As a retired golf professional (40 years at a private country club) I find it hard to a compare motor skill sport vs something like the mental skill that bridge requires. Need to ponder this some more......will chime in on occasion. And I have read "Talent is Overrated".
JFrizz, I certainly understand where you are coming from. We do “train” the muscles for a motor skill sport in terms of strengthening the muscles by doing strength training. However, when training for a specific activity in a sport (hitting a goofball, catching a pass, etc.) aren’t we really training the brain to coordinate our muscles movement to achieve that result as opposed to training the muscles themselves? So aren’t we really training our brains in respect to those sports as well? To me I do not see much different from training for a specific skill in a sport (as opposed to strength training the muscles generally) vs. training for something more academic in nature (bridge, multiplication tables, etc.). The more we do something the more efficiently and accurately we are able to do it whether that’s counting cards or hitting the perfect 3/4 wedge shot to 5 feet.
JFrizz, I certainly understand where you are coming from. We do “train” the muscles for a motor skill sport in terms of strengthening the muscles by doing strength training. However, when training for a specific activity in a sport (hitting a goofball, catching a pass, etc.) aren’t we really training the brain to coordinate our muscles movement to achieve that result as opposed to training the muscles themselves? So aren’t we really training our brains in respect to those sports as well? To me I do not see much different from training for a specific skill in a sport (as opposed to strength training the muscles generally) vs. training for something more academic in nature (bridge, multiplication tables, etc.). The more we do something the more efficiently and accurately we are able to do it whether that’s counting cards or hitting the perfect 3/4 wedge shot to 5 feet.
There are similarities and differences between mind sports and physical sports. But I think that this concept of deliberate practice can be applied to anything. In the book, he focuses a lot on applications to business. Choosing a specific area to work on and designing practice to improve -- whether it's a chip shot or squeezes or the perfect time to take a soufflé out of the oven.
I'm still not sure exactly what a deliberate practice regimen for bridge will look like, but I think it's the right approach.
Glad you said that you aren't sure what a deliberate practice regimen looks like as I was wondering the same thing. I'm sure a regimen will vary by person but I started jotting down ideas. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with.
I also really like Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I seem to find aspects of Flow in all sorts of things.
I need to slow down. I can count winners and losers, I can see some plays that will earn extra tricks. But I don't slow down enough to put it all together. I see it and go. I don't stop to see that is this doesn't work, I will go down - or that they should be done in this order to offer both opportunities. I need a stop watch to make me think for 1 minute before playing a card.
Yes! This is one of my shortcomings as well. I think online bridge doesn't help, because it can feel like a video game, and the robots play so fast, you get caught trying to catch up. The good thing about playing with the robots, though, is that they have infinite patience! So I try to develop a habit of taking a minute before I play to trick 1. It can be frustrating, but it pays off. In my classes on declarer play, I don't make the table active for at least 30 seconds, so my students have to develop that habit.
You are exactly right. And the nice part about bridge is that you don't get repetitive injuries in your joints - - maybe in your butt.
In my supercharge video I show one way to do what you're talking about. It's not as efficient as having a teacher working on a very specific skill, but for general work on improving your ability to count a hand and use that information during play the bbo weekly free game plus the analysis by inquiry and/or Bradybot and/or Pete Hollands is invaluable.
Bridge students are notorious for hating to do deliberate practice. One of my partners who is also a intermediate novice Bridge teacher at the local club used to slip a board into the set of 24 for that day"s duplicate that was germain to the subject of his instruction that day. Unfortunately he was accused of cheating since he actually played in the game it being usually three to five tables if we could arrange to get that many players. Thus ended that practice. But it was a damn good idea.
Sandra Rimstedt recommends doing Bridge master on bbo to get better. I try and do 5 random ones at “my” level and study the solutions before doing “fun” things like the bbo daylong solo tournaments.
Pete Hollands also has detailed video solutions on his YouTube channel.
As a retired golf professional (40 years at a private country club) I find it hard to a compare motor skill sport vs something like the mental skill that bridge requires. Need to ponder this some more......will chime in on occasion. And I have read "Talent is Overrated".
JFrizz, I certainly understand where you are coming from. We do “train” the muscles for a motor skill sport in terms of strengthening the muscles by doing strength training. However, when training for a specific activity in a sport (hitting a goofball, catching a pass, etc.) aren’t we really training the brain to coordinate our muscles movement to achieve that result as opposed to training the muscles themselves? So aren’t we really training our brains in respect to those sports as well? To me I do not see much different from training for a specific skill in a sport (as opposed to strength training the muscles generally) vs. training for something more academic in nature (bridge, multiplication tables, etc.). The more we do something the more efficiently and accurately we are able to do it whether that’s counting cards or hitting the perfect 3/4 wedge shot to 5 feet.
JFrizz, I certainly understand where you are coming from. We do “train” the muscles for a motor skill sport in terms of strengthening the muscles by doing strength training. However, when training for a specific activity in a sport (hitting a goofball, catching a pass, etc.) aren’t we really training the brain to coordinate our muscles movement to achieve that result as opposed to training the muscles themselves? So aren’t we really training our brains in respect to those sports as well? To me I do not see much different from training for a specific skill in a sport (as opposed to strength training the muscles generally) vs. training for something more academic in nature (bridge, multiplication tables, etc.). The more we do something the more efficiently and accurately we are able to do it whether that’s counting cards or hitting the perfect 3/4 wedge shot to 5 feet.
There are similarities and differences between mind sports and physical sports. But I think that this concept of deliberate practice can be applied to anything. In the book, he focuses a lot on applications to business. Choosing a specific area to work on and designing practice to improve -- whether it's a chip shot or squeezes or the perfect time to take a soufflé out of the oven.
I'm still not sure exactly what a deliberate practice regimen for bridge will look like, but I think it's the right approach.
Glad you said that you aren't sure what a deliberate practice regimen looks like as I was wondering the same thing. I'm sure a regimen will vary by person but I started jotting down ideas. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with.
I also really like Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I seem to find aspects of Flow in all sorts of things.
Thanks for the recommendation -- I will check it out!
I need to slow down. I can count winners and losers, I can see some plays that will earn extra tricks. But I don't slow down enough to put it all together. I see it and go. I don't stop to see that is this doesn't work, I will go down - or that they should be done in this order to offer both opportunities. I need a stop watch to make me think for 1 minute before playing a card.
Yes! This is one of my shortcomings as well. I think online bridge doesn't help, because it can feel like a video game, and the robots play so fast, you get caught trying to catch up. The good thing about playing with the robots, though, is that they have infinite patience! So I try to develop a habit of taking a minute before I play to trick 1. It can be frustrating, but it pays off. In my classes on declarer play, I don't make the table active for at least 30 seconds, so my students have to develop that habit.
You are exactly right. And the nice part about bridge is that you don't get repetitive injuries in your joints - - maybe in your butt.
In my supercharge video I show one way to do what you're talking about. It's not as efficient as having a teacher working on a very specific skill, but for general work on improving your ability to count a hand and use that information during play the bbo weekly free game plus the analysis by inquiry and/or Bradybot and/or Pete Hollands is invaluable.
Bridge students are notorious for hating to do deliberate practice. One of my partners who is also a intermediate novice Bridge teacher at the local club used to slip a board into the set of 24 for that day"s duplicate that was germain to the subject of his instruction that day. Unfortunately he was accused of cheating since he actually played in the game it being usually three to five tables if we could arrange to get that many players. Thus ended that practice. But it was a damn good idea.
Sandra Rimstedt recommends doing Bridge master on bbo to get better. I try and do 5 random ones at “my” level and study the solutions before doing “fun” things like the bbo daylong solo tournaments.
Pete Hollands also has detailed video solutions on his YouTube channel.
I love Bridge Master. I recommend it to my students. It's certainly on my list.