Is snooker harder than golf?

[rudebhoy]

Boxing isn't predominantly based on human judgement though. If one bloke A hits the bloke B and it results in him not getting up, bloke A wins. The only time it goes to judges scores is if there isn't a winner after 12 rounds. And that is where you can get some very contentious outcomes - Lewis vs Holyfield, Fury v Wilder.

That is exactly why I put the word solely in my post.

44% of pro fights go the distance. In the amateur game, the % is much higher, so a fair old chunk of fights are decided by the judges.

 

[Dibby]

There are lots of comparisons between the 2 sports to be made. The talk of 'a snooker table is 12ft long whereas a golf hole is often 400yards or more' is so utterly brain dead, and that was the point I was highlighting.

Gymnastics, ice skating, riverdance, ballet, etc are all insanely difficult and technical practices. But they're not sports. Break dancing in the Olympics is utterly embarrassing, especially when you consider that squash is not.

Where do you draw the line when it comes to gymnastics and other forms of dance. Why is gymnastics supposedly a sport and not ballet? They're both equally difficult and equally impressive.

Also - judging a score means you're a judge. Judging/interpreting rules, means you're a referee. They're not the same thing.

If we're changing tack to what is a sport, is tiddlywinks a sport? It has definite rules, and has about the same level of exertion as snooker, so if not, why not?


How about competitive eating? Simple in theory, but I'd imagine quite tough to win a top competition.

 

[Dibby]

Risk of injury or death isn't the same as difficulty though. One of the most dangerous single participant sports is Wingsuit BASE Jumping. Being completely unregulated it's not difficult to get into, and maybe one of only a few sports where being stupidly daft makes it easier to succeed?

Ability to execute under that risk is most certainly difficult.

If you don't believe me, put a length of 2x4 down on the floor and walk along it like a balance beam. Easy, right?
Now put the same 2x4 spanning the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls, easy, peasy, exactly the same as when you did it 4" off the ground!

 

[sunshine]

If we're changing tack to what is a sport, is tiddlywinks a sport? It has definite rules, and has about the same level of exertion as snooker, so if not, why not?


How about competitive eating? Simple in theory, but I'd imagine quite tough to win a top competition.

Now you're on to something. Tiddlywinks is definitely harder than snooker. Because the counter travels in the air in a parabola, you have to judge the flight as well as direction. Snooker the balls only travel along the table so you only need to think in 2 dimensions.

 

[Jimaroid]

Ability to execute under that risk is most certainly difficult.

If you don't believe me, put a length of 2x4 down on the floor and walk along it like a balance beam. Easy, right?
Now put the same 2x4 spanning the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls, easy, peasy, exactly the same as when you did it 4" off the ground!

I'm acutely aware of this challenge as I dabble in rock climbing, I know what you mean but there's no difference in difficulty in the two cases. You have the same risk of losing balance in both cases, all that's changed are the consequences.

The technical difficulty of the 2x4 move is the same at 0 feet as it is at 1000 feet, this separation of difficulty and consequence is a concept that's built into the UK system of grading climbs for example.

Controlling the fear of consequence is a skill that can be learned but some people, for unknown reasons, just don't register it at all.

Would I do it? Absolutely not. I'm scared of heights. Climbing is a way I try to overcome that fear.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You'll be saying darts is a sport next.