Is table tennis the hardest sport in the world?
- Thread starter Dan
- Start date
This user has no status.
It depends about what you understand about "hard". Perhaps,it´ll be one ofthe most difficult sports to understand for media, but cycling and some others are HARD and demand much more physical fitness.
I'd say table tennis is the hardest mental game to play, in the sense you don't really get tired from it but the mental aspect of the game can make you lose. Like a very good player rated 2200 will do bad against a 1800 rated person. However if the 2200 rated player plays a 2500 rated player he'll play very good in the sense he has nothing to lose.
Yes. Table tennis is extremely deep. It takes so long even if you only want to be half way decent. This sport is also very hard to judge people's skill by how they look. Some 80 year-old player looked no good to me, but they could beat. I had all the time in the world to react but missed a lot shots.
true but the reaction time with choice of shot/reading spin/trajectory/motion of opponents racket/angle/ is more complicated and varied in table tennis.
I play competitive badminton in my early years and i can say it's easy -Left , right,middle long or short with power or less,close to the net...
Table tennis is by far the hardest to master and we can be competitive even in our later years.
Last edited:
It's true that at its fastest point, Badminton is the fastest sport in terms of reaction rate requirement, but overall, table tennis is still the fastest, because the only time badminton reaches those top speeds is when one player is int he perfect position has the opportunity to smash the shuttle cock perfectly. The majority rest of the time, badminton is no where as fast as table tennis, and therefore, when you take an average table tennis is still faster.
That having been said, I love table tennis, but I love badminton also, the amount of running around and agility is out of this world. After two minutes of playing, the players are wiping sweat off their faces with their hands as if they were using their hands as towels.
Table tennis really doesn't get as much as credit as it deserves for how hard it is, especially in the casual players' eyes. Its because the swings and everything look relatively the same, but in actuality, the difference between a loop of a professional player and an semi professional player, while they look relatively the same, have the same path, and almost the same speed, a professional player is able to put something like 50+ more rotations per second on the ball, which is really really really hard to do, because it requires a hell of alot better timing and everything.
That having been said, I love table tennis, but I love badminton also, the amount of running around and agility is out of this world. After two minutes of playing, the players are wiping sweat off their faces with their hands as if they were using their hands as towels.
Table tennis really doesn't get as much as credit as it deserves for how hard it is, especially in the casual players' eyes. Its because the swings and everything look relatively the same, but in actuality, the difference between a loop of a professional player and an semi professional player, while they look relatively the same, have the same path, and almost the same speed, a professional player is able to put something like 50+ more rotations per second on the ball, which is really really really hard to do, because it requires a hell of alot better timing and everything.
says
ok, I will go back and make sure you have access.
Be...
Well-Known Member
The element of spin makes it something different from every other racket sport, that's for sure. And harder.
says
editing a big TTD Team episode... stay tuned 👀
says
editing a big TTD Team episode... stay tuned 👀
Well-Known Member
Administrator
Very true there Baal! spin is everything! and @scylla24.. nice post! badminton is definately more footwork n everything involved but in terms of skill related i think TT wins..
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Several years ago I had the occasion to read a comparison of several sports in terms of energy spent and was amazed to leearn that in this respect the hardest sport is badminton, which requires as much expense of energy as marathon! would you believe it? I don't remember where table tennis was exactly classed, but certainly in the top 5, the scientists have found that a 5 sets (old 21 point) required more energy than a full 90 minutes football match! And energy is not the only element: contrary to e.g. long distance runs you find here the speed and the change of speed. This you can also find in other sports, already mentioned badminton, tennis etc. but our sport is also very technical, especially in terms of spin variations and variety of equipment used. And don't forget the aspect of psychology. So many factors coming from different sports that you can find in our discipline. No wonder so many people, seeming perfectly normal, become crazy about it - and pround to be one of them!!!
i think it is one hardest fastest hand eye cordinaton i have been playing for 20 years and dealing with different spins serves its still exciting something new everyday especially playing people that have long pips ,anti,sponge,no sponge it goes on and thats what makes our sport the best !!!!
undoubtedly, it's crazily hard.
it's not so challenging to cycle 10km, jog 5km or play badminton as a beginner. BUT, it's extremely complex to hit the ball and maybe just put it on the table when you first play tt, isn't it?
it's not so challenging to cycle 10km, jog 5km or play badminton as a beginner. BUT, it's extremely complex to hit the ball and maybe just put it on the table when you first play tt, isn't it?
says
yup paad ako sa face book RENZ ALCANCE
says
yup paad ako sa face book RENZ ALCANCE
Active Member
Technicaly difficult yes
Mentally difficult yes
Physically difficult absolutely not
The fact of the matter is that the time you put into tt is the skill you receive. Other more mainstream sports require natural athletic ability that many TT champions could never even aspire to. TT is a more universal sport, meaning it levels the playing field between a 12 year old and a 60 year old, a 130 pound string bean and a 300 pound pudger. Of course the more anyone does something the better they get, but other sports like soccer and football limit the age of effectiveness of their participants. It takes long to get great a TT, but it's not due to the physical demand but rather training muscle memory long enough to be familiar with most of the different situations one might face in a game. I get tired of hearing people say TT is this and that, the best and hardest. I'm a fanboy of TT, trust me, it's the only sport I've ever decided to be actively competitive in outside of high school football. However, there come a point when people need to realize TT is just not as physically demanding as to require massive amounts of strength training and wind sprints, and is more along the lines of a live action board game, you need to play enough to develop anticipation. Soccer requires this, in determining how to defend a player and picking one on one moves etc, but it requires a much higher physical capacity. However, the anticipation in soccer is much more natural, relying on less minute body movements than TT. That being said, TT should be the world sport for those that can't play soccer, it brings all ages and gender to the table equally, with those that have the most determination and dedication being capable of doing exceedingly well.
Mentally difficult yes
Physically difficult absolutely not
The fact of the matter is that the time you put into tt is the skill you receive. Other more mainstream sports require natural athletic ability that many TT champions could never even aspire to. TT is a more universal sport, meaning it levels the playing field between a 12 year old and a 60 year old, a 130 pound string bean and a 300 pound pudger. Of course the more anyone does something the better they get, but other sports like soccer and football limit the age of effectiveness of their participants. It takes long to get great a TT, but it's not due to the physical demand but rather training muscle memory long enough to be familiar with most of the different situations one might face in a game. I get tired of hearing people say TT is this and that, the best and hardest. I'm a fanboy of TT, trust me, it's the only sport I've ever decided to be actively competitive in outside of high school football. However, there come a point when people need to realize TT is just not as physically demanding as to require massive amounts of strength training and wind sprints, and is more along the lines of a live action board game, you need to play enough to develop anticipation. Soccer requires this, in determining how to defend a player and picking one on one moves etc, but it requires a much higher physical capacity. However, the anticipation in soccer is much more natural, relying on less minute body movements than TT. That being said, TT should be the world sport for those that can't play soccer, it brings all ages and gender to the table equally, with those that have the most determination and dedication being capable of doing exceedingly well.
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Chompiraz,
regret I cannot completely agree with you. What you described in your post is rather pure amateur ping pong, not table tennis. I can also see people staying behind the table, feet glued to the floor, moving their arms only and pretending to train. They claim to have a great stamina as they don't show a single drop of sweat even after an hour of play - I sweat already after the warm-up, which they never do anyway. TT is a specific sport where you cannot allow yourself to have massively build muscles, like bodybuilders do, TT favours low weight, I will address this issue later. You don't need extreme force - but you must be capable of executing strokes with optimum force - and loosely at the same time, which is self-contradictory, yet working, and sometimes extremely fast. So you don't need to have well built arms, rather strong and effective.
Middle body is very important, if you play correctly from the technical point of view, every stroke comes from your waist and hips. Advanced TT players must train this part of the body almost like boxers. Footwork, i.e. legs' performance is crucial - i hope there is no need to further explain it. You see how professionals move at the table? I remember already in the 70-ies I've been reading an interview with Seiji Ono - he claimed to jog e v e r y morning 5 to 10 km. And today's players are much better prepared physically then those "ancient" ones, as the game is quicker and more demanding. The Chinese say they spend some 50% of the training time on physical preparation, meaning more than the technical one, as you have to leave some % for mental training. And we come to back to the issue of body weight – with all legs so well developed (see the Chinese or Japanese, like Ma Lin or Kishikawa) and with so hard training every day – how can you imagine to move quickly if you have some spare pound on you? To compare, have you ever seen a fat long distance runner ?
Big and too well developed muscles are also not acceptable in TT for physiological reasons – with all this extreme effort (please don’t laugh, sometimes it is really extreme) your lungs must oxygenate the body. Those interested in K1 or MMA, having seen e.g. Bob Sapp will immediately understand what I am meaning.
Another example: I recently listened to Błaszczyk, one of the best players in the history of Polish TT (and European as well). He plays today in Germany (TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau) and makes friend with Miroslav Klose, a top footballer from Bayern. They train together from time to time and Blaszczyk was laughing (friendly) that Miro says that Bayern they never train physically as hard as TT players.
I dare to say that without physical preparation one can forget about achieving any significant results in TT – unless he/she doesn’t care.
In another post I will provide some more facts about TT, also about the physical requirements of this sport, which of course is the best for me – but not the hardest. In this I agree with Chompiraz, I find all this effort, preparation and training not so hard as I simply love the game and am ready to make this effort to progress.
Cheers
regret I cannot completely agree with you. What you described in your post is rather pure amateur ping pong, not table tennis. I can also see people staying behind the table, feet glued to the floor, moving their arms only and pretending to train. They claim to have a great stamina as they don't show a single drop of sweat even after an hour of play - I sweat already after the warm-up, which they never do anyway. TT is a specific sport where you cannot allow yourself to have massively build muscles, like bodybuilders do, TT favours low weight, I will address this issue later. You don't need extreme force - but you must be capable of executing strokes with optimum force - and loosely at the same time, which is self-contradictory, yet working, and sometimes extremely fast. So you don't need to have well built arms, rather strong and effective.
Middle body is very important, if you play correctly from the technical point of view, every stroke comes from your waist and hips. Advanced TT players must train this part of the body almost like boxers. Footwork, i.e. legs' performance is crucial - i hope there is no need to further explain it. You see how professionals move at the table? I remember already in the 70-ies I've been reading an interview with Seiji Ono - he claimed to jog e v e r y morning 5 to 10 km. And today's players are much better prepared physically then those "ancient" ones, as the game is quicker and more demanding. The Chinese say they spend some 50% of the training time on physical preparation, meaning more than the technical one, as you have to leave some % for mental training. And we come to back to the issue of body weight – with all legs so well developed (see the Chinese or Japanese, like Ma Lin or Kishikawa) and with so hard training every day – how can you imagine to move quickly if you have some spare pound on you? To compare, have you ever seen a fat long distance runner ?
Big and too well developed muscles are also not acceptable in TT for physiological reasons – with all this extreme effort (please don’t laugh, sometimes it is really extreme) your lungs must oxygenate the body. Those interested in K1 or MMA, having seen e.g. Bob Sapp will immediately understand what I am meaning.
Another example: I recently listened to Błaszczyk, one of the best players in the history of Polish TT (and European as well). He plays today in Germany (TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau) and makes friend with Miroslav Klose, a top footballer from Bayern. They train together from time to time and Blaszczyk was laughing (friendly) that Miro says that Bayern they never train physically as hard as TT players.
I dare to say that without physical preparation one can forget about achieving any significant results in TT – unless he/she doesn’t care.
In another post I will provide some more facts about TT, also about the physical requirements of this sport, which of course is the best for me – but not the hardest. In this I agree with Chompiraz, I find all this effort, preparation and training not so hard as I simply love the game and am ready to make this effort to progress.
Cheers
This user has no status.
Similar threads
