Talent is Overrated

I've recently been reading a book called “Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin.

He presents evidence to reinforce the value of focused practise.

We all know what that is. It's working on only the skills you need for a particular endeavour. It also involves working on the parts you suck at, rather than more generalized practise.

You've likely done this, especially if you play a musical instrument. You have a performance coming up, and have three pieces to play. Two are no sweat, but the first part of that third piece is giving you fits. Where does 90% of your practice need to go?

Sports are pretty much the same thing, although for some reason it's harder to get people to not practice the things they're good at and to focus on their weaknesses.

It is long, slow, often done solo, and is unpleasant.

It also accounts for why there seems to be an entire generation of athletes pushing the bounds of old age.

One of boxing's all-time greats was Larry Holmes. He held the heavyweight title and had a record of 48-0. He was considered an ancient, old man clinging on by his fingernails. Starting in 1985 his next three fights were all embarrassing losses, and his career never recovered. In 1985 Larry Holmes was 35 years old.

Randy Couture was the UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion. He has recently retired in 2011. While no longer top of the sport, he was still competitive with the best. His age at retirement was 47.

Every sport currently has examples of dinosaur athletes that would have been unheard of a generation ago.

In every case the individual involved continues to do focused practise, working only on the skills their sport requires, and concentrated on their weaknesses to the exclusion of all else. It doesn't keep you any younger in general, but it does keep you younger within your particular activity.

It is what we do in Karate, at least in part. If the class sucks at Kata, we do Kata. If they can do a particular Kata properly, except for the last sequence, we work on the last sequence. If somebody can't do a decent side kick, they have to work on side kick.

In Jiu-Jitsu, my weakest technique is the triangle choke. I am lucky that it's also my favourite. When it's, "grab a partner and do some review" time, I usually ask my partner to help me work on the old triangle choke.

It won't keep me from wandering around malls with my fly undone, not knowing why I went to the mall in the first place, but it means I'll still be able to kick in your chest if you tease me about it.