Blow to 10k-hour rule as study finds practice doesn't always make perfect

theguardian.com

7 points·paulpauper··5 comments

> which has been taken to mean that enough practice will make an expert of anyone

I don’t really agree with the book but I always get annoyed with articles and studies that misrepresent the idea. It’s 10000 hours of _deliberate practice_.

Also, "correct practice." Something pointed out with guitarists all the time: If you practice sloppy, you will be very good at playing sloppy. It has a lot to do with why so many amateur guitar players can't keep a beat and don't know how to play over chord changes (which is also why so many metal solos are over a single unchanging chord).

The way it’s often been quoted to me: “practice makes permanent.”

Or, put another way, “perfect practice makes perfect.”

It absolutely matters what you practice, or you’re just training your fingers to stumble at the same spot every time, which is exactly what I did for decades before being introduced to deliberate practice.

It's true. I could spend 30 years practicing every day and not be able to sink a basketball from mid-court without looking. But there are people who can, who are younger than 30 years old!

admittedly, pro basketball players miss free throws a lot. shaq for example was terrible at free throws

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