Most skillful sport?

[smithy_2045]

cricket is easy when you learn technique

Not even. Sure, technique helps, but when you're facing a fast bowler who is swinging and seaming it, you can do nothing but try to survive, and even then you'll be struggling to do so.
Similarly, if you don't have variation and control in your bowling, you're cannon fodder. Sure, it doesn't require the best physical fitness, but this thread is only about skill.

 

[ilspooner]

Underwater Basket Weaving...

If that is real, I would so do it.

Yeah, ice hockey seems really hard. Soccer is quite tricky, but I saw ice hockey once, and wow. I must take forever to learn. I can't even ice skate properly.

 

[Balgus]

Starcraft 2 takes the most skill any game i have ever seen to become great. strategy and execution are key as well as adaptation to your opponents unit composition and builds. launching multipronged attacks and splitting your opponents army to reduce their battle effectiveness by a factor of 4. all of this happening in real time while dealing with guerilla tactics

 

[badgersprite]

I think cricket takes a LOT of skill. The ball is extremely difficult to time and with all of the variations in the bowling it's difficult to hit. It takes years of practice to become a really good batter and a lot of dedication to become a good bowler. Not to mention the reaction times needed for slip fielders and wicket keepers.

And then you have to plan out how to set your field, and you have to discuss your strategy. Do you lure a batsman into playing a bad shot by tempting him with several easy deliveries? Is that too much of a risk to your score? Do you just hammer away at him until he cracks under the pressure? Remember, you have to take the condition of the pitch which has been degrading over five days into account as well as the condition of the ball.

Then, as a batsman, you have a fraction of a second to decide between a selection of possible shots. Is it coming at your stumps? Is it worth playing a shot? You could nick it and be caught out. Do you cut it? There are fielders out there who could easily take a catch if you mistime it and it goes airborne? If it's coming at your stumps, do you sweep or defend? A sweep can score a boundary on the less defended leg side, but, if you miss, you could be out lbw.

It's ridiculous how much there is to think about. It's no wonder twenty twenty is getting popular; it must be a relief to just be able to take your mind off all that and go nuts showing off your talent.

 

[trust Milo]

Biathlon hands down. If you don't what it is, look it up RIGHT NOW. It is awesome...

 

[alinos]

im not sure personally but to me soccer is next to no skill, imo soccer is all about wearing the other team down for 70 minutes and then scoring, if theres any true skill in soccer i would say it would have to be the goalie figuring out where the kick is going to go, (though i would hazard a guess that its easier for them based on the fact that the kick is more defined than say a hockey player adjusting the stick minisculy to get a different angle, but at the same time they have a larger net so idk

otherwise i find the sport entirely boring.

to me i see a skillful sport as one that is constantly requiring the player to react quickly to what's happening around them

 

[Zannah]

I'd put free style fencing forward

 

[Sarkule]

I agree with the OP.
Of course that may be because I'm HORRIBLE at Ice Skating, and don't quite understand how anybody can do it.
But still, it does take a lot of skill.

 

[Semi-Human]

If where talking pure skill and not physical effort i'd say chest. just because it requires you to anticipate your opponents moves, remember and recognize strategies and think ahead more then any other sport.

If we include physical effort i'd say boxing or mma. You need, stamina,speed and strength. And you need to skills not only to move every part of your body in the right way to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks but also to move past your opponents guard while at the same time defending your self from your opponents efforts.

 

[Sarkule]

cricket is easy when you learn technique

Sure, when you learn every single technique of every single cricket player.
Remembering that most good cricket players have unique techniques.
So yes, if you were able to learn everybodies technique it would be easy.

 

[Hafnium]

Have to agree with the OP, ice hockey seems insanely difficult and tough. And the only sport I really like is football (soccer), so I could have been biased to say that.

 

[SirDeadly]

I think cricket takes a LOT of skill. The ball is extremely difficult to time and with all of the variations in the bowling it's difficult to hit. It takes years of practice to become a really good batter and a lot of dedication to become a good bowler. Not to mention the reaction times needed for slip fielders and wicket keepers.

And then you have to plan out how to set your field, and you have to discuss your strategy. Do you lure a batsman into playing a bad shot by tempting him with several easy deliveries? Is that too much of a risk to your score? Do you just hammer away at him until he cracks under the pressure? Remember, you have to take the condition of the pitch which has been degrading over five days into account as well as the condition of the ball.

Then, as a batsman, you have a fraction of a second to decide between a selection of possible shots. Is it coming at your stumps? Is it worth playing a shot? You could nick it and be caught out. Do you cut it? There are fielders out there who could easily take a catch if you mistime it and it goes airborne? If it's coming at your stumps, do you sweep or defend? A sweep can score a boundary on the less defended leg side, but, if you miss, you could be out lbw.

It's ridiculous how much there is to think about. It's no wonder twenty twenty is getting popular; it must be a relief to just be able to take your mind off all that and go nuts showing off your talent.

Thank you for saying everything I could not be bothered saying. And the slip fielders have about half a second to get their hands into position before getting a rock hard ball in the face.

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

I agree with the OP.
Of course that may be because I'm HORRIBLE at Ice Skating, and don't quite understand how anybody can do it.
But still, it does take a lot of skill.

I think thats why I regard it at a higher level than other team sports. Most team sports are played on a field or court of some sort. Its natural for people to run but very unnatural for people to ice-skate, let alone be proficient enough at it that you can do it as well as most people could run, then control a lightning fast puck while your at it.

The hockey thing is a side to it really, I mean put any sport that could possibly be played on ice (Ice Rugby anyone?) and instantly the difficulty goes from normal sporting difficulty that something that very few people can do, like skating and playing hockey.

 

[Best of the 3]

Badminton is quite hard. Anyone can pick it up and play but at profesional level there is a lot to think about when playing it. Maybe not the hardest but that's the only one I play so... yeah

 

[Smooth Operator]

I'd say chess, if nothing more then to spark controversy.
Every sport has it's own field of required skills, and at a professional level those skills are strained to the breaking point.

So while chess may not require physical skill it takes every ounce of brain power to win.

 

[Sarkule]

I agree with the OP.
Of course that may be because I'm HORRIBLE at Ice Skating, and don't quite understand how anybody can do it.
But still, it does take a lot of skill.

I think thats why I regard it at a higher level than other team sports. Most team sports are played on a field or court of some sort. Its natural for people to run but very unnatural for people to ice-skate, let alone be proficient enough at it that you can do it as well as most people could run, then control a lightning fast puck while your at it.

The hockey thing is a side to it really, I mean put any sport that could possibly be played on ice (Ice Rugby anyone?) and instantly the difficulty goes from normal sporting difficulty that something that very few people can do, like skating and playing hockey.

I'm pretty sure Ice Rugby would be banned, because people would be killed.
I mean, people have gotten their throats cut playing Ice Hockey,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz9njKh5CLw
Much worse would happen in a full contact sport!

 

[ThatPurpleGuy]

I agree with the OP.
Of course that may be because I'm HORRIBLE at Ice Skating, and don't quite understand how anybody can do it.
But still, it does take a lot of skill.

I think thats why I regard it at a higher level than other team sports. Most team sports are played on a field or court of some sort. Its natural for people to run but very unnatural for people to ice-skate, let alone be proficient enough at it that you can do it as well as most people could run, then control a lightning fast puck while your at it.

The hockey thing is a side to it really, I mean put any sport that could possibly be played on ice (Ice Rugby anyone?) and instantly the difficulty goes from normal sporting difficulty that something that very few people can do, like skating and playing hockey.

I'm pretty sure Ice Rugby would be banned, because people would be killed.
I mean, people have gotten their throats cut playing Ice Hockey,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz9njKh5CLw
Much worse would happen in a full contact sport!

Yeah I meant it as a joke, although it could be fun if somehow they could have enough padding to prevent any cuts from blades. I was making the point that if you had any sport than made an 'ice' version, the difficulty goes to insane levels because most people can't ice skate but most people can run or walk.

 

[Sarkule]

I agree with the OP.
Of course that may be because I'm HORRIBLE at Ice Skating, and don't quite understand how anybody can do it.
But still, it does take a lot of skill.

I think thats why I regard it at a higher level than other team sports. Most team sports are played on a field or court of some sort. Its natural for people to run but very unnatural for people to ice-skate, let alone be proficient enough at it that you can do it as well as most people could run, then control a lightning fast puck while your at it.

The hockey thing is a side to it really, I mean put any sport that could possibly be played on ice (Ice Rugby anyone?) and instantly the difficulty goes from normal sporting difficulty that something that very few people can do, like skating and playing hockey.

I'm pretty sure Ice Rugby would be banned, because people would be killed.
I mean, people have gotten their throats cut playing Ice Hockey,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz9njKh5CLw
Much worse would happen in a full contact sport!

Yeah I meant it as a joke, although it could be fun if somehow they could have enough padding to prevent any cuts from blades. I was making the point that if you had any sport than made an 'ice' version, the difficulty goes to insane levels because most people can't ice skate but most people can run or walk.

Nah, I know that you meant it as a joke.
Just thought that would be a good time to drop that vid!
Just shows how badass Ice Hockey is.

 

[Sknyjdwb]

I'm going to say its a combat sport, but not wrestling or mma, thats mainly athleticism and strength. Probably boxing or kick-boxing.

 

[floppylobster]

Most people would NOT say soccer or football. But NONE of those people could not even come close to playing it at a professional level.

I have played soccer for many years and I'm still not very good at it. It is without a doubt a game that takes incredible skill to play well. And to be the best in the world - you have to be born to play. You cannot learn that type of skill. So I say soccer/football. There is so much more going on than meets the eye in that game. It's taken me years just to scratch the surface in the level of depth real players can reach. You want to dispute that? Either prove with a few years practice you can play as well as the top players or explain why it's the most respected and loved sport in the world.

I also love cricket and respect martial arts but I still say soccer/football.