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Mastering any physical skill,

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be it performing a pirouette,

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playing an instrument,

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or throwing a baseball,

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takes practice.

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Practice is the repetition of an action
with the goal of improvement,

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and it helps us perform with more ease,
speed, and confidence.

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So what does practice do in our brains
to make us better at things?

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Our brains have two kinds 
of neural tissue:

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grey matter

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and white matter.

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The grey matter processes information
in the brain,

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directing signals and sensory stimuli
to nerve cells,

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while white matter is mostly made up
of fatty tissue and nerve fibers.

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In order for our bodies to move,

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information needs to travel from
the brain's grey matter,

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down the spinal cord,

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through a chain of nerve fibers
called axons

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to our muscles.

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So how does practice or repetition
affect the inner workings of our brains?

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The axons that exist in the white matter

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are wrapped with a fatty substance
called myelin.

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And it's this myelin covering, or sheath,
that seems to change with practice.

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Myelin is similar to insulation
on electrical cables.

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It prevents energy loss from electrical
signals that the brain uses,

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moving them more efficiently
along neural pathways.

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Some recent studies in mice suggest
that the repetition of a physical motion

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increases the layers of myelin sheath
that insulates the axons.

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And the more layers, the greater
the insulation around the axon chains,

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forming a sort of superhighway
for information

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connecting your brain to your muscles.

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So while many athletes and performers

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attribute their successes 
to muscle memory,

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muscles themselves 
don't really have memory.

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Rather, it may be the myelination
of neural pathways

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that gives these athletes 
and performers their edge

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with faster and more efficient 
neural pathways.

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There are many theories that attempt

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to quantify the number of hours,
days, and even years of practice

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that it takes to master a skill.

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While we don't yet have a magic number,

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we do know that mastery isn't simply about
the amount of hours of practice.

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It's also the quality and effectiveness
of that practice.

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Effective practice is consistent,

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intensely focused,

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and targets content or weaknesses

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that lie at the edge 
of one's current abilities.

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So if effective practice is the key,

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how can we get the most 
out of our practice time?

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Try these tips.

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Focus on the task at hand.

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Minimize potential distractions by turning
off the computer or TV

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and putting your cell phone 
on airplane mode.

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In one study, researchers observed 260
students studying.

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On average,

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those students were able to stay 
on task for only six minutes at a time.

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Laptops, smartphones, 
and particularly Facebook

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were the root of most distractions.

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Start out slowly or in slow-motion.

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Coordination is built with repetitions,
whether correct or incorrect.

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If you gradually increase the speed
of the quality repetitons,

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you have a better chance 
of doing them correctly.

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Next, frequent repetitions with allotted
breaks are common practice habits

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of elite performers.

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Studies have shown that many top athletes,
musicians, and dancers

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spend 50-60 hours per week on activities
related to their craft.

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Many divide their time 
used for effective practice

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into multiple daily practice sessions
of limited duration.

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And finally, practice in your brain
in vivid detail.

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It's a bit surprising, but a number
of studies suggest

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that once a physical motion 
has been established,

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it can be reinforced 
just by imagining it.

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In one study, 144 basketball players
were divided into two groups.

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Group A physically practiced 
one-handed free throws

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while Group B only 
mentally practiced them.

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When they were tested at the end
of the two week experiment,

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the intermediate and experienced
players in both groups

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had improved by nearly the same amount.

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As scientists get closer to unraveling
the secrets of our brains,

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our understanding of effective practice
will only improve.

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In the meantime, effective practice
is the best way we have

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of pushing our individual limits,

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achieving new heights,

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and maximizing our potential.