( CNN ) -- `` You drive for show , but putt for dough . '' That 's the often-repeated mantra of the late South African golfer Bobby Locke , who put his own words to good use in winning four British Open titles . Good advice for any golfer , but the skills needed to knock a small ball into a slightly bigger hole can be applied in many walks of life outside of the proverbial pleasant amble spoiled . `` The discipline in setting an immediate , action-orientated target , or job that one is completely in control of , boosts one 's concentration , which is vital for success in every area of life , '' Irish professor Aidan Moran told CNN . So , just as top golfers need to do more than just drive a ball 300-plus yards , success in any sphere depends on combining physical capability with mental focus . And the good news is , all it takes is practice . The bad news is , it takes a lot of practice . Moran , who has worked with three-time major champion and fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington , has utilized his expertise in cognitive psychology to produce the CD `` Learn to Win at Golf '' and a series of other media releases . They aim to improve people 's concentration and performance in academic and sporting situations , and the results are sometimes remarkable -- if not so easy to achieve . According to Moran , who lectures at University College in Dublin , research has shown that it takes about 10 years -- or 10,000 hours of practice -- to truly master a skill like putting or playing a musical instrument . Former Olympic table tennis star and now Times of London newspaper columnist Matthew Syed has written a book called `` Bounce '' on the same theme . His theory is that anyone can master the skills to become a top-level performer in sports . Champions are made not born , is Syed 's central argument ; the myth of talent and the power of practice is his sub-text . `` I think everyone who has good hand-eye co-ordination has the capacity to be very good , certainly at an activity like putting , '' he says . `` In my own sport of table tennis , I do n't think there 's anyone who 's reached a high level who actually has faster reaction times than the ordinary person . '' Top golfers such as Tiger Woods , Phil Mickelson and Harrington have suffered from poor putting in between bouts of success , so why is it so difficult ? `` My feeling is that it is really upstairs , that putting issues have to do with what 's going on between the golfer 's ears , '' says Dr. Alan Goldberg , a leading American sports psychologist who has worked with many players on the men 's and women 's U.S. circuits . Even the professionals can sometimes seem as fallible as ordinary hackers , but Goldberg believes that what separates the superstars of sport from the average person is an almost superhuman ability to `` mono focus '' on tasks . `` I do n't think you can coach self-motivation , '' he says . Putting clearly requires no unusual physical ability , but does rely on the utmost concentration and the ability to shut out all distractions , which is why silence is always demanded when the top players prepare to take their shots . `` The biggest challenge in putting is keeping yourself focused away from the outcome , '' Goldberg says . `` Really good putters just concentrate on the feel and just focus on their body , get a right feel for the distance . '' Moran believes the key is `` partly physical , partly psychological . '' `` People tend to breathe in , so their center of gravity changes . You should breathe out gently when you putt -- it works , '' he says . So plenty of good advice : keep focused , and do n't get ahead of yourself -- it 's a pity sometimes that the professionals do n't take it . American Doug Sanders missed a putt of less than two feet to win the 1970 British Open at St. Andrews , losing in a playoff to Jack Nicklaus . `` Do I ever think about the putt ? '' he said 35 years later . `` Only every four or five minutes ! '' To escape such nightmares , the long putter seems the obvious refuge as it adds stability to the stroke , with the club anchored under a golfer 's belly . It worked to brilliant effect for Keegan Bradley , who became the first professional to win a major with it earlier this year , but Goldberg believes that golfers who switch will make only temporary gains . Better , perhaps , to adopt the attitude of the great South African golfer Gary Player , who often performed miracles around the greens . `` The more I practice , the luckier I get , '' the nine-time major champion was once famously quoted as saying . So for the high-handicapper , the message is that hours of practice makes perfect . Non-golfers can take this tip from Moran and apply it to a host of everyday tasks : . `` Seeing and feeling and performing a skill in your mind 's eye , using your imagination to rehearse and practice it to perfection . '' The question is : Do you have the dedication to achieve your goals whether on or off the course ?
Putting is a skill that can be mastered by anyone , experts tell CNN . Practice really does make perfect , says Irish professor Aidan Moran . Research shows there can be transferable skills to other walks of life . Biggest challenge is keeping focused away from an outcome , psychologist says .