Epstein’s introduction presents the contrasts between golf legend Tiger Woods and tennis legend Roger Federer with regard to their training and path to excellence. He explains that Woods was groomed from an early age to be a star golfer with his father overseeing intense and frequent training focused on golf. Federer, by contrast, was allowed to explore many different sports and came to tennis only gradually and without his parents insisting upon it. Both, however, reached superstar status. Epstein notes their paths exemplify two different models of development. Woods represents the paradigm of “deliberate practice,” also known as highly specialized training or even hyperspecialization (5). This model insists upon early and unwavering specialization. Federer represents a more flexible and less-hurried developmental path, one that is open to sampling, diversity, and change.

Epstein explains that he became interested in these different models of development after writing his first book, The Sports Gene, which discusses both genetics and specialized training with regards to elite athletes. The notion that hyperspecialization and an early start are key to success is pervasive, he argues. However, in the process of writing, Epstein interviewed many people and came to see that late blooming and meandering paths are the general rule, not the exception.