Practice! Practice! Practice!

I recently read an article about Jerry Rice (the legendary NFL wide receiver) which talks about how he has re-dedicated his life to trying to become a full-time professional golfer. He will be playing in a Nationwide tour event next year and hopes to make the cut.

Studies have shown that to be really great at something, a person has to spend close to 10,000 hours perfecting it. This means that if somebody were to practice 2 hours a day, every day of the week, it would take close to 14 years to reach their goal! Please keep in mind that all that this means is that you will get really good at something. It does not guarantee fame and fortune.

We all have a list of things we would like to take up. Somebody wants to learn the guitar while somebody else wants to paint. Some of us might even make an effort to join a class or two for a few months only to quit. Sometimes we quit because life intervenes( kids/job/career....) and sometimes we quit because we realise that this new activity actually requires a certain amount of dedication and practice! Take up any new activity and after the honeymoon period is over comes a time when things get tough. This first uphill climb is where most people question if this is really what they want to do. Some actually make it through only to encounter the next climb which is steeper!

Most of us will not be able to give 10,000 hours to something but the fact of the matter is that if you want to be good at anything, it requires dedication and hard work. Keep in mind that many of us have already been in our respective fields for over 14 years. How many of us can truly say that we are world class in our respective fields?

We live in an age where everybody expects instant gratification. Many of us have seen commercials on television describing a product that will give instant results. Exercise equipment manufactures will claim that you will see results within a couple of weeks. A software product will claim to teach a new language in weeks and a book will claim to be able to teach you a computer language in 21 days!

I was once told by a well known drummer that if I treated music like a mistress all I would get in return would be some decent sex but if I treated music like a lover then I would get a relationship that will last a lifetime. Never having had a mistress, I cannot confirm his theory but his point is well taken: We get back from our endeavours what we put in.

So while I sit around making up excuses as to why I cannot make time to practice, I will be watching Mr. Rice closely over the next few months and rooting for him.

Where is India's Y.E?

Y.E Yang did what nobody had been able to do for the last many years. He took down El Tigre in the last round with Tiger holding a 2 shot lead. I have been reading how this victory will be a shot in the arm for golf and golfers in Asia. Unfortunately just inspiration is not enough to produce a champion. Its going to take nothing short of a miracle for an Indian to win a major. If anybody does do it, it will be in spite of the system and not because of it.

Golf in India is an elitist sport, a pastime for the rich and famous. Hang out at a clubhouse on any indian course and you will hear talk of what the stock market is doing, where somebody is going on vacation and how the new 7 Series is better then the S class.

The best players in the last 20 years have been either former caddies who honed their skills while working at some course or players who came from privileged families which permitted their children to indulge in the sport. It is virtually impossible for a child to be introduced to the game by his father with limited means. There are no driving ranges where those curious about the game can get a taste for the game. There are no public courses where a man can walk off the street, rent some clubs and play without having to pay a month's salary.

Unfortunately this lack of accessible infrastructure can be used to describe the condition of almost any sport in India. Things seem to be changing albeit slowly. The new professional soccer league seems to be a small step in the right direction. The local political bigwig from my hometown has practically run the Indian Olympic Committee for the last many years. We have nothing to show for it. Nothing. As long as these appointments are being filled by politicians, nothing is going to change. India's Y.E Yang will have to come from left field, having snuck through the broken system by sheer hard work and a huge dose of good fortune.