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It’s sad when something that everyone told you as a child turns out to be a lie. Santa Claus isn’t real; the only person willing to exchange your baby teeth for money is your mom; and practice doesn’t actually make perfect. This explains why we were never able to perfect our jump shot even though we practiced in the driveway for hours on end.
So what are you supposed to do if you’re determined to be the next LeBron? Mix up your practice. Instead of doing 100 lay-ups, engage in variable training and practice a mixture of skills. Do a lay-up, then a jump shot, then dribble for a while. Studies show that variable training produces better results regarding the skill you want to improve. So, practice kind of makes perfect — you just have to make sure …