Bend it like Beckham. But how?
| By: RiseHow do some people become great achievers?
How David Beckham is able to bend football so much? Watch this video that demonstrates his talent. Did you see the turn football makes before entering the goal post? People still wonder how he did what he did.
Some researchers studied Beckham’s game and came up with this explanation,
The wind tunnel technique we’ve developed at the University of Sheffield enabled us to analyse in detail, for example, David Beckham’s sensational goal against Greece in the World Cup qualifiers. We know that the shot left his foot at 80mph from 27 metres out, moved laterally over two metres during its flight due to the amount of spin applied and during the last half of its flight suddenly slowed to 42mph, dipping into the top corner of the goal.
This does explain the physics but doesn’t really tell how Beckham managed to pull it. He didn’t study physics to compute the acceleration, projectile motion, or wind effect for his kicks. But his brain was surely computing such factors based on his experiences, practice and instincts.
How Tiger Woods is able to swing the golf ball into the pocket? Watch this video that shows his master shot. What was he exactly thinking before playing his shot?
Was he computing all the physics factor with his brain? Well, yes in a sense. He was using his experience, practice and instincts to figure out the best way to play this shot.
Why more than 1 billion people are die-hard fans of Sachin Tendulkar ? Watch the master blaster in action in this video. How he is able to play such classy shots with such ease?
If you look into their past, you’ll be surprised to find how much hard work they put in to become the best of the best. As reported in a Fortune article,
Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work.
It is evident that only those people who have worked hard for thousands of hours with proper mindset achieve greatness. Every great person has failed number of times in his life, but it is after such learning experiences they beat the odds and shine. But most of us are so blinded by their shine that we only see their present and fail to remember their past. What differentiate an average from a great are dedication and persistence.
However, we should not forget that any two persons working equally hard might not reap the same fruit of their labor. This can be attributed to their different mindset. Attitude plays a key role in one’s success. If you want to get out of your comfort zone and become an expert in something that you enjoy doing then you are in right mindset. And long hours won’t bother you. All great achievers like Beckham, Woods, and Tendulkar enjoy what they do. That’s why they can put in so many hours of practice without any complaints. But they are not practicing same shot again and again. Instead they keep trying new and difficult shots. They take one step forward with each moment and become comfortable with uncomfortable drives.
So, basically to achieve greatness,
- we need to have a suitable mental attitude to be able to enjoy the things we do.
- we should be willing to put long hours with dedication and persistence.
- we should be willing to overcome the barriers and take one step at a time towards the unknown.
In conclusion, I would like to quote what Kathy pointed out from the book The New Brain:
For the superior performer the goal isn’t just repeating the same thing again and again but achieving higher levels of control over every aspect of their performance. That’s why they don’t find practice boring. Each practice session they are working on doing something better than they did the last time.
Read also: Bend it like Beckham. But how? Part 2.
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Good one..worth reading!!!
I am glad you like it Naveen. Soon, I’ll be posting ‘part 2′ on this topic. Hope you’ll enjoy it too. Keep checking.
[…] In my earlier post (part 1), I said that two individuals practicing for same number of hours might not progress at the same speed. This means that they might not get the same results from their endeavors. Why is that? Is one person having more natural talent than the other? Not likely. The difference is in one’s ability to choose where to focus. Choosing where to focus, what to practice on is not easy as it sounds. You might say, “Just focus on the barriers and you’ll be fine.” I am sorry to break this illusion but it doesn’t work this way. If your focus is on the wrong barrier, you won’t accomplish your goal, and your underperformance will lead to frustration. […]
Outstanding Video
“How Tiger Woods is able to swing the golf ball into the pocket?”
I beleve that he used some basic physics in his approach, but to
assume he had all the physics calculated
and planned in his brain before the shot, would not be correct in my humble opinion. Even if he had a slide rule to help, there are so many physical variables, that it would be impossiable to repeat time and time again. Tiger is by far the most Calculating Golfer I have ever seen, but I do not think he is the Einstein of Golf.
I guess I’m just envious……..
PaPaGrizz
www.bearmountain-ebooks/golf
I just shows how great these athletes are and the concentration that they have.
Mike
Very nice, bookmarked save in My live.
No matter how much you analyse these great athletes’ swing or kick it still comes down to repetition on the training field. Beckham practised his free-kicks, long after everyone else had gone home in much the same way Johnny Wilkinson became the best kicker in Rugby.
No matter how you cut it it just shows that practice is what makes these athletes at the top of their game.
nice write up. Thanks
Krish…
I love your site. They really look very nice. The articles provided are long enough to provide great content but not so long as to be totally engrossing, if you know what I mean….