John Matylonek <>
writes:

There was an interesting article in Scientific American about what
makes an expert in any field of endeavor. The study used Chess, an activity that
is very measurable in terms of the skills of the participants under certain
conditions. They found...


"...is that what matters is not experience per se but "effortful study," which
entails continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond one's competence.
(Being lead to those situations by a coach or having complete understanding
of the challenges and properly escalating them after competence is achieved -
See Mastering Flight at
http://www.oregonhanggliding.com/masteringflight.pdf)


That is why it is possible for enthusiasts to spend tens of thousands of hours
playing chess or golf or a musical instrument without ever advancing beyond the
amateur level and why a properly trained student can overtake them in a
relatively short time. It is interesting to note that time spent playing chess,
even in tournaments, appears to contribute less than such study to a player's
progress; the main training value of such games is to point up weaknesses for
future study..."


The preponderance of psychological evidence indicates that experts are made, not
born. What is more, the demonstrated ability to turn a child quickly into an
expert--in chess, music and a host of other subjects-- sets a clear challenge
before the schools. Can educators find ways to encourage students to engage in
the kind of effortful study that will improve their skills?"


In the beginner's case, is there anything we can do to encourage effortful and
formal study of hang gliding?


Despite the above, I have often heard that entering a hang gliding tournament
increases one skill enormously. I wonder if this spike in learning is simply
because the pilot finally places him/herself in a challenging situation? I also
wonder when or if this learning spike plateaus? Is this the time to take
advanced instruction/coaching?


See
here.