Did you ever take piano (or other musical instrument) lessons as a kid? Yep, I did! I also played cello. However, not until I was well into my adult life did I really understand how to practice and how that specific type of practice could help me in other ventures.
Similarities between piano and golf
Playing golf or knitting a sweater(or any other skill you want to develop) and playing the piano share a surprising similarity that goes beyond their obvious differences. While they may seem like completely unrelated activities, they all require a certain level of patience, focus, and attention to detail. In fact, the process of mastering these skills is remarkably similar.
Breaking it down
When you play the piano, you have to break down each piece of music into individual notes, and then phrases and master them separately. You can’t just sit down and play a piece of music from beginning to end every time. Ah, but that is what I regularly did. I would start at the beginning of the piece and play it through. Rinse and Repeat! That was my idea of perfect practice. It is no doubt that the same mistakes reared their ugly head each time the piece was played.
Similarly, in golf, you take a swing – shank it to the right and take another swing and shank it to the right. Rinse and Repeat. See the pattern?
You have to break down each piece of the swing into its individual components and work them separately before putting the swing together. From the stance and grip to the swing and follow-through. You can’t just hit a perfect shot without first perfecting each of these individual components. Same as for piano. After many many years of practice, I learned that I had to take it phrase by phrase. Not always in order and perfecting maybe three notes.
It’s the same for knitting. I practice a stitch on a small swatch before starting a larger project. I can then work the stitch, rip it out and start over until I have mastered the stitch. Only then does the project begin.
It’s all in the details
What’s interesting is that both piano and golf (or other activity) require a similar kind of focus and attention to detail. When you’re playing the piano, you have to pay close attention to each note, making sure that your fingers are hitting the right keys at the right time, the phrasing is correct and the crescendo or decrescendos are correct.
In golf, you have to pay close attention to each component of your swing, making sure that you’re hitting the ball with the right amount of force and at the right angle.
Patience
But perhaps the most important similarity between any of these activities is the need for patience. You can’t expect to master the piano or other activities overnight. It takes time, practice, and a lot of patience to get good at these skills. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to perfect each individual component before you can put it all together and play a beautiful piece of music or hit a perfect shot on the golf course, to knit a beautiful sweater.
So if you’re looking to improve your skills in any area, remember to take it one step at a time and focus on perfecting each individual component before putting it all together. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to mastering these often challenging and rewarding skills.
