HABIT X PRACTICE X SKILL

There appears to be no limit to the number and complexities of habits we are capable of acquiring. Professional tennis players and soccer players must combine precise technique with awareness of other players’ movements and make rapid, complex decisions about exactly what to do next. Such mastery can be achieved only if the basic elements of their skills (like correct technique) and even many of the more complex elements (like choosing the right pass or shot at the right time) have been forged into habits through years of practice. The habitual nature of the components of athletic skill is occasionally revealed when a top-flight player tries to modify his or her technique. Perfectionism drives many golfers to remodel their action in a quest for the ultimate swing. This process can take over a year and rarely ends well