'Monkey see, monkey do' won't do

If a kid has just started playing cricket, would watching videos of Virat Kohli and copying the shots be the right strategy? Kids do that, but a moment of thought will tell you that, no, that's unlikely to be the path to success. I'm not saying that no kid watching can have the kind of talent that Kohli has - I'm sure many would. The difference is that the beautiful cover drive that the kid sees and wants to copy is just the tip of the iceberg. It's the end result of a process and a support system that has lasted a lifetime in which talent was just one input. Moreover, it's particularly suited to the exact kind of advantage that Kohli has. Copying the result is unlikely to produce the same result.