Originally posted by klacr
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Science is not the problem. It is thinking that science and humanity are at opposite ends. The epitome of this approach is the current data science movement. Data is great but we are ultimately human and reducing everything down to numbers misses something.
And some problems cannot be easily reduced to data. Your point about the magic of practice and putting people together is very valid.
This summer my daughter has been practicing with a bunch of very good players at a local academy. They do a few drills but nothing major. Yet, she seems to get better by just hitting with very good players. Her high school practice is similar. She is just out playing with a bunch of older good players.
I could work one on one with her on particular strokes. She and I could hit all the time. I could have her working with one coach exclusively with private lessons.
But this would miss the greater social aspect.
Somehow the presence of the coaches and other players have an effect on her. One that I could not really capture with numbers.
And I think the latest data science ideas are only part of the solution. If you read a really data driven person like O' Shaugnessy you can see that in some cases he cannot trace the loss or win to any particular point or strategy. I think there was a match between Nishikori and Wawrinka a few years ago at the US Open where he simply noted that it came down to a couple of points that could have gone either way. It was even all the way down to those few points.
Medicine is finally catching up and realizing that you cannot just eat a Mediterranean diet and live longer.
It's having really good friends, a job that makes you want to work every morning, physical activity, and a good diet.
A great tennis pro goes a long way.
Thanks for sharing!
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