Table Tennis vs Football

Tommy.G · Sep 11, 2011

What do you think is a harder sport to learn play and become professional at. In my opinion it would be table tennis because I have played both sports to a high level and table tennis for me is a lot harder to learn and become professional at and the training is more intense.

Wang Liqin photo by: People's Daily Online

WiWa · Sep 11, 2011

There's too much money in football so it is relatively easy to become pro there more than any other sport. People at not interesting levels earn their living with football, while table tennis players with a very good talent and level have a hard time living from tt alone. Plus becoming pro in tt requires way more training hours, good trainers/coaches and an early start where people learn football to a pro level on the streets of Brazil.

DKPOWA · Sep 11, 2011

Table Tennis, both in learning and succeeding. But its kind of an unfair comparison one is a individual sport, the other is groupal, so one can compare to certain point...

moriguchi2 · Sep 12, 2011

they are both quite difficult but table tennis is more of a perfectionist sport yet soccer to be good you have to be very conditioned and athletic

jedimasterplk · Sep 12, 2011

I have seen (and personally know) footballers who have no talent, but have worked out to be average players in the Premier league.

It is much, much more difficult to become a pro table tennis player, and good enough to play in the German and French league levels.

YosuaYosan · Sep 12, 2011

Table Tennis makes a better man. Heck yeah I do agree.
The level of perseverance, mental strength and lots of stuff could be developed through table tennis.

WiWa · Sep 12, 2011

I wonder who misclicked and voted football

azlan · Sep 12, 2011

Sorry guys, I beg to differ hehehehe. I still think football is the hardest sport to become a pro. I was in the UK for 11 years, played for Dagenham & Redbridge back when they were in the Vauxhall Conference League, I went for trial at QPR and Crystal Palace in 1992, Millwall the following year. It was really difficult.

Football have a bigger pool of players, much much much bigger then TT. It's like trying to play pro TT in China if you know what I mean, where probably we would even have trouble beating a player that comes from far away village in China who doesn't have any professional training. We are talking about professionals here, not even semi pro. With bigger pool, there are more talented players. Fitness wise too, I think you do need more in football. It's equivalent to running 8-10km per game, and that include sprinting.
But when comes to skill, I think TT players take the cake. You need so much skill and also reaction in TT, that at times I think in defies physics.

WiWa · Sep 12, 2011

azlan said:
Sorry guys, I beg to differ hehehehe. I still think football is the hardest sport to become a pro. I was in the UK for 11 years, played for Dagenham & Redbridge back when they were in the Vauxhall Conference League, I went for trial at QPR and Crystal Palace in 1992, Millwall the following year. It was really difficult.

Football have a bigger pool of players, much much much bigger then TT. It's like trying to play pro TT in China if you know what I mean, where probably we would even have trouble beating a player that comes from far away village in China who doesn't have any professional training. We are talking about professionals here, not even semi pro. With bigger pool, there are more talented players. Fitness wise too, I think you do need more in football. It's equivalent to running 8-10km per game, and that include sprinting.
But when comes to skill, I think TT players take the cake. You need so much skill and also reaction in TT, that at times I think in defies physics.

Well the thing is, the definition of being pro imo is that you make a living out of it. And that is easier in football. Like said above, you don't need too much talent to become a pro. Since all talented players become attacking-minded, practically everyone with a little bit of skill and determination can become a good defender in football. Also people with a lot of talent and no determination/discipline can make a really good living.
In table tennis, both talent and discipline need to be on a very high level to become a pro.

Tommy.G · Sep 12, 2011

thanks

wow thanks guys for all the replies

YosuaYosan · Sep 12, 2011

Nice answer WiWa.
It reminds us the definition of professional.
For me it is the level of your skill that enables you to live out of it.

azlan · Sep 12, 2011

hahahahaha loving this thread already. Obviously footballers get paid ridiculous salary, and it gets worst by the day.

On the contrary what people might think, footballers do train very very hard, especially the pros. People like Abrahamovich wouldn't want anything less from his players. I doubt mere mortals can even survive the physical training, and that's even without kicking a ball. We won't even last 15 minutes in a high level professional match...guaranteed, even as a defender. It is tough, millions have tried to be pros, and millions have failed.

WiWa · Sep 12, 2011

azlan said:
hahahahaha loving this thread already. Obviously footballers get paid ridiculous salary, and it gets worst by the day.

On the contrary what people might think, footballers do train very very hard, especially the pros. People like Abrahamovich wouldn't want anything less from his players. I doubt mere mortals can even survive the physical training, and that's even without kicking a ball. We won't even last 15 minutes in a high level professional match...guaranteed, even as a defender. It is tough, millions have tried to be pros, and millions have failed.

Of course, but I don't think it is that much different from pro TT players. It also differs per club or coach. Some do alot of physical training, others do less. But I mean if people like Mario Balotelli can keep up the training, the discipline bar can't be too high. There are pro's who smoke and drink alot, but still earn a salary around the million a year. And then I'm not talking about PL level, but divisions like the Dutch or the Belgiums first and second level also pays players a living.

Tommy.G · Sep 12, 2011

in my opinion you have to be fit to play table tennis it dosent make you fit and football makes you fit soo you progress on the way so in a way its different but for table tennis the hours you have to put in a day just to improve that little bit. its very hard but i wont lie football is hard too but i just dont think that it touches the skil required for table tennis. if that makes sense LOL

Mr. RicharD · Sep 12, 2011

Table tennis can make you just as fit as any other sport. The difference is most people prefer to play games rather than condition their bodies in drills and exercises. You have to be strong enough to produce great shots, but you have to be flexible enough to move in many directions and adapt to the reflexive nature of the sport.

Dan · Sep 13, 2011

Just want to say I love your signature Mr. RicharD It's so true.

My opinion is that... table tennis requires higher skill levels in terms of fine tuning stuff.. I.e. the hours and hours of serve practice you need to do to become a professional is so much itself... However I've read how David Beckham mastered his free kicks by doing 2 hours every day after training to perfect it.

Ill let you guys discuss as im not to sure on this one... in some areas you need more skill components in one sport... but more in another...

I.e you need more eye hand co-ordination in table tennis you could say,,, however you need more strength in football...?

Tough one to argue... But I like what Azlan said.....

'Football have a bigger pool of players, much much much bigger then TT. It's like trying to play pro TT in China if you know what I mean, where probably we would even have trouble beating a player that comes from far away village in China who doesn't have any professional training. We are talking about professionals here, not even semi pro. With bigger pool, there are more talented players. Fitness wise too, I think you do need more in football. It's equivalent to running 8-10km per game, and that include sprinting.
But when comes to skill, I think TT players take the cake. You need so much skill and also reaction in TT, that at times I think in defies physics'

Table Tennis vs Football

what is a harder sport

Table Tennis

Football

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Active Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads