Expert Practicing Techniques

You only have to sit down for a few minutes in front of the TV before you see something or other offering you a shortcut to success. As a personal trainer, I can't even begin to talk about how often I see a commercial on some nutritional product or workout equipment that promises the results you want in record time. And we eat that stuff up! I bet you, or someone you know has a treadmill in their basement that gathering dust. But we all know the truth. Whether you want to consider the cliches circulating in the fitness and business worlds, or look at your own life, it is painfully obvious- becoming exceptional at anything requires time and effort. Excellence demands consistently approaching the task at hand with discipline.

Vacillating between these two positions we are aware of (shortcuts vs. staying the course), we invariably fall into the world of anything is better than nothing. So we get strapped, get onto the field and kick ball after ball, run lap after lap, perform drill after drill. At the end of it, we are no better than we were before, but at least we can tweet, "Just finished my workout today." All we need to do is convince ourselves that we spent some time practicing-we have the sweat to prove it. Whether anything is really better than nothing at all is a debate for another post. A more pressing one is, what do those players who spend the same amount of time practicing do in their practice sessions that makes them that much better than us?

For 3 years I played soccer in a league in which the teams were rotated every season. I was privileged to be considered one of those players who were "core" and therefore not available for other teams to select me, just to avoid all the better players ending up on the same team. Despite this status, I was not always first pick on that team. I played where I was asked to play after after the selectors, who also played, gave themselves and their friends their preferred positions, even if there was somebody better. Playing alongside guys that had been friends for years, there was no chance of endearing myself to these guys in order to make them put me in the first 11 on the same basis. I had to put in the practice. So I started running earlier than anyone else. I spent more time in the gym while the other were quad biking and hunting. I even watched film, took notes, and went out to practice. I still wasn't picked on merit until the last season. Even then, there were guys on the team that despite being picked as friends, I felt they genuinely were better than I was. What was it that made them so good while practicing less? Talent? Talent Is Overrated!

Best vs. worst

Researchers from the City University of New York studied basketball players. Would they find a difference between the practice habits of the best free throw shooters (70% or higher) and the worst free throw shooters (55% or lower)?

Of Course!

Here are two for you to think about next time you are practicing or designing a practice session for your athletes.

Difference #1: Specificity

The best free throw shooters had specified what they wanted to accomplish or focus on before the made a practice free throw attempt. It wasn't enough to simply shoot a hundred times, or even get in as many as I can. They focused on where they were trying to get the ball- of the glass and in, or swish. Keep the elbows tucked.

The worst free throw shooters were characterized by more general goals – like “Make the shot” or “Use good form.” What is good form?

Side Note: As Morpheus said to Neo, "There's a difference between walking the path and knowing the path."


Studies like these inspire statements like, "Maybe the other guys didn't know that they had to keep their elbows in." In other words, perhaps the difference between them was knowing what good posture for free throw shooting was actually like. The researchers controlled for this by asking the players. They concluded that there was no significant difference between the two groups in their knowledge about what to do when shooting. Bottom line, its not what you know but what you do.

Difference #2: Taking Responsibility
The best free throwers were rated at 70% and better. For the 30% that they missed the mark, their self talk differed from those in the other group. Their attributions were just as specific as their goals. Thoughts like, "I'm not good enough," were more at home with the lower ranked shooters. Instead, the better shooters thought about the shot analytically. Whatever technical element contributed to the missed shot was addressed in the next shot. Thus, they learnt from every trial, each error becoming the specific goal for the next attempt.

Good players also take responsibility for their performances. Its never about the wind or how good the opponent was. The fact is, those environmental factors are exactly the same that their opponents are facing. They simply were more adaptable, adjusting as needed to these external influences- in other words, they considered what they could not change, focused on what they COULD change (their approach) and learnt as they played.

Practice then does not end during 'practice,' neither is learning limited to when we are running plays and drills before a game. Every shot, every pass, every run is an opportunity for learning. The better players recognize the cues offered and make use their knowledge to think, plan, and direct their practice time more productively.

Next time you are out on the field, act (and think!) like an expert, and soon, you will become one!

Related Articles:

http://thegamebeautiful.blogspot.ca/2012/06/feedback-in-practice.html