How to Learn to become a: Elite Hitter Elite Pitcher Elite Musician Elite Plumber Elite Golfer Elite Painter Elite Writer etc etc etc.

He is just an athlete! Look how easy he moves. Look how fast he is. Look how easy the game is for him. I could never do that. He was just born that way! WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your seeing the end result of hundreds to thousands of hours of deep practice. You can do it too but he started before you, so you have to catch up!

The 4 phases of learning. Phase 1: Unconsciously Incompetent We are doing something wrong and don’t know it. **Average to poor performance** Phase 2: Consciously Incompetent We are doing it wrong and we know it. (The coach/teacher told me so) **Performance drops** Phase 3: Consciously Competent We can do it correctly if we think about each movement, but if we don’t think about it we do it wrong. **Performance improves** Phase 4: Unconsciously Competent We have practiced the correct movements and built enough myelin through repetition so now you don’t have to think about the movement to execute it correctly. **ELITE PERFORMANCE **Unconscious execution of proper mechanics=ELITE ATHLETE

Training effect on performance Phase 1: Unconsciously Incompetent Poor performance Phase 2: Consciously Incompetent Less than 1 thousand reps Performance drops due to loss of confidence and thinking about new movements Phase 3: Consciously Competent 1-3 Thousand reps Performance reaches previous levels with new movements. Phase 4: Unconsciously Competent Greater than 1-3 Thousand reps Performance reaches new heights. (Elite level) **Each athlete reaches phase 4 at a different level of effort. Nobody gets there with NO EFFORT** JUST DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET THERE!!

How do we get there? Chunking is the grouping of smaller detailed skills into a larger more useful group. You just cant run at first. 1. You learn to balance. 2. You learn to stand. 3. You learn to walk. 4. You learn to run. Running is chunking.

Chunking is how we learn. Read the following word: TREE Now close your eyes and say TREE Did you see T-R-E-E OR did you just see a 1. You learned to sound out letters. T- R – E - E 2. You learned to group sounds together. TR EE 3. You learned to put them together. TREE 4. You learned what they mean together.

Visualization You can train your mind anytime. Visualize the training points in your mind and play them over and over until you master it. Exercise: Close your eyes and see a boy under a tree eating an apple. Take your time to form a detailed image. What color was the apple?? Reading trains the ability to visualize. If its hard for you to visualize you should read more!!

Deep practice of little parts. Deep practice is performing the small moves that make up a larger action and perfecting them through practice. Coaches know that more reps make an action easier to perform. Coaches know that you will play like you practice. Coaches call it muscle memory but its actually Myelin growth.

What is Myelin? Myelin coats nerves that we use the most. The more we practice the more myelin we make on those nerves. More Myelin on a nerve the faster the signal will travel and makes it easier to repeat a physical motion.

What does Myelinated nerve look like? Myelin coats the nerves we use the most. Can you see the nerve used the most?? Nerves we don’t use frequently get less myelin. Learning new motion requires you to stop using old nerve pathways through conscious thought, and then use new ones and grow new myelin on them. Each time you execute a motion nerves get a little bit of myelin on them.

Why is Myelin Important? It changes the way we coach. Its not practice, its perfect practice. Slow movements build myelin too. Break movements into chunks. Master the chunks and then put them together. Myelin is a living tissue so if you quit feeding it will quit growing. Old habits die hard but they will die if you quit feeding them! 30 days of inactivity is all it takes for Myelin to start to deteriorate.

Deep Practice and Myelin growth You must practice with a specific goal. You must understand what your doing! You must practice movements precisely. You must break down movements into smaller pieces master them and then chunk them together. You must practice daily to build new or keep old myelin.

Effect of Myelinating the wrong nerves. When you make a change to a player the change in technique feels weird and is hard to duplicate. Players will say: That does not feel right. It does not feel Natural. That’s too hard for me. The player has Myelinated the wrong nerves and its hard to overcome those old neural pathways.

Talent Formula: Your not born with it and nobody else is either! 1. Dedicated and Supportive Parents. 2. Dedication to a sport to field of study. 3. Professional consistent coaching and instruction. 4. Individual toughness. 5. Deliberate practice. 6. Time years or 10 thousand reps for mastery. (START EARLY)

Ignition Ignition is getting that burning desire to be the best. Elite players dedicate themselves to mastering their field and spend an average of 2-4 hours daily for an extended period of time. After mastery is reached they only need to practice 15min to 1 hour daily to maintain peak performance. Players must have a burning desire to excel, but we can’t give it to them. We can foster ignition by: Showing players they can accomplish the same thing as others. They can do it! Creating a love of the game. Showing them the path to success. Perfect practice and reps. Challenging them to reach new heights of performance.

Barriers to Success Technology distractions TV, X-BOX, IPod etc. Time wasted from productive deep practice. Multiple sports You can play other sports but you cant stop working on this one if you want to succeed. Unfocused practice time Reps must be perfect. If you just go through the motions your going backwards. Focus on 1 thing at a time and cycle through each. Instant gratification culture. Americans want it now, but there is no shortcut to elite performance. Lack of confidence. I can’t do it so why try? I just cant do it. YES YOU CAN!! Lack of motivation. I am good enough so why practice?? Or I don’t really want to practice. (This is up to the player) Entitlement Mentality Everyone will get the same treatment so why work to get better?

Conclusion If you think you can, or you think you can’t, your right. Everyone is capable of elite performance if they use the secret of Myelin. so practice perfectly! Sources: Mike Epstein, Jake Epstein, Tom House and The Talent Code by: Daniel Coyle