrics in pool which is what defines baseball.

What is equal in pool to hitting a home run? Making the hardest shot on the table? Running a 5 pack? Running a 100 in straight pool?

Pool needs more statistics.

I understand what you mean but Pool needs a lot more than statistics.

In order for Pool to be over the top, 1 & 2 things have to happen.
1-lots of money in Pool from sponsors
2. lots of children exposed to Pool to build a fan base

We've had decades that have gone by with virtually no exposure to children (like there was at one time) in the US
before Pool moved into establishments with Alcohol almost exclusively. While Pool Leagues have helped some
it doesn't compare to the livelong love we lost or what we could have now. We need more community pool rooms
on 7ft tables to regain the interest of the public. Pool needs exposure on many levels.

1 and 2 above build the fanbase. The fanbase is what keeps the sponsorship going. 1 can't solve what 2 don't have.

 

[David in FL]

I agree that it matters who is throwing the baseball, but try and get a hit of the best pitcher in the world.

Try to get a hit off the worst pitcher in the Bigs.

 

[ShootingArts]

https://tinyurl.com/2a3nydcs

IMO Professional-level pool requires a much broader range of skills -- usually wrought by a lifetime of practice-ingrained feel for the game's physics.

It's true of course that nothing in pool involves action that exceeds 38 MPH (as in monster 9-ball breaks).

We're all about repeatable, millimeter-precise execution rather than milli-second decisions.

Arnaldo ~ Interesting subject -- comparing the physical and mental/instinctive demands of different sports. I've hit far less than ten home runs in my life, so what do I know.

Many many things are tougher than pool if talking about the elite few at the top. Pool doesn't require hair trigger reflexes or even super hand eye coordination.

Part of anything's difficulty is the number of people participating and trying to be the best. Then there are the physical challenges. Boxing is one of the toughest sports in the world because of the combination of offense and defense and the physical conditioning required. It was at a whole 'nuther level when championship fights were fifteen rounds too. Nine minutes might not seem like much but on top of the first twelve rounds it is huge. The last two seconds made a lot of difference in rodeo too. A lot more eight second bull rides than ten second ones.

Biatholon is interesting. Ski for miles then fire a rifle with precision. One competitor went from gold medal hero to a zero by crossfiring with his last shot two or three olympics in a row!

Motor racing where everyone wants the same little piece of territory and there is no barrier separating competitors, pretty intense when you are behind the wheel or riding.

Two of the most fun things I have ever done with my clothes on were driving a sprint car and sitting on a top quality cutting horse. After a year of riding the horse daily I was no longer sure which of us was in control much of the time. If I didn't lead the horse would.

The cue sports have their own challenges but you can be world class at them without the one in a million or less skills needed to be at the top in many other things. Pro ball of various kinds, tennis and similar sports, the skills required to be at the top are far more demanding and more wide ranging.

Hu

 

[Cameron Smith]

I agree with everyone who says we can’t compare sports. Which sport you consider harder or easier is really dependent on the factors you deem most important. If reflexes, hand eye coordination and strength are the only factors which contribute to difficulty, then elite level chess must be a breeze.

And for pool, we recently watched some top players average between 60-100 balls per try at straight pool. I have to imagine that is as difficult as anything in sport.

 

[easy-e]

I agree with everyone who says we can’t compare sports. Which sport you consider harder or easier is really dependent on the factors you deem most important. If reflexes, hand eye coordination and strength are the only factors which contribute to difficulty, then elite level chess must be a breeze.

And for pool, we recently watched some top players average between 60-100 balls per try at straight pool. I have to imagine that is as difficult as anything in sport.

Is chess, even at the elite level, considered a sport?

 

[JoeyInCali]

It is.
Do you senior citizens.playing.pro baseball?

 

[poolnut7879]

I understand what you mean but Pool needs a lot more than statistics.

In order for Pool to be over the top, 1 & 2 things have to happen.
1-lots of money in Pool from sponsors
2. lots of children exposed to Pool to build a fan base

We've had decades that have gone by with virtually no exposure to children (like there was at one time) in the US
before Pool moved into establishments with Alcohol almost exclusively. While Pool Leagues have helped some
it doesn't compare to the livelong love we lost or what we could have now. We need more community pool rooms
on 7ft tables to regain the interest of the public. Pool needs exposure on many levels.

1 and 2 above build the fanbase. The fanbase is what keeps the sponsorship going. 1 can't solve what 2 don't have.

My statement that pool needs more statistics wasn't meant to mean that it would solve the issues that pool faces.

I think that pool would be more interesting if they're were other stats available such as spin rate on cue ball, object ball speed, cue ball speed, rate of slide vs. rolling, cue ball distance from rail, avg of cue ball distance from rail, total cue ball travel in a match, etc. etc. Maybe you can add more.

Maybe one of the ball makers can add RFID technology to the balls to make this happen. Then we could have measurable stats that lets players compare themselves and have bench marks for possible handicapping that is fair and not subjective which in turn could help grow the game.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Is chess, even at the elite level, considered a sport?

If I remember correctly it's designated as a sport by the IOC. But whether it is or not is just semantics. It's a competitive activity so it's worthy of including in the discussion, IMO, because it does force you to evaluate whether athletic ability truly is the prime factor that determines difficulty.

 

[poolnut7879]

I understand what you mean but Pool needs a lot more than statistics.

In order for Pool to be over the top, 1 & 2 things have to happen.
1-lots of money in Pool from sponsors
2. lots of children exposed to Pool to build a fan base

We've had decades that have gone by with virtually no exposure to children (like there was at one time) in the US
before Pool moved into establishments with Alcohol almost exclusively. While Pool Leagues have helped some
it doesn't compare to the livelong love we lost or what we could have now. We need more community pool rooms
on 7ft tables to regain the interest of the public. Pool needs exposure on many levels.

1 and 2 above build the fanbase. The fanbase is what keeps the sponsorship going. 1 can't solve what 2 don't have.

To fix pool we need to look at the next closet thing that has a successful tour and that is snooker.

My question to you is who are the major sponsors of snooker tournaments?

 

[easy-e]

It is.
Do you senior citizens.playing.pro baseball?

Was your response for me? I couldn't understand what you were asking.

 

[JoeyInCali]

Was your response for me? I couldn't understand what you were asking.

To the original poster .
If he thinks pool is harder than hitting baseball, he is way wrong.
Chess is a mental sport .

 

[easy-e]

To the original poster .
If he thinks pool is harder than hitting baseball, he is way wrong.
Chess is a mental sport .

Agreed totally on the baseball being harder. Cant get there with chess being a sport, but that's another subject. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Cameron Smith]

To the original poster .
If he thinks pool is harder than hitting baseball, he is way wrong.
Chess is a mental sport .

And pool isn’t a reaction based sport, so therefore it’s not comparable.

My last post on the matter, because these discussions get rather silly, is pool/snooker always gets the short end of the stick in these comparison. It’s always comparing how hard it is to hit a 90 mph baseball vs. how hard it is to run the odd rack of 9 ball or something.

 

[336Robin]

My statement that pool needs more statistics wasn't meant to mean that it would solve the issues that pool faces.

I think that pool would be more interesting if they're were other stats available such as spin rate on cue ball, object ball speed, cue ball speed, rate of slide vs. rolling, cue ball distance from rail, avg of cue ball distance from rail, total cue ball travel in a match, etc. etc. Maybe you can add more.

Maybe one of the ball makers can add RFID technology to the balls to make this happen. Then we could have measurable stats that lets players compare themselves and have bench marks for possible handicapping that is fair and not subjective which in turn could help grow the game.

These might indeed be interesting statistics but handicapping will always be based on games won.
If statistics like these made it more interesting for people that is all that would matter.

There is a larger market in pool that is known, the problem is getting them interested in the sport.
I myself don't watch a lot of Pool compared to some but I do enjoy playing and would enjoy large events
if covid hadn't become such an issue. The numbers of people interested is dropping and I'd love to get my
hands on the SGMA report for Pool for 2021 but that is around 300 dollars.

 

[Geosnookery]

The author has never played hockey. Try standing in front of the net trying to deflect an unpredictable slap shot coming in at sonic speed past the goalie, while at the same time trying to not have the puck destroy some vital body part.

 

[gregcantrall]

Steve Mizerak threw 3 in a bed the one time we played darts. I hit the wheel once in baseball. We only played one game of eight ball and I won. So obviously baseball is.......

 

[Fatboy]

Boxing

“Everyone has a plan until they get knocked out”

Mike Tyson said it best

 

[fishless]

“Everyone has a plan until they get knocked out”

Mike Tyson said it best

Great quote, I think it went "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth"

 

[WardS]

Ever tried hitting 180 on a dart board? Hitting a baseball is way easier.

You ever try hitting a 90mph slider or a Kershaw curve. It’s easy to hit a pool ball it’s stationary.

 

[Fatboy]

Great quote, I think it went "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth"

Knocked out

I’m 75% sure