Building a Skill in 20 Hours
A Disc Golf Case Study
Forget being an expert. That is the message of Josh Kaufman’s The First 20 Hours, How to Learn Anything….Fast.
It’s very common for books about skill acquisition to emphasize developing mastery or expertise compared to other practitioners. This book is different. When you decide to learn something completely new, you’re not competing against other people: you’re competing against your own previous lack of ability, and any improvement is a win.
With a wife, two kids, a full time job, side-projects, and way too many things I want to learn, it was time for me to focus on learning efficiency — starting with Disc Golf.
10 Steps — Rapid Skill Acquisition
Kaufman covers his entire process in his popular Ted Talk. Basically, it comes down to hours-spent in deliberate practice. Not reading about the skill. Not time spent buying supplies. But hands-on practice.
Kaufman’s process includes ten guidelines:
- Choose a lovable project.
- Focus your energy on one skill at a time.
- Define your target performance level.
- Deconstruct the skill into sub-skills.
- Obtain critical tools.
- Eliminate barriers to practice.
- Make dedicated time for practice.
- Create fast feedback loops.
- Practice by the clock in short bursts.
- Emphasize quantity and speed.
My Story — Preparing to Practice
I love disc golf (Choose a lovable project). I occasionally play with family and friends, but I have never intentionally practiced my form.
Like regular golf, disc golf is about getting from point A to point B in as few throws as possible. I decided to focus on putting (Focus your energy on one skill at a time). Too often, I make it nearly to the basket only to miss my putt 2–3 times. I bought a personal disc golf basket so I could practice in my backyard (Obtain critical tools / Eliminate barriers to practice).
Putting is defined as shots taken within 10 meters (~33 ft). I measured ten points in my backyard and took a baseline of how many shots it took for me to make a basket from each spot (Deconstruct the skill into subskills).
During the baseline, I never took a shot from the same spot twice in a row. My goal was to replicate the in-game putting experience as closely as possible. It took 52 shots to make a basket from all ten locations.
20 Hours of Practice
I replaced my daily walk at lunch with putting practice (Make dedicated time for practice). 20-30 minute chunks of time were ideal; however, I often only found time for 5–10 minute sessions (Practice by the clock in short bursts).
I used my watch to track the length of individual sessions and a spreadsheet to track my total hours.
Every time I missed a shot, I forced myself to say out-loud why the disc had missed (Create fast feedback loops). I used my spreadsheet to record insights about my putting. Here are some example notes:
Spinning the disc more leads to less of a fade before it gets to the basket.
The more distant I am from the basket the more I need to aim to the right of the chains to compensate for how the disc curves.
At 30+ feet I need to include a step in my release.
Missing a shot is as much about having proper footing as it is about throwing your arm right.
Finally, I bought 10 putters to spend more time throwing and not just walking around (Emphasize quantity and speed).
Results
The simple act of thinking about my putting form seemed to improve it. Watching a few tips from experts on Youtube also went a long way. After my 20 hours, I repeated my measurement process.
Total Shots
Distance Breakdown (10 locations)
Overall, I was proud of the results from the 20 hours but disappointed with my performance on the final test. This isn’t a post about test anxiety or the value of repeated measures….but it could be.
Not represented by this chart is the in-game confidence I now feel when putting. At 20 feet, I am a confident putter! I am surprised at how much this small improvement expands my in-game options when approaching the basket.
Reflections on the 20 Hours Approach
Should you follow this approach? Yes. That is my conclusion after 20 hours of deliberate practice.
A more accurate subtitle for Kaufman’s book might be: “How to learn anything…that is well defined and lends itself to short sessions of deliberate practice…fast”. I suppose leaving it at “anything” sells more books.
Here are other thoughts I have about this approach:
Output = Outcomes. Assuming you prepare for deliberate practice, the beauty of the 20 hour approach is it allows you to stop worrying about outcomes and trust the process will get you there.
Took longer than expected. I planned to complete my 20 hours in two months. I took three. A bad cold and evenings spent playing actual disc golf (vs. deliberate practice) interfered with that schedule.
Keep reading/watching. Practice matters but keep learning from experts. During my 20 Hours I read Zen and the Art of Disc Golf. I bought the book as a joke, but the author’s insights really have helped me calm my mind and focus on the shot at hand.
Continue identifying sub-skills. I assumed all putting was the same. Through this process I realized putting from 30 feet requires slightly different form than putting from closer ranges. Going back, I might have readjusted my goals for the 20 hours following this discovery.
“Easy” is dangerous. Scientists have repeatedly confirmed learners prefer what is easy over what is effective for learning. I saw this in myself. While practicing, I noticed a desire to practice all shots evenly instead of focusing on those I needed more work on.
Worth it. Upon reaching 20 hours, I was surprised to feel a sense of accomplishment. It felt like crossing the finish line of a race. Achieving goals based on cumulative practice is more rewarding than the specific sessions themselves.
Next Steps?
Frankly, my soon-to-retire parents are playing way too much disc golf for me to stop here. I’ll take a short break, but after that it’s back to practicing other aspects of my game in the most efficient way possible.
I am also planning to apply this approach to other skills I’ve long wanted to learn: riding a longboard, playing the harmonica, and chess.
Life is too short for inefficient learning.
Thanks for reading! Connect via LinkedIn to continue the discussion.
