I just read an interesting article in the New York Times that attempts to get at the source of a young athlete’s talent.
In a nutshell, it turns out that superior athletes are able to build additional thicker myelin sheaths, which are the jelly-like substances that cover over nerves. These sheaths operate as insulators, allowing the signals passing along the nerves to move more quickly, and more securely.
The way to accomplish this is through hours of repetitive practice.
This seems to reinforce a theme of several of the posts in this blog, about the importance of repeated practice to success in any field, and how essential it is to mastery.