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The most famous preparatory drawing is a sheet that lays out Leonardo’s initial conception for the entire picture (fig. 16). On it he plots his perspective lines, following the methods used by Brunelleschi and Alberti. As the scene recedes to the vanishing point, the horizontal lines, which he drew with a ruler, are compressed with incredible precision, far more than necessary for a finished painting. Combined with this meticulous grid are quick, spectral sketches of twisting and scrambling humans, rearing and frenzied horses, and an ultimate bit of Leonardo fantasia: a resting camel twisting his neck to regard the scene with a wild surmise. Mathematically delineated, precise lines work in concert with frenzied motion and emotion. It is a remarkable combination of optical science and imaginative art, and it shows how he constructed his art on a scaffold of science.25
Leonardo Da Vinci
Walter Isaacson
Nearly two centuries later, psychologist Dean Simonton has gathered research supporting Quetelet’s early observations: the most accomplished scientists, artists, and scholars are also those who produce the most. Simonton explains that across many domains, personal productivity and social creativity are highly correlated. If we look at the pattern of creativity across an individual’s career, Simonton argues, the periods when a person produces their best work also tend to be the periods when they produce the most work. Measuring the number of highly acclaimed works and dividing them by the total can produce a kind of quality ratio. “This ratio of hits to total shots does not change in a regular pattern with age,” Simonton explains. “The ratio neither increases nor decreases, nor exhibits any other form. This remarkable result suggests that quality is a function of quantity.” Simonton proposes an “equal-odds baseline,” which suggests that, once a person begins contributing original work to their field, every attempt has roughly equal potential for world-changing impact.
Get Better at Anything
Scott Young
The bending and extending motion of the wrist when shooting a basketball is called the wrist snap. In 1996, Roger Miller and Stuart Bartlett conducted the study Contributions to Ball Speed on a Free Throw. In this experiment, their subjects were 15- to 19-year-old boys. They analyzed the amount of force each body part contributed to a free throw. According to their study, 59% of the force to the ball came from the wrist snap.12 Contrary to popular belief, the arms and shoulders contributed more than the legs (81% upper body compared to 19% lower body). Your wrist snap should bring your control fingers to the center of the ball at release for a straight shot every time. It also should be natural. Why? Because it will increase your range. You will be generating more power with your wrist. A natural wrist snap puts your wrist in its strongest position. Furthermore, it will provide more consistency. A natural wrist snap is a universal trait among great shooters.
Straight Shooter
Bob Fisher
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