Bounce: The of Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice

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Syed makes an interesting point, that the talent myth is believed by so many, and that as a result it is very damaging to some institutions. These institutions "insist on placing inexperienced individuals--albeit with strong reasoning skills--in positions of power". They do not understand that domain knowledge may be more important than reasoning ability. An example that comes to mind is the military, where officers are rotated from one job to another, even outside of their areas of expertise. They are in effect managers with no expert understanding of the technical field in which they preside. Overall, a highly enjoyable book and compulsory reading for anyone of any age group. And coming from a person who has achieved success – I say it is a very credible source of information and inspiration.

Do you remember the 10,000-hour rule that revealed repetition as the secret of mastery? Sports champion turned writer Matthew Syed weaves this practice mantra through his book, Bounce. And, he says, it means anyone can master a sport, musical instrument or professional skill. It’s time, not talent, that counts. Talent is overrated – and never enough! And if you really want to succeed in anything in life, you’ll have to repeat this truism as if a mantra. And pair it up with another: practice makes perfect, practice makes perfect, practice makes perfect… But when scientists ran a bunch of tests on the English national team’s players, they found the best player, Desmond Douglas, to have the slowest reaction times.I think that the next myth to fall will be the myth (only dealt with slightly in this book) of age and learning. Like the 'talent' myth it has a tiny amount of truth, and an enormous amount of self fulfilling prophecy. Recent scientific study is showing that the brain has far more plasticity than ever believed throughout your entire life. And the thing about adults not growing new brain cells is actually completely false. I am certain that anything including language and perfect musical pitch can be learned at any age. Just give it the same amount of time and intensity and the right sort of 'productive practice', all things Syed talks about in this book. Perhaps the form of the 'productive practice' changes between the juvenile and adult brain. However, Mozart was a child only in terms of age. In terms of musical proficiency – he was an adult. That is – someone who has practiced playing the piano for more than 3,500 hours!

The 10,000-hour rule is attractive because it exudes simplicity; it suggests a contained and finite number of steps. Unfortunately, there’s more to it than just logging hours. Take Mozart for example. He may be the archetypal prodigy. After all, he was a brilliant musical performer by the age of 6. And at that age, can’t even differentiate a musical quarter note from a poorly drawn shovel! When most people practise, they focus on the things they can do effortlessly’, Ericsson has said. ‘Expert practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well – or even at all. Research across domains shows that it is only by working at what you can’t do that you turn into the expert you want to become’.”

Most of us can’t find any motivation for well, anything but building Lego castles – when we’re children! When we get older, our success depends on it. In Matthew Syed's book, Bounce, he takes us on a captivating journey through the world of talent and expertise, challenging our preconceived notions about what it takes to become successful. Drawing on personal experience as a former Olympian and insights from the field of psychology, Syed presents a compelling argument that talent alone is not enough to guarantee success.

In addition to table tennis and music, Syed provides examples from other fields to emphasize the power of highly focused, deliberate practice. He delves into the world of chess and explains how the Soviet Union dominated the chess scene for decades. The Soviet chess players, such as Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, were not simply born with an innate talent for the game; rather, they dedicated countless hours to deliberate practice. The Soviet chess system consisted of rigorous training programs, intense practice sessions, and fierce competition among players. This allowed them to cultivate their skills, spot weaknesses in their opponents, and develop strategic thinking that made them almost unbeatable. Through examples of religion and the placebo effect, the book highlights how self-belief in your own ability directly impacts performance. Exceptional performers all have capacity for irrational optimism. 3. X-ray vision The book also inspired me, if anyone can succeed in what they do as long as they put in plenty of hard work, than I can definitely do so to play better in capoeira. :) It's not about talent. Talent comes from those invisible hours of practice that you didn't see the individual do. People say, Oh, Tiger Woods was born to play golf. No, he mastered golf because his father started training him at an early age, and he repeatedly did the same difficult shots over and over, hours on end. Syed, Matthew (30 November 2013). "My father, the immigrant". The Times . Retrieved 10 October 2015.If you think that you’re not talented about something – chances are you won’t become anyone important in that something. But not because you couldn’t have – merely because you have missed the point and spend too little time practicing. Syed discusses what he calls the "talent myth", the idea that some people are just born with a particular aptitude. He totally destroys this myth. Now it is true (for example, see The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance) that certain body types are more suitable for certain sports than others. A short person is less likely to excel in basketball, while he may be better suited for gymnastics. One's genes do, to some extent, determine the sports that one is most likely to excel in. But beyond that, hard work is absolutely essential. Mozart was not a child prodigy because of an innate talent, but he had a father who was an excellent music teacher. Mozart did not create original works of art until he was twenty-one, and had thousands of hours under his belt in playing and composing music. This was really interesting. I basically believed in the central premise before I read it, but the amount of evidence he presents seems pretty conclusive. My favourite 'study' was a Hungarian guy who announced to the world he would make a chess grand champion to prove the hypothesis, found a woman willing to give him kids as test subjects, and did it. His three daughters were (according to Syed) the best female players ever, the eldest was the first ever female grand master, and the youngest was the youngest grandmaster ever, of either gender. The middle daughter had to settle for a mere 4 chess olympiad medals. Remarkably, people didn't believe his theory about practice, instead saying he must have 'good chess genes' essentially :lol:

Furthermore, Syed delves into the field of surgery to demonstrate how deliberate practice can shape expertise. He highlights the work of renowned surgeon Atul Gawande, who explains that deliberate practice in surgical skills is essential to reducing errors and improving patient outcomes. Through specific training programs, surgeons can engage in simulated surgeries and deliberate practice that allows them to hone their skills, build muscle memory, and develop the ability to make split-second decisions during complex procedures. This deliberate practice not only improves surgical proficiency but also boosts surgeon confidence and reduces stress, ultimately leading to better patient care.The first half of the book consists of direct quotes from and regurgitation of Colvin and Coyle's books and says nothing new about the alleged main subject of the book. Odd," he thinks. The water should have more of an impact. They try dousing it again, and get the same results. They retreat a few steps to regroup. However, this requires so much effort that only those with proper motivation will ever be able to succeed. Through his experience as an international tennis table champion, Matthew Syed looks at what it takes to become the best; and debunks some cherished myths of innate talent along the way. Bounce is a compelling argument that champions are not born, they are made – and their success is down to two important things: opportunity and practice. Who is it for?