@JoeBanzai said:
I liked both of these guys as well as Connors (1970's), but seriously a tennis player being the MVP of the 1980's?
Why not a Tennis player? They are great athletes.
All these people are great athletes. In my opinion you have to be competing directly with an opponent to be considered truly great. Boxing, wrestling (sorry, not Hulk Hogan wrestling), football, hockey, basketball. Probably a few other sports I am missing.
No bowlers, tennis players, pole vaulters or golfers would/should be eligible for athlete of the decade imo.
I am NOT saying they all can't be incredibly skilled, and great athletes, but to be able to excel with a competitor physically "fighting" you is harder than hitting a tennis ball, no matter how well you strike it or how quickly you can get to it.
By this logic, baseball players are not eligible. Hmm ...
I did struggle a bit with excluding Baseball players. Hitting a ball coming at you 90-100 MPH and moving up/down/in/out of the strike zone is most likely the hardest single thing to do in sports.
Its almost as hard as returning a 150 MPH serve.
The last good data statistically collected is from 2002–2013 and I suspect the serve speeds are up 4–5 MPH since then.
Tennis court is 78 feet long and the players are another 6-10 feet behind the line and have a 10 1/2 inch wide FLAT racquet.
It's 60 feet 6 inches from the front of the pitching "rubber" to home plate, but that's not how far the pitcher is from the plate when he lets go of the ball.
Baseball pitcher's release point is about 54 feet from home plate and batter has a ROUND bat that by regulation may be no more than 2.75 inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part.
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@JoeBanzai said:
I liked both of these guys as well as Connors (1970's), but seriously a tennis player being the MVP of the 1980's?
Why not a Tennis player? They are great athletes.
All these people are great athletes. In my opinion you have to be competing directly with an opponent to be considered truly great. Boxing, wrestling (sorry, not Hulk Hogan wrestling), football, hockey, basketball. Probably a few other sports I am missing.
No bowlers, tennis players, pole vaulters or golfers would/should be eligible for athlete of the decade imo.
I am NOT saying they all can't be incredibly skilled, and great athletes, but to be able to excel with a competitor physically "fighting" you is harder than hitting a tennis ball, no matter how well you strike it or how quickly you can get to it.
By this logic, baseball players are not eligible. Hmm ...
I did struggle a bit with excluding Baseball players. Hitting a ball coming at you 90-100 MPH and moving up/down/in/out of the strike zone is most likely the hardest single thing to do in sports.
Its almost as hard as returning a 150 MPH serve.
The serve speeds you see on courtside digital displays are measured just as the ball leaves the racquet. Fortunately for returners, by the time the ball reaches them, air resistance and the friction of the court surface have diminished its speed by roughly 50 percent. Tennis instructor and analyst John Yandell has found that, on average, a 120-mph serve slows to 82 mph before the bounce, then to 65 mph after the bounce, and finally to 55 mph at the opponent's racket.
Are we done now?
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
When we compare difficulty in performing a certain sport, well we need only to look at the quality of the palyers at the top levels. Top dozen golfers or NBA players or tennis players or MLB sluggers all earn in the ten million plus range with endorsements. Asume then if it was easier to hit a 100 MPH fastball than a Wimbledon finals serve, then the tennis guys would switch sports.
With great glee, the baseball honchos celebrated when Michael Jordan failed in the baseball minor leagues. As if the Triple A guy hitting .288 was a better athlete than Jordan who could do no better than .250, if memory serves. Well that is of course nonsense as the better hitting minor league teammate would have never made it off the bench in an NBA game.
I just can't believe this discussion continues. I don't doubt the skills of the tennis player, but really now, if you've played (baseball) the game (or having watched 1000's of games), the best hitters in the world often fail to make contact with the ball. When was the last time you ever saw a tennis player flat out miss, make no contact at all. I'm not talking about the ones they can't reach or just are in a spot where they don't offer. Hitters do that also. But it's common to see a batter swing and miss at pitches right over the plate. Try to hit a round ball throw in excess of 90MPH with a round bat and hit it squarely; toughest thing in sports!
@Tabe said:
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
This is the heart of the matter. I was much more successful hitting fastballs with my 2.75 inch bat than hard serves with my 10 inch racket because there was only a small space directly in front of me where the baseball could be; if it was anywhere else, I could ignore it. Tennis balls can go to your right, your left, or right at you, and they can bounce up to your shoulders or stay below your knees.
This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
First off, there's no comparison AT ALL in the debate on what's harder, hitting a pitched baseball or returning a serve. If you feel the need to chop off a couple of feet on players being closer to the baseline, that doesn't change much. I've watched a lot of tennis and the guys returning Roddick's serve (first one anyway) seem to play pretty far back, and often hit it from way behind the baseline.
Now you bring up moving, well, that does give an advantage to the tennis player over MOST of the baseball defenders, but SS, CF, and maybe 2B have to go get the ball too, and then often make an accurate throw, so that evens things up somewhat. Catcher is a very demanding position as well. Pitching is pretty tough too.
I would agree with the list that says tennis is a little harder to play than baseball, but not much, and 3-4 of the baseball positions would be harder.> @dallasactuary said:
@Tabe said:
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
This is the heart of the matter. I was much more successful hitting fastballs with my 2.75 inch bat than hard serves with my 10 inch racket because there was only a small space directly in front of me where the baseball could be; if it was anywhere else, I could ignore it. Tennis balls can go to your right, your left, or right at you, and they can bounce up to your shoulders or stay below your knees.
Maybe you were just better at baseball? Fastballs only? How about "Uncle Charlie"?
You don't have to hit the tennis balls that are going out of play, or serves that don't land in the right "box". You can also move around to get in a better position to return a tennis ball, but you have to stay put when the baseball is coming.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Maybe you were just better at baseball? Fastballs only? How about "Uncle Charlie"?
You don't have to hit the tennis balls that are going out of play, or serves that don't land in the right "box".
I wasn't great at either, but I was better at tennis. The point is that the focus area in baseball is only a few square feet, all directly in front of you so you never have to move your feet to get to it, while the focus area in tennis is about 100 square feet and you don't know which way you'll have to move (or not) until the ball is well on its way.
This is for you @thisistheshow - Jim Rice was actually a pretty good player.
Maybe you were just better at baseball? Fastballs only? How about "Uncle Charlie"?
You don't have to hit the tennis balls that are going out of play, or serves that don't land in the right "box".
I wasn't great at either, but I was better at tennis. The point is that the focus area in baseball is only a few square feet, all directly in front of you so you never have to move your feet to get to it, while the focus area in tennis is about 100 square feet and you don't know which way you'll have to move (or not) until the ball is well on its way.
No argument there. A baseball player has to do more than just hit too!
REMEMBER. I said the single hardest thing. I'm sure a NFL running back might be laughing at this conversation if you widen the focus!
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
First off, there's no comparison AT ALL in the debate on what's harder, hitting a pitched baseball or returning a serve. If you feel the need to chop off a couple of feet on players being closer to the baseline, that doesn't change much. I've watched a lot of tennis and the guys returning Roddick's serve (first one anyway) seem to play pretty far back, and often hit it from way behind the baseline.
Now you bring up moving, well, that does give an advantage to the tennis player over MOST of the baseball defenders, but SS, CF, and maybe 2B have to go get the ball too, and then often make an accurate throw, so that evens things up somewhat. Catcher is a very demanding position as well. Pitching is pretty tough too.
I bring up moving as relates to hitting. Hitters don't have to move or switch sides. Tennis players do. That was my point.
Say if you stand 20 ft behind the baseline does not really make it that much easier to return the serve. Just look at the video of pros who serve up an ace, it just smacks the wall in a split second, so it's not like you have time to run to the ball.
A baseball in a strike zone at least you might hit it if you are lucky, because you are there already, no need to move left or right to intercept the pitch. Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you.
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
First off, there's no comparison AT ALL in the debate on what's harder, hitting a pitched baseball or returning a serve. If you feel the need to chop off a couple of feet on players being closer to the baseline, that doesn't change much. I've watched a lot of tennis and the guys returning Roddick's serve (first one anyway) seem to play pretty far back, and often hit it from way behind the baseline.
Now you bring up moving, well, that does give an advantage to the tennis player over MOST of the baseball defenders, but SS, CF, and maybe 2B have to go get the ball too, and then often make an accurate throw, so that evens things up somewhat. Catcher is a very demanding position as well. Pitching is pretty tough too.
I bring up moving as relates to hitting. Hitters don't have to move or switch sides. Tennis players do. That was my point.
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@coolstanley said:
Say if you stand 20 ft behind the baseline does not really make it that much easier to return the serve. Just look at the video of pros who serve up an ace, it just smacks the wall in a split second, so it's not like you have time to run to the ball.
A baseball in a strike zone at least you might hit it if you are lucky, because you are there already, no need to move left or right to intercept the pitch. Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you.
Possibly the most idiotic post of all time anywhere, on any subject.
I'll play along.
Experts have shown that a man standing in the batters box blindfolded using a toothpick for a bat will hit a home run every time.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
The extent of my baseball "skills" was being able to crouch like Rickey Henderson and poke my elbow at the ball like Don Baylor. I walked or was beaned A LOT. Unfortunately, on base percentage was an underappreciated stat in youth little league, and I was a washed up baseball has-been by the age of 12.
However, I was a high school varsity tennis player and could at least hang on the court (only very briefly in most matches) with guys that would go on to be Division 1 college players. I don't claim my competition to be even remotely near the elite level athletes in both sports, but from my personal experience and limited athletic ability, tennis is a thousand times easier to play than baseball.
@coolstanley said:
Say if you stand 20 ft behind the baseline does not really make it that much easier to return the serve. Just look at the video of pros who serve up an ace, it just smacks the wall in a split second, so it's not like you have time to run to the ball.
A baseball in a strike zone at least you might hit it if you are lucky, because you are there already, no need to move left or right to intercept the pitch. Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you.
Possibly the most idiotic post of all time anywhere, on any subject.
I guess one would have a chance returning a serve with their eyes closed as well.
@coolstanley said:
Say if you stand 20 ft behind the baseline does not really make it that much easier to return the serve. Just look at the video of pros who serve up an ace, it just smacks the wall in a split second, so it's not like you have time to run to the ball.
A baseball in a strike zone at least you might hit it if you are lucky, because you are there already, no need to move left or right to intercept the pitch. Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you.
Possibly the most idiotic post of all time anywhere, on any subject.
I guess one would have a chance returning a serve with their eyes closed as well.
With or without a racquet?
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
Ok, in that case, I still think hitting the baseball is harder. You don't have to move too much to return a serve, usually they hit the serve in only a couple of different areas, and by the time the ball gets to you it's going a LOT slower than when the server hits it. Combining that with the HUGE hitting area on the racquet as compared to the minuscule "sweet spot" on the bat, and I don't think it's even close.
Why do you think they get three tries to swing at a pitch and in tennis they get just the one? Harder to make contact, even when standing still imo.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
@Coinstartled said:
It is tough to hit a baseball, but the major leaguers manage to get in play fairly about 67% of times that they are at bat.
Yes, but they are allowed to swing and miss twice, not swing up to three times at pitches out of the zone and foul off some before finally getting a pitch they can put into play.
They don't always have those long at bats, but it's beneficial if they can see several pitches.
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
Ok, in that case, I still think hitting the baseball is harder. You don't have to move too much to return a serve, usually they hit the serve in only a couple of different areas, and by the time the ball gets to you it's going a LOT slower than when the server hits it. Combining that with the HUGE hitting area on the racquet as compared to the minuscule "sweet spot" on the bat, and I don't think it's even close.
Why do you think they get three tries to swing at a pitch and in tennis they get just the one? Harder to make contact, even when standing still imo.
Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively.
The reason the pro tour slowed down the courts at every tournament immensely 15- 20 years ago, was because it was getting impossible to break serve from the serve bots. Even the Wimbledon grass of today is super slow compared to 20-25 yrs ago.
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
Ok, in that case, I still think hitting the baseball is harder. You don't have to move too much to return a serve, usually they hit the serve in only a couple of different areas, and by the time the ball gets to you it's going a LOT slower than when the server hits it. Combining that with the HUGE hitting area on the racquet as compared to the minuscule "sweet spot" on the bat, and I don't think it's even close.
Why do you think they get three tries to swing at a pitch and in tennis they get just the one? Harder to make contact, even when standing still imo.
Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively.
Actually, was active in just about every sport. Golfed with my father, who loved the game, and was usually about 6-8 over par for 18 holes. Tennis at the park, but never on a team. Bowled in several leagues for many years, baseball in "middle" school, football on the High School team, hockey at the park and later in life with some really good players, basketball, (not much, I was horrible) mostly at the park, broomball in two leagues for several years and softball in three leagues for several years.
Also ran 3-5 miles daily starting in HS and continuing until my 30's and lifted weights 3 times a week both in my home and at a health club for about the same time as I was running.
Tried hitting some fast pitches at the batting cage, didn't do well. I could certainly do better hitting a 50 mph tennis ball even if I had to move a few feet to get to it.
There's really no point in debating you, you're wrong and won't admit it, so you start bringing up irrelevant points because you can't find any facts to support your argument.
The statement "Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you." has got to be the stupidest, most idiotic, thing I have ever read. "Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively. " comes in in second place.
I suppose your next post will be "Yeah, but my dad could've beaten up your dad".
2013,14 and 15 Certificate Award Winner Harmon Killebrew Master Set and Master Topps Set
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
Ok, in that case, I still think hitting the baseball is harder. You don't have to move too much to return a serve, usually they hit the serve in only a couple of different areas, and by the time the ball gets to you it's going a LOT slower than when the server hits it. Combining that with the HUGE hitting area on the racquet as compared to the minuscule "sweet spot" on the bat, and I don't think it's even close.
Why do you think they get three tries to swing at a pitch and in tennis they get just the one? Harder to make contact, even when standing still imo.
Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively.
Actually, was active in just about every sport. Golfed with my father, who loved the game, and was usually about 6-8 over par for 18 holes. Tennis at the park, but never on a team. Bowled in several leagues for many years, baseball in "middle" school, football on the High School team, hockey at the park and later in life with some really good players, basketball, (not much, I was horrible) mostly at the park, broomball in two leagues for several years and softball in three leagues for several years.
Also ran 3-5 miles daily starting in HS and continuing until my 30's and lifted weights 3 times a week both in my home and at a health club for about the same time as I was running.
Tried hitting some fast pitches at the batting cage, didn't do well. I could certainly do better hitting a 50 mph tennis ball even if I had to move a few feet to get to it.
There's really no point in debating you, you're wrong and won't admit it, so you start bringing up irrelevant points because you can't find any facts to support your argument.
The statement "Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you." has got to be the stupidest, most idiotic, thing I have ever read. "Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively. " comes in in second place.
I suppose your next post will be "Yeah, but my dad could've beaten up your dad".
Nah. Everything I said is 100% correct.
You are probably the most ignorant member of any sports forum I have ever come across. Anyone who has played both sports competitively(which clearly you haven't) knows that Tennis is more difficult to master than baseball.
Anyone ever try to hit a croquet ball through those narrow wickets from any distance on bumpy ground? Now that is tougher than both tennis and baseball.
Toughest thing I ever did in sports is run a marathon. Eighteen miles and your legs fell like they are made of cement. Your back aches and your brain is yelling at you. It is just the wall, you tell yourself. The hard part is behind you. But no it isn't. You have 8 miles left. I mean 80% of the world can't walk 8 miles and you are trying to run it after 18 miles.
Comments
only with a bat the width of a tennis racket
The last good data statistically collected is from 2002–2013 and I suspect the serve speeds are up 4–5 MPH since then.
Tennis court is 78 feet long and the players are another 6-10 feet behind the line and have a 10 1/2 inch wide FLAT racquet.
It's 60 feet 6 inches from the front of the pitching "rubber" to home plate, but that's not how far the pitcher is from the plate when he lets go of the ball.
Baseball pitcher's release point is about 54 feet from home plate and batter has a ROUND bat that by regulation may be no more than 2.75 inches (7.0 cm) in diameter at the thickest part.
Oh yes I see now, MUCH harder to return a serve from 85-90 feet away with a 10.5 inch flat surface than from 54 feet away with a 2.75 inch wide ROUND surface.
Tennis ball might slow down a bit when it bounces.
The serve speeds you see on courtside digital displays are measured just as the ball leaves the racquet. Fortunately for returners, by the time the ball reaches them, air resistance and the friction of the court surface have diminished its speed by roughly 50 percent. Tennis instructor and analyst John Yandell has found that, on average, a 120-mph serve slows to 82 mph before the bounce, then to 65 mph after the bounce, and finally to 55 mph at the opponent's racket.
Are we done now?
When I play it slows to zero when I miss the return and it rolls into the bushes.
Wonderful analysis, all of it. Except it all ignores that tennis players have to move laterally and be able to turn either direction to return with either backhand or forehand. Also, tennis players usually are pretty close to the baseline when returning serve, not 6-10 feet behind it.
When we compare difficulty in performing a certain sport, well we need only to look at the quality of the palyers at the top levels. Top dozen golfers or NBA players or tennis players or MLB sluggers all earn in the ten million plus range with endorsements. Asume then if it was easier to hit a 100 MPH fastball than a Wimbledon finals serve, then the tennis guys would switch sports.
With great glee, the baseball honchos celebrated when Michael Jordan failed in the baseball minor leagues. As if the Triple A guy hitting .288 was a better athlete than Jordan who could do no better than .250, if memory serves. Well that is of course nonsense as the better hitting minor league teammate would have never made it off the bench in an NBA game.
I just can't believe this discussion continues. I don't doubt the skills of the tennis player, but really now, if you've played (baseball) the game (or having watched 1000's of games), the best hitters in the world often fail to make contact with the ball. When was the last time you ever saw a tennis player flat out miss, make no contact at all. I'm not talking about the ones they can't reach or just are in a spot where they don't offer. Hitters do that also. But it's common to see a batter swing and miss at pitches right over the plate. Try to hit a round ball throw in excess of 90MPH with a round bat and hit it squarely; toughest thing in sports!
toughest thing in sports is the Albatross in golf. Try it sometime.
This is the heart of the matter. I was much more successful hitting fastballs with my 2.75 inch bat than hard serves with my 10 inch racket because there was only a small space directly in front of me where the baseball could be; if it was anywhere else, I could ignore it. Tennis balls can go to your right, your left, or right at you, and they can bounce up to your shoulders or stay below your knees.
ok i did. seemed rather pedestrian?
-louie
https://www.masters.com/en_US/watch/2013-04-07/013de1496b300000074f.html
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
this was pretty easy, too.
-louie
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
i got bored with regular aces ^, so i decided to do this instead.
-louie
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
and the next time someone pumps one five-hundy, come find me.
-louie
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
First off, there's no comparison AT ALL in the debate on what's harder, hitting a pitched baseball or returning a serve. If you feel the need to chop off a couple of feet on players being closer to the baseline, that doesn't change much. I've watched a lot of tennis and the guys returning Roddick's serve (first one anyway) seem to play pretty far back, and often hit it from way behind the baseline.
Now you bring up moving, well, that does give an advantage to the tennis player over MOST of the baseball defenders, but SS, CF, and maybe 2B have to go get the ball too, and then often make an accurate throw, so that evens things up somewhat. Catcher is a very demanding position as well. Pitching is pretty tough too.
I would agree with the list that says tennis is a little harder to play than baseball, but not much, and 3-4 of the baseball positions would be harder.> @dallasactuary said:
Maybe you were just better at baseball? Fastballs only? How about "Uncle Charlie"?
You don't have to hit the tennis balls that are going out of play, or serves that don't land in the right "box". You can also move around to get in a better position to return a tennis ball, but you have to stay put when the baseball is coming.
I wasn't great at either, but I was better at tennis. The point is that the focus area in baseball is only a few square feet, all directly in front of you so you never have to move your feet to get to it, while the focus area in tennis is about 100 square feet and you don't know which way you'll have to move (or not) until the ball is well on its way.
No argument there. A baseball player has to do more than just hit too!
REMEMBER. I said the single hardest thing. I'm sure a NFL running back might be laughing at this conversation if you widen the focus!
I bring up moving as relates to hitting. Hitters don't have to move or switch sides. Tennis players do. That was my point.
Say if you stand 20 ft behind the baseline does not really make it that much easier to return the serve. Just look at the video of pros who serve up an ace, it just smacks the wall in a split second, so it's not like you have time to run to the ball.
A baseball in a strike zone at least you might hit it if you are lucky, because you are there already, no need to move left or right to intercept the pitch. Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Forgotten here is defending the spiked volleyball.
I get your point completely. Your expanding the comparison beyond what I said. I was limiting the act to a single thing and not bringing in running. Comparing hitting a baseball to returning a serve.
Overall, the running aspect (and the rest of the comments as well) elevate tennis to be a little harder sport to play than baseball.
Possibly the most idiotic post of all time anywhere, on any subject.
I'll play along.
Experts have shown that a man standing in the batters box blindfolded using a toothpick for a bat will hit a home run every time.
The best baseball players don't even need bats, apparently.
Couldn't make it past the 1:26 point. My head was about to explode.
The extent of my baseball "skills" was being able to crouch like Rickey Henderson and poke my elbow at the ball like Don Baylor. I walked or was beaned A LOT. Unfortunately, on base percentage was an underappreciated stat in youth little league, and I was a washed up baseball has-been by the age of 12.
However, I was a high school varsity tennis player and could at least hang on the court (only very briefly in most matches) with guys that would go on to be Division 1 college players. I don't claim my competition to be even remotely near the elite level athletes in both sports, but from my personal experience and limited athletic ability, tennis is a thousand times easier to play than baseball.
I guess one would have a chance returning a serve with their eyes closed as well.
With or without a racquet?
I suppose the ball could volley off their head, so either, or.
Actually, no, you don't. I'm still talking about returning serve. Tennis players have to be able to move laterally to return serve. AND switch sides.
Ok, in that case, I still think hitting the baseball is harder. You don't have to move too much to return a serve, usually they hit the serve in only a couple of different areas, and by the time the ball gets to you it's going a LOT slower than when the server hits it. Combining that with the HUGE hitting area on the racquet as compared to the minuscule "sweet spot" on the bat, and I don't think it's even close.
Why do you think they get three tries to swing at a pitch and in tennis they get just the one? Harder to make contact, even when standing still imo.
It is tough to hit a baseball, but the major leaguers manage to get in play fairly about 67% of times that they are at bat.
Yes, but they are allowed to swing and miss twice, not swing up to three times at pitches out of the zone and foul off some before finally getting a pitch they can put into play.
They don't always have those long at bats, but it's beneficial if they can see several pitches.
Gibson had an extended at bat.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
The reason the pro tour slowed down the courts at every tournament immensely 15- 20 years ago, was because it was getting impossible to break serve from the serve bots. Even the Wimbledon grass of today is super slow compared to 20-25 yrs ago.
https://tennishead.net/is-wimbledon-2019-the-slowest-ever/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-wimbledon-court-idUSKBN19O2CC
https://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2019/07/green-grass-or-green-clay-players-slowest-wimbledon-ever/83103/
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
Actually, was active in just about every sport. Golfed with my father, who loved the game, and was usually about 6-8 over par for 18 holes. Tennis at the park, but never on a team. Bowled in several leagues for many years, baseball in "middle" school, football on the High School team, hockey at the park and later in life with some really good players, basketball, (not much, I was horrible) mostly at the park, broomball in two leagues for several years and softball in three leagues for several years.
Also ran 3-5 miles daily starting in HS and continuing until my 30's and lifted weights 3 times a week both in my home and at a health club for about the same time as I was running.
Tried hitting some fast pitches at the batting cage, didn't do well. I could certainly do better hitting a 50 mph tennis ball even if I had to move a few feet to get to it.
There's really no point in debating you, you're wrong and won't admit it, so you start bringing up irrelevant points because you can't find any facts to support your argument.
The statement "Statistically, you still have a chance if you close you eyes and swing the bat. But in tennis, close your eyes and swing will not work because the ball might not even pass beside you." has got to be the stupidest, most idiotic, thing I have ever read. "Its pretty clear you have not played both sports competitively. " comes in in second place.
I suppose your next post will be "Yeah, but my dad could've beaten up your dad".
Tom Brookens
Nah. Everything I said is 100% correct.
You are probably the most ignorant member of any sports forum I have ever come across. Anyone who has played both sports competitively(which clearly you haven't) knows that Tennis is more difficult to master than baseball.
Terry Bradshaw was AMAZING!!
Ignore list -Basebal21
No. I wouldn't ever say that.
Anyone ever try to hit a croquet ball through those narrow wickets from any distance on bumpy ground? Now that is tougher than both tennis and baseball.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Bad morning.
I note some tension among the forum participants.
Toughest thing I ever did in sports is run a marathon. Eighteen miles and your legs fell like they are made of cement. Your back aches and your brain is yelling at you. It is just the wall, you tell yourself. The hard part is behind you. But no it isn't. You have 8 miles left. I mean 80% of the world can't walk 8 miles and you are trying to run it after 18 miles.