A quarter of sports fans believe they could score a goal in a Premier League match, while one in ten claim they could last a round in the ring with a pro boxer, according to a survey of 2,000 adults.
Confidence across sports
The study found many fans think they could compete with elite athletes. One in seven (14%) think they could match a professional golfer over one hole, and 22% are confident they could beat them at crazy golf. Some 18% believe they could return a serve from a top tennis player. Additionally, 14% think they could complete a lap of a Formula 1 track without coming last, and another 14% think they could finish a stage of the Tour de France.
Armchair experts
Those who think they could compete attribute it to overestimating their abilities or thinking sports look easier than they are. More than half (56%) also think it’s because people undervalue how skilled sportspeople really are. Eight in ten believe watching professional sport can make people become 'armchair experts' who underestimate the difficulty.
When it comes to golf, 38% think an amateur could have a chance against a professional, with 52% citing one lucky shot and 51% saying pros make mistakes. The research found 82% find stories of amateurs and underdogs inspiring, and 42% would watch a novice take on a pro golfer in a head-to-head.
Staysure Legends Tour
The study was commissioned by Staysure ahead of the Staysure Legends Tour, which starts next week at Trump International Golf Links. The tournament gives amateurs the chance to play alongside pros in its Pro-Am event.
Corin Rogerson, director of sponsorship for the insurer, said: “Pro sport isn’t as easy as people seemingly think it could be, but these findings show just how confident many fans are when watching from the sofa or the stands. It can seem easy when spectating, but in reality, elite athletes dedicate years to perfecting their craft, building the physical fitness, mental resilience and technical skill needed to compete at the very top. It is easy to underestimate just how difficult these sports are until you are faced with the speed, pressure and precision involved. That is what makes watching the professionals do what they do so impressive.”
Rogerson added: “As a nation, many of us are clearly willing to back ourselves when it comes to taking on the professionals, whether that is stepping onto a golf course, returning a serve, or lasting in the ring. It was a fun reminder of the confidence many sports fans have.”
