Rule of thumb across the spectrum of activities and skills is that you need 10,000 hours of practise to become an "expert" at performing said activity or skill. 10,000 hours is a lot of time to dedicate, but as the end result in becoming an expert, the time put into it is well worth it. Unfortunately for all of us looking to become experts in our field, just repeating our actions over and over again isn't enough. Becoming an expert is a series of developments. Expertise is a characteristic of consistent progression and improvement. Any athlete struggling in pursuit of reaching the next level often times lacks not in physical strength and talent, rather in technical proficiency.


Physical skill is the most important aspect to any sport or activity endeavor. Proper form is the most highly regarded indicator of efficiency. Small aspects of body position can greatly effect the outcome of a movement through a kinetic chain. This is where becoming an expert in your skill is such an important pursuit. Expertise ensures safety and increasing competitive levels. Gaining a competitive edge comes from the perfection of executing the various skills and requirements of  the discipline, and the only way to get better consistently and constantly is to become an proficient in technique and execution. 

Many people talk about the 10,000 hour rule and that in order to become an expert, which is that it takes 10,000 hours of doing any activity. However, practise is not the only thing that will create an expert. If someone has no idea on how to do something and just tries in their own way, it will not work. Practicing something over and over the wrong way will not suddenly create a perfect technique. The importance of becoming a student of the sport and receiving feedback from a coach or trainer is also integral parts of making the 10,000 hours of practise worth while taking you closer to perfection. 

This is where the whole structure of practise needs to change for athletes. The competitive edge is found in the optimal execution of technique. This requires not just physical effort repeated continuously, it demands practise, evaluation, feedback, change and practise again. This series comprises Deliberate Practise, and there is a big difference between this and just practicing. Deliberate practise will continually influence changes in the athlete, making him improve technique, teaching better form, realizing greater intensity, produce more power and even have less injuries. The body is such a biomechanically efficient system, but we as people are so easily able to compensate and take the body outside of it's optimal movement patterns and teach it bad habits. With deliberate practicing, these detrimental habits are forgotten and good movement patterns are re-learned enabling greater performance potential. 

Never forget to do drills, watch frequent video of the greats in your sport, study your exercise routines, add in some proprioception training (body awareness), ensure proper recovery times in between bouts, practise excellent nutritional habits, film your own performances and practises, be coached. Practise is so much more than repetition, and in order to make the 10,000 hours of dedication and investment be worth it and make you an expert, don't just do and repeat, practise deliberately and become more than just a doer of your sport, become a student. Practise does make perfect, but only if that practise is done the right way.

Every Day... A Little Stronger