Thanks Dan for your compliments . I sincerely believe this . And I can try to elaborate to you why .
I have been following some of these greats in different sports and I can see a common thread that separates the achievers from the rest.
It especially becomes clear when you compare the greats with the rest of the pack, who have achieved excellence but have not been able to sustain it for long time.
When we listen to these greats talk in post match interviews, we try to position ourselves as fans and frequently make the mistake of thinking that they are playing
mind games with their opponents , when really they are analyzing their and their opponents strengths and weaknesses.
The reason I put more emphasis on post match interviews is because its where the truth is more likely to come out because they don't come prepared for such interviews.
If you see it from the latter view point you will understand that they have got to the level
where they are able to do two important things simultaneously, or rather switch between two modes :
1. When they are actually playing they are able to rid their minds of any external thoughts , anxieties etc.
2. They are able to have an out of body experience where they can almost simultaneously see the how the game is playing out from the third person's point of view,
analyze it neutrally and try to adjust to the situation. This is especially true in individual head to heads, be it cricket, table tennis or tennis or any such
sport where the skills or two individuals are pit against each other.
When they are effectively able to do it together they are able to sustain greatness. We have athletes who can do either but not both.
I hope you follow cricket a little bit so that I can give you some examples.
Say for example somebody like Sehwag can do #1 but is not that great at #2. So he is not able to quickly adapt to changes and thats what separates him from a Tendulkar.
You can also compare somebody like Andy Murray and Djokovic along those lines.They have similar games and similar strengths but Murray needs more coaching.
I am sure if tennis allowed courtside Coaching Murray would have won a lot more titles and Grand Slams than what he has done till now.
And that is why I rate Zhang Jike higher than Ma Long , because Zhang Jike is able to coach himself better in the big finals than Ma Long. I am sure if the CNT
coached Ma Long in these critical matches he would have won more.
Also , if you see Federer's recent failures its not because he cannot do #2 , its because he is not able to hit the "zone" during the key points in the matches. We see
him losing matches from positions of advantage because he lets other thoughts get into his psyche when he is on the verge of sealing the key moments in his favor.
They other thing that I have frequently noticed is that because they practice these, they frequently get into the "Zen" state and achieve a saint like consciousness.
This is especially true in case of people like Federer, Tendulkar , or a Waldner or a Liu Guoliang or a Samsonov
who have been able to sustain greatness for a long duration. It comes out in their personality and all who interact with them get the same impression.
Coming back to the nature vs nurture debate. None of them really helps in either #1 or #2 . Lot of practice just helps you to boost your confidence and react in the
correct way in the crucial situation. But if somebody is good at #2 , he or she can figure you out and make you uncomfortable. #1 is easy to do in practice but
difficult to do in a real match. #2 is something that can be achieved through a lot of introspection even though you are blessed with a genius mind.
Regarding Nature setting the limits , I really don't believe in it unless you have any specific debilitating disabilities .
I believe the human mind and body is naturally so flexible and dynamic that there are ways of getting around small perceived limitations.
Even then you would have Joo See Hyuk or Natalia Partyka who inspite of having perceived limitations have excelled in the sport.
So it ultimately boils down to how much passion you have for the game and how far you are ready to immerse yourself completely.
