# Is there something you enjoy doing but you're really bad at it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 3, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419 "2003-09-03T22:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/21 "2003-09-04T04:49:21Z")
I love the idea of writing although I know I suck at it very much. In high school I failed english class more times than I’d like to admit. Being able to have your words hold a complete stranger captive seems like it would produce a high beyond description. ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/22 "2003-09-04T05:03:23Z")
playing golf ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/23 "2003-09-04T05:07:16Z")
Sex. But like Woody Allen said, I practice a lot when I’m alone. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/24 "2003-09-04T05:14:27Z")
Another frustrated singer here. Not only can I not sing on key, I can’t even keep a simple beat! Also, chemistry. I took a chemistry class in high school, but found it to be _much_ harder than anything I’d tried to learn previously. It was so damn interesting, though. Many of the other students in my class didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it and scored A’s and B’s. I busted my ass, but only edged by the passing mark by a mere point. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/25 "2003-09-04T05:21:06Z")
I like to play my guitar and sometimes even sing. I used to be not so bad when I had time to practice everyday. As it is I only get my axe out once in awhile. Pop in a CD, crank up the amp, plug in the mic, **AND** break open a really big bottle of tequila. It’s better than practicing everyday and the more I drink the better I sound. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/26 "2003-09-04T05:52:53Z")
I love playing the piano, and I’m not terrible at it (i’m self taught), but there are like 8 pianos here at school, and all these folks often come in and wow everyone with their 6 years of lessons. I know all of two songs (Imagine and Hey Jude, stand back and be amazed!) and bits and pieces of others but hey I try. ---
**Author:** ![constantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@constantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constantine)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/27 "2003-09-04T07:43:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nvme77 \* > \*\*playing golf \*\* Me too. I finally took a few lessons a few months back. I really like golf, but sometimes I amaze even myself with my ineptitude. I kind of feel like that is even the point of golf: that you are supposed to be bad at it. And like it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/28 "2003-09-04T07:48:23Z")
Has to be the video games. Especially the racing ones… Oh, and Minesweeper too ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/29 "2003-09-04T07:50:52Z")
Dancing, music (well, I’m getting better), and posting on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/30 "2003-09-04T10:02:27Z")
Like many others I love to sing. But I’m really, REALLY bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/31 "2003-09-04T12:35:28Z")
[ul] [li]Bowling- My average hovers in the 120-130 range.[/li][li]Pool- I miss about 80% of my shots but I still enjoy it.[/li][li]Drawing- Especially people, I can never get their faces or bodily proportions to look right (arms too long, hands too big in relation to body, etc.)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/32 "2003-09-04T13:04:01Z")
Piano. Years of piano lessons as a child left me with the ability to read music as easily as I read words. But translating that music into finger movements on the keyboard that create pleasant sounds from the piano is another matter entirely. Golf. I love to play golf, but I pose no absolutely threat to pretty much anybody at the local course. I like it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/33 "2003-09-04T13:06:44Z")
Guess I should add “editing sentences” to my list. That should be “absolutely no threat” in my Golf paragraph, of course. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/34 "2003-09-04T14:02:36Z")
I’m stink worse than rented shoes at bowling. I’m happy if I beat 60. But damn, it’s fun to heave that ball down the alley. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/35 "2003-09-04T14:11:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Heart On My Sleeve \* > \*\* > > I also love to play trivial pursuit and I lose every single time!! \*\* Me, too! We should play a game sometime 🙂 We’d both blank on every answer but have a great time. It would last for six or seven hours, though. I’m really bad at it! ---
**Author:** ![FallFast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FallFast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallFast)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/36 "2003-09-04T18:02:20Z")
Playing the guitar. I love it but I suck at it. I gotta admit though I am getting less suckier. ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/37 "2003-09-04T18:23:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Moo the Magic Cow \* > \*\*I love playing the piano, and I’m not terrible at it (i’m self taught), but there are like 8 pianos here at school, and all these folks often come in and wow everyone with their 6 years of lessons. I know all of two songs (Imagine and Hey Jude, stand back and be amazed!) and bits and pieces of others but hey I try. \*\* A lot of the people in my dorm are like that. “Oh, I’m terrible” they say, sitting down at the piano. Except they always wind up sounding like they’ve been playing since age 2. I can read music and I took a year of piano lessons, but all I can do on a piano is find middle C. Personally, I like to sing. My voice has been getting gradually better since I took up an instrument 7 years ago, but it’s not exactly beautiful, especially when there’s nothing for me to sing along with. But I like to sing anyway. It’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/38 "2003-09-04T19:26:04Z")
Golf. I haven’t played for a few years, but there was a time when i played quite regularly without really getting noticeably better. The really evil thing about golf gods is that they allow me just enough really sweet shots to think that i might actually be able to get the hang of the game, and then will cut me down to size with a series of dramatic slices or duffed chip shots. For me, the absolute extremes of buoyant exhilaration and seething frustration can reached in the space of ten minutes on a golf course. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/39 "2003-09-04T21:25:08Z")
Archery. Can barely hit the target from 15 yards and I’m sure that if an expert saw me practicing, he or she would fall to the ground, hands to head, screaming in agony at my horrendous form, but I lovelovelove to get out there and shoot the ever-lovin’ patookie outta some hay bales with my 30lb practice recurve. _Twang_ Also bowling - average score is probably somewhere in the 80s. And roller skating - always loved it, but at some point during the outing I will end up careening face first into a wall. Good thing I have a litlle button nose and I also bounce quite easily. ---
**Author:** ![chm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@chm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419/40 "2003-09-04T22:02:19Z")
Ice skating. Husband and I are taking ice dancing again this year…it’s our fourth year of skating lessons together 🙂 and I can still only sort of do the turns, this after a couple years trying, but I’m determined to learn a dance which involves a change of direction this year. Husband is even worse, he only managed to find his outside edge last year (like I said, 4 years of classes), but he was even more adamant than I about going back to the class. Maybe in 4 more years we’ll be able to do a waltz together 🙂 We’ve considered hockey, but adding sticks and pucks to this mix is probably beyond our ability. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-something-you-enjoy-doing-but-youre-really-bad-at-it/199419.md?page=3)