Preparing for the Decisive Moment

In sports, a single second—or even less—can determine victory or defeat. Delivering the perfect shot or reacting to an unexpected attack depends on reflexes honed through countless repetitions. For that critical moment, athletes devote themselves to practicing the same movements again and again. A legendary U.S. basketball player, for instance, took 700–1,000 shots daily from five different positions. A Korean badminton champion, dominating the world stage, trained by receiving 500–700 shuttlecocks daily on sand to build leg strength.

What unites them is relentless preparation. Repeating the same actions for hours can feel tedious, and without understanding the purpose, it’s easy to think, “What am I even doing?” Yet by persevering through that difficulty and maintaining proper form, the body eventually reacts instinctively when the decisive moment arrives. Muscles memorize the movements, and the effort accumulated over time reveals itself in an instant.

Even when progress feels slow, consistent practice becomes second nature. Keep dedicating yourself to today’s effort—you never know when it will make all the difference.