Why There Are No Shortcuts to Mastering a Skill

When my dad saw that I was interested in playing golf, he gave me a book to read written by Ben Hogan. Ben was one of the all-time greats in professional golf in the 1940’s and ‘50’s. Critics attributed his success to two things: a repeatable swing and an unstoppable work ethic. That would support the point I made in my recent tip of the week. My point was that myelin, the substance that serves as an insulator surrounding nerves in the brain, is essential for signals to travel effectively, resulting in learning and skill development. The more myelin, the more skillful someone is.  And myelin is created through practice, lots of practice. Ben Hogan, because his swing was so dialed in through practice, had lots of myelin. But, there was an even greater golfer perhaps than Hogan. But, because he was a little odd, he never reached the same level of fame. That was Moe Norman.

Moe played golf in the late 1950’s through the 1980’s. Some acclaimed him the most accurate golfer the golf world has known. He practiced by hitting 800 to 1000 balls a day. The result: 17 holes in one.  At an exhibition in 1995, he hit 1500 drives in a row, all landing within 15 yards of each other, according to author Daniel Coyle. To say he was a precise golfer would be the ultimate understatement. His precision came from an immense amount of practice which made an immense amount of myelin. You could tweak the saying that “practice makes perfect” to “practice makes myelin.”

Getting really good at something takes time, focused practice, and hard work. No short cuts. Do your best this year to help your children embrace and practice this kind of thinking. It will pay off.

Practice and work hard. That’s the tip of the week!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

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