I HAVE always been intrigued by the fact that many top athletes have little insight into how they do it. They are incapable of breaking down their technique and explaining it to a novice.
This is not too surprising. Much of what an athlete does relies heavily on instinct, touch and grace. These attributes are hard to codify and explain.
For example, I have never seen a golfer who could hook a golf ball better than Arnold Palmer. But if you asked him how to hook a shot, he'd probably say: ''You just hook it.'' He would grab a club and, largely by feeling it, hook the ball. The fact that he is the best at doing it does not guarantee he is the best at explaining it.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have golf instructors who are horrible at hooking the ball but who can reconstruct every element of your swing and rebuild it so you can hook the ball.
To be fair, I think Palmer knows the mechanics of a hook as well as anyone; I just don't think he has the patience to explain it six times, waiting for someone to get it.
In sports, those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.