Crucial Poll: Which sport is harder? Cycling or Tennis?

[lawson0220]

My friend and I were having an argument about which sport is harder. Cycling or tennis? What do you think?

 

[180mmCrank]

Well tennis obviously - I never could hit that god damn ball back and when I did it always went way out of the park! Give my trusty wheels and cleats any day!

 

[lookkg386]

Is Tennis a sport or a game?

 

[BroDeal]

Is Tennis a sport or a game?

It is in between. It is clearly not a pure game like pool. It requires a high level of fitness. Games can last up to five hours.

At the top end I think tennis is a very hard sport but I don't think it compares to the suffering required while climbing in the lead group at the TdF.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

What do you mean by "harder"?

If physically grueling, as in endurance and aerobics, I'll pick cycling. If you're looking for technical excellence, as in hitting that ball with the accuracy needed, coupled with being somewhat grueling, then probably tennis.

Sticking with the physically grueling type, I've tried many sports and competed in quite a few, and the "hardest" I believe is cross country skiing. When you're racing (or just really pushing it) it is more draining than anything. I used to take HRM statistics and they pretty much backed that up. Never tried rowing, though I've heard that's pretty taxing as well.

 

[lookkg386]

If we are talking about physically demanding, then I believe climbing a col is up there but I read somewhere that cross country skiing and rowing were two of the hardest.

 

[Hinter]

I remember, years ago, seeing a TV programme where they got a bunch of different sportsman together and the tennis player came second iirc. Can't remember who was first and I don't think they had a cyclist on it. However, I can't believe that even a 5 hour tennis game can compare to a mountain stage or the spring classics, hence I voted for the cyclist.

 

[Bluebeard]

Similar to Hinter's thinking, I believe the endless torture of Roubaix would outlast a particularlty torrid day at the Australian Open. I do think that Cross Country Skiing is probably the toughest all around, unless you want to count Channel Swimming as an actual sport.

 

[CarolinaCyclist]

OK, since we're digressing a little

High Altitude Mountaineering is by far the most difficult endurance sport in the world. I've done just about everything and nothing comes close. I've been up the Mortirolo and the Tourmalet (suffering indeed) but it is nothing compared to climbing with crampons and a 40 pound pack for over six hours at altitudes up to 19,000 feet.

 

[Anonymous]

Yea, well I actually watched City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold from beginning to end, and I have to say that nothing compares to that in terms of grueling.

 

[Trev_S]

You can't compare the two as they are completely different and require vastly different skill sets.

If you really had to put them head to head, I'd hazard to say the tennis player being quite aerobically strong could cycle well enough.
The cyclist no matter how fit or strong, may or may not have the hand/eye co-ordination skills to be able to hit a ball properly (plus the addition of court craft skills).


ps:I didn't vote because I don't think they are comparable

 

[Tapeworm]

Yea, well I actually watched City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold from beginning to end, and I have to say that nothing compares to that in terms of grueling.

Yes but that is neither a sport or a game. More along the lines of waterboarding For the true masochist you could try "Wanted" or "Runaway Vacation".

 

[BroDeal]

Yes but that is neither a sport or a game. More along the lines of waterboarding For the true masochist you could try "Wanted" or "Runaway Vacation".

Try "Gone Fishin'" some time. I bet most of the DVDs were sold to Guantanamo.

 

[Notso Swift]

Foodforthought, looks like you are Au then I saw it, turned it off

As above horses for courses, not much need to have the eyes to follow a ball to the handle bars...

 

[karlboss]

check this out

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

 

[Anonymous]

tennis technically
cycling physically

its like asking what is harder, archery or diving... :?

still think fignon had the hair to be a tennis player...

 

[lookkg386]

check this out

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

Can of worms here, Baseball/Softball HARDER OR TOUGHER than cycling....don't think so.

 

[BigBoat]

Guys marathons are really tough on the body, especially in competitive distance runners. Lots of Shin-Splints and what not.

But... The Gigathalon in Swiss Alps I believe is probably the hardest as in hard. Running DOWN mountains for miles does major damage.

NFL football is also really tough... Cycling is tough too. But football is probably harder on the body injury wise (and drug wise.)

 

[lookkg386]

ever ran up steps?
absolute killer!
Put up the Empire State building run right up there.

 

[Anonymous]

Can of worms here, Baseball/Softball HARDER OR TOUGHER than cycling....don't think so.

interesting chart but ultimately fairly pointless..
main problem i have with it, is while its grade to rate every sport based on various catagories, strength, speed, durability etc, they have made each catagory worth a possible 10pts.. that immediately has a negative effect on sports where endurance is the key with less other skills required, etc etc etc.making nerve as highly rating as endurance is ridiculous.. its all a bit of hogwash really..

interesting to see that cheerleading is higher than several sports. mind you it was helped by there not being a mental aptitude column..

 

[Argon Man]

Guys marathons are really tough on the body, especially in competitive distance runners. Lots of Shin-Splints and what not.

But... The Gigathalon in Swiss Alps I believe is probably the hardest as in hard. Running DOWN mountains for miles does major damage.

NFL football is also really tough... Cycling is tough too. But football is probably harder on the body injury wise (and drug wise.)

Have you not seen the advertisement at the top of the CN main page. It says "if cycling were easy they would call it football".

 

[Tapeworm]

check this out

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

They also left out a whole raft of sports. I think on the endurance AND skill biathlon would be up there. Cross-country skiing and then have to STOP and shoot stuff, hella hard!

And what about synchronized swimming??

 

[Bluebeard]

And what about synchronized swimming??

Watching synchronized swimming certainly makes me harder...

 

[bikingbadger]

Don't you need co-ords for tennis. you learn how to pedal when you're a kid. i tried playing tennis off season. its damn hard and there's no way you're going to serve an ace without hours of practice. jump on a bike and the world is your oyster,eezeee

 

[CapeRoadie]

Cycling is harder. As a former tennis player and instructor, I can say that tennis is simply not as hard. Not even the best of 5 sets with a never-ending tie-breaker is as hard as a 120-mile cycling race. The fact that tennis players dope and don't get tested while cycling shoots itself in the foot from a marketing perspective makes it even more ironic than it otherwose would be.