Tiger or Roger

Epstein contrasts two paths. Tiger Woods began golf as a toddler and practised with intense focus. Roger Federer played many sports as a child and only later settled on tennis.

Popular advice favours the Tiger path, but Epstein argues that the Roger path, a period of sampling followed by later specialisation, is more common among top performers in many fields. Sampling lets people discover what suits them and build a wide base of skills.