|
Medical practice is often described as both art and science. Well I
had the pleasure of touring the Mayo Clinic recently and I did see
plenty of art. On the walls. Where it belongs. The doctors were all
first-class scientists. The scientific method provided the foundation
for the procedures they followed, the procedures they performed,
and the medicines they prescribed. My tour guide proudly pointed
out lots of beautiful art, but it had nothing to do with the treatment
of the patients and the world-class reputation of the medical practice
founded over one hundred years ago by William and Charles Mayo.
I often hear the same thing said about coaching tennis. It’s
part art, part science. If that’s the case, I’ll side with
Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie Mayo and pursue the science. If a woman comes
to me and wants to improve at tennis, I am going to ask her about her
tennis game, find out what she wants to improve, observe her game,
and make recommendations about how she may achieve her desired outcome.
It seems to me that science stands the best chance of informing me
all along the way in that process.
According to the late physicist Richard Feynman, science is the method
by which we answer questions in the form of “If I do this,
what will happen?” If you go to a tennis professional for help
and the pro makes suggestions, wouldn’t you like to think that
his suggestions have been subjected to the process by which we answer
the “If I do this, what will happen?” question? Isn’t
the process of finding out what happens when you swing the racquet
a certain way fundamentally a scientific question? Isn’t the
question of what grip to use fundamentally of the form “If
I use this grip, what will happen?” How about, “If I
hit the ball there, what will happen?”
I have nothing against art. Humans have been drawing, painting, sculpting,
acting, dancing, and singing for thousands of years. The products
of these artistic endeavors have been at times stunning. But if you’re
looking for progress, don’t look to art. The works of art from
hundreds of years ago are no less beautiful than the works of art
of today.
If you want a coach that can help you make progress in your tennis,
don’t look for an artist, but a scientist. Don’t seek
out the Picassos and the Michelangelos. Seek out the Feynmans and
the Mayos. They won’t necessarily have “the” answers,
but they’ll be following a process by which humans answer the
sorts of questions you want answered.
|
