10,000 hours!?

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Ali Malik

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10,000 hours!?

I have read at a lot of forums and websites(including this one), and I have seen that everybody says 10,000 hours of practice makes you an expert at that thing.

But do you really need to practice that much, after all that is alot. You have to sleep at night, study or do a job, including lots of other things. So where do you get that much time?
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

I think it's 10,000 repetitions rather than hours.

10,000 hours would take you over a year even if you were to do nothing else but practice (no eating, sleeping etc).
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

It would be 10,000 deliveries, which isn't that hard to do.

I can get through 75-100 overs in a week when the weather is decent, which is anywhere from 450 to 600 balls.
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

I have to say, I have no idea where the "10,000" figure comes from and I can tell you that my mother could practice off spin 100,000 times and never get it!!! Sorry mother :D

Dr Herbert Simon (Professor of Computer Science and Psychology Nobel Laureate) came up with...

"It takes 10 years of extensive practice to excel in anything."

...and this is the underpinning principle of the LTAD approach which is based on scientific research that, it generally takes 8-12 years of training and preparation for a talented performer to reach the highest levels.

I guess it depends on your idea of "expert". I have been practicing for 28 years and I still learn something everyday ;) I could have easily said, after 10 years, "...right, I'm an expert now..." but think what I would have missed. :D
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

From what I know the 10,000 idea was something said by Bob Woolmer, with the idea being that it takes 10,000 goes at something before you master it.

I think it's more a case of getting people to realise that practice is key, but some people like a figure to hang ideas off?
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

The 10,000 hours thing comes from a writer called Malcolm Gladwell in an artile that investigated why some people are better than others.

The overwhelming evidence is that they practice more. Or more specifically the practice for around 1,000 hours a year for 10 years.

You can read the full article here:

http://www.gladwell.com/1999/1999_08_02_a_genius.htm

I strongly recommend you read it all even though it's quite long, it's eye opening to say the least.

My summary is here but I don't do it justice:

http://www.harrowdrive.com/practice-like-a-physical-genius/

So, yes you DO have to practice for 10,000 hours to master anything. The problem is, if you don't have the talent in a subject it gets increasingly harder to find the time to play or practice cricket nearly 20 hours a week.

Now, you can still do very well with your 2 games and 1 practice a week but you will never reach the highest level.

As famous powerlifter Dan John once said. If something is important, do it every day.
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

By the way, noone is saying there is some magic switch between 9,999 and 10,000 that suddenly will turn you into a cricket genius.

It's a gradual process over 10 years that, as Liz says, the LTAD fit's into perfectly.
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

I prefer to go of this because it doesn't pressurise us into doing loads:
" an amateur practices until he does something right, A professional practices until he doesn't do something wrong"

I.E an amatuer may bowl at one stump lets say off stump, he bowls until he hits it and after that goes home , afterall he did it right. But a pro will do the same , he'll bowl until it hits it everytime so he is doing enything wrong
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

I think because it covers a certain amount of time (which if followed means you should see some improvement) and it's a nice round number, which people like.

As Harrowdrive says, there is no magic that happens as you go from 9999 to 10000, its just a training principle and something to aim for.
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

Is there any argument relating to people that are just mentally and physically adept at certain things? There was a British Surfer back in the 1970's who competed in the British Nationals and was the UK's best for while. But he was known to mention the fact that it took him four years to learn how to leap to his feet when he started to surf and yet many people including myself manage to do it at about the 3rd attempt the first time you surf? Some people just get it and it happens naturally with very little effort and others struggle and have to really try hard (Like me with my bowling) but surely there are other people that within a matter of hours can grasp the basic concepts and have massive potential very quickly, who then in the right surroundings would reach excellence very quickly and not adhere to this 10,000 rule?
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

i think the 10, 000 hour rule applies not to picking up the basic idea of a technique, but more "mastering" it.... continual repetition of a technique somewhat brands itself into your mind and it becomes a 2nd nature.... thats my understanding of the 10, 000 hour rule anyway...

maybe wrong :p
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

This is quite interesting and has just been covered on a recent UKCC2 course I assisted on. There were 2 angles of attack on this subject.

1. 10,000 repitions of 1 drill should ensure sufficient muscle memory to complete to activity (pull shot for example) to maximise the outcome.

2. 10,000 hours or 10 years was also discussed. This figure seems to be the amount of time a professional takes to succeed in their sporting area. The example given, was an olympic gymnast took 10 years to win an olympic gold medal at 14 years old, starting gymnastics at 4 years old.

This isn't an exact science and should only be used as a guide. The more difficult the shot/delivery, the longer it will take to master. So, practise and repeat practise until you find it manageable to carry out, then strive to develop the skill
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

I guess a word of warning :D

I work from the other end of the 10,000 rule, that is, I work with people who have spent 10,000 hours / 10,000 repetitions / 10 years doing something incorrectly. Here the 10,000 rule does not apply. It takes far longer to correct and perfect from biomechanical malfunction or incorrect technique!
 
Re: 10,000 hours!?

Dave makes a good point. We all have a maximum genetic potential for anything. Someone with the potential to be the worlds best batsman will pick up the basics and be successful far more quickly than someone with the potential to play village cricket.

However, with practice the village cricketer can reach their potential the same as the International. Without it neither will reach it.
 
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