Why Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect

Summary

The article discusses the concept of deliberate practice, contrasting it with regular practice and emphasizing its effectiveness in achieving high performance in any field.

Abstract

The article "Why Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect" challenges the conventional wisdom that practice alone leads to perfection. It recounts the author's personal experience in art, where despite years of practice, they had to unlearn incorrect techniques. The author introduces the concept of deliberate practice, a methodical approach to skill improvement researched by K. Anders Ericsson, which involves focused problem-solving and attention to detail. The article highlights the story of golfer Ben Hogan, who exemplified deliberate practice by meticulously refining each phase of his golf swing. It outlines five steps of deliberate practice: setting specific goals, experimenting with different techniques, maintaining consistency, seeking feedback, and repeating the process. The article argues that deliberate practice is the key to significant improvement, contrary to the less effective routine practice that often leads to stagnation.

Opinions

The author believes that practice without proper technique can reinforce bad habits, leading to perfection in the wrong areas.
It is the author's opinion that deliberate practice, with its focus on identifying and resolving problem areas, is the most effective way to improve performance.
The author suggests that routine practice can result in less-than-optimal performance because it lacks the conscious decision-making and focus required in deliberate practice.
The author emphasizes the importance of seeking feedback from others, as self-assessment may be biased or incomplete.
The author asserts that deliberate practice requires going against natural instincts and conventional patterns, as exemplified by Ben Hogan's approach to golf.

Disarming one of the most destructive myths

When I’m not writing, drawing has always remained a firm hobby of mine. I’ve been doodling since I can remember, and I considered myself pretty okay at it too. That’s until I went to university. It took until I was 19 years of age for the cold hammer of reality to finally hit me — so many of my techniques were straight-up wrong. My perspective was off. I was sketching via chicken scratches instead of using clean, confident lines. I was drawing hair and grass using single pencil lines. For those unfamiliar, these are all big no-no’s in the art world.

After nursing my bruised ego for a while, I eventually came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t a bad artist. I had simply been practicing the wrong techniques. Nobody had corrected me on this before, so why would I think it’s wrong? Sure my drawings never did quite look spot-on, but that’s why we practice, right? So I carried on practicing all the wrong things and so became perfect at all the wrong things. During university, I then had to spend a long time unlearning these bad habits. Practice makes perfect, they said. It’s the only way to improve they said.

Regular Practice VS Deliberate Practice

Deliberate practice is a term coined by K. Anders Ericsson, one of the world’s leading researchers in high performers ranging from musicians to athletes. While there is so much emphasis put on practice, nobody ever tells you how to practice. Instead, we assume it means repeating the same actions over and over until we become familiar.

What makes the deliberate practice so much more effective is the process. Requiring laser-point focus and meticulous attention to detail, this form of practice aims to methodically identify and resolve problem areas. This is ‘true’ practice and the only real way to significantly improve in any field.

A wonderful example of this form of practice comes from Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers of the 21st century. Instead of blindly hitting balls, each practice session had a set goal and required acute focus. Leaving no stone unturned, he spent years fine-tuning his golf swing. He broke down the golf swing into segments, refining each phase before moving onto the next. The result was as close to a ‘perfect’ swing as you can get in golf’s history.

It’s important to bear in mind that deliberate practice must be a conscious decision. Psychologically speaking, we as humans find it easy to fall into a routine and put ourselves into auto-mode. In Hogan’s words:

“Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.”

When practicing, our minds will want us to fall into a pattern. Hogan went against these instincts, which otherwise would have likely resulted in less-than-optimal performance.

Set Goals

The skeleton of deliberate practice. Setting small, achievable milestones allows you to get into all the nooks and crannies of problem areas. Rather than tackling the subject as a whole, each part gets broken down into manageable chunks. This allows you to fine-tune your technique at each stage. This not only allows for more control, but for far more meaningful improvement.

Experiment

Explore. Every. Avenue. How do you know the technique your using is the best one if you haven’t tried them all? Just because you read something online, or were recommended the “best” technique by a peer, what works for them may not work for you. There is no one-size-fits-all, so when perfecting your craft, so never be afraid to try something new.

Remain Consistent

You’ve found what works for you, that’s great! Now here’s where thoughtful repetition comes in. Repeat your successful formula until it becomes second-nature, and be conscious not to slip into old habits. Your subconscious may still be telling you otherwise, so a high level of focus is essential.

Ask for feedback

As with me and my art, you most likely won’t be able to self-diagnose every aspect of where you might be going wrong. Having an extra pair of eyes is invaluable as they will often be able to spot areas of improvement you either don’t see or don’t want to see. While critique can sometimes be a tough pill to swallow, it’s essential for anyone serious in their craft to drop their pride and listen to feedback.