Practice - How Did You Do That?

"Practice makes perfect."  Of course we know this - our parents, teachers, and friends have told us this throughout our lives.  We understand that in order to be a great piano player or athlete you have to have a lot of practice.  However, in many cases, it is easy to fall into the belief that there is an exact methodology to being the best at something.

Let's use the example of free throws in basketball.  Because of official basketball regulations, the distance between the player and the hoop, the height of the hoop, and the size of the ball are always constant.  Therefore, it would be easy to assume that there is a method to always make free throws.  All you would have to do is have an expert explain the mechanics, and you should be able to have a perfect free throw percentage, right?  Surely, there must be a way to throw the ball with the correct speed, height, and arc to make it in every time.  Unfortunately this is not the case, and to have a perfect free throw percentage, you need a lot of practice.  After a certain skill level, no more instruction is beneficial, and you have to experience the many outcomes of a free throw to master it.